The Camas High School (CHS) winter sports teams’ seasons are cruising along, and they are all working their hardest to achieve district and state championship titles.
Even with some losses here and there, the athletes are determined to play their best and grow with their teammates.
“I would say the [boys basketball] season has gone well,” CHS senior and basketball player Mason Hamilton said. “I think we’ve had a few tough losses so far, but we’ve reflected and improved on things that we weren’t executing on the best that we could.”
“Bowling is in a tough league, but they’ve got a good group, and they’re young this year, and they’re learning a lot,” CHS Associate Principal and Athletic Director Stephen Baranowski said.
Some of the teams have club players who play year-round, giving them an advantage in starting off the season well.
“The gymnastics season is going great,” CHS junior Bryn Yoes said. “We have an amazing group of girls, and many who are going from Excel or previous clubs, which helps our varsity team a lot.”
There have been a lot of significant wins for several teams over the past week, contributing to a positive mindset for these players.
“Swim had a meet [on Jan. 14] with the Hockinson Washougal plus team,” Baranowski said. “They won that meet, and it was senior day for our boys, so they had a fun time, and it was a good experience.”
Also, according to Baranowski, the boys wrestling team won big over Union during the very last match of the night, leading to another victory at Battle of the Paddle.
The players are putting in consistent effort and are working hard to keep winning and give themselves the best possible chance at district and state titles.
“To reach my goals [and the team’s goals], I need to make sure I’m working as hard as I can in games and in practice, making sure I’m not only making myself better, but my teammates as well,” Hamilton said. “I think if I do both of these things well, we will have a ton of success as a team and individually.”
“Currently, we are all working really hard for our districts so we can advance to state together as a team,” Yoes said. “I want to continue to get stronger and work on new, like, bigger skills, and I am really hoping I can perfect my routines for district and state.”
Besides looking towards future goals, the teams are proud of what they have accomplished and what they have witnessed their teammates achieve.
“[One of my memories that sticks out] is when Ethan [Harris] had his 42-point game against Washougal. That was a super cool moment, and I’m glad I got to experience it with him,” Hamilton said. “[My other favorite memory] is when we beat Union in the first league game. The atmosphere was crazy, and it was the most fun I’ve had in an individual game since I started playing.”
