By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Driving rain and heavy lightning exploded over the 2001 Arkansas High School Track and Field State Championships on Friday, causing first a delay of more than an hour and then, a suspended meet.
The track meet being held at Hot Springs High School will resume this afternoon, leaving some of the Class AAAA and almost all of the Class AAAAA events hanging out to dry.
Weather permitting, the meet will resume at 3 p.m., beginning with the Class AAAA schools finishing their events.
The Class AAAAA schools will follow immediately thereafter.
The AAAAA boys got in only one event Friday, the shot put won by Little Rock McClellan's James Reynolds while the girls managed only the long jump, won by Marquita Aldridge of West Memphis
Forrest City's Mustangs will be competing in two relay events as well as the 400 and 800-meter races.
Verika Robinson is the sole representatiove at the meet from the Lady Mustangs' team.
Barton and Clarendon tied for the Class AA boys state title while Harding Academy took the girls' title.
Nashville won the Class AAA boys' and girls' state title.
Many Myers' bid to reach her second NCAA Tournament this season ended Friday.
Myers, who in March played in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, was trying to get to the NCAA Women's Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament with her team, the Long island University Blackbirds.
The Blackbirds, after winning their conference tournament, had to win two-of-three against Lehigh in an NCAA "play-in" game Thursday and Friday.
Thursday, the two teams split a doubleheader. Friday, Lehigh ended LIU's season winning 4-3 in nine innings in the deciding game of the series.
LIU finishes the year at 37-15, a school record for most victories and along the way had a 17-game winning streak.
The Blackbirds were seeking their first NCAA berth since the 1999 season.
Lehigh is making it's first-ever trip to the tournament.
Myers, who did not play in either of Thursday's two games, played only sparingly in the outfield in Friday's game and did not bat.
Myers is the daughter of Joe and Faye Myers of Moro and a graduate of Palestine-Wheatley High School.
Forrest City will host several youth basketball camps this summer beginning with the Lady Mustang-Mustang Elementary Camp, June 11-14, at Mustang Arena.
The camp is free and the deadline to register for the camp is May 25.
Registration forms are available at all Forrest City elementary schools.
Both camps are for those youths who will be entering third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades in the fall.
The girls camp will be held from 8 until 11 a.m. each morning while the boys will meet from 12 noon until 3 p.m.
A junior high camp for boys and girls, who will be entering seventh, eighth and ninth grades in the fall, will be held July 9-12. The deadline to sign up for the camp is May 25 and forms are available at the schools.
The junior girls will meet from 8 until 11 a.m. while the junior boys will meet from 12 noon until 3 p.m.
Like the elementary camp, the junior camp is free.
An elementary football camp for those youths going into fourth, fifth and sixth grades, will be held June 18-20 at the athletic complex The camp will be held from 8 until 11 a.m., each day and like the basketball camps, is free for those who wish to attend.
Registration forms must be turned in by May 25.