Area youth ages 7 through 14 are invited to enter the free Pepsi Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run competition on March 4. Pitch, Hit & Run is a national program that gives boys and girls the chance to showcase their baseball abilities.
Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., with the first events beginning at 8 a.m. at Johnson Junior High School athletic fields, 7701 Ducharme Ave.
Each youth must present a copy of his or her birth certificate upon check-in. Call Johnson Community School at 229-6175 for details and advance registration.
Boys and girls will participate in the pitching, hitting and running contests in their age brackets: 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, and 13-14. Champions will receive ribbons and advance to sectional competitions, which are regional bouts. Winners at sectional competitions become eligible to advance to team championships hosted by major league baseball teams at their respective stadiums, with a chance to advance to the national finals during Major League Baseball All-Star week this summer.
The local competition is being coordinated by the city of Las Vegas Department of Leisure Services.
The Las Vegas Warriors are recruiting 9-year-old baseball players for competitive tournament play locally, as well as some traveling. The Warriors are a Little League-friendly club.
For more information, call Bill Uelman at 245-0494 or Pat Larson at 324-8803.
BASKETBALL
Roy Martin MS girls off to perfect start
Despite having their home gymnasium burn down and not having an intramural program, the Roy Martin Middle School Lady Colts started this season with a 7-0 record.
Led by first-year coach Nicholas Smith and assistant coach Nick Laverick, the Lady Colts have spent the year walking over to the Chuck Minker Sports Complex for practices and home games.
Fifty-four girls tried out for the team, and 15 made the squad.
Members of the team include starting forwards Rachel Zimmerman and Saraya Mayahzadeh, starting point guard and sixth-grader Julianna Thornock, starting guards Estelle Wilson and Azaria Williams, Jennifer Carreon, Jacqueline Jones, Sylena Flores, Sharlene Esmena, Chrystal Rupert, Anahi Bravo, Leandrah Smith, Adrianna Gomez, Cecilia Otterness and Candace Soto.
CHEERLEADING
YMCA accepts youth hoops cheer sign-ups
The Bill & Lillie Heinrich YMCA, 4141 Meadows Lane, is accepting sign-ups for Youth Basketball League Cheerleading.
Participants will learn cheer/dance routines and will perform during Saturday Youth Basketball League games.
The program, open to youth ages 10 and under, will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays through March 11. The cost is $55 for members and $65 for nonmembers. Uniforms are included. Volunteer coaches also are needed.
For more information, call 877-9622.
FENCING
Fencing Academy honors Tony Curtis
The 14th annual Duel in the Desert fencing tournament was held at the Riviera Feb. 3-5. Eight fencers from the Fencing Academy of Nevada under the direction of Maitre Yves Auriol participated in the tournament. Evan Ranes of Las Vegas Fencing and the Fencing Academy of Nevada presented renowned actor and Las Vegas resident Tony Curtis with a personalized sabre. Curtis and his wife, Jill, presented awards to the tourney winners.
FITNESS
YMCA offers home school phys ed classes
A YMCA physical education program is being offered for families who home school their children.
The classes follow National YMCA Youth Fitness criteria and include everything from fitness and games to organized sports.
Sessions meet Tuesdays and Thursdays. Kindergarten to third-grade participants meet from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Fourth- and fifth-graders meet from 2:30-3:30 p.m. The cost is $75 for the first child and $60 for each additional sibling.
For more information, call the YMCA-run Durango Hills Community Center, 240-9622.
FOOTBALL
Several prep grid stars sign for college
A number of local high school football stars signed with Division IA and IAA schools on the first day of the signing period on Feb. 1. Bishop Gorman's DeMarco Murray, recognized as one of the top running backs in the West, signed with the University of Oklahoma, the same school that 2005 Gaels graduate and linebacker Ryan Reynolds now plays for.
Quentin Carter, a former standout for Cheyenne, also signed to play with the Sooners after graduating early and enrolling at Oklahoma for the spring semester.
Other players who signed with colleges were Rancho's Ariece Perkins (Weber State), Las Vegas' Xavaier Cleveland (Southern Utah) and Akeem Anifowoshe (Southern Utah), Shadow Ridge's Anthony Lewis (Southern Utah) and Alex Toney (Wyoming), Silverado's Ben Jacobs (Fresno State), Palo Verde's Mike Smith (Nebraska) and Ramon Hill-James (Oklahoma Panhandle State), Bishop Gorman's DeAngelo Wilkinson (Colorado State) and Martrell Fantroy (San Diego State), Valley's Sylvester Stevenson (Utah) and Geno Odong (Utah State), Western's Ron Paulo (UNLV) and Eldorado's DaVell Jackson (UNLV).
GOLF
YMCA schedules lessons for kids
The Bill & Lillie Heinrich YMCA, 4141 Meadows Lane, is accepting sign-ups for Total Golf Adventure, a program that teaches youth golf's fundamentals.
Total Golf Adventure will be held from 4 to 4:45 p.m. on Tuesdays through March 21. The cost is $135.
The program is designed to help participants develop confidence, motor skills, good sportsmanship and a high level of concentration. For more information, call 877-9622.
MARTIAL ARTS
Itty Bitty tae kwon do offered at YMCA
The Durango Hills Community Center, 3521 N. Durango Drive, offers Itty Bitty tae kwon do classes for youth ages 4 through 6.
Classes are held from 5:30 to 6:20 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. The program develops the spirit, body and mind.
The cost is $49. Those who are interested must sign up for classes by the first of each month. For more information or to register, call 240-9622.
MOTOR SPORTS
Night of Champions dinner raises $83,000
The Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted the inaugural Night of Champions dinner, honoring Mel Larson, on Jan. 31 at Mandalay Bay. The event raised more than $83,000 for the Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities.
LVMS general manager Chris Powell announced at the end of dinner that the event would now be known as the Mel Larson Night of Champions, to honor local community members and local racing champions.
The dinner featured four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon as the keynote speaker, and guests O. Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports, LVMS's parent company; and Chris Economaki, founder and editor emeritus of National Speed Sport News.
The speedway also recognized the 2005 season champions from its drag-racing facility, The Strip; and its three-eighths-of-a-mile oval, The Bullring. Gordon also took part in a meet-and-greet with guests during the reception.
Larson provided inspiration and guidance in conceptualizing Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He worked closely with the speedway's original ownership during the early and mid-1990s and is a longtime friend of Smith's.
Last December, the Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities distributed more than $275,000 to 67 local charities at its annual grant distribution ceremony.
SOCCER
Tabagators sign with colleges
Several players off the Las Vegas Tabagators girls club soccer team signed letters of intent earlier this month.
The athletes were Bishop Gorman's Kelly Gaughan (Weber State), Cimarron-Memorial's Jamie McCoy (UNLV), Palo Verde's Jamie Miller (Southern Utah), Cheyenne's Michelle Smith (Austin Peay), Clark's Heather Thompson (Wofford), Centennial's Aubrey Thompson (Wofford), Brooke Blaser (Utah Valley State,) and Kasey Turley (Utah Valley State).
Thompson, Blaser and Turley's Bulldogs' teammate Audrey Falconi was expected to sign with Louisiana-Lafayette.
SOFTBALL
NSA Fastpitch tourney on tap
A March Madness softball tournament will be held in Las Vegas March 25 to 26.
There is a four-game guarantee and the cost is $350 per team. The tournament is a Western World Series qualifier.
The Northwest Girls Softball-Fastpitch League is looking for people age 16 years and older to officiate girls softball.
Some knowledge of softball and baseball is required.
Umpires will receive $25 per game. The league will play Mondays through Saturdays.
For more information, call Jim Graham at 645-8303 or Ken Scheuber at 419-5046.
TENNIS
Heinrich YMCA offers junior tennis lessons
The Bill & Lillie Heinrich YMCA, 4141 Meadows Lane, offers junior tennis lessons on recently resurfaced tennis courts for boys and girls from ages 7 to 17.
Beginner lessons are held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, intermediate lessons are offered from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursdays, and the advanced class meets from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
The cost is $52 for members and $62 for nonmembers. Each session includes four lessons.
Adult tennis lessons, adult drill sessions and private lessons also are available.
For more information, call the Bill & Lillie Heinrich YMCA at 877-9622.
TRACK
Vegas Lightning on lookout for runners
The Vegas Lightning track team is seeking young runners for its coed team.
Participants must be between the ages of 8 and 18. For more information, call Lance Miller at 279-5522.
VIDEO GAMES
Teen reaches Madden finals
Las Vegan Patrick Stock, 14, reached the 2005 Madden Challenge Finals.
Stock, the youngest finalist, beat out the competition in Denver and will be traveling to Hawaii for the finals and a chance to win $100,000 playing another round of EA Madden NFL '06 at the Pro Bowl.
Stock, who is home-schooled, will compete against 31 of the nation's best players seeking bragging rights as the Nation's Best EA Sports Madden NFL Player.
VOLLEYBALL
The Edge girls' club signing up players
The Edge Volleyball Club has openings for girls in grades 6 through 12 to fill up spots on the non-travel and travel teams.
Practices are held from 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at Shadow Ridge High School.
The season runs from January through May for non-travel, and from January through June for the travel squad.
The focus will be on the fundamentals in the sport of volleyball, with an emphasis on developing teamwork and good sportsmanship.
For more information, call Karissa Guthrie at 326-8363.
YOUTH SPORTS
YMCA to hold Junior Sports Academy
The Bill & Lillie Heinrich YMCA, 4141 Meadows Lane, is accepting sign-ups for its Junior Sports Academy, a beginner program for children ages 3 through 5 and their parents.
The program will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturdays, starting this weekend through April 1.
It includes two weeks each of soccer, T-ball and basketball. Equipment is provided. Parent participation is required.
The cost is $55 for YMCA members and $65 for nonmembers. For more information, call 877-9622.
Archived Editions| Advertising | Contact The Staff
