The first annual celebration included three state-championship games.
You know how every day of the year is designated as “National Cabbage Day” or some such thing?
Well, you may not have known it, but Saturday, Nov. 12, was designated as “MVSJ Day” in Oregon.
That would be “MVSJ” as shorthand for Miles Vance Sports Journal, and to be fair, I’m the one who made that designation and am probably the only one who knew it existed at the time.
But here’s why I — yes, only in my mind — made that designation. Saturday was everything about why Miles Vance Sports Journal exists and why you ought to subscribe to it by clicking here.
In that one day, beginning in the middle of the afternoon, I got to cover three state championship games — each featuring one of the three schools MVSJ covers. My day began with the West Linn girls soccer team playing Jesuit in the Class 6A state championship at Hillsboro Stadium.
Then, after an hour and a half on the road and 86 miles on my car’s odometer, my day continued as I — gratefully — got to see the fourth quarter of the Lakeridge girls water polo team’s Oregon High School Water Polo state championship game against top-ranked Barlow at Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis.
And finally, my day ended with the Lake Oswego boys water polo team in its state title game against Three Rivers League rival Newberg.
OK, to be fair, my day didn’t end there. Next came the return trip home, and once I got there, the rest of the work. First, I edited my way through 700+ photos from the West Linn girls soccer game — a tightly contested 1-0 loss to top-ranked Jesuit — and posted a 54-image photo slideshow to my website.
Next, I wrote a 1,000-word story with all the day’s game details and quotes from four of West Linn’s best players.
After that, I edited way through nearly 400 photos from the No. 2 Lakeridge girls water polo team’s 11-7 win over Barlow — which gave the Pacers the first state championship in school history — and posted a 27-image slideshow to my website.
The rest of my state championship writing and photo editing — both water polo stories and editing on photos from the No. 1 Lake Oswego boys polo team’s 8-7 win over No. 2 Newberg — took place on Sunday, Nov. 13, but still — I think — properly honored each team’s incredible accomplishments.
My second-day efforts included an 850-word story on the Lakeridge girls championship (including interviews with three Pacers), a 950-word story on the Lakers’ second straight state crown (with interviews with four LO boys) and a 50-shot LO boys polo slideshow.
So to all of you out there on the web, let me wish you a belated but sincere happy MVSJ Day. Subscribe by clicking here.
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