Power trio: Wallowa County graduates to tackle college athletics

Published 9:00 am Tuesday, May 28, 2024

It’s not often that a graduate from a small, rural high school goes on to seek higher education both in the classroom and in college-level sports. Three at a time? Even less often.

This year, Wallowa County boasts a trifecta of athletic girls. At school year’s end, each of the county’s three high schools will graduate a high-achieving senior with the athletic chops to keep playing her chosen sport.

Five-foot-seven-inch guard Zoe Hermens at Wallowa High School and 5-foot-9-inch post player Alex Rowley at Enterprise High School will continue their basketball careers, Hermens at Walla Walla Community College and Rowley 1,200 miles away at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois, a Chicago suburb.

Meanwhile, 5-foot-9-inch hitter Cooper Nave at Joseph Charter School will be joining the volleyball team at Clackamas Community College.

The three share at least two things in common: They’re multisport athletes and they’re academic all-stars. In addition to their primary sports, Hermens runs track, plays volleyball and has a 3.97 GPA; Rowley runs track and boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA, and Nave plays basketball and softball, runs track and has a 3.97 GPA.

While the transition to college play always can be difficult at the start, it’s Rowley who has perhaps the biggest challenge. Dominican has a new head coach assigned to rebuild a basement team: last season the Stars went 1-24. Dominican, an NCAA Division III school as a member of the 14-school Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, recruited Rowley through the online program FieldLevel.

“We look for Alex to make an immediate impact on our program,” coach Tethnie Carrillo said. “On the defensive end, we will look to her for rebounding and guarding the high and low post. On the offensive end, Alex runs the floor well and we will utilize that strength and get her the ball.”

“What makes Alex deadly,” Carrillo added, “is her ability to step out and hit a three.”

Rowley, a first-team All-Blue Mountain Conference selection, thinks she can handle the distance. “I think it’s going to be an exciting change but a little scary being away from home,” she said. “I went to Chicago last year with some of my family. They’re going to come visit me and I’ll come back home whenever I can.”

She plans to major in pre-dental with a minor in business. Eventually, she wants to be a pediatric dentist.

Hermens, a first-team All-Old Oregon League selection last season, also was recruited — through the National Collegiate Scouting Association website. In the season, she averaged 13.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.2 steals per game, which Walla Walla head coach Bobbi Hazeltine considers the capstone to “a successful career.”

“We think she will be a great addition to our team,” Hazeltine said. “She is a small-town girl and we know she has a strong work ethic. We have had great success with small-town basketball players.”

Hermens received initial interest from numerous colleges but settled on a two-year school after noticing that many freshmen and sophomores at four-year colleges are largely benched in favor of more experienced teammates, she said.

She has been shooting hoops since fourth grade, she recalled. While she’s on Wallowa’s rosters for volleyball and track, she likes basketball best. “It’s a good mix,” she said. “With track it’s all on you and then volleyball is a total team sport.”

‘Focus on volleyball’

A lifelong farm girl, Hermens will major in agricultural business and management. Playing close to home will allow her to come home on some weekends and make it easy for Wallowa fans to watch her continue to play.

Nave is in her prime, having played since third grade and last season being named to the All-State second team. A hitter is volleyball’s equivalent of a football quarterback — she makes split-second on-court decisions and must know where every team member is at every moment.

On the court she’ll have the opportunity to make an immediate impact as the Cougars head on a new upward trajectory under head coach Ashli Itami. In her first year in 2022-23, the Cougars went 13-14 (8-8 in the Northwest Athletic Conference) contrasted to the previous season’s 2-24 (0-15).

“I’m definitely looking forward to moving on,” she said. “In high school, you play with people who are playing because it’s something to do, and it’s great fun. But when I played club ball in Moscow I got to play with girls who were all looking to move on to the next step.”

“I think playing with girls who have the same passion and focus on volleyball will push me to be better.”

She hasn’t chosen a major yet but has an eye on project management and eventually managing a biology laboratory. “I love science and working with people,” she said.