PHOTO: OPRA’s Cooper Disque practicing in Port Angeles Harbor last week.
BY OLY ARCHIBALD
PORT ANGELES — The Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association opened its spring season on Saturday, competing at Vancouver Lake in its first regatta of the year. The team faced strong competition, with several athletes turning in notable performances.
Cooper Disque had one of the most exciting finishes of the day in the Men’s Junior 1x event. After trailing for most of the race, he surged forward in the final sprint, edging out the fourth-place finisher by just half a second to claim third in his heat. His final time was 9:07.78. Later in the regatta, Disque teamed up with his sister, Mariah, in the Mixed Junior 2x. The brother-sister duo finished fifth with a time of 8:59.14. Mariah had already raced earlier in the day, pairing with Kadence Greul in the Women’s Junior U17 2x. The two finished fifth in their event with a time of 11:43.96.
Meanwhile, former Port Angeles Roughrider and Peninsula College Pirate Millie Long continues to add to her growing list of accolades at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Long has been named First Team All-GNAC, GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, and GNAC Newcomer of the Year. But her most impressive accomplishment is her playmaking ability—she leads not just the GNAC but the entire nation in assists at the NCAA Division II level.
Long and the Seawolves, who finished the season with a 27-4 record and both the GNAC regular season and tournament titles, are now preparing for the D2 West Regional Tournament. They will travel to Carson, California, as the number four seed and will take on number five Montana State Billings on Friday night in the opening round.
Millie Long seen here celebrating with her Sea Wolves is the National leader in assists and was named 1st Team All GNAC
With the arrival of spring, local high school sports teams are also set to begin their seasons. The Port Angeles and Sequim golf teams will hit the course Tuesday afternoon, with Port Angeles traveling to Kingston and Sequim heading to Bremerton. Tee times are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. The Port Angeles soccer team will also be on the road, taking on Bremerton under the lights at 7:00 p.m. On the baseball diamond, Port Angeles will start its season on Wednesday at home, hosting Forks at Volunteer Field. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m.