Martinez, Adamson going back to Hershey nationals
Incoming Wood River High School freshman Kaitana Martinez, 14, and Carey School's Micaela Adamson, 14, have qualified again for the Hershey Track and Field North American Final competition Aug. 2 at Hershey, Pa. This is the 31st year Hershey's Track and Field Games has provided the opportunity for kids ages 9-14 to learn basic track skills.
Adamson will be making her fourth trip to nationals, where over 500 of the best young track and field athletes in North America will compete. She is the two-time Idaho state girls' 13-14 champion in standing long jump, winning this year's state title with a jump of 7-4.5 June 7 on the Hailey track.
Martinez was the North America Finals champion in girls' 13-14 softball throw last August at Hershey. A 4.0 student and Citizenship Award winner at Wood River Middle School in Hailey, Martinez is the two-time Idaho State girls' 13-14 softball throw queen. Her winning throw this year was 179-3 on the Hailey track. She had qualified for the state finals with a winning 182-6 toss during the Blaine County track and field meet May 3 in Carey. In middle school, she was also a conference champion in triple jump, high jump, long jump and 100-meter high hurdles.
This week's league games
Here's an update of today's coed soccer and slow-pitch softball games in the valley:
Ketchum Coed Softball League, Wednesday, July 23: At 5:45 p.m., Lefty's vs. KECH (#1) and Nelson's vs. Color Haus (#2). At 7:15 p.m., Group 6 vs. Lee Gilman (#1) and Firefighters vs. Stafftopia (#2).
Coed Soccer League, Wednesday, July 23: At 5:30 p.m., Conrad vs. Dondero and 7 p.m., Frieder vs. Sutton (Atkinson Park lower field). At 5:45 p.m., Mills vs. Miller/Zarkos and 7:15 p.m., Funkhouser vs. Rixon (WRHS soccer field).
Hailey Coed Softball League, Wednesday, July 23: At 5:45 p.m., Evans Plumbing vs. Wicked Spud. At 7 p.m., The Life Church vs. Hailey Hotel.
Jones-Wilkins ninth in Vermont 100-Mile Enduro
Community School headmaster Andy Jones-Wilkins was about 14 minutes slower than his winning effort last year, but the 40-year-old ultramarathon runner still managed a strong ninth place out of 178 finishers in Saturday's Vermont 100-Mile Endurance Run held on the Silver Hill Meadow trails near Brownsville, Vt.
Jones-Wilkins, averaging about 9:40 per mile, won his Masters age class in 16 hours, 7 minutes and 52 seconds. He was last year's overall winner of the Vermont 100 in 15:53.19. But this year's field was much faster, the top eight runners all clocking better times than Jones-Wilkins' winning mark of 2007. This year's winner was Paul Hennick of Toronto, Canada in 11:48.41, or 7:05 per mile.
Saturday's trail course climbed and descended between 14,000 and 15,000 feet. It raised funds for Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports.
Brundage mountain bikers
Ketchum's Corey Bellinger earned the Pro Men's downhill victory during the 17th annual Brundage Mountain Bike Festival July 11-13 about 13 miles from McCall. It was a Wild Rockies Series race. Bellinger (5:36.14) was six seconds faster than runner-up Art Widmar of Boise in the old-school downhill. In the Super Downhill, Ryan Butterfield of Pocatello (13:07) was the winner and Bellinger (13:49) settled for fourth.
Hailey's Joanna Peters (14:28) was the Pro Women's winner of the Super Downhill and she also finished second to Boise's Stacy Scanlan in the Pro Women's 21-mile cross-country race. In XC, Scanlan was timed in 1.58:33 and Peters in 2.06:54. Fairfield's Dave Harrison (1.53:18) placed fifth among Pro Men in the 21-mile cross-country race, and Hailey's Mathieu Sorrell (1.45:09) won the 10.5-mile event among Beginner Boys 13-15. In the Beginner Men's Super Downhill, Matthew Sarnell of Hailey finished fifth with a time of 19:41.
Hole-in-one at Elkhorn Golf Club
Ed Grubb carded a rare hole-in-one at Elkhorn Golf Club Tuesday, July 15. He used a 7-wood from the silver tees to put the ball in the hole at the 176-yard par-3 third hole. Witnesses were Nate and Marge McGrew.
Idaho Open golf returns to Twin Falls Muni July 23-25
The Ridley's Family Markets Idaho Open golf tournament returns to the Magic Valley for the third consecutive year, Wednesday through Friday, July 23-25. Twin Falls Municipal Golf Course will host the 54-stroke play Rocky Mountain Section PGA tournament that will feature a $40,000 purse based on a full field of 144 golfers in Regular and Senior divisions. Register online at rockymountainpga.com or call 208-939-6028 for registration details.
Kickball tournament is July 26 at Atkinson Park
Kickball (soccer baseball) is something everyone can do and enjoy. It's for all ages and abilities. Sun Valley Adaptive Sports in conjunction with Mountain Adventure Tours is staging the sixth annual Wood River Kickball Tournament. Date and site is Saturday, July 26 at Ketchum's Atkinson Park, with registration starting at 10 a.m. The cost of $35 for single players includes a t-shirt, or a team of 10 is $350 including t-shirts for all. Co-sponsor is the Idaho Mountain Express. Call 726-9298 for sign-up or more information.
Activities are set for YMCA Classic weekend Aug. 2
The Wood River Community YMCA has announced details for its 2008 YMCA Classic golf tournament and dinner/auction. A full day of activities is planned for Saturday, Aug. 2 at Elkhorn Golf Club.
The golf tournament ($1,900 entry) has its shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. preceded by registration and breakfast. The dinner, awards presentation and auction featuring entertainment by The Smothers Brothers begins at 6 p.m. the same evening at Elkhorn Golf Club ($300 per person for dinner). Auction items include two weeks in Australia, an in-board boat and a New York fashion week.
You can purchase a $100 raffle ticket at the YMCA before July 25 (only 250 tickets available) and be eligible for the first prize of golf for four and a dinner table for eight at this year's Smothers Brothers dinner. Value is $10,000. Second prize is a dinner table and entertainment, a $2,400 value.
Pre-golf registration and a tour of the new YMCA facility on Ketchum's Warm Springs Rd. takes place Friday, Aug. 1 from 5-7 p.m. Visit woodriverymca.org for details, or call Hallie Kelly at 208-928-6709.
Whit Henry Galena Grinder set for Saturday, July 26
Galena Lodge 23 miles north of Ketchum offers some of the best high altitude mountain bike racing trails in Idaho.
And Galena's trail system is the site of the sixth annual Whit Henry Memorial Galena Grinder cross-country mountain bike races on Saturday, July 26. The event doubles as the Idaho State Marathon Championships and is part of the USA Cycling MTB National XC calendar. A minimum $2,000 pro purse is offered for the Knobby Tire Series event. The course consists of one 22.5-mile loop with 50% singletrack. There is a 3,200 elevation gain over the course of one full loop.
Your class determines how much of the course you attempt. Juniors and Beginners go 10 miles, Sports 17.5 miles, and Experts/Pros/Semi-Pros 22.5 miles. The 45-mile marathon consists of two 22.5-mile loops. Start times are 9 a.m. for the marathon (mandatory pre-race meeting 8:45 a.m.) and 10:30 a.m. for the cross-country portion (meeting at 10:15 a.m.).
Register on Race Day at Galena Lodge or save $10 and sign up in advance at sportsbaseonline.com. Galena hosts a racer lunch as part of entry fees.
Whit Henry, a Bellevue resident and Wood River High School graduate, was a 20-year-old mountain biking and skiing enthusiast who died in a car accident in July 2003.
