State Championships for Middle School - "Meet of Champions"
The Oregon Middle School "Meet of Champions" is considered to be the state championships for middle school track & field. PIL athletes saw huge success at this meet that was held at Corvallis High School on May 24th. The biggest accomplishment came from the Wells boys cluster, who beat out 64 other teams to take home the state championship trophy. Out of the possible 59 teams who competed on the girls side, the Grant cluster took home 4th place, while the Cleveland cluster finished 5th overall. Roosevelt's Isaya Migani also received 2nd place medals for the long jump and 100m dash while setting personal records in both.
McDaniel Youth Athlete "Epitome" of Why We Do Youth
Coach Scott Gordon was sitting with Grace Nguyen after getting off the bus from the PIL District track meet when he asked Grace, “So, how do you feel about all this?”
“Coach, before this meet, I had questioned whether or not I was an athlete," Grace replied. "Today, I really feel like an athlete."
McDaniel Youth Athletics Coordinator Maurice “Mo” Davis first got to know Grace when a few friends asked if she could sign up late for one of McDaniel Youth’s 7th grade basketball teams. Grace went from never playing basketball, or any organized sport, to starting in the Middle School Championships in Redmond and then competing during the Track & Field Season where she had a successful first year.
Coach Kim Stave sums it up perfectly, “At every practice, Grace would come out to the long jump ready to give it her all! She would run at full speed and fly into the sand with a huge smile on her face every time. As we would coach her on her technique & form, she would always listen intently & go back to do it again, giving it her all as she worked on implementing what we told her. She was a joy to coach and we saw so much improvement on her jumps this season! I can’t wait to see what she comes back out to do next year!"
Grace is the epitome of why PIL Youth Athletics exists. She is coachable, eager to learn, curious, and brings all of herself to everything she does while spreading positivity to those around her.
Now that Grace Nguyen believes in what we’ve known all along, we can’t wait to see what she has in store for us!
Jordan Brand Wings Scholar Winner, Nyah Johnson
Congratulations to McDaniel senior Nyah Johnson on being honored as a Jordan Brand Wings Scholar!
Nyah Johnson has had an outstanding high school career marked by impressive academic and athletic achievements. Earlier this year, Johnson was voted the PIL Volleyball player in her final season and she will continue her career at Mt. Hood Community College.
Per Jordan Brand, which launched the Wings Scholars program in 2015, “The Wings initiative is there to support students throughout the entirety of their college experience and beyond. Through this program, students can fully focus on their studies, without the stress of college payments or loans, and have the opportunity to attend the school of their dreams.” Read more about the program HERE.
