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TACOMAWEEKLY.com
FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2013
The Sideline is Tacoma Weekly’s new sports-only blog, providing you with quick game recaps as well as some content that won’t appear in print! Check in for regular updates, and we hope you enjoy! http://www.tacomaweekly.com/sideline
SECTION A, PAGE 6
MAX BEATTY OVERCOMES CANCER TO REALIZE DREAM
Former PLU pitcher drafted by Padres
PHOTO BY ROCKY ROSS
BEATT-ING THE ODDS. Pacific Lutheran
CHAMBERS, SCHWAN ARE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR TAC honors local athletes at year-end banquet By Jeremy Helling jeremy@tacomaweekly.com
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fter dominating throughout the season and earning state titles in their respective sports, Foss’ Marcus Chambers and Bellarmine Prep’s Courtney Schwan added some more hardware on June 17. In a room full of accomplished athletes, the duo was named the Tacoma/Pierce County High School Student Athletes of the Year at the Tacoma Athletic Commission year-end banquet at Bellarmine Prep High School. “It means a lot,” said Chambers, just over three weeks removed from winning the state titles in the 200 and 400-meter dashes at the state track meet. “There are a lot of great athletes for every sport here…to be known as the athlete of the year for this group of guys is an honor.” Not only did Chambers defend his state title in the 400 this year, he set the best time in the nation during his championship run with a time of 46.36 seconds, and will run on scholarship at the University of Oregon next year. Just as impressive as his accomplishments on the track were his accolades in the classroom, as he carried a 3.66 grade point average in taking International Baccalaureate classes. “I’m just disciplined, and that’s a big part of my mom,” Chambers said. “She helped me throughout the first couple years of high school to learn that process and be organized. I just took it from there.” He also volunteered at Foss special education classes and helped coach the Foss Special Olympic Soccer Team. Chambers is eyeing a spot on the United States 19-and-under track and field team, as he was preparing for a chance to qualify in the 400 on June 21 in Des Moines, Iowa. Should he make it, he would join the national team to compete in Puerto Rico in early July. Along the same lines, Schwan was recently chosen as one of 16 girls to qualify for the U.S. Junior Olympic Volleyball Team, as she will travel to Anaheim on July 8 to train with the Women’s National Team. “It’s just a great opportunity,” said Schwan, a senior-to-be who is committed to play volleyball at the University of Washington. “It’s a long process, and I’m so excited and I hope it all goes well.” While also starring in fastpitch this spring, Schwan is coming off a volleyball season last fall in which she led the Lions to the 4A state title and garnered the Narrows 4A MVP and the 4A state player of the year, among other accolades. Her dominance was evident in her 488 kills, 281 digs and 74 blocks as the X See ATHLETES / page A8
TOP PHOTO BY JEREMY HELLING / BOTTOM PHOTOS BY ROCKY ROSS
TOP HONORS. (Top) Foss’ Marcus Chambers (left) and Bellarmine
Prep’s Courtney Schwan (right) pose with their Athlete of the Year trophies on June 17. (Middle) Schwan displays a powerful game on the volleyball court with her powerful spikes. (Bottom) Chambers nears the finish line in the 200-meter dash at the state track meet in late May.
starting pitcher Max Beatty overcame testicular cancer to dominate on the mound for the Lutes this spring, and was recently drafted by the San Diego Padres. By Jeremy Helling jeremy@tacomaweekly.com
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for Max Beatty. And he’s loving every moment of it. The former Pacific Lutheran University ace pitcher – who overcame testicular cancer to return to the baseball field a year ago – achieved his ultimate dream when he was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 32nd round of the Major League Baseball draft on June 8. “It’s been something I’ve been looking forward to (for) forever,” Beatty said. “It really is just a dream come true. I just took a step toward getting paid to play baseball.” Beatty was back in his hometown of Vancouver watching the draft with family and was in communication throughout the process with the Padres, who had hinted at taking him earlier. “They told me ‘hey, maybe these next couple rounds,’” Beatty said. “The next couple rounds went, and I started to sweat a little bit. (But) in the back of the mind I knew it was going to be the Padres.” Beatty was on the phone with the Los Angeles Angels in another room of the house when he heard his family erupt in cheers after the Padres selected him with the 958th overall pick. It was a quick turnaround, as Beatty signed on June 10 and flew down to extended spring training in Arizona with the Padres’ rookie league team, in preparation for their opening game on June 20. And while he will have to work his way up through the chain to make it to the pros, Beatty certainly is up to the task of hard challenges. Beatty was considered one of the top prospects in Division III after his sophomore season at PLU in spring 2011, but began noticing some health changes in the summer and fall. “I was just seeing signs of stuff,” Beatty said. “I noticed something a while before that but didn’t think much of it. It kind of kept getting a little bit worse.” It was on Christmas break in 2011 that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. But instead of letting it discourage him, Beatty tackled the two-month round of chemotherapy – five days a week – with his eyes set on returning to the field. Despite missing the 2012 season at Pacific Lutheran, Beatty got a clear diagnosis that summer and joined the summer-league’s Corvallis Knights in June 2012. “My mindset was, ‘Let’s get this done with and get back to it,’” Beatty said of the cancer treatment. “It was awesome. It’s finally over, I’m healthy and back here doing the thing I love.” Beatty recently completed his junior season for the Lutes and was dominant, putting up a 7-5 record with a 2.48 earned run average in 87 innings, with 90 strikeouts and just 13 walks. While his career at Pacific Lutheran is done, he certainly hasn’t taken the friendships he has made for granted. “My team at PLU was so supportive,” Beatty said. “Those guys are family, we have a really tight-knit group.” Beatty now has his sights set on cracking the starting rotation for the Arizona League Padres, and is also aiming to advance to the Single-A Eugene Emeralds, who began their season on June 14. “It’s all starting to kick in,” he said. “One of my goals is to pick as many brains as I can and critique myself. (I want to) improve every day as a ballplayer.”