In the late 1970’s, girls high school sports were making the conversion from the low key Girls Athletic Association (GAA), to the well organized and competitive programs that are seen today.
It would not take AHS long to develop its first female individual star of the new era, Chris Tarabochia. Only a near career ending leg injury that required surgery during the track season of her junior year kept her from making an even larger impact on Northwest Oregon female sports history.
Basketball was Tarabochia’s strong suit and it wouldn’t take her long to prove she had skills. After a two game stint with the JV team as a freshman, Tarabochia was added to the varsity team enroute to her four basketball letters.
During her four seasons, Astoria ran up a 77-20 win-loss record (16-6, 18-5, 22-4 and 21-5). She was an All Coast-Valley league pick as a sophomore and All-Cowapa league first team selection her junior and senior years. The 1980-81 Fishermen placed third at the state tournament with Tarabochia earning first team All-Tournament honors.
Bolstered by 356 points as a junior and 328 points as a senior, she became AHS’s first 1,000 point career scorer with 1,013 points. Oddly enough, the 1982 senior class president’s single game high would be just 21 points.
On the volleyball court, Tarabochia’s junior season would be her final due to her leg injury. Her jumping ability and tremendous competitive drive made her the center of attention and one of the team’s strongest players.
Since Astoria had just entered the Cowapa League during the 1980-81 season, Tarabochia became the Fishermen’s first female All-Cowapa League selection when the league coaches named her to the first team volleyball all-star team.
Tarabochia spent her spring time on the AHS track team. The highlight of her freshman year was a 16-2 foot leap in the long jump at the District meet. As a sophomore at the Astoria Invitational, Tarabochia won all four events she entered including a school record 51.7 effort in the 300 low hurdles. Later in the season she was a member of the 1600 meter relay team that clocked a school record 4:22.2.
As a junior, after recording early season marks of 16-2 ½ feet in the long jump, 50.5 in the 300 low hurdles and a 99-11 foot javelin heave, Tarabochia blew her leg out in the long jump and nearly ended her athletic career.
Astoria, behind Kam Johnson’s two individual wins, outdistanced Maris and LaSalle for the state track and field title that year. Still the valuable teammate, Chris was in the stands rooting on the team with her leg in a brace.
After high school, she moved on to Forest Grove’s Pacific University where she took her hoop career to another level. She was named All-Northwest Conference Player of the Year for three consecutive seasons, 1984 – 86. At the time of her 1999 induction into the Hall of Fame, she still held numerous individual basketball records at Pacific.