THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9409300251
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 21 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: John Gordon
LENGTH: Long : 123 lines
AN EXPANDED YMCA swim league has started its fall season and a larger than usual Suffolk team with a new coach is looking for big things.
``We had 40 turn out this fall, and that's more than it has ever been,'' said Jeff Ward, director of aquatics at the Suffolk YMCA. ``Our peak last year was 30 and that was during the winter.''
Ward explained that many swimming prospects are busy with soccer in the fall. Therefore, he is expecting an increase this winter.
However, the swim team will lose participants in the spring when baseball season starts.
The largest age group is between nine and 12 years, according to Ward. Practice sessions, which started Sept. 1, are divided into two groups.
Sheila Foster of Suffolk is the new coach, replacing Joe Flynn, a Newport News Shipbuilding employee, who was a volunteer coach. And the league has grown from four teams to six.
Last year, the league included Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Suffolk, and each team competed against the others twice during the season on a home and home basis. Suffolk took third.
This year, the circuit added Franklin and Portsmouth, so the schedule has 10 meets. Suffolk lost to Virginia Beach last Saturday ``by more than 100 points'', Ward said.
The next meet will be at home Oct. 22.
LOCAL DRIVERS DO WELL: Three Suffolk drivers posted good results in their divisions at the Tidewater Sports Car Club's back to school autocross Sept. 25 as each competitor took four runs on the two-lap Chesapeake course.
John Sheally drove his Morgan to victory in the D Modified class with a time of 44.733, and Calvin Sanders piloted his Mustang to a win in the F Stock category with a time of 43.839. Keith Edwards had a best time of 48.887 to take third in the D Stock bracket.
SUFFOLK SHOOTER WINS: Butch Achterhof of Suffolk fired a 2545 out of a possible 2700 to capture the outdoor pistol match at the Fleet Combat Training Center at Virginia Beach on Sept. 24.
Stan Wooldridge of Virginia Beach took first expert with a 2392 and Fred Vanderslice of Virginia Beach grabbed the first sharpshooter honors with a 2433. Rick Berndt, also of Virginia Beach, shot a 2199 to take first in the marksman division.
GUZZLERS FALL EARLY: The Guzzlers softball team was eliminated on the first day of the slow pitch World Series at Rock Hill, S.C., recently.
Jim Clark's charges lost the first game, 3-1, to Ace Alarm, which was the Tennessee state champions, but nipped Mary's Kitchen of Virginia Beach, 9-8. However, Fireball Electric clobbered the Guzzlers, 14-7, in their third and final game of the double elimination tournament.
``We had to play in three different ball parks, and there was a lot of traveling around and traffic,'' Lynn Babb explained. ``And we just didn't hit.''
Robbie Brooks did come through with a .700 batting average and Kenny Smith batted .500. Other top hitters were Gerald Davis, .455; Andy Chaney and Joe Jones, both at .400, and Clarence Babb, .375. Chaney also had six RBI's.
KINGS FORK ELECTION: Mattie Faulk was elected president of the Kings Fork Athletic Association, Sept. 20, replacing John Brinkley.
Jimmy Story was chosen to succeed Floyd Byrd as vice president. Linda Story and June Bailey were re-elected as secretary and treasurer, respectively.
``The association is currently soliciting donations to offset expenses,'' Linda Story said. ``The association has had some financial difficulties.''
Among the needs are payment of umpires from last season, improvements to the three fields at Kings Fork School and purchase of new equipment. The association had nine baseball teams and six softball teams this past year.
Anyone interested in donating can make checks payable to the KFAA, Box 1971, Suffolk, 23439. The association holds meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., at various sites.
ISLE OF WIGHT RECREATION: Signups for Isle of Wight County's fall soccer program jumped from 250 last year to 380 this year, George Kindred of the Parks and Recreation Department said.
``Part of the increase was because we started registration earlier,'' he said. ``But we also had more publicity.
``We had so many we thought about cutting off the registration, but we didn't.''
The coed program has five divisions: five and six-year-olds; seven and eight, nine and 10, 11 through 13 and 14 through 17.
League play began last Saturday and will run through Nov. 12 when an end of season tournament is slated to start.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that the fall softball program did not materialize this year because of the lack of sponsors.
However, youth basketball registration will begin soon. Practice sessions are in November and December, and play will go from December through March.
BIKE RIDE SET: The nine-mile Lake Drummond bicycle ride is today, at 3 p.m., on Washington Ditch Road. The start/finish point is the Washington Ditch parking lot off Whitemarsh Road.
``This is a fun ride primarily for beginning or occasional bicycle riders,'' Jim DeVere said. ``But everyone of all abilities is welcome.''
The Washington Ditch Road is a flat dirt road that goes through the Dismal Swamp. A professional bicycle mechanic will be available to check out your bicycle and make free minor repairs or adjustments and inflate tires.
Colley Bike West of Suffolk will provide food and water at the lake and at the end of the ride. For more information, call Bill Williams at 539-1820.
HUNTER COURSE SET: The Suffolk-Nansemond Izaak Walton League, in cooperation with the Virginia Game Commission and Suffolk's Department of Parks and Recreation, is sponsoring a hunter education course at the American Legion Senior Citizens building at 350 North Main St. on Oct. 3, 4 and 12, from 6 to 9:30 p.m.
``The game commission provides the material and trains our instructors, most of whom are members of the local Izaak Walton League,'' said Jerry Greene, former president and the course coordinator for downtown Suffolk. ``We have three courses a year, and this is the second one.''
The Suffolk-Nansemond Izaak Walton League has a dinner meeting at the Kings Fork Community House on the third Wednesday of each month, beginning at 7 p.m. A pancake supper is scheduled for the Nov. 16 meeting and tickets must be purchased in advance.
People interested in the hunter education course, joining the local league or buying tickets to November's pancake supper should contact Greene at Suffolk Radio & Television Service, 536 W. Washington St.
To preregister, contact Jerry Greene at 539-2110. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
In his best umpire fashion, Richard ``Bullett' Alexander gives the
``out'' sign during a recent class for umpires at Diamond Springs
Field in Suffolk. Getting pointers is Leslie Matthew. Alexander and
six other Portsmouth umpires conducted the annual school for Suffolk
officials.
by CNB