By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Forrest City will host an American Legion district tournament for the first time since 1998.
Beginning Thursday, at the Sports Complex, 10 teams will open play in the double-elimination style American Legion 1A district tournament.
Forrest City is the No. 10 seeded team into the tournament bracket and will face No. 7 seeded Paragould Thursday at 11 a.m., to open the tournament. The winner gets No. 2 seeded Mountain Home Friday at 3 p.m.
Forrest City brings a 5-15 record into the tournament after beginning the season under new management and a new head coach, Darrell Gaskin.
Forrest City, which played both an A and a AAA schedule, had just two 18-year-old players on roster this season.
"We are basically just a single A team," Gaskin said. "Our starting line up changes very little from the A game to the AAA game each time we play a double header."
Blytheville is the No. 1 seeded team into the tournament bracket.
Admission to the district tournament is $4 for adults and $2 for students. T-shirts will be selling for $15 and concessions will be provided during the tournament.
The AAA Forrest City team has three playing dates remaining on the season schedule before beginning their district tournament, which will be played at Mountain Home later this month.
Forrest City will be represented by two All-Star teams at the Arkansas South Cal Ripken State Pitching Machine Tournament, which begins Thursday at Sylvan Hills.
The Forrest City All-Stars coached by Tommy Hanner were given a first-round bye and will play Friday at 10 a.m., taking on either Lakewood or Marion.
The Forrest City All-Stars coached by Joey Smith, will open play Thursday at 6:45 p.m., against Beebe.
The double-elimination style tournament will conclude on Sunday.
Final preparations for the running of the 19th annual Mightymite Triathlon are being made.
The Mightymite will be run Saturday, July 20 and the course will be the same as it has been in past years.
As of Tuesday, Mightymite Race Director Wyndell Robertson said close to 200 runners had registered to take part in the race.
Robertson took over the reins of the Mightymite after last year's director Rich Trail decided to step down.
Participants will begin the three-stage race by entering the waters of Lake Dunn at Village Creek State Park for the opening leg of the triathlon -- an 0.4 swim.
As swimmers exit the lake, they will begin a 13-mile bicycle ride along Crowley's Ridge Road ending at East Arkansas Community College.
From there, the Mightymite participants will run the final three miles to the finish line, which, this year, will be located at the high school football practice field, located just south of Sam Smith football stadium.
Once again this year, professional timers will be used to clock the race and chart the official finish times.
The race is open to all runners, who must be at least 14-years-old to take part. Participants may run individually or as part of a three-person team, with each person running one leg of the race.
For more information or to enter, call (901) 276-0354 or (870) 633-1651.
* ADULT SOFTBALL
Men's League Standings
O/all
Barnes Timber 14-0 Sanyo 13-1
M&T Paving 12-3
Gym 2000 11-3
Kerby's 10-4
Bulldogs 9-6
Miller Insurance 7-8
Morgan 6-9
Young Guns 4-10
Boar's Head 5-11
TSM Computers 2-12
Greg's Small Engine 2-13
Food Giant 0-15
GIRLS SOFTBALL (Final))
10-Under League Standings
O/all
*True Value 15-3
Dr. Schwartz 14-4
Steven's 14-4
Food Giant 14-4
Sanyo 10-8
Title Company 6-12
Forrest City Bank 5-13
Walker Insurance 5-13
Southern Furniture 4-14
McDonald's 2-16
*League champion
12-Under League Standings (Final)
O/all
*Giffin's Grins 10-0
Crowley's Ridge 6-4
Times-Herald 6-4
McDonald's 6-4
Stone Cold Chemicals 2-8
Children's Clinic 0-10
*League champion
16-Under League Standings (Final)
O/all
*Bonanza 9-1
Dr. St. John 8-2
Sanyo 5-5
Food Giant 5-5
Clay Funeral 2-8
Boar's Head 1-9
*League champion
YOUTH BASEBALL
Minor League (Pitching Machine)
O/all
*T&J Properties 14-0
Devazier Brothers 11-3
Joey's Muffler 7-7
FCity Lion's Club 7-7
Dr. Beasley 6-8
M&T Paving 5-9
Ben's Auto 4-10
Easley Law Firm 3-11
*League champion
Junior Bambino League (9-10)
O/all
*Lucas Trucking 15-1
Sanyo 11-4
VIPs 11-4
Mr. T Auto 10-6
A&C Motors 6-10
Food Giant 6-10
Hill Concrete 5-11
Farm Credit 5-10
Title Company 1-15
*League champion
Bambino League (11-12)
O/all
*L&L Electric 12-1
Pearson Insurance 10-3
Cochran Auto 9-4
Taco Bell 7-6
Taylor Glass 5-8
Bonanza 5-8
Vaccaro Lumber 3-10
Ray Houser 1-12
*League champion
Junior Babe Ruth League (13-15)
O/all
*Freeman 7-1
Union Planter's 7-2
Ridout 3-4
Rotary Club 1-6
Fred's Discount 1-6
*League champion
STATE TOURNAMENTS
7&8-Year-Old at Sylvan Hills
Thursday, July 11
Forrest City 7, DeWitt 4
Maumelle 10, Forrest City 5
Junior Babe Ruth District 7 Tournament at Pine Bluff - 13-Year-Old
Pine Bluff Junor 11, Forrest City 1