By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
For the first time in a long time, the 18th Mightymite Triathlon field has some holes.
Holes where past winners should be running, but won't be.
Even though the race roster is right at the 300 runner mark, as of Friday, none of the past 17 male winners had entered the annual race and only two of the past 17 female winners could be found.
That probably means several new winning faces at the finish line this year.
Two-time winner Lucia Colbert, 43, of Cordova, Tenn. will run in Saturday's Mightymite.
Colbert won the race in 1994 and again in 1997.
M.C. Jermann, 34, of Memphis, who won the race in 1999, returns this year as well. Jermann ran second last year.
Also returning this year is John Howell, who at 76, will be the oldest male runner in the Mightymite.
The race also includes eight local runners -- James Allen, Angie Gilbreath, Denny Jarratt, Gabrielle Juijten-Cel, Carla Nimocks, Jim McInturff and Michelle Trail, all of Forrest City as well as Wilbert Dawson from Palestine.
Last year's male winner, was Victor Perini, who set the course record in 1994.
Other male winners missing from this year's Mightymite include Frank Rehnelt, the only runner to own four victories and Chip Cooper, who won three consecutive Mightymites from 1995-1997.
There are, however, several running this year who finished in the top 10 a year ago including Joy Johnson of Germantown, who finished fifth a year ago; Marda Kaiser of Memphis, who finished ninth and Amy Daily of Hot Springs, who ran seventh a year ago.
Robert Burditt, a seventh-place finisher last year, is running again this year as is Todd Hink of Clinton, who finished fifth in his age division last year.
A pre-race meeting will be held tonight at the Forrest City Civic Center, where Mightymite participants can pick up their race packets.
But, unlike previous years, the pre-race buffet will not be held.
Other changes this year to the Mightymite include a new race director, Rich Trail, replacing long-time organizer Kenny Worley and the use of a professional timing crew at the finish line at Sam Smith Stadium.
"That seems to be the area that we've had the most complaints about in past years," said Trail. "So hopefully by using a pro timing crew, with state-of-the-art timing devices, this year's finishing times will be much more accurate.
The race begins at 8 a.m. Saturday at Lake Dunn with a 4/10ths of a mile swim.
The second leg is the 13-mile bike ride along Crowley's Ridge Road to the East Arkansas Community College campus.
From there, the entrants will run the final three miles to Sam Smith Stadium.
The final change to this year's Mightymite race involves the awards ceremony.
The ceremony will be held at Sam Smith Stadium as soon as all of the runners have finished.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The first Arkansas Fellowship of Christian Athletes sports camp was held this week at Mustang Arena in Forrest City and attracted nearly 60 kids each day of the four-day camp.
The camp was geared toward youths from fourth through the eighth grades and featured basketball, football and volleyball.
Each camper was given a t-shirt and an FCA Bible.
"We had probably the second-best turnout of the current 10-week tour," said Camp Director Chris Anderson. "Forrest City was our sixth stop and we have four more to do. It's been good for everyone involved. The people here in Forrest City have been great to work with and we hope to come back again next summer."
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
SOUTHAVEN--The Wynne Yellowjackets' stay at the USSSA 10-year-old AAA World Series ended abruptly Thursday at Southaven, Miss..
After going undefeated in pool play this week with a 3-0 record, Wynne entered the championship double-elimination bracket seeded 10th.
First up for Wynne on Thursday afternoon was the 15th-seeded Pickering Tigers from Pickering, Ohio.
The Tigers (5-0) scored six runs off Wynne starter Baker Aldridge and two runs off Brent Devazier to take an 8-0 win.
Aldridge and Devazier each worked three innings and had one strikeout each.
Wynne managed just two hits during the game and two baserunners -- Cory Nickles and Devazier.
Wynne Coach Jay Caldwell said his team had trouble adjusting to the larger field used Thursday.
"In pool play we were playing on a field that was a 180 feet," Caldwell said. "Thursday they put us on a field that was 250. That's a lot of space to cover for 10-year-olds. But, Pickering hit the ball well and we didn't."
The loss to Pickering dropped Wynne into a matchup against the Greenwood, Miss. Storm, losing 4-2.
Wynne opened a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth when Aaron Pool and Matt West scored.
Greenwood (4-2) scored a single run on a passed ball by pitcher Barrett Astin in the bottom of the fourth and then added three runs on a hit batter and two base hits in the fifth to get the 4-2 win.
Astin pitched the complete five-inning game, giving up the four runs and striking out four.
The Wynne team, made up of seven Wynne players and six Forrest City players, finished their World Series run with a 3-2 record.
"I think we surpassed most people's expectations," Caldwell said. "when we combined these players to form this team. I know I was mildly surprised. I really never thought we would come out of pool play at 3-0, especially with the second-ranked team in the nation (Hilliard, Oklahoma) in the pool with us."
Besides the Wynne players Alex Andrews, Sam Hanzlik, Craig Walker, West, Pool and Nickles, the team had six from Forrest City on roster -- Devazier, Astin, Aldridge, Joey Bonds, Raymond Patillo and Turner Norsworthy.
"We're through for the year," Caldwell said. "It's been a good ride."
The Yellowjackets defeated Independence, Mo., Plano, Texas and Hilliard, Oklahoma in pool play earlier this week.
Other Arkansas teams involved in the World Series include the Central Arkansas Express which lost to Caldwell Cobras from North Carolina 4-2 but rebounded to defeat Neosha, Mo., 16-5 and Mandeville, La.
The Arkansas Travelers from Fayetteville defeated the Fayette Georgia Muddogs 10-8 and are scheduled to play Pensacola, Fla. today.
The Outback Steakhouse Aces from Fort Smith defeated Moss Bluff (La.) Thursday and will take on Brunswick, Ohio today.
The Marion Flyers lost to North Royalton, Ohio 13-2 Wednesday.