August 4, 2005

sports

T-ball league to celebrate season’s end at trophy night

By Jimmy Chesire

Hello, all you t-ballers! Moms! Dads! Grandparents! Aunts! Uncles! Friends! T-ball children!

The Perry League t-ball season’s coming to an end. Our final night is suddenly upon us — our final night, our trophy night.

Yes, this Friday night, Aug. 5, is the last night of the 2005 t-ball season. And as is our tradition, we’ll end the season with a shortened night of play, followed by our annual wiener roast-potluck picnic.

After the picnic, we give each child a beautiful, golden trophy). And this year, as in the past six years, our trophies have been paid for by the Yellow Springs Lions Club. Without these trophies our t-ball program would pale and our season would end without its glorious sunset.

Now, if you’ve never been to a t-ball game, and if you’ve enjoyed some of our columns, then you might do yourself a favor and come on out this Friday night — to witness the presentation of the trophies. It’s an exquisite and extraordinary few minutes.

What we do, after everyone has had a chance to get something to eat, is blow our whistles (of course) and ask the children, anywhere from 70 to 100 of them, to line up along the third base line. Six to eight of us adults stand in front of this bustling, frothing line of exuberant children. Three or four of us will be holding cardboard boxes brimming over with trophies, each of us paired with another adult who’ll actually hand the trophies to the children.

The line of children breaks (there is no such thing as a straight line in t-ball), snaking and curling around the three to four pairs of adults with the trophies, the children unable to contain themselves. They come at us, their faces radiant, their eyes wide and shining, their hands outstretched, almost every child impatient to get ahold of his or her very own trophy.

So come on out to Gaunt Park this Friday night, Aug. 5, around 6:30. Have a hot dog with us. Some potato salad. A cold drink. A piece of watermelon. And then witness the presentation of the trophies about an hour later. It’s a sight to be seen, an event not to be missed.

Tina Peters wins U.S. title

Tina Peters won the young women’s 5,000-meter racewalk at the Junior Olympic Championships for Track & Field in Indianapolis from July 26 to July 31.

Competing in the 17- and 18-year-old division, Peters finished in 26:21.87, only eight seconds off her personal record for the distance. With just over a mile of the 3.1-mile race remaining Peters sprung a sub-two-minute lap on the leaders. She will be a senior at Yellow Springs High School this year.

Over 6,500 young people competed in the Junior Olympic Championships. Out of the Miami Valley Track Club’s 49 athletes, 19 qualified to nationals, and 17 competed in the nationals. From that group, six earned All-American status by finishing within the top eight in their specialty. In addition, one YSHS track and field record was broken and another was set.

Danielle Doubt, a YSHS sophomore, walked the race of her life. Her technique was so perfect that she drew not a single call from any of the five judges and she finished in 28:51.38, placing third in the intermediate girls division for 15- and 16-year-olds.

The third medal in racewalking went to YSHS sophomore Andy Peters, who garnered both a fourth-place finish and a one-minute personal record in the intermediate boys 5,000 walk. He set a new YSHS record in 27:55.29.

Allison Berry, who will be a seventh grader at McKinney School, placed 18th in 9:38.26 in the 1,500 walk in the 11- and 12-year-old girls division.

Another athlete to improve at the national championships was Nate Badger, who will be a senior at YSHS. While Badger did not advance to the finals in the javelin for his division (17- and 18-year-olds), he did smash the YSHS record that he had set earlier in the year. Badger topped the previous record, 159', when he finished 12th overall with a throw of 163'9".

YSHS junior Sam Borchers finished 14th in the men’s 5,000 meter in 16:20.19, and sixth in the 2,000-meter steeple chase.

The National Championships marked the end of the Miami Valley Track Club season for most athletes. However, a Throwing Meet will be held at Cedarville University on Sept. 1 for those athletes interested in the javelin, discus, shot put and hammer throws. For more information, call coach Vince Peters at 767-7424.

Practices begin for fall sports

YSHS boys soccer

The YSHS boys soccer team will begin practicing for fall season on Thursday, Aug. 4. The team will practice Monday through Friday, 4:30–6:30 p.m., behind the high school.

Athletes are reminded to bring running shoes, soccer cleats, shin guards, water and a soccer ball to each practice. For more information, call coach Jim Hardman at 767-2200.

YSHS, McKinney cross country

The YSHS and McKinney School cross country team will hold a meeting for athletes and their parents on Monday, Aug. 8, 6 p.m., at the YSHS track.

The team holds preseason conditioning Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. until school starts. For more information, call coach Vince Peters at 767-7424.

McKinney, YSHS football teams

The YSHS and McKinney School football teams will begin practice for the fall season on Monday, Aug. 8, at 5 p.m., at the practice field behind McKinney.