The Bend North Little League Softball team represented the Northwest Region at the Little League Softball World Series in August. 

From numerous high school state championships, to a Little League softball run for the ages, to a Bend High product starting for the Green Bay Packers, 2023 was filled with intriguing Central Oregon sports stories.

Here are The Bulletin sports staff’s top 10 stories of 2023, in no particular order:

Bend North Little League softball

The Bend North Little League softball team captured the hearts and minds of Central Oregon sports fans when it advanced all the way to the Little League Softball World Series in Greenville, North Carolina, in early August.

The team of 10-, 11-, 12- and 13-year-old softball players defeated Puyallup, Washington, 7-6 in a thriller to advance to the Northwest Regional Final in San Bernardino, California, where they beat Billings, Montana, 8-4 to advance to North Carolina. The trip came to an end after a 4-2 loss to Puerto Rico, and a heartbreaking 9-5 loss to Italy in extra innings on Aug. 8.

It was a trip of a lifetime for the young softball players from Bend.

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“It is going to be hard to say goodbye to these girls,” said Bend North softball coach Kevin Guiney after the trip.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime deal. They have developed life-long friendships and memories. The games didn’t go the way we wanted, but it doesn’t matter.”

Luke Musgrave drafted by NFL’s Green Bay Packers

Luke Musgrave, a standout tight end for Bend High and then for Oregon State, was taken early in the second round of the NFL Draft, 42nd overall, by the Green Bay Packers on April 27.

Musgrave, the nephew of former Oregon quarterback and current Cleveland Browns assistant Bill Musgrave, made an immediate impression on the Packers. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound former ski racer has started most games and has 33 receptions for 341 yards and one touchdown.

Musgrave was hospitalized with a lacerated kidney after the Packers’ 23-20 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 19. He was placed on the injured reserve but could be available to return as early as Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has praised Musgrave’s “toughness and grit.”

“He’s a guy we’re going to keep trying to get the ball to,” LaFleur said in a recent press conference.

Bend High girls, Summit boys win state swimming titles

The Bend girls swim team won its fifth state title on Feb. 18 in Beaverton, finishing with two record-breaking relay teams, three individual champions, and just enough depth to finish with 67 team points, 15 ahead of second-place Mountain View.

The Summit boys won their 11th title in program history and first since 2015. The Storm had just one state champion in Liam Gilman, who won the 100 breaststroke, but relied on their overall depth to finish with 69 points.

Bulletin photos of 2023

The Bulletin photographers share their favorite Central Oregon images of 2023

Redmond boys, La Pine girls earn state wrestling championships

Redmond, for the first time since 1959 and second time ever, won the 5A wrestling state team title on Feb. 26 at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Ansen Widing won the 126-pound state title for the Panthers, who had eight other wrestlers reach the six-person podium.

“Those are unselfish kids who fought for each other — we are a family,” said Redmond coach Kris Davis said. “It is a program for all of us, from youth to middle school to high school.”

The La Pine boys and girls both won 3A state wrestling team titles on Feb. 25 at Memorial Coliseum. Devon and Kira Kerr each won individual titles to make it 11 individual state championships among the Kerr family of La Pine.

Golf state titles for Summit boys and girls, Crook County girls

The Summit boys golf team won its second consecutive state title and its fifth since 2015 at the 5A state championships at Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell on May 16.

The Storm had to rely on depth to claim the title. Even in a tournament that was admittedly not their best, all four of the Storm’s scoring players finished with a final score between 159 and 163. Senior Nick Huffman led Summit, finishing tied for third.

The Summit girls golf team also won the 5A state team title, led by Zoe Garcia, who finished second as an individual at Quail Valley Golf Course in Banks on May 16.

The Crook County girls also won the team title at the Class 4A/3A/2A/1A state championships at Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis on May 16.

Summit boys tennis wins team state championship

Summit put an emphatic stamp on the Class 5A boys state tennis championships in Beaverton on May 20.

The top-seeded doubles team of Max Himstreet and Zack Olander cruised to a state championship, and top-seeded singles player Ben Bonetto rallied to claim his own state title, helping lead Summit to an overall team state championship.

It was the ninth team state title for Summit, which won with a total of 26 team points.

Summit boys and girls claim track and field state titles

The Summit girls earned their state-leading 13th title, and the boys notched their sixth on May 27 at the Class 5A state track and field championships at Eugene’s Hayward Field.

The Storm boasted more than 40 individual placers and five state champions. It marked the fifth time since 2011 that Summit swept the team titles.

“They demonstrated their ability to do what needed to be done and prepared to win,” said Summit track and field head coach Dave Turnbull.

Sisters volleyball wins 3A state championship

Sisters won its seventh state volleyball title and first since 2017 by beating Pleasant Hill in four sets (23-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-18) in the Class 3A state championship match Nov. 4 at Springfield High School.

Since winning their last state championship, the Outlaws had come close to winning it all again many times. In the pandemic spring season of 2021, they advanced to the 4A state title match, but fell to Sweet Home in four sets. The next year, they were once again in the state championship match, but fell in five sets to Cascade while playing without one of their top players.

“As a coach all you want is for your girls to put in the hard work and have success,” said Sisters volleyball coach Rory Rush. “To have so many ups and downs … and to get to this point and see it all come together, I’m just so proud of the girls.”

Summit girls cross-country takes 15th straight state title

For the 15th consecutive year, the Summit girls cross-country team emerged as the Class 5A state champions at Eugene’s Lane Community College on Nov. 4.

With a young lineup of four sophomores, two freshmen and just one senior, the Storm extended their record streak.

“They committed to building on that legacy and making it their own,” said Summit cross-country coach Kari Strang.

“This was one of the hardest efforts that they have had to lay out there. And they crushed it.”

Summit boys soccer claims state championship

The second-seeded Summit boys soccer team defeated No. 8 Hood River Valley 1-0 in the Class 5A state championship match in Sherwood on Nov. 11.

The Storm has now won three state titles — also in 2013 and 2021 — in the past decade, with three different head coaches.