Area youth ages 7-14 are invited to enter the free Pepsi Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run competition on Saturday. 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.
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 2006 adidas High School Basketball Spring League will begin March 7. The four-week season will consist of an eight-game schedule with no tournament and all games will be played at the Tarkanian Basketball Academy, 2730 S. Rancho Drive.
There will be boys and girls varsity and junior varsity divisions. Boys varsity and JV games will be played from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursdays, while the girls varsity and JV games will be played from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Each player will receive an official adidas uniform, learn from high school and collegiate coaches and get a chance to play two games a week.
The Tarkanian Basketball Academy is taking registration for the 2006 Spring City League at the Station Sports Complex, 2730 S. Rancho Drive, directly behind the Palace Station at Interstate 15 and Sahara Avenue.
The TBA City League is for boys' and girls' competitive club teams. Divisions are broken into grades starting with third and going through the high school divisions. Cost is $350 per team due at registration. There also is a $20 per game referee fee due at the start of each game.
Registration includes eight regulation games with trained scorekeepers and certified officials, entry into league championship playoffs, individual and team trophies for all division winners. There will be a limited number of teams for each division and spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Las Vegas Hoops will present the first Bitty-Ball Youth Basketball Tournament on March 25-26.
The Bitty-Ball Championships are open to boys and girls teams ages 6-10 and will be hosted by the Tarkanian Basketball Academy at the Station Sports Complex, 2730 S. Rancho Drive.
For more information, call 871-0096.
Local graduates starring in college
Two freshmen from Las Vegas are contributing in a big way for the University of Northern Colorado this season.
Centennial graduate Whitley Cox was named the Division I Independent Newcomer of the Week for the week ending Feb. 11 after scoring a career-high 15 points against Corpus Christi in the Bears' 63-62 win on Feb. 4. Cox, a guard, also had four rebounds and three assists in the game.
Green Valley graduate Jabrenta Hubbard, also a guard, scored a career-high 34 points in a 75-73 loss to Utah Valley State on Feb. 10. Hubbard finished just three points off the school record for points in a game, held by Jenny Gallagher, and had a career-best 14 field goals in the game.
BOWLING
Lady Bulldogs fall short at state
Centennial High School's girls bowling team lost to Coronado, 5-2 (2,204-2,003), in the state bowling championships held Feb. 2 at The Orleans Bowling Center.
Centennial advanced to the championship by defeating Northwest Division rival and top seed Palo Verde, 5-2 (1,969-1,942) on Feb. 1. The Bulldogs rolled to the regional finals as the No. 2 seed from the Northwest and defeated Spring Valley, 7-0, in the regional quarterfinals on Jan. 30 and Bishop Gorman, 5-2, in the semifinals on Jan. 31 before beating the Panthers in the regional finals.
Centennial, led by Nicole Barnes -- who bowled back-to-back 183 games in the title match -- Sarah Lock, Alexis O'Brien and Justine Hudson and coached by Dawn Martinez, had an 86-12 overall mark heading into the postseason and had 23,889 total pins, the second-highest mark in the Sunset Region behind Palo Verde's 24,458.
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
Duel in the Desert done at Riviera
The 14th annual Duel in the Desert fencing tournament was held at the Riviera on Feb. 3-5. Representatives from 21 states, Canada, Mexico, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway and Finland competed in the three-day event.
The Fencing Academy of Nevada fielded 15 competitors in the event and captured seven medals. Susan Jennings, a coach for the academy and 2005 Duel in the Desert champion in women's foil, retained her title for 2006.
Other medalists included Nicolae Diaconescu, who won the silver in men's epee; Kimberlee Montoya, who took the bronze in women's epee; Cynthia Ameli, who won the silver in veteran's women's epee; Nathlie Keft, who captured the bronze in veteran's women's epee; Eli Delgado, who brought home the bronze in veteran men's epee; and Mark Kovacs, the winner of the bronze in men's sabre.
FITNESS
YMCA offering 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 to 2:30 p.m. Fourth- and fifth-graders meet from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $75 for the first child and $60 for each additional sibling.
For more information, call 240-9622.
FOOTBALL
NYFL holding spring season sign-ups now
Nevada Youth Football League announces registration for 11-man full contact football (tackle) for the spring 2006 season. NYFL is the largest spring and fall league in Nevada.
Registration for all players will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays at 1651 S. Buffalo Drive until April 8.
To register, players must have either a player identification card from NYFL or original birth certificate and utility bill.
For the Youth Division, ages 6-14, registration cost is $160. For High School Division, ages 14-17, the cost is $260. Payment is cash or money order only. Players must be present for weigh-in and must be accompanied by a parent.
Practice starts this week with games starting April 15. The season will conclude in mid-June.
For more information, visit www.gonyfl.com or call 437-3825.
GOLF
Volunteers needed for Takefuji Classic
The LPGA Takefuji Classic is scheduled for April 11-16 at the Las Vegas Country Club, and tournament officials are looking for volunteers for all positions.
Perks include a daily lunch, an extra club badge -- worth a $50 ticket -- and participation in the tournament-ending volunteer raffle and party.
Seven Sun City golfers have qualified to participate in the first Gerry Feldman Invitational Golf Tournament, to be played on successive Sundays over a three-week period in March. It will be played on nine holes at each of the three Sun City golf courses, beginning March 12 and concluding March 26.
The tournament, already planned as an annual event, is named for one of the qualifying participants.Feldman is being honored for his diligent golf record-keeping, particularly in determining handicaps. In addition to Feldman, those invited to participate in the tournament after playing the qualifying rounds are Herb Jaffe, Hy Levine, Ira Josephs, Bill Golub, John Finger and Jerry Cardiner.
The first round, on March 12, will be played at Palm Valley, followed by Highland Falls on March 19 and Eagle Crest on March 26. Collegiate football great Johnny Chung will present a cash prize and trophy to the net score winner at a banquet tentatively scheduled for April 2.
SOCCER
Palo Verde's Atwell staying home
Palo Verde soccer player Luke Atwell signed a letter of intent with UNLV on Feb. 16.
Atwell will play for new UNLV coach Mario Sanchez, who became the fourth head coach in the 32-year history of the Rebels soccer program.
Tuesday night adult leagues forming
Cadwallader Elementary School is offering new 11-on-11 adult soccer leagues on Tuesday nights, beginning March 28. Games will begin at 6:30, 7:45 and 9 p.m. at the soccer complex at Buffalo Drive and West Washington Avenue.
The registration deadline is March 15. The team entry fee is $300 plus $250 for officials' fees. There will be a $75 charge for late registration.
League formats will be: Over 40 Men (five players can be over 35); Over 30 Men (five players can be under 30); Open Men (ages 18-plus); and Open Women (ages 18-plus).
Call 255-5878 or 299-1633 to request a coach's registration packet. The leagues are sponsored by the city of Las Vegas Department of Leisure Services.
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.
TAE KWON DO
Heinrich YMCA offering classes
The Bill & Lillie Heinrich YMCA, 414 Meadows Lane, is offering tae kwon do classes for boys an girls age 6 and older.
Master instructor Gary A. Bosse, USTF state director for Nevada and a seventh-degree black belt, has trained national champions. Classes will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
YMCA member cost is $39 per month, or $57 for nonmembers.
For more information, call 877-9622.
VOLLEYBALL
The Edge girls' club signing up players
The Edge Volleyball Club has openings for girls in grades 6-12 to fill up spots on the non-travel and travel teams.
Practices are held from 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Shadow Ridge High School. The season runs from January through May for non-travel, and from January through June for the travel squad.
For more information, call Karissa Guthrie at 326-8363.