By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The good news for American Legion fans is that Forrest City is playing in the Area 2 District Tournament being held at Wynne's Sports Complex.
Last season, the team was forced to withdraw from the Area 2 district tournament, due to a lack of players.
The bad news for sixth-seeded Forrest City was Thursday's first-round 6-2 loss to No. 3 seeded Wynne.
Forrest City drops into the loser's bracket of the six-team tournament and will play tonight at 6:30 p.m., against either Jonesboro, Newport or Brinkley. Newport and Brinkley played the late game Thursday and the winner advanced to play top-seeded Jonesboro today.
Wynne returned to play this morning to face No. 2 seeded Searcy.
Wynne opened a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Jon Weindel walked and scored. Justin Ball, who had two hits for Wynne, made it 2-0 with a solo home run in the bottom of the second and Nate Currier made it a 3-0 lead when he reached on one of Forrest City's four errors and scored.
Forrest City avoided the shut out in the top of the third when Kyle Smith singled and scored on David Machen's RBI single.
Wynne went up 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Raleigh Mohr walked and scored and broke through for two more runs in the bottom of the fifth using three Forrest City errors to score two runs pushing their lead to 6-1.
Forrest City put two base runners on in the top of the seventh with one out before Wynne changed pitchers. Taylor Clark popped out for the second out before Machen used a Wynne error to get on base as Forrest City scored its second run.
Dustin Gore went the distance for Forrest City, allowing the six runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four.
Against Wynne pitching, Forrest City banged out four hits, two by Smith and two by Machen.
The tournament continues through Sunday with the championship game set to begin at 1 p.m.. If needed, the second game will be played at 4 p.m.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
With the explosion of multi-sport activities across the nation, more and more event directors are joining USA Triathlon to create safe, fair and well-organized events across the country.
Such is the case with the Mightymite Triathlon, set to run for the 20th time Saturday, July 19, in Forrest City.
The 16.4 mile Mightymite officially became a USAT-sanctioned event last year.
The growth of multi-sport activities -- such as triathlons -- is reflected in the growth of the number of USA Triathlon sanctioned events.
USA Triathlon is the national governing body for the multi-sport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USA Triathlon is a member federation of the U. S. Olympic Committee and the International Triathlon Union.
USA Triathlon coordinates and sanctions grass-roots and elite multi-sport events across the country and works to create interest and participation in those programs.
Between 2000 and 2002, the number of sanctioned events increased by 20 percent, with more than 850 sanctioned events last year.
On the national level, participation in events has soared since 2001 and many events are selling out months in advance.
With the 2004 Olympics approaching and the continued popularity of Ironman, Dannon Duathlon and other multi-sport racing, USA Triathlon is very optimistic about the future.
The Mightymite Triathlon is one of just a handfull of triathlons to reach the 20-year mark.
Memphis In May recently celebrated it 21st running. The Mightymite turns 20 on Saturday.
Wyndell Robertson is the second-year coordinator for the Mightymite, which begins at Lake Dunn in Village Creek State Park and ends at the Forest City High School.
During the past 19 runnngs of the Mightymite, there have been 13 different male winners and 14 different women winners. Frank Rehnelt is the only triathlete to win the Mightymite four times. Chip Cooper has won the men's title three times while five different women have won more than once.
Tennessee leads both the men's and women's division in producing winners. There have been 10 men and 10 women winners who call Tennesse home. Arkansas has produced nine winners in 19 years, five women and four men. Other winners hail from Kentucky, Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia and Hawaii.
Two-time Mightymite winner, Frank Perini crossed the finish line first a year ago, but ultimately finished second to Barry Knight, who had the over all best time.
Perini, however, does hold the course record (54 minutes, 34 seconds) set in 1994.
The three-part course (swim, bike, run) will be the same as it has been for the past several years as the triathletes begin the race by swimming 1/3 of a mile across Lake Dunn at Village Creek State Park.
The second stage is a 13-mile bike ride along Crowley's Ridge Road which leads to the final stage a three-mile sprint from East Arkansas Community College to the Forrest City High School.
The inaugural Mightymite, run in 1984, drew 359 runners from six states.
Over the years, the race has drawn as many as 500 triathletes. Approximately 300 are expected for Saturday's race.
The race begins promptly at 8 a.m. as the triathletes enter Lake Dunn in waves.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The 2003 Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremonies will be held Friday, Oct. 10, during the Hall of Fame football game.
The nine new inductees will bring the total number of Hall of Fame members to 42 since the Hall was formed in 2000.
Each year, the Hall inducts representatives from three eras of Forrest City sports -- Lincoln High School, Forrest City High School before 1970 and Forrest City High School after 1970.
This year, the Hall will add Lincoln athletes Roy Weatherall, Melvin McAllister and Archie Coleman; Jim Williams, Billy Trail and Max Graham, representing FCHS before 1970; and Richard Kimble, Frederick Freeman and Richard Benson, representing FCHS after 1970.
Kimble is the fifth leading rusher for Arkansas State while Benson is the only non-athlete on this year's list of inductees. Benson, who has officiated high school and college basketball for more than 20 years, has broadcast every Mustang football game since 1975 and his upcoming Oct. 3 broadcast will be his 300th.
Trail is a former national high School All-American at Forrest City while Weatherall was an All-State selection in football during his football career at Lincoln Coleman and Graham will be honored posthumously.
The banquet will be held on Oct. 10, at the high school cafeteria and the new inductees will be honored at halftime of the Forrest City-Cabot football game.
Plaques honoring each of the new inductees will be placed on the Wall of Honor inside Mustang Arena.
The inaugural 2000 Hall of Fame class included Robert Harris, Arthur Banks, Robert Lee Steward, Mallory Nimocks, Marvin Laws, Rusty Trail, DeJustice Coleman, Cecil Twillie, Manuel Twillie, Don Kessinger, Elmer B. Lindsey and James DeVazier.
The 2001 class included Pat Todd, Clarence Jones Jr., Florine Bingham, Jim Lindsey, Sonny Holmes, Jimmie Rogers, Charlotte Fields Wright, Dudley Parker, Bill Kessinger, John Henry Watson, Rodney Echols and William Hampton.
Last year, the class added Carter Ray Crawford, Ray Trail, Jimmy Finch, Stanley Winfrey, Maxine Kennedy Douglass, Harvey Hampton, Eugene Rooks, Wallace Purifoy Jr. and Richard Trail were inducted into the Hall.
The Forrest City July Bash youth baseball tournament begins tonight at the Sports Complex.
The tournament is for ages T-Ball through 14-under and includes teams from across the state.