By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

Blanchet Catholic’s Kayla Greenwood (Track), South Salem’s Sadie Paterson (Girls Tennis), North Salem’s Gabrielle Tata-Rodrigues (Track), Sprague’s Jake Horn and Jake Sturgeon (Boys Tennis Double’s Pair) and Brayden Hubbard were named to the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club for the Week of May 21.

The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from Blanchet Catholic Girls Track, is Kayla Greenwood. This past week at the district championship meet she not only anchored the championship 4x100m team (53.81), she also won the 100m and set the school record with a 13.08. A true multi-sport athlete, she also placed fifth in javelin (104-7) and third in long jump (14-04.25). Coach Dave Mucken added “Kayla is a fourth year track athlete for me and is not just a perennial strength, she is one of the greatest people I’ve had the pleasure of coaching. She will be representing Blanchet this coming week at the 3A culminating meet. I’m very proud of Kayla and she has been an integral part of the team since day one. She will be attending Pepperdine University in the Fall.” Congratulations Kayla from the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club!

The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from South Salem Girls Tennis, is Sadie Paterson. Sadie is a freshman for the Saxons. Sadie won all eight of her league singles matches and this week she won the North Valley Conference Singles title to remain undefeated for the season and was named 1st team all-conference as a result. Coach Nancy Cox added, “Sadie is just a freshman, with her main sport being basketball, but she has taken the tennis league by storm. At the beginning of the season Sadie played position three, then moved to position two, and was our number one singles player for the last several weeks. She went into the North District tourney as the number two seed and won the tournament in an intense battle in the final. Sadie is an excellent athlete who has a strong technical game but what is far more impressive about her is her mental toughness, strategic mind, and determination to get to every ball and never give up. She was voted the team’s Most Inspirational Player at our recent Awards Night. In addition to her on court skills, Sadie has added a burst of energy and enthusiasm to our team. She forged friendships with everyone and always made her teammates feel supported. Sadie wrote team rap songs for us and read them before our matches! Sadie is taking the International Baccalaureate curriculum at South and I have no doubt that she will compete in the classroom with the same gusto that she has competed on the tennis court. I can’t wait to watch her play basketball. Sadie is a such a pleasure to have around and has brought so much laughter and joy to our team. Winning every match was a bonus, but her presence was the win!” Congratulations from the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Sadie!

The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from North Salem Girls Track and Field, is Gabrielle Tata-Rodrigues. Gabrielle is a senior for the Viks. Gabby went undefeated throwing in city meets this year and helped the Vikings to a 5-0 record versus other Salem-Keizer teams. Her throwing coach, Beth Dougherty, says this about her athlete: “Gabby is the complete package in everything she does, bringing top-notch attitude, leadership, desire, work ethic and skill to each and every practice. She is not only a phenomenal athlete, but has led her team since her freshman year, showing new athletes what it means to be a Viking! Gabby has signed to Corban University for wrestling and will also compete in track and field. She goes into the 5A state meet this weekend ranked 1st in the shot put and 2nd in the discus. Thank you for honoring North Salem’s Gabrielle Tata-Rodrigues.” Congratulations from the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Gabrielle!

The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab “Athlete” of the Week, from Sprague Boys Tennis, is the doubles team of Jake Horn and Jake Sturgeon. Jake Horn is a sophomore for the Olys but is participating in his first season due to the Covid cancellations last year. Teamed with fellow Jake (Sturgeon), a junior, the two Jakes finished 6-0 in league play and 3-0 with other partners during the season. They teamed up for the playoffs as the two seed and defeated the one seed from Silverton in straight sets to capture the 2021 doubles title. Congratulations from the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Jake and Jake!

The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from Blanchet Catholic Boys Track and Field, is Brayden Hubbard. Brayden is a senior for the Cavaliers. In his first year of competition Brayden set a school record for the triple jump (40-2 1/4 ) and was the 3A-SD2 champion. He also finished second in the long jump (19-9 1/2), fourth in the 100m (12.0) and he is also on the state-bound 4x100m relay. Coach Dave Mucken added that “Brayden is outworked by no one and has proven to be an incredible leader to the team. Brayden has been a standout all season. He has a lot left to give at this week’s state-wide competition. He’s an exceptional athlete and even better person. In the Fall, he will be attending Baylor University.” Congratulations from the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Brayden!