By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club honored Blanchet Catholic’s Ariel Davila (Softball), West Salem’s Brayden Sparkman (Boys Golf), Sprague’s Grant Strother (baseball), McNary’s Jake Allen (baseball), North Salem’s Taylor Suarez (softball) and West Salem’s Natalie Cunningham for the week of April 8.

Here’s the press release

The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from Blanchet Catholic Softball, is Ariel Davila.

Ariel, a senior, pitches for the 3-1 Cavaliers. In last week’s win she was 2 for 3 with a walk, RBI, and 2 stolen bases. She also pitched five innings recording nine strikeouts while only allowing two hits, two walks, and a single earned run. In the young season she has two wins with a 1.0 ERA and has a .300 batting average.

Congratulations Ariel from the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club!

The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from West Salem Boys Golf, is Brayden Sparkman.

Brayden is a senior golfer for the Titans. Brayden won West’s first league tournament for boys golf, shooting a 2 over par 74 at Ilahe Hills Country Club. From coach Mike Baker: “Brayden is a phenomenal young man with a great story. [He] just picked up the game 2 years ago and has been exceptional. For those of us that have been playing the game of golf, it is quite frustrating to see how good he has gotten in such a short time. He is nothing but a great person, teammate, and leader for us at West Salem. I could not be more proud of his accomplishments as a player but more importantly as a young man. I am excited to continue to watch him through his golf and life as he will continue to golf at Corban University next year.”

Congratulations Brayden from the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club!

The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from Sprague Baseball, is Grant Strother.

Grant, a junior, pitches and catches for the 10-1 and #4 ranked Olys. Coach Luke Buchheit said Grant, “has had a really good start to our young season.” He is 2-0 on the mound with a 0.538 ERA, recording 15 strikeouts against only 2 walks across 12 innings. He’s also leading Sprague with a .650 batting average on 13 hits which includes a double and a triple.

Congratulations Grant from the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club.

The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from McNary Baseball, is Jake Allen.

Jake, a sophomore, is a pitcher and outfielder for the Celts. In the 9-1 win on the road over Crescent Valley he threw 6 1/3 innings allowing only 4 hits while striking out 9 against 3 walks and only 1 earned run. Overall he threw 65% of his pitches for strikes.

Congratulations Jake from the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club!

The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from North Salem Softball, is Taylor Suarez .

Taylor, a senior and team captain, plays shortstop for the Viks. Taylor helped lead the Vikings to a 12-4 win over Lincoln High School this week. Suarez led the Vikings with solid defensive play as well as going 4-5 at the plate while reaching base on all 5 at bats. She had 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases game at Lincoln.

Congratulations Taylor from the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club!

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The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from West Salem Girls Track and Field, is Natalie Cunningham.

Natalie is a senior for the Titans. Natalie won the shot put at the 13-team Titan Track Classic on April 1st with a throw of 42’7″, which is both a personal best and also set a school record. The put also ranks her 2nd in the state for 6A.

Natalie has twice been an SSBC Athlete of the Week for soccer.

Congratulations Natalie from the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club!

High school sports matter.