CAMAS — Let’s clear this up right at the top.

Mason Minder, the all-region defender in her fourth season playing for the Camas girls soccer team, is not related to the coach of said team, Roland Minder.

“I get that question a lot. Even in grocery stores they will say to wish my dad luck,” she said. “Sometimes I tell them he is my dad just to mess with them.”

Mason Minder doesn’t mind mixing it up on the soccer field, either. Which makes her the perfect fit to play in the center of the Papermaker defense.

“She has everything a coach would want,” said Roland Minder, citing confidence and maturity that is respected by teammates and coaches.

She got her first taste of varsity soccer as a substitute forward on the 2012 team that placed third in the state tournament. The past two seasons, Minder has been a Greater St. Helens League first-team defender for Camas teams that had 30 wins, six losses and three ties and won league titles.

Growing up, Mason Minder kept busy with basketball, volleyball, softball, cheerleading and dance. But the nonstop nature of a soccer game fit her personality. “I can get my anger out, and you can’t do that in dance.”

She said this with a smile, but it explains the intensity Mason Minder brings to the field. Roland Minder cites her tenacity and courage as ingredients that make Mason Minder a strong defender.

Mason Minder recalls breaking her pinkie finger the first time she practiced a slide tackle. But that didn’t stop her from using a slide tackle during a match at Harmony Sports Complex to halt an opposing scoring chance. She won that first slide tackle in competition, erasing a chance for a rival of her Washington Timbers club.

“I love going in on hard tackles and slide tackles,” she said. “And I love being the voice of the team.”

That voice is often delivering jokes and isn’t shy about bantering with her coach. They might not be directly related — Roland Minder said they probably share common relatives four or five generations back in the Oberaargau region of the Kanton Bern in Switzerland — but defender and coach share the same competitive drive.

“She enjoys the physical part of the game, and is tough as nails,” the coach said. “She’ll play through adversity.”

Tony Minder, Mason’s father, played quarterback at Camas High School. She said her dad isn’t a big soccer fan. “He calls us foot fairies.”

Mason doesn’t watch much soccer, either. She just plays it, though she did follow the Women’s World Cup over the summer.

Clearly, Mason Minder is more about action. She is honored to be a team captain this season, and takes that role seriously. Part of being a captain is making sure the Papermakers are mentally prepared to play.

“I’m not that serious, but I try to put on a good act before a game,” she said with a chuckle. “I can get real serious when I need to. My teammates know when to take me seriously and when not to.”

A year ago, Camas won the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League title but missed the state tournament after losing consecutive district playoff matches. That disappointment is a motivating factor this season, she said.

But for Mason Minder, the measure of success this season isn’t about how it ends.

“It will be a success,” she said, “if everyone plays their heart out and leaves it all on the field.”

Girls soccer storylines for 2015

Returning talent: Among the returning players for local teams are six players who were selected to The Columbian’s all-region girls soccer team last season are back this season. They are Katie Anthony (Columbia River), Anyssa DeVera (Camas), Mason Minder (Camas), Taryn Ries (Ridgefield), Alex Sanders (Union) and Rylee Seekins (Hockinson).

One all-region player not participating in high school soccer this season is Lauren Rood. The Camas senior is one of the goalkeepers in the U.S. Women’s National Team under-20 player pool and chose not to play for the Papermakers because of those commitments. She has verbally committed to play soccer for Stanford.

League overviews:

• Camas has won or shared the league title in each of its first three seasons in the 4A GSHL, and has won five consecutive league titles overall. The Papermakers again figure to be challenged by Skyview and Union, the teams that last season beat Camas in district playoffs and represented the league in the state tournament. Skyview opened league play with a 3-0 win over Union. Mountain View, with nine returning starters, hopes to challenge for a top-3 spot.
• In the 3A GSHL, Columbia River is shooting for a fifth consecutive trip to the Class 3A state tournament. The Chieftains graduated 14 players from the team that placed third at state a season ago, but have a tradition of success under coach Filomon Afenegus and talented forward Ellie Walker to lead the attack.
• Hockinson and Ridgefield were the class of the 2A GSHL last season. Ridgefield placed third in the state tournament and Hockinson was beaten 3-2 in the state quarterfinals by eventual champion Squalicum. Ridgefield beat Hockinson three times last season, all highly-competitive matches. The teams are scheduled to play on Oct. 6 at Hockinson and on Oct. 27 at Ridgefield.
• In the 1A Trico League, King’s Way Christian is shooting to return to state with a roster that still has many underclassmen. La Center is the defending league champion, and along with King’s Way and Seton Catholic has started the season strong.

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

VOLLEYBALL

Battle Ground at Evergreen, 7 p.m.

Camas at Skyview, 7 p.m.

Heritage at Union, 7 p.m.

Columbia River at Centralia, 7 p.m.

Franklin (Ore.) at Fort Vancouver, 7 p.m.

Hockinson at Mark Morris, 7 p.m.

Woodland at R.A. Long, 7 p.m.

Ridgefield at Washougal, 7 p.m.

Castle Rock at Kalama, 7 p.m.

La Center at Columbia-White Salmon, 7 p.m.

Seton Catholic at Stevenson, 7 p.m.

GIRLS SOCCER

Evergreen vs. Skyview, 5 p.m. at Kiggins Bowl

Mountain View at Camas, 7 p.m. at Doc Harris Stadium

Battle Ground vs. Union, 8 p.m. at McKenzie Stadium

Hudson’s Bay at Fort Vancouver, 4 p.m.

Kelso at Tumwater, 7 p.m.

Hockinson at Mark Morris, 5 p.m.

Woodland at R.A. Long, 6 p.m.

Ridgefield at Washougal, 7 p.m.

King’s Way Christian at Castle Rock, 6 p.m.

Kalama at Seton Catholic, 6:45 p.m. at Camas HS

Stevenson at Columbia-White Salmon, 6 p.m.

CROSS COUNTRY

Columbia River, Skyview at Camas, 3:30 p.m. at Round Lake

Union vs. Mountain View, 3:30 p.m. at Round Lake

Battle Ground, Heritage at Evergreen, 3:30 p.m.

Washougal, Hockinson at Woodland, 4 p.m. at Holland America

BOYS GOLF

Camas vs. Union, 3:30 p.m. at Camas Meadows

Montesano vs. La Center, 3:30 p.m. at Tri-Mountain

Seton Catholic vs. Elma, 3:30 p.m. at Oaks GC

Rochester vs. King’s Way Christian, 3:30 p.m. at Club Green Meadows

BOYS TENNIS

Hudson’s Bay at Skyview, 3:30 p.m.

Heritage at Battle Ground, 3:30 p.m.

Mark Morris at Prairie, 3:30 p.m.

Washougal at Fort Vancouver, 3:30 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL

FORT VANCOUVER 3, HUDSON’S BAY 0

32-30, 25-9, 25-11

Fort Vancouver

Highlights — Autumn Beck 1 kill, 3 digs, 11 assists; Laura Martinez 5 kills, 1 ace, 11 digs; Nini Saladea 3 kills, 1 ace, 11 digs; Rachelle Bonneville 3 kills, 6 ace, 11 digs; Haley Walls 7 kills, 4 assists, 4 aces, 8 digs; Karissa Oliphant 4 kills, 2 blocks; Marnina Rengechy 7 digs; Molly DeLeo 4 kills, 2 blocks.

Hudson’s Bay

No report

JV — Hudson’s Bay 3-0; C — Hudson’s Bay 3-0.

STEVENSON 3, LYLE 1

25-18, 25-22, 18-25, 25-19

Stevenson

Highlights — Madison Krog 16-18 serving, 24 assists; Harli Wallace 13-13 serving; Teoko Kurth 14-16 serving 3 assists; Samantha Cornish 9-9 serving; Laura Hobbs 7 kills, 3 blocks; Sawyer Schroeder 16-17 serving, 14 kills.

GIRLS SOCCER

LA CENTER 5, FORT VANCOUVER 0

Fort Vancouver

Goalkeeper saves — Sydney Brugman 23. Coach’s standout — Karinna Agua, Ruby Urbina.

La Center

Goals (assists) — Ellie Johnson, Kaylie Faul (Emma Seavey), Faul (Ashley Denney), Faul (Whitley Seter), Cassie Osborn (Dani Luiz). Goalkeeper saves — Shelby Vermeulen 9. Coach’s standouts — Kaylie Faul, Dani Luiz.

Halftime — 2-0.

JV — La Center 4-0.

BOYS TENNIS

MOUNTAIN VIEW 4, CAMAS 2

Singles — Spencer Kang (C) def. Colton Reed 6-1, 6-3; Sam Christopher (C) def. Justin Yee 3-6, 6-0, 6-3; Edmund Hsu (MV) def. Wilson Ho 6-1, 6-3.

Doubles — Nick Shiraishi/Algird Zalpys (MV) def. Brian Wang/Anish Prisad 6-2, 1-6, 6-4; Josh Kim/Loc Ngo (MV) def. Toby Pizot/Max Gantar 6-7, 6-2, 6-0; Kestutis Zalpys/Matt Wheatley (MV) def. Rylen Marshall/Souroush Badiei 6-1, 6-2.

JV — Camas 5-1

COLUMBIA RIVER 6, FORT VANCOUVER 0

Singles — Nick Neathamer (CR) def. Anton Sviridov 6-0, 6-0; Nathan Behrens (CR) def. Louis Figuero 6-3, 7-6 (2); Alex Le (CR) def. Andrey Sviridov 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles — Rio Ishii/Jacob Benson (CR) def. Ronnie Leino/Jonah Benevente 6-1, 6-3; Jaret Carlson/Alfonso Gonzalez (CR) def. Oscar Rodrigues/Matteo Valerin 5-7, 6-1, 6-3; Tyler Troelsen/Vincent Doan (CR) def. Luna Taylor/Edwardo Hernandez 6-3, 6-3.

PRAIRIE 4, HERITAGE 2

Singles — Zach Tompkins (P) def. Vlad Dobrolezha 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Seth Tripp (P) def. Forrest Hoisington 6-1, 6-0; Mason Kestner (H) def. James Phillips 7-6 (9), 7-5.

Doubles — Sean Stillwell/MacKinnon Buck (P) def. Jade Hermida/Daniel Shcherbina 6-1, 6-3; Earn Heffin/Kevin Oleksiyenko (P) def. Dylan Gorman/Justin Macine 2-6, 7-5, 6-3; Jack Neal/Levi Pack (H) def. Ethan Brittain/Matthew Emery 7-5, 4-6, 10-6.

JV — Prairie 5-0.

HUDSON’S BAY 3, WASHOUGAL 3

(Bay wins by total sets tiebreaker)

Singles — Aleks Mertvvy (HB) def. Greg Yall 6-1, 6-0; Jose Ignacia Pevet (HB) def. Scott Anderson 6-2, 6-2; Paul Copeland (HB) def. Jaden Moore 6-2, 7-6.

Doubles — Santiago Altieri/Christian Rambousek (W) def. Bailey Ridgway/AJ Albrich 5-7, 6-1, 6-0; Taylor Stinchfield/Riley Paladin (W) def. David Mertvvy/Aviva Wells 6-4, 6-2; Jalen Watts/Josh Fraught (W) def. Andre Ponomavev/Andy Garcia 3-6, 7-5, 6-0.

BOYS GOLF

MOUNTAIN VIEW 176, EVERGREEN 198

At par-34 Fairway Village

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Mason White 42, Nick Curtis 44, Kevin Mellmer 44, Christian Maddox 46, Mitchell Delmage 49, Lucas Gregory 49.

EVERGREEN — Andrew England 45, Doug Vovnce 50, Gabe Brawnawell 51, Tommy Snyder 52, Nate Yeakley 53, Randy Yeakley 53.

SKYVIEW 158, HERITAGE 190

At par-36 Green Meadows

SKYVIEW — Tyler Jones 38, Zach Peros 38, Jackson Guffey 40, Chase Dodge 42, Justin Zilles 44, Anthony Chae 45.

HERITAGE — Brandon Ikebe 43, Andrew Flaherty 47, Brayden Butterfield 48, Vashon Dills 52, Spencer Clark 55, Adam Swanson 63.

JV — Skyview won.

PRAIRIE 162, WOODLAND 185

At par-36 Cedars

PRAIRIE — Jacob Abrahamson 39, Gage Hannon 40, Dante Heitschmodt 41, David Harring 42, Kaleb Locke 49, Cam Beeson 53.

WOODLAND — Hayden Huddleston 40, Dillan Franke 43, Adam Shaw 48, Tanner Sixberry 54, Palmer Dinehart 57.

WASHOUGAL 180, HUDSON’S BAY inc.

At par-34 Orchard Hills

WASHOUGAL — Everest Krabbenhoft 41, Curtis Crosby 45, TJ Melton 45, Alan Anderson 49, Matt Kutchera 52, Levi Collins 57.

HUDSON’S BAY — Kaden Beeler 54, Lance Jones 65.

SLO-PITCH SOFTBALL

Monday’s scores

Camas Black 11-5, Skyview 1-1

Fort Vancouver 9-5, Battle Ground 7-6

SPOKANE — Spokane Police Chief Frank Straub has resigned after less than three years on the job.

Spokane Mayor David Condon asked for Straub’s resignation amid complaints about his leadership style, which reportedly included negative feedback and belittling, The Spokesman-Review reported.

Condon had recruited Straub to the job to reform the department. A reorganization and decision to transfer two women out of the department to other city jobs drew ire throughout the police division.

A news release from city officials cited letters submitted last week from members of police leadership summarizing their concerns about Straub’s management style.

The release also lauded Straub’s success in leading “the effort that has driven down crime and use of force incidents while restoring public confidence in officers.”

Straub said in the news release he is proud of the work that has been done to re-engage police with the community.

“Rather than engage in a public discussion that distracts from making Spokane safer, I have told the mayor that it is time for new energy and perspective,” he said.

Before joining Spokane police, Straub was director of public safety for the city of Indianapolis, and he had worked for the New York City Police Department.

Straub will work for the city on criminal justice initiatives in the city attorney’s office until Jan. 1.

Assistant Police Chief Rick Dobrow will be interim chief.

WASHOUGAL — Port of Camas-Washougal commissioners on Tuesday appointed John Spencer, former city administrator for the city of North Bonneville, to finish the District 1 term of the late Commissioner Mark Lampton.

The unanimous vote by commissioners Bill Ward and Bill Macrae-Smith during the port commission’s regular public meeting followed a special public meeting Sept. 15, when Ward and Macrae-Smith interviewed six candidates for the job.

Several candidates attended Tuesday’s evening meeting, including Spencer, who is expected to be sworn into office Oct. 6.

Spencer, whose professional experience includes serving as city administrator for North Bonneville from 2010 to 2013, said his top priority is to “learn everything I can about the port” and to approach issues on a “well-informed” basis.

His experience in city government, he said, “reduces the learning curve.”

Both Macrae-Smith and Ward said the pool of applicants was strong.

“It wasn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be,” Macrae-Smith said.

Ward said Spencer emerged as the candidate who would bring the most value to the port to “advance us on as a team.” Spencer matched several key attributes, Ward said, including “good judgment, community standing and relevant knowledge.”

The tasks ahead

After Spencer joins the three-member Port of Camas-Washougal board in early October, he will help the port manage several facilities and projects, including a 400-acre industrial park, a 79-hangar general aviation airport and a 350-slip pleasure boat marina. The port also oversees Captain William Clark Park at Cottonwood Beach, the adjacent protective levee and Parker’s Landing Historical Park, which was put on the National Register of Historic Places and Washington State Heritage Register in 1976.

Tuesday’s meeting was well-attended, and people applauded after the approval of Spencer’s appointment.

With his appointment to the port commission’s District 1 position, Spencer will serve the rest of Lampton’s second, four-year term, through 2017. Spencer would have to campaign for the office to serve beyond the end of that term. Spencer said he doesn’t know whether he’ll run for the position beyond 2017.

Lampton, 69, died of cancer on Aug. 3.

SPOKANE — The Spokane City Council stepped squarely into the middle of a national debate over Muslims in America, approving a salutation to local Muslims that recognizes their contributions to the community.

A proposal that seemed a simple idea a few weeks ago generated a protest from some of Spokane’s Tea Party faithful, who gathered Monday evening outside the council’s town hall meeting at the Northeast Community Center for what they called “a rally for Spokane values.”

State Rep. Matt Shea said the rally was not meant to be anti-Muslim. But he tied the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has a local chapter, to militant groups and the imposition of Islamic law.

“Shariah law is not compatible with the U.S. Constitution,” Shea said to cheers from a crowd of about 70, some of whom waved American flags and held signs denouncing the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. Others openly carried guns, as at least four Spokane police officers looked on.

Shea added that the council’s recognition should go instead to military veterans.

Admir Rasic, who was born in Bosnia and attained U.S. citizenship in 2005, accepted the city’s salutation on behalf of the local Muslim community. Rasic said he simply sought togetherness.

“I think what’s important is to celebrate our shared American values,” Rasic said.

Any allegations that local Muslims have acted against the interests of the community are “simply false and untrue,” he said.

“We’re trying to focus the conversation not on who we’re not, but who we are,” Rasic said. “Teachers, students, members of the military.”

Many who attended the rally packed into the community center, where Council President Ben Stuckart gaveled the meeting to order, read the salutation and moved on to legislative business. Many in the audience had left by the time the council got around to hearing public comments about two hours later.

Earlier in the day, Stuckart said, “I was not aware that a salutation for a human rights group would be this interesting.”

He said he came up with the idea for a salutation — essentially the council’s notice of appreciation — after meeting with about 20 members of the local Muslim community at a session arranged by CAIR. Theyhold a wide range of occupations, including someone who worked for his late father at the Spokane Neighborhood Action Program for 15 years.

Some said they are fearful of the rhetoric they hear or read about Muslims, Stuckart said. In July, someone painted “Death to Islam” on a Muslim prayer center in the East Central neighborhood.

“I believe it’s up to the leaders in the community to stand up and speak out, to celebrate diversity in our community,” he said.

But between that August meeting and Monday night’s council session, the level of rhetoric ramped up nationwide.

A Muslim teenager in Texas was taken away from his high school in handcuffs after he brought an electronic clock he’d made to show one of his teachers. Some school officials accused him of making a bomb and said he was uncooperative when he insisted it was just a clock. Eventually he was released and no charges were filed, but the story lit up social media.

On Thursday, a man attending a town hall meeting with Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said the country has a problem with Muslims, that President Barack Obama is one, and “they have training camps growing where they want to kill us. .When can we get rid of them?”

Trump, who once questioned whether Obama was born in the U.S., quickly was criticized by his rivals for not correcting the claim the president is a Muslim.

On Sunday, Dr. Ben Carson, who is running second or third in most polls of the GOP presidential field, said on “Meet the Press” that he thinks Islam is not consistent with the Constitution.

Comments like that are hurtful but not surprising to Mona Ali, a Muslim who recently graduated from Gonzaga University and is seeking work as a substitute teacher in the Spokane area. Ali grew up in Post Falls, where she said people frequently treated her as a foreigner, even though she was born in the U.S.

“I’m always having to prove I’m a part of this country,” she said. Saying a Muslim can’t be president is like saying any other American can’t be president, she added.

SEATTLE — Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that China and the United States could work together to address cyber crimes, a problem that has sparked mutual tension.

Xi’s statement came shortly after leaders from both countries signed an agreement to advance renewable energy and clean technologies to combat climate change.

Xi, in a speech in Seattle at the end of the first day of his official visit to this country, also said China would continue its policy of aggressive development to help more Chinese people “live a better life.”

Striking agreements to ensure continued robust international trade was a top priority, he said. “China will never close its open door to the outside world,” Xi said, according to a translation of his remarks.

He said China was a staunch defender of cyber security, but it had also been a victim of hacking.

Acknowledging that China and the United States don’t always see eye to eye, Xi said China is ready to set up a joint effort with the United States to fight cyber crimes.

The issue of cyber attacks is a sensitive one between the two nations. American officials say hacking attacks originating from China are approaching epidemic levels.

As Xi spoke Tuesday evening, protesters gathered near the downtown hotel he was staying at, objecting to the country’s policies in Tibet and other issues.

Earlier Tuesday, meetings with governors from five U.S. states and local Chinese officials produced the deal to work on clean energy.

“We can be the core for our national leaders to learn from,” Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, who has made five trips to China in five years, told his counterparts.

Xi arrived in Seattle for talks on how U.S. and Chinese experts and businesses can collaborate on issues such as nuclear energy and smarter electricity use.

The visit comes a year after Xi and U.S. President Barack Obama announced their nations would cooperate to fight climate change.

“These are the largest economies in the world, and we’re the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, so improving cooperation and collaboration is really a necessity,” said Brian Young, Washington state director of economic development for the clean technology sector. “Second, it’s a huge business opportunity. Both sides recognize the opportunity for job creation.”

The governors who met with Xi were Snyder, Jay Inslee of Washington, Jerry Brown of California, Terry Branstad of Iowa and Kate Brown of Oregon. All five — along with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, who did not attend the meeting — signed the accord in which they agreed to take actions to reduce transportation emissions, support clean energy technologies and exchange ideas.

U.S.-China cooperation on climate change has been a warm and fuzzy point of relations between the superpowers.

In November 2009, Obama and then-President Hu Jintao formalized a renewable energy partnership, including the establishment of clean-energy research centers focused on electric vehicles, cleaner coal and water energy programs.

In November, Obama and Xi announced that the countries would work together on climate change, with China announcing it would try to cap its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, or sooner if possible.

By contrast, hacking attacks on the U.S., said to be directed by Beijing; China’s moves to assert its territorial claims in the South China Sea; and human rights issues have been sore spots.

Xi’s visit to the U.S. includes a state dinner on Friday with President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C.

The trip comes at a time when China’s economic growth has slowed considerably as the communist nation overhauls its economy.

Some clean-tech firms in Washington state, which relies largely on hydropower and where natural gas is currently cheap, may find markets and investment in China sooner than they might domestically.

Also on Tuesday, TerraPower Inc., an energy company founded by Bill Gates, entered into an agreement with China National Nuclear Corp. to work together on next-generation technology for nuclear power plants.

China invested a record $83 billion in renewable energy last year, according to the Frankfurt School’s Center for Climate and Sustainable Energy Finance in Germany.

Supporters turned out in Seattle to welcome the Chinese president and other dignitaries traveling in his motorcade.

Wendy Hu, a native of Guangdong Province who has lived in Seattle for 20 years, brought her 11-year-old daughter, Anna Ni.

“China and the U.S. are good partners now, with Boeing and Microsoft,” Hu said. “I love both countries.”

Hundreds of protesters from the religious group Falun Gong also demonstrated, holding banners and banging drums as the motorcade passed.

Falun Gong says its members are persecuted in China.

“It’s about compassion and tolerance,” said Sabrina Chang, 28, who traveled to Seattle with other Falun Gong practitioners for the protest. 

Columbian staff

Rylee Seekins scored two goals and assisted on Trinity Paulsen’s go-ahead goal in the closing minutes as the Hockinson girls soccer team beat Mark Morris 3-2 in a Class 2A Greater St. Helens League match on Tuesday.

Stars of the day

• Rylee Seekins, Hockinson girls soccer, had two goals and an assists as the Hawks beat Mark Morris 3-2.
• Hailey Haggard, Union volleyball, had 10 kills in a win over Heritage.
• Bailey Crawford, Seton Catholic volleyball, had 16 kills in win at Stevenson.
• Taylor Erickson, Hockinson volleyball, had 17 kills and 16 digs in a win over Mark Morris.
• Lily Freshawater and Page Hellyer, Columbia River volleyball, combined for 30 assists in a three-set win over Centralia.
• Taylor Kernion, Skyview soccer, had two goals in a win over Evergreen.
• Brooke Van Sickle, Battle Ground volleyball, had nine kills, one block, 11 assists in a win over Evergreen.
• Erika Weber, Camas volleyball, had 16 digs, seven assists in the Papermakers’ win over Skyview.
• Bella Gama, Ridgefield volleyball, had 31 assists, two digs and an ace in the Spudders’ win over Washougal.
• Kenya Byrnes, Woodland volleyball, had 10 kills, five blocks, four digs and one ace in the Beavers’ win over R.A. Long.
• Taylor Entenman, La Center volleyball, had 23 assists, and 13 digs in the Wildcats’ win Columbia-White Salmon.
• Haley Walz, Fort Vancouver volleyball, had six kills, six assists, four aces and seven digs in the Trappers’ win over Franklin of Portland.
• Anyssa DeVera, Camas girls soccer, scored the Papermakers’ first two goals in a 5-0 win over Mountain View.
• MaKayla Woods, Alex Sanders, Alyssa Mehan and Kiani Pandoliano, Union girls soccer, each had a goal and an assists in a 6-0 win over Battle Ground.
• Taryn Ries, Ridgefield girls soccer, had three assists in the Spudders’ 3-0 win over Washougal.
• Emily Matheny, Hudson’s Bay girls soccer, had two goals in the Eagles’ 5-1 win over Fort Vancouver.
• MacKenzie Ellertson, King’s Way Christian girls soccer, had two goals and three assists in the Knights’ 6-0 win over Castle Rock.
• Amy Frazier, Seton Catholic girls soccer, had eight saves in goal as the Cougars shut out Kalama 1-0.
• Tristan Robins, Union boys cross country, won on the 2.95-mile course on the East Heritage Trail in 16:09 as Union beat Mountain View.
• Savanna Craig, Mountain View girls cross country, won on the 2.95-mile course on the East Heritage Trail in 18:11 in a meet with Union.
• Ben Gruher, Union  boys golf, shot an even-par 36 at Camas Meadows to take the medalist honors in a 155-163 win over Camas.

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

CROSS COUNTRY

Hudson’s Bay at Stayton Invitational, 4 p.m.

Columbia-White Salmon, King’s Way Christian, Stevenson at Kalama, 3:30 p.m.

La Center, Seton Catholic at Castle Rock, 4 p.m.

GIRLS SWIMMING

Mark Morris, R.A. Long vs. Evergreen, Mountain View, 3:15 p.m. at Cascade Fitness

Battle Ground, Camas vs. Columbia River, Hudson’s Bay, 3:30 p.m. at Propstra Aquatic Center

Skyview, Fort Vancouver, Hockinson vs. Union, Heritage, 4 p.m. at YMCA

BOYS TENNIS

Battle Ground at Camas, 3:30 p.m.

Evergreen at Fort Vancouver, 3:30 p.m.

Heritage at Skyview, 3:30 p.m.

Mountain View at Union, 3:30 p.m.

Columbia River at Prairie, 3:30 p.m.

BOYS GOLF

Battle Ground, Camas, Evergreen, Hudson’s Bay, Heritage, Mark Morris, Mountain View, Skyview, Union, Woodland, Prairie at Prairie Invitational, 9 a.m. at The Cedars

VOLLEYBALL

4A GREATER ST. HELENS LEAGUE

W L

Battle Ground (4-0) 3 0

Camas (4-1) 3 0

Mountain View (2-3) 1 1

Union (2-2) 1 1

Heritage (1-4) 1 2

Skyview (1-3) 0 2

Evergreen (0-5) 0 3

BATTLE GROUND 3, EVERGREEN 0

25-13, 25-7, 25-15

Battle Ground

Highlights — Brook Van Sickle 9 kills, 1 block, 11 assists, 7 service points, Ashley Watkins 6 kills, 4 blocks, 7 assists, 4 service points, 3 digs, Hana Wyles 2 service points, 7 digs, Autumn Mayo 4 kills, 2 blocks, Nattali Baiar 2 kills, 2 service points, 5 digs.

Evergreen

No report

JV — Battle Ground won.

UNION 3, HERITAGE 0

25-21, 25-21, 25-21

Heritage

Highlights — Hannah Lord 6 kills; Rebecca Muresan 5 kills, 5 aces; Alofa Tulenkun 7 assists; Kaitlan Belocura 3 blocks.

Union

Highlights — Veronique Muckerheide 7 kills, block; Hailey Haggard 10 kills, blocks; Marie Simkins 20 assists; Lauren Gehrmann 2 kills, 2 aces; Sammy Nguyen 3 aces, 12 digs; Maddie Kearsey ace, 10 digs, Alexis Staton 7 digs.

JV — Union 3-0. JV 2 — Union 3-0. Freshmen — Union 2-1.

CAMAS 3, SKYVIEW 0

25-23, 25-15, 25-20

Skyview

Highlights — no report.

Camas

Highlights — Erika Weber 16 digs, 7 assists, 4 service points; Molly Mcphun 3 kills, 5 digs, 8 service points, 1 ace; Anna Roche 2 kills, 4 blocks; Keelie Leblanc 8 service points, 6 kills, 3 digs; Aubrey Stanton 23 assists, 7 service points, 7 digs, 3 aces; Joan Varsek 4 kills, block, 2 service points.

JV — Skyview 2-0. C1 — Camas 2-1. C2 — Skyview 2-1.

2A GREATER ST. HELENS LEAGUE

W L

Ridgefield (4-1) 3 0

Hockinson (3-0) 2 0

Woodland (3-2) 2 1

Mark Morris (2-2) 1 1

Washougal (2-2) 1 2

Hudson’s Bay (0-4) 0 2

R.A. Long (1-4) 0 3

RIDGEFIELD 3, WASHOUGAL 0

25-16, 25-18, 25-15

Ridgefield

Highlights — Haley Paul 3 aces; Maddy Campbell 1 kill, 1 ace, 7 digs; Olivia Zimmerly 3 aces; Anika Nicoll 3 kills, 5 blocks 2 aces, 2 digs; Hailee Taylor 3 kills, 3 blocks; Bella Gama 1 ace, 2 digs, 31 assists; Sarena Bartley 12 kills, 1 dig.

Washougal

Highlights — Bailey Watts 3 kills; Sylvia Immerman 10 digs; Erika Johnson 7 assists.

JV — Ridgefield won.

HOCKINSON 3, MARK MORRIS 1

25-21, 25-21, 18-25, 25-17

Hockinson

Highlights — Abbie Kondel 3 aces, 9 kills, 16 assists; Abby Melo 7 kills; Mallory Hylton 2 aces, 20 assists; Taylor Erickson 2 aces, 17 kills, 16 digs.

JV — Hockinson 2-0. C — Mark Morris 2-1.

WOODLAND 3, R.A. LONG 0

25-10, 25-23, 25-19

Woodland

Highlights — Kenya Byrnes 10 kills, 5 block, 4 defensive saves, 1 ace; Taylor Foster 9 kills, 5 blocks; Kayla Fredricks 7 kills, 8 digs; Elle Nesbitt 3 kills, 20 assists, 2 blocks; Rikki Hadller 6 kills, 11 digs, 16-17 serving; Haylee Michaud 10 digs, 11-11 serving; Sierra Orr 13-13 serving.

R.A. Long

No report

JV — Woodland won.

1A TRICO LEAGUE

W L

XKing’s Way Chr. (4-0) 2 0

XKalama (3-0) 1 0

La Center (4-1) 3 0

Seton Catholic (2-1) 2 1

XCastle Rock (0-2) 0 2

Stevenson (1-4) 0 3

Columbia-WS (0-4) 0 3

LA CENTER 3,

COLUMBIA-WHITE SALMON 0

25-18, 25-19, 25-14

La Center

Highlights — Maddie Stimmel 14 digs, 9 kills, 8 service points, 3 aces, Taylor Entenman 23 assists, 13 digs, 7 service points, Abby England 29 digs, 8 service points, 3 aces, Jessy Marinetti 11 kills, 3 blocks, 6 service points, 2 aces, Heather McIntyre 4 digs, 10 service points, 3 aces .

Columbia-White Salmon

No report

JV — La Center won.

SETON CATHOLIC 3, STEVENSON 1

25-21, 25-16, 20-25, 15-21

Seton Catholic

Highlights — Sarah Kent 4 kills, 1 block, 14 digs, 9 ace; Bailey Crawford 16 kills, 2 blocks; Nami Nsubga 6 kills, 6 blocks; Josie Partridge 5 kills, ace, 7 digs; Makena White 4 digs, 4 aces; Haley Rosbarsky 12 digs, 6 aces; Hannah Hundt kill, 2 aces, 4 digs, 27 assist.

Stevenson (0-2, 1-3)

Highlights — Madison Krog 19-20 serving, 28 assists; Tekoko Kurth 12-13 serving; Samantha Cornish 9-9 serving, 4 digs; Laura Hobbs 8 kils, block; Anna Brusse 8-11 serving, 4 digs; Sawyer Schroeder 12-12 serving, 8 kills.

Non-League

FORT VANCOUVER 3, FRANKLIN 0

25-13, 25-20, 25-14

Fort Vancouver

Highlights — Nini Salavea 6 kills, 2 aces, 6 digs; Haley Walz 6 kills, block, 6 assists, 4 aces, 7 digs; Rachelle Bonneville 3 blocks, kill, 3 aces, 2 digs; Laura Martinez 6 kills, assist, 2 aces, 9 digs; Autumn Beck 5 assists, 2 digs; Molly DeLeo 2 kills, 3 blocks; Karissa Oliphant 4 kills, 6 blocks; Marnina Rengechy 22 digs.

JV — Fort Vancouver 2-1. C — Fort Vancouver 3-0.

COLUMBIA RIVER 3, CENTRALIA 0

25-9, 25-14, 25-16

Columbia River

Highlights — Evi Wilson 11 kills, ace, assist, 10 digs, block; Abby Wilmington 6 kills, 4 blocks, assist; Esti Wilson 6 digs, kill, assist; Page Heller 6 aces, 5 kills, block, 12 assists, 4 digs; Lily Freshwater 18 assists, 6 digs, ace; Audrey Hawthorne 7 digs; Allison Frank 7 digs; Olivia Ayers 2 aces, 5 kills, 2 assists; Andrea Demlow 8 kills, 4 blocks; Lindsay Marshall 4 kills, block.

JV — River 3-0. C — River 3-0

FIRM FOUNDATION 3,

WASH. SCHOOL OF THE DEAF 0

25-12, 25-11, 25-13

GIRLS SOCCER

4A GREATER ST. HELENS LEAGUE

W L T Pts

Camas (7-0-0) 3 0 0 9

Skyview (2-2-1) 2 0 0 6

Union (6-1-0) 2 1 0 6

Heritage (3-2-0) 1 1 0 3

B. Ground (3-3-0) 1 2 0 3

Mtn. View (1-4-1) 0 2 0 0

Evergreen (1-5-1) 0 2 0 0

SKYVIEW 3, EVERGREEN 0

Evergreen

Goalkeeper saves — Isabella Bauer 14. Coach’s standouts — Shana Alcaraz and Bauer.

Skyview

Goals (assists) — Taylor Kernion (Molly Beaman); Kernion (Becca Harris); Beaman (Riley Gray). Goalkeeper saves — Michaela Sanchez 1, Katie Isaac 1. Coach’s standout — Beaman.

Halftime — 1-0.

JV — Skyview 7-0.

CAMAS 5, MOUNTAIN VIEW 0

Camas

Goals (assists) — Anyssa DeVera (Rylee MacDonald), DeVera (MacDonald), Amanda Shi (Sabine Postma), Postma (Sarah Davidson), Maddie Kemp (Alyssa Tomassini). Goalkeeper saves — Julia Coombs 2.

Mountain View

Goalkeeper saves — Jessie Selby, 12. Coach’s standout — Jessie Selby, Kallee Nguyen.

Halftime — Camas 2-0.

JV — Camas 10-0.

UNION 6, BATTLE GROUND 0

Union

Goals (assists) — MaKayla Woods (Alyssa Mehan), Alex Sanders (Woods), Mehan (Sanders), Maddie Goss (Kiani Pandoliano), Sanders (PK), Pandoliano (Chloe Brusseau); Goalkeeper saves — Alexx Burrman 0. Coach’s standout — Isabelle Morales, Angelina Krawczyk.

Battle Ground

No report

Halftime — 3-0.

JV — Union 2-0.

2A GREATER ST. HELENS LEAGUE

W L

Ridgefield (4-1-1) 3 0

Hockinson (3-2) 2 0

Mark Morris (3-3) 1 1

R.A. Long (3-3) 1 2

Washougal (3-2) 1 2

Woodland (3-3) 1 2

Hudson’s Bay (3-2) 0 2

HOCKINSON 3, MARK MORRIS 2

Hockinson

Goals (assists) — Rylee Seekins (Alivia Quitugua), Seekins, Trinity Paulsen (Seekins). Goalkeeper saves — Claire Deschand 3, Katrina Abbas 7. Coach’s standout — Rylee Seekins.

JV — Mark Morris 3-0.

WOODLAND 2, R.A. LONG 1

Woodland

Goals (assists) — Cierra Daugherty (Jennifer McNichols), Judith Nunez (Stephani Cifuentes); Goalkeeper saves — Delanie Anderson 4, Mikayla Upson 5. Coach’s standout — Grace Adams, Dani Casey.

Halftime — 1-0 Woodland.

JV — 3-1 R.A. Long.

RIDGEFIELD 3, WASHOUGAL 0

Ridgefield

Goals (assists) — Erin Siegel (Taryn Ries); Madi Ochoa (Ries); Kara Klaus (Ries). Goalkeeper saves — Sarah Kaufman 1. Coach’s standouts — Jacquelyn Stapper and Kelly Casper.

Washougal

Goalkeeper saves — Kat Moua 7.

Halftime — 1-0.

JV — Ridgefield 1-0.

Non-League

HUDSON’S BAY 5,
FORT VANCOUVER 1

Fort Vancouver

Goals (assists) — Karinna Aguas (Sydney Brugman). Goalkeeper saves — Brugman 2, Luna Garcia 6. Coach’s standout — Aguas.

Hudson’s Bay

Goals (assists) —  Hannah Mixon  (Alina Suvalcu)l, Emily Matheny (unassisted), Emily Matheny (asst. Iris Vasquez), Kayla Smith (asst. Hannah Mixon), Anika Pool (asst. Brooklyn Siebers); Goalkeeper saves — Emily Henderson (2 saves).

Halftime — 4-0.

JV — Hudson’s Bay 2-0.

1A TRICO LEAGUE

W L T Pts

King’s Way (4-0-0) 3 0 0 9

La Center (3-3-0) 2 0 0 6

Seton Cath. (4-1-0) 2 0 0 6

Columbia-WS (2-2) 1 2 0 0

Stevenson (0-1-0) 0 1 0 0

Castle Rock (2-3-0) 0 2 0 0

Kalama (0-4-0) 0 3 0 0

KING’S WAY 6, CASTLE ROCK 0

King’s Way

Goals (assists) — MacKenzie Ellertson( Maddie Veltkamp), Ellertson (Payton Pulicella), Elise Schey (Ellertson), Maddie Veltkamp (MacKenzie Ellertso, Payton Pulicella (Amber Kolb), Hannah Moats( MacKenzie Ellertson); Goalkeeper saves — Hannah Moats 1, Tasia Roderick 1.

SETON CATHOLIC 1, KALAMA 0

Seton Catholic

Goals (assists) — Elizabeth Sheldon (Katherine Zdunich); Goalkeeper saves — Amy Fraizer 8. Coach’s standout — Amy Frazier.

Halftime — 1-0.

COLUMBIA WHITE SALMON 9, STEVENSON 0

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

UNION 21, MOUNTAIN VIEW 34

At East Heritage Trail Park; 2.95 miles

UNION — 1, Tristan Robins 16:09; 2, Miguel De La Melena 16:16; 3, Jared McKinney 16:21; 6, Dawson Shoup 16:56; 9, Aaron Avery 17:03.

MOUNTAIN VIEW — 4, Sam Johnson 16:43; 5, Shun Yamaguchi 16:44; 7, Josh Eddy 16:57; 8, Daniel Gimshaw 17:01; 10, Ryan Hemphill 17:07.

CAMAS 22, SKYVIEW 45,
COLUMBIA RIVER 86

At Round Lake; 5,000 meters

CAMAS — 1, Yacine Guermali 17:34; 3, Dustin Zimmerly 18:39; 5, Adam Ryan 18:53; 6, Nick Carter 18:56; 7, Nick Duffy 18:58.

SKYVIEW — 2, Mason Scheidel 18:32; 4, Marshall Johnson 18:50; 12, Sean Flynn 19:54; 13, Cade Wiger 19:55; 14, Zach Phillips 19:59.

COLUMBIA RIVER — 11, Ben Laughlin 19:42; 16, Keegan Hanes 20:59; 19, Roben Blancas 20:16; 20, Christopher Arnold 20:17; 21, Carson Schaller 20:52.

JV — Camas won.

WASHOUGAL 21, HOCKINSON 35, WOODLAND 88,

FORT VANCOUVER 99

5,000m at Woodland HS

WASHOUGAL — 1, Aiden Pullen 18:04; 2, Gabriel Dinnel 18:08; 3, Bailey Duncan 18:12; 6, Troy Prince-Butterfield 19:02; 9, Koy Chaston 19:41.

HOCKINSON — 4, Kyle Peterson 18:41; 5, Josh Reese 18:50; 7, Richard Dyer 19:02; 8, Derek Henderson 19:11; 11, Michael Olin 19:52.

WOODLAND — 13, Josiah Anderson 20:07; 14, Marc Swenson 20:09; 19, Alex Ikerd 20:49; 20, Corey Taylor 21:09; 22, Logan Hill 21:41.

FORT VANCOUVER — 10, Abraham Sarmienta 19:47; 17, Drew Weber 20:20; 21, Damien Pulido 21:11; 25, Jonathan Laughery 22:35; 26, Morgan Riley 23:42.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

UNION 24, MOUNTAIN VIEW 35

At East Heritage Trail Park; 2.95 miles

UNION — 2, Cassie McKinney 18:35; 3, Serena Smith 19:10; 4, Allie Connell 19:33; 7, Brooklyn Jackson 20:39; 8, Haylee Protahl 20:45.

MOUNTAIN VIEW — 1, Savanna Craig 18:11; 5, Lauren Mahnke 19:43; 6, Jessica Phibbs 20:26; 11, Bailey White 21:51; 12, Hazel Wallin 22:16.

CAMAS 15, SKYVIEW 55,
COLUMBIA RIVER 83

At Round Lake; 5,000 meters

CAMAS — 1, Rachel Blair 21:12; 2, Emma Jenkins 21:52; 3, Emily Wilson 21:52; 4, Ellie Postma 22:01; 5, Maddie Woodson 22:01.

SKYVIEW — 6, Ellen Burbank 22:02; 8, Presley Timmons 22:34; 9, Isabella Abbruzzese 22:44; 15, Emily Hogan 25:55, 17, Hanna Van Nortwick 26:29.

COLUMBIA RIVER — 10, Ellie Furth 22:48; 16, Hanna Dyer 26:14; 18, Madison Hamilton 26:34; 19, Anastacia Kakarin 26:49; 20, Julie Fergus 26:53.

JV — Camas won.

HOCKINSON 37, WASHOUGAL 37, WOODLAND 55,

FORT VANCOUVER INC.

5,000m at Woodland HS

Hockinson wins on tiebreaker

HOCKINSON — 4, Acacia Neveux 22:34; 8, Hailee Neibauer 23:19; 9, Adyson Dyer 23:49; 13, Hannah Neibauer 25:36; 14, Grace Gunderson 25:49 (16, Savhannah Wray 26:34)

WASHOUGAL — 1, Courtney Owens 21:04; 7, Hannah Swigert 23:08; 11, Brooklyn Bausch 24:51; 12, Annabelle Palmer 24:56; 17, Meredith Collins 27:11.

WOODLAND — 4, Natalie Biddix 22:31; 6, McKenna Flanagan 22:53; 15, Auzsha Jolley 26:30; 21, Jessica Flanagan 29:05; 22, Karina Avelar 29:57.

FORT VANCOUVER — 2, Emily Phelps 21:12; 3, Anna Harrison 21:48; 10, Katy Parker 23:49; 23, Jazmyne Wardman 31:15.

BOYS TENNIS

SKYVIEW 6, HUDSON’S BAY 0

Singles — Enrique Alquicera (S) d. Andy Garcia 6-0, 6-1; Quinn Handley (S) defeated David Mertvyy 6-0, 6-0; Tyler Church (Sky) d. Andre Ponomarev 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles — Andrew Kabacy/Chris Sheppert (S) d. Aleks Mertvyy/Jose Ignacio-Perez 6-0, 6-1; Alex Osler/Alex Fung (S) d. Paul Copeland/Bailey Ridgeway 6-3, 6-0; Tyler Fung/Kevin Barth (S) d. River Perez/Akiva Wells(Bay) 6-1, 6-0.

JV — Skyview 1-0.

WASHOUGAL 4,
FORT VANCOUVER 2

Singles — Greg Lyall (W) d. Anton Sviridov 6-1, 6-1; Luis Figuero (FV) d. Ryan Janiszewski 7-5, 6-0; Andrey Sviridov (FV) d. Riley Paladin 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.

Doubles — Santiago Altieri/Christian Rambousek (W) d. Ronnie Leino/Jonah Benavente 6-3, 6-2; Scott Anderson/Josh Bischoff (W) d. Oscar Rodrigues/Matteo Valerin 6-4, 6-2; Josh Fraught/Jalen Watts (W) d. Luna Taylor/Eduardo Hernandez 7-5, 7-5.

JV — Washougal 1-0.

BOYS GOLF

UNION 155, CAMAS 163

At Camas Meadows

UNION — Ben Gruher 36, Keith Lobis 38, Max Dobak 39, Dylan Henry 46, Reece Boyde 42, Cason Boyce 46.

CAMAS — Brian Humphries 39, Braden Taylor 54, Logan Miller 43, Trevor Gjerswold 45, Adam Wourms 36, Sean Murray 47.

KING’S WAY 173, ROCHESTER 211

At Oaks Golf Club par-35

King’s Way — Clayton Rajewich 38, Nick Pulicella 43, Blake Scully 46, Karter Graves 46, Bailey Ferguson 49, Cole Sheretz.

Rochester — Brock Hawes 53, Evan Horger 49, Logan Crawford 50, Nathan Bronson 59, Ethan Worden 59, Jorge Ruiz 69.

SETON CATHOLIC 180, ELMA 208

At par-35 Oaksridge GC

SETON CATHOLIC — Nate Kutch 41, Nick Lamberton 48, Tyler Davis 46, Brett Filuk 45, Segio Rivera 58, Andrew Parker 48.

ELMA — Trace Thompson 54, Karsen Legg 54, Kilian Acuff 49, Tait Bentley 62, Cody Robinette 53, Jake Davis 52.

DURHAM, N.C. — A 3-year-old girl has died days after her father tried to drown her and her siblings in an apartment complex pond, police said Wednesday.

The girl was fully submerged when an off-duty sheriff’s deputy pulled her from the pond on Sunday night. She died in a hospital Wednesday, said Durham Police spokeswoman Kammie Michael.

Alan Tysheen Eugene Lassiter is currently charged with three counts of attempted murder for trying to kill the girl, her sister and their 7-year-old brother. Lassiter is jailed on a bond of $2 million and is awaiting a court hearing next month.

Lassiter’s 5-year-old daughter was rescued from the pond, and she has been released from the hospital, police said. The 7-year-old boy got away from Lassiter and ran for help, police said.

On Sunday night, Lassiter flagged down passers-by at the Audubon Lake apartments and told them he thought his son had been kidnapped and needed help finding him, apartment complex manager Sylvia Scott said Tuesday.

It wasn’t until later that Lassiter told Scott and a 911 operator that he’d thrown his 3- and 5-year-old daughters in the pond, Scott said. The girls were pulled from the water by Durham County Sheriff’s Deputy David Earp, who lives nearby. 

Scott said she called Earp. As the deputy retrieved the girls, Lassiter stood nearby smoking a cigarette. He became distraught, wailed “What have I done?” and started to cry, Scott said.

Lassiter, 29, of Raleigh, did not live at the apartment complex, according to Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez.

Earp said the girls were about 10 feet from a bank that slopes sharply down to the pond, which is about as long as a football field. The 5-year-old was floating and crying, Earp said. Her 3-year-old sister was fully submerged. Earp said he walked into water about 5 feet deep and snatched each one under an arm.

The five-year veteran of the sheriff’s department said he and the arriving officers from the Durham police department performed CPR on the 3-year-old for about 15 minutes until medical help arrived.

In the 911 call, Lassiter acknowledged trying to drown the children, and between expletive-laden rage and distraught sobs, he told a dispatcher officials had tried to take away his children as he dealt with a personal problem.

Court records show Lassiter and his wife had a rocky start to their marriage six years ago.

Ashley Ivey sought a domestic violence protection order and signed a statement May 15, 2009, that said Lassiter “threatened to throw hot oil in my face and cut my hair off.

“He also threatened to take my son from me for a long time. All this started because I didn’t want to marry him.”

Ivey added that “things of this nature” had also happened previously. 

Ivey voluntarily dismissed her complaint four days later. Less than two weeks later, they were married.

A Texas man who was mauled by a brown bear while moose hunting in Alaska was expected to survive serious injuries, authorities said Wednesday.

The bear with two cubs attacked Gregory Joseph Matthews, 47, of Plano, Texas, as he hunted Tuesday with his brother in Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, authorities said.

Fishermen in the area alerted Alaska State Troopers shortly after 6 p.m., and Matthews was flown to Central Peninsula Hospital in nearby Soldotna.

He was listed in good condition Wednesday. He declined requests from The Associated Press for an interview.

It was the third bear attack on the Kenai Peninsula in recent weeks.

Officials with Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were looking for the bear.

A Hawaii spear fisherman said Wednesday he fought off a large tiger shark by smacking it in its nose after it locked onto his leg along a remote stretch of Big Island coastline.

Braxton Rocha, 27, said the attack occurred after he swam about 60 yards offshore in search of fish.

After checking an underwater cave, he caught a flash of stripes in the corner of his eye and was face-to-face with the largest tiger shark he had ever seen.

“She was jaws wide open, right in front of my face,” Rocha said.

The Big Island native, who later posted a video of his injuries on social media, said he put his hands on top of the shark’s nose to try to control it. But the fish was too strong, he said, and its massive jaws clamped down on his leg.

“Once she locked on my leg … I cocked back, I punched her in the nose,” he said. “She let go and she swam away.”

Rocha said he swam as hard as he could to shore about 60 yards away, where a friend helped him. Rocha was flown by helicopter to a hospital, where he was in surgery for about three hours. Doctors told him that he will make a full recovery once his wounds, which required about 100 staples, heal.

WASHINGTON — Cheered by jubilant crowds across the nation’s capital, Pope Francis forged common cause Wednesday with President Barack Obama on climate change, immigration and inequality, as the popular pontiff signaled he would not sidestep issues that have deeply divided Americans.

On his first full day in the United States, the pope also reached out to America’s 450 bishops, many of whom have struggled to come to terms with his new social justice-minded direction for the Catholic Church. He gently prodded the bishops to forgo “harsh and divisive language,” while commending their “courage” in the face of the church’s sexual abuse scandal — rhetoric that angered victims he may meet with later in his trip.

Late in the day, Francis — the first pope from the Americas — canonized Junipero Serra, the famous 18th-century Spanish friar who brought the Catholic faith to California. 

The 78-year-old pontiff’s whirlwind day in Washington enlivened the often stoic, politically polarized city. Excited crowds lined streets near the White House to catch a glimpse of the smiling and waving Francis as he passed by in his open-air “popemobile.” He seemed to draw energy from the cheering spectators, particularly the children his security detail brought to him for a papal kiss and blessing.

In keeping with his reputation as the “people’s pope,” Francis kept Obama and other dignitaries at the White House waiting so he could spend time greeting schoolchildren gathered outside the Vatican’s diplomatic mission where he spent the night.

With flags snapping, color guard at attention and a military band playing, Francis stepped from his modest Fiat onto the South Lawn on a crisp fall morning that felt as optimistic as his own persona. Pope and president stood on a red-carpeted platform bedecked with red, white and blue bunting for the national anthems of the Holy See and the United States.

The pope’s remarks were brief, yet pointed.

Speaking in soft, halting English, Francis said that as the son of an immigrant family, he was “happy to be a guest in this country, which was largely built by such families.” The Argentine pope was born to Italian parents who left their home country before he was born, and he has been a forceful advocate for humane treatment of migrants.

Francis was enthusiastic in his embrace of Obama’s climate change agenda, specifically praising the president for taking steps to reduce air pollution. In a firm message to those who doubt the science of climate change, he said the warming planet “demands on our part a serious and responsible recognition” of the world that will be left to today’s children.

“Accepting the urgency, it seems clear to me also that climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation,” said Francis, who has been pressing his environmental message ahead of climate change talks in Paris later this year.

The pope’s messages were warmly welcomed by Obama, who has prodded his Republican rivals for action on immigration and climate change with limited success. In his own remarks heralding the pope’s arrival at the White House, Obama thanked Francis for reminding the world of the “sacred obligation to protect our planet — God’s magnificent gift to us.”

The pope and president were also aligned in their call for addressing global poverty and inequality, with Obama praising Francis’ call to put “the least of these at the center of our concern.”

The pope had something for conservatives, too, with a clear call to protect religious liberties — “one of America’s most precious possessions.”

“All are called to be vigilant,’ he said, “to preserve and defend that freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it.”

U.S. bishops and conservatives who have objected to the Obama administration’s health care mandate and the recent Supreme Court legalization of same-sex marriage have made religious freedom a rallying cry, with a largely domestic focus.

After their opening remarks on the lawn, Obama and Francis met one-on-one for 40 minutes in the Oval Office, joined only by an interpreter. White House aides said the discussion was private, and declined to say whether the leaders addressed subjects on which they sharply differ, including abortion and gay marriage.

While the pope’s visit was analyzed for political implications in a city already consumed by next year’s U.S. presidential election, for Catholics and many other Americans, Francis’ six-day, three-city trip to the U.S. is an opportunity to connect with a humble church leader who has rejuvenated many of the country’s believers.

“He’s made the church more of an obtainable thing,” said Nigel Stacy, a law student who arrived at the White House in the middle of the night to get a good place to stand for the arrival ceremony. “It’s more relatable. You see what he does and you can see yourself emulating that.”

Washington resident Theresa Wellman, who brought her mother and five children to watch the pope’s parade through the streets of the nation’s capital, called Francis “a breath of fresh air.”

“He’s changed the tone into a loving, merciful church to serve the poor,” Wellman said.

The church’s leadership in the U.S. has sometimes been more skeptical of the pope, wary of the divide between his focus on a merciful church and the culture wars that America’s bishops have been involved in over abortion and gay rights.

In his remarks to U.S. bishops at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Francis emphasized one of the defining messages of his papacy, to focus less on defending church teaching and more on compassion. The pope told the American church leaders that “harsh and divisive language does not befit the tongue of a pastor” and he encouraged them to speak with anyone, no matter their views.

In his first comments in the U.S. on the clergy sex abuse scandal that erupted in 2002, the pope praised the bishops for a “generous commitment to bring healing to victims” and for acting “without fear of self-criticism.”

An organization for abuse victims quickly disagreed.

“Almost without exception, they have shown cowardice and callousness and continue to do so now,” said Barbara Dorris, president of SNAP, or Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

Under public pressure, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops pledged to oust any guilty clergy from church work and enact safeguards for children. However, some victims say the bishops still haven’t fully accounted for sheltering abusers. This year, three bishops resigned over their failures to protect children.

Later Wednesday, Francis celebrated a Mass of Canonization, the first ever on U.S. soil, for Junipero Serra in Spanish. Several thousand of the 25,000 tickets to the event were set aside for Spanish-speaking people, many from California. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception erected a temporary sanctuary outdoors for the Mass, which lasted into the evening.

On Thursday, Francis planned to deliver the first papal address ever to Congress, speaking to Republican-majority legislators deeply at odds with Obama on many of the same issues the leaders addressed at the White House.

Associated Press writers Nancy Benac, Darlene Superville, Kevin Freking, Stacy A. Anderson, Juliet Linderman and Jessica Gresko in Washington and Religion Writer Rachel Zoll in New York contributed to this report.

Two-time NCAA Division II All-America golfer Alistair Docherty won medalist honors at the Division II Championship Preview tournament Monday and Tuesday at Green Valley Ranch in Denver.

The defending California Collegiate Athletic Association stroke play champion — a Union High School graduate and the reigning Oregon Amateur champion — carded rounds of 69-69-69 for a three-round total of 207.

He carded a tournament-high 17 birdies, including five on Tuesday, against just two bogeys. He finished with a two-stroke win at 9-under par.

The Wildcats, ranked No. 8 in NCAA-II, also claimed the team title in a prestigious field, winning by 13 strokes by carding a 3-under par 285 to finish the tournament at 20-under. Seven of the top 11 teams in the Bushnell Golfweek Preseason Division II Coaches Poll were in the 22-team field. All but five of the teams received votes in the poll.

The same course will host the NCAA-II championships on May 17-21, 2016.

Women’s soccer

CCC honors Carter

Carroll College junior goalkeeper Jamie Carter was named the Cascade Collegiate Conference Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week.

The Camas High School graduate earned her third consecutive shutout and fourth on the season to lead the Saints to a pair of 2-0 home victories in Helena, Mont., Friday over Northwest Christian University and Sunday over Corban University.

Carter has played every minute in net for Carroll (4-3-0) this season, allowing five goals in seven games with 36 saves.

The Saints play at 3 p.m. Friday at Warner Pacific College in Portland.

women’s cross country

GNAC honors Vikings

Western Washington University’s women’s cross country team was named Great Northwest Athletic Conference Team of the Week after claiming the team title in the open division of the University of Washington’s Sundodger Invitational on Saturday.

WWU senior Taylor Guenther led the Vikings by placing fifth. The Prairie High School graduate ran the 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) course in 21 minutes, 34.29 seconds.

The Vikings went into the race ranked No. 6 in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s Division II West Region rankings. WWU finished 11 points ahead of No. 14 Cal Baptist for the title.

Suggestions for College Notebook? Contact Kurt Zimmer at 360-735-4563 or kurt.zimmer@columbian.com