Multiple area athletes who graduated in 2023 are competing, or preparing to compete, collegiately. Here are a few athletes who competed this year who are first-year college athletes.
COTTAGE GROVE
■ Brennen Murphy, track & field
Murphy, a freshman at Western Oregon University, competed for the Cottage Grove basketball and track teams last year. This spring, Murphy became only the second athlete in school history to break the 50-second mark in the 400-meter dash. Murphy finished second in Class 4A in the spring in the 400m and 200m, setting a personal record of 49.89 in the 400m at the state championships. Western Oregon’s indoor season has just begun, and Murphy has yet to race for the Wolves.
CRESWELL
■ AJ Hodge, basketball
Hodge is attending the College of the Siskiyous, a public community college in Weed, Calif. Hodge helped lead the Creswell Bulldogs boys basketball team to a 4th-place finish last season in Class 3A. Hodge has appeared in 11 games for the Eagles (5-8 overall), averaging 2.8 points and 2 rebounds per game in limited minutes.
■ Samairah Quinones, basketball
Quinones is attending Bushnell University, a Eugene college affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Quinones was a first-team all-league player in the Mountain Valley Conference last season, helping the Bulldogs to a second-place finish in league and a playoff berth. Quinones has appeared in all 9 games for the 6-3 Beacons, averaging 7 minutes a game in those appearances.
PLEASANT HILL
■ Kiley Campos, basketball / softball
Campos joins Creswell’s Quinones on the Bushnell basketball team, and will also play for the softball team in the spring. Campos was an honorable mention all-state player in basketball and made 1st-team all-state in softball for the Billies. In nine appearances for the Beacons basketball team, Campos is averaging 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in just under 17 minutes a game.
SPRINGFIELD
■ Alexi Morgan, soccer / basketball
Morgan is a two-sport athlete at Chemeketa Community College in Hayesville, Ore. Morgan played in 10 games this fall as a goalie for the soccer team, totaling 64 saves and a save-percentage of 89%, third-highest in the Northwest Athletic Conference. Chemeketa went 7-0-5 in the regular season before falling in the quarterfinals of the conference postseason. Morgan is also on the basketball team after helping lead the Springfield Millers to the Class 5A championship in March.
THURSTON
■ Vaun Halstead, wrestling
Halstead is on the Oregon State wrestling team after winning back-to-back individual state titles for the Colts. Halstead has yet to appear in a meet this season for the 16th-ranked Beavers.
■ Kaylee Annis, wrestling
Annis committed to wrestle at Southern Oregon University after becoming Thurston’s first three-time state wrestling champion this spring. SOU, located in Ashland, is in the NAIA’s Fronteir Conference and is ranked No. 5 nationally. Annis’ best finish so far this season is a 6th-place finish in the 116-pound bracket at the Menlo Open in Atherton, Calif., in early November.
■ Maddox Molony, baseball
Molony earned back-to-back Class 5A Player of the Year awards for Thurston, while also helping lead the Colts to the state title in June. Molony committed to play for the Oregon Ducks, who are in fall training.
– Pierre Weil, The Chronicle
