PREPWEEK BRIEFLY.

Byline: The Register-Guard

South's Rowe commits to UCLA

South Eugene's Brian Rowe, a senior goalkeeper for the Axemen soccer team, confirmed Tuesday that he has given a verbal commitment to play soccer at UCLA next year.

Rowe earned first-team all-Southwest Conference honors this season after allowing just one goal in 10 league matches. The Axemen advanced to the Class 6A quarterfinals before losing to eventual state champion McMinnville.

`UCLA was one of the first teams to recruit me as a sophomore,' Rowe said. `I've been down there for soccer camps, and I really like the whole Westwood area, the team and the coaches. I felt that it fit my personality perfectly, and I would be happy there for the next four years.'

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound Rowe will be reunited with former South Eugene teammate Ryan White at UCLA. White, the Midwestern League MVP in 2005, was a freshman defender for the Bruins this year.

UCLA lost to UC Santa Barbara, 2-1, in the NCAA championship match on Sunday.

`The fact that Ryan is there definitely played a part in my decision,' Rowe said. `We're best friends now, and we've been playing soccer together since we were 5 years old. I'm looking forward to playing with him again.'

Rowe also was chosen to the Southwest Conference first team as a kicker for the Axemen football team.

Masterson tops Oregon runners

Sheldon's Casey Masterson, the OSAA Class 6A state cross country champion, was Oregon's highest finisher at the Foot Locker West Regionals at Walnut, Calif., this past Saturday.

Masterson placed 12th overall in the girls seeded 5,000-meter race with a time of 18 minutes, 49 seconds, while Sherwood's Ilsa Paulson, the Class 5A state champion, placed 13th at 18:50.

On the boys side, McKenzie's David Sherman, the 3A/2A/1A state champion, finished 60th overall with a 17:04 clocking.

Bryce Burgess of Franklin High School in Portland was the top Oregon runner in 24th in 16:33.

Sophomore Jordan Hasay, of Arroyo Grande, Calif., won the girls race in 17:43 and Matt Tebo of Albuquerque took the boys title in 15:46.

The top eight finishers qualified for the Foot Locker National Championships to be held in San Diego on Saturday.

Colt wrestlers show their stuff

Expectations are high for the Thurston wrestling team this season, and the Colts showed why this past weekend by winning all five of their dual meets at the Earl Gillis tournament at Newberg High School.

Thurston, which is ranked fourth in the coaches 5A poll, defeated three highly ranked 6A squads. The Colts downed No. 3 West Linn (42-29), No. 4 Newberg (49-13) and No. 6 Century (37-30), and also beat Crook County (37-30) and Tualatin (60-13).

Three Thurston wrestlers finished the weekend undefeated. Senior Justin Tracy, a transfer from Sheldon, went 5-0 at 135 pounds, and senior Steve Hazel (189) and sophomore Ryan Arand (125) also won five straight matches.

Seniors Levi Morgan (215) and David Carter (171) and freshman Joe Gardner (103) all went 4-1 in their matches.

`We have high expectations this year, and our kids lived up to those expectations (at this tournament),' Thurston wrestling coach Mike Simons said.

`Our goal is to be district champions again and bring home a state trophy.'