Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Greg Sipe and Sarah Rosa were named the Booster Club Boy and Girl of the Year on May 21 at the annual Sweet Home High School senior sports banquet and awards.
Rosa lettered four years in swimming and was the outstanding underclassmen her freshman and sophomore year and outstanding upperclassman her junior and senior year. She qualified for state all four years and placed in 2007 and 2008.
She played four years of volleyball, lettering twice. She participated in track and lettered three years.
Rosa plans to attend California State University, Northridge, where she wants to study kinesiology.
She was recognized as a scholar athlete for maintaining a 3.5 GPA or better during high school.
Sipe played football for four years, two years on varsity, winning second-team all-league honors in 2006 and 2007. He received the team’s Black Lion Award and Most Inspirational in 2007.
He played baseball for four years, varsity for three years, winning the Winfred Hackworth Memorial Award in 2005, the Golden Glove Award in 2007, the 100-percent Club award in 2006 and 2007 and second-team all-league infield.
He plans to attend Chemeketa Community College or Central Oregon Community College in fire sciences and emergency medical sciences and then transfer to Western Oregon University for a bachelor of science degree in fire service administration.
Amanda Basham, earning letters in five sports, was inducted into the SHHS Hall of Fame.
She ran track for four years, winning Most Valuable Player, the Coach’s Award and second-team all-league in 2007. She was the team MVP and winner of the Distance Runner of the Year in 2008, and she placed first in the district meet’s 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter races in 2008, and she placed eighth at state in the 3,000.
Basham danced for one year and won the award for Most Improved. She played volleyball for three years. She was a cheerleader for one year, and she ran cross country for a year, winning Most Valuable Player, the Rookie Award and first-team all-league in 2007.
The school recognized three coaches who are leaving the district this year, including Alan Temple, who has coached for most of his 31 years teaching at Sweet Home Junior High; and Lynn Ellis, who coached football and baseball. Both are retiring.
Also recognized was basketball coach Tim Little, who is moving to an eastern Oregon school district.
Nick Pitts and Becky Spencer won the U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award.
Kelsey Fisher and Ashley Danielson won the U.S. Army Scholar Athlete Award.
Basham received the Greg Hagle Memorial Scholarship.
Fisher received the Kenneth J.H. Sitton Award.
Casey Johnson won the Sweet Home Alumni Foundation Norm Davis Memorial Scholarship.
Moe Awards went to Sipe and Colton Emmert.
Rosa and Brinden Sanders received the Larry Johnson Sportsmanship Award.
Sanders, Danielson and Jessalyn Seiber received the Husky Award for earning 12 letters.
An Award of Excellence was presented to three adults for their sportsmanship, ethics and integrity. They included Little and Emery and Karen Wagner.
A new Spirit of a Champion Award, sponsored by Bi-Mart, was presented to Basham and Ramiro Santana.
Character development is one of the major reasons to be involved in high school sports, football Coach Rob Younger said. The award is presented to athletes who respect their opponents, teammates, officials and the game, showing integrity and “servant leadership” while being a team leader.
Another new award, the OSAA-Farmer’s Insurance Scholar Athlete Award, was presented to athletes who maintain a 3.5 GPA and earn a varsity letter.
They included Larissa Bjornsen, Rosa, Basham, Tracy Smith, Yumi Asai, Dallin Holden, Jonny Penner, Fisher, Heather Polly, Mary Bond, Justine Calhoon, Nick Zahler and Mizuki Yoshizawa.
A similar award was presented for earning an activities letter with a 3.5 GPA to Bond and Charolene Hardwick-Bradley.
Basham’s uncle, Dr. Will Keim, a motivational speaker, gave the keynote address for the banquet. He comically reminded the student athletes that the most important organ in their body is their brain, and they should use it.
He also reminded them to remember their parents as they move out, to think about life in their shoes as their children are growing up.
He told them to be hopeful: “Don’t listen to people who say we’re going to hell in a handbasket.”
He told them to act: “You can make your life anything you want it to be.”
And he told them to love, and that means they must love themselves too. To give something to someone else, they must have possession of it.
“If I ask for love, and you don’t love yourself, how can I ask you for something you don’t have,” Keim said.
“This community supports you,” he said. “You take this small town with you.”