By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
FORREST CITY -- The Jonesboro 12-year-old All-Stars didn't allow a run in two games as Michael Jones and Jacob Walls pitched shut outs to lead the 12s to the Delta Storm Invitational title Sunday afternoon.
Jones cruised in Jonesboro's first game of the day as he struck out nine in a 16-0 victory over Jonesboro American.
Walls followed up Jones' victory with a two-hit shut out and struck out 14 in a 2-0 victory over the Little Rock 12s.
It was the fourth tournament title in five events for Jonesboro (19-3), who begins state tournament play this Friday in Jonesboro.
In the championship game, played against Little Rock, Fortson delivered a two-run homer with two outs in the fourth inning for the only runs of the game. After Kerley singled, Fortson drove the first pitch over the center-field fence, 220 feet from home plate.
The tournament, hampered by rain, was played Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Forrest City Sports Complex as more than 40 teams -- ages t-ball through 14-under -- participated.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Last year, the Mahmood twins -- Rehan and Imran -- from Memphis, ran to their first overall top 10 finish at the Mightymite Triathlon.
The two have competed in several Mightymites and on Saturday, it seemed only fitting that they would be the first to cross the finish line as the race celebrated its 20th running.
Rehan finished fourth in 2002 while Imran wasn't far behind to take fifth.
The twins have finished high in the individual age group rsults in past years, but last year's overall top 10 finish was the first for the brothers.
Kirsten Winkler, 24, of McKenzie, Tenn., took first place overall in the women's division, blistering the course in a time of 1 hour, five minutes and 30 seconds, a new Mightymite record for female runners. Winkler's time was the best for a female runner since Hawaii's Elaine Alrutz ran the course in 1 hour, five minutes, 34 seconds in 1985, the second Mightymite.
Robbie Hembree of Germantown was second while Ashlee Davis of Cordova, Tenn., ran third. Lucia Colbert, a Mightymite regular for several years, finished fourth.
Nine of the top 10 females to cross the finish line were from Tennessee.
The Mahmood brothers both crossed the finish line together in a time of 58:37, three second faster than Donny Forsyth, who crossed in 58:40.
Neither of last year's overall winners -- Barry Knight of Kentucky or Lesley Brainard of Collierville, finished in the top 10.
The best finish for an Arkansas runner was 1:01.45 in the men's overall, posted by Fayetteville's Willy Pickhardt, who finished fifth.
Miles Fortas of Memphis, who ran ninth a year ago, finished fourth. Another Arkansan, John Williams, also of Fayetteville, ran eighth.
The mixed relay team of Jim McInturff, Nancy Jarrett and Wilbert Dawson, representing Forrest City, ran first in a time one hour, 25 minutes and 12 seconds.
Forrest City runner, Dana Tittle, ran third in the female age group, 35-39, in a time of 1:18.21.
John Saxton of Conway, finished first in the Male Clydesdale division, (ages 10-99) in a time of 1:02.50 while Melanie Grewiler of Marion, ran first in the Female Athena division in a time of 1;24.58.
John Rohde of Vilona, won the Male Master's division (ages 40-99) in a time of 1:03.32 while Gayle Minard of Memphis, ran first in the Female Masters in a time of 1:15.35.
For the second year in a row, the race was delayed at the start after thunderstorms moved through the area early Saturday morning.
Since taking over as race director, I'm 2-for-2 in that respect," laughed Mightymite Director Wyndell Robertson Monday. "I probably need to try to change that before the next mightymite."
Another change to the race this year had the runners finishing the race at the Forrest City Civic Center rather than at Sam Smith Stadium at Forrest City High School.
Until two years ago, the runners had always finished on the football field. Last year, the finish line was moved to the adjacent practice field but the rains that preceded the race left the practice field little more than a quagmire.
"The school didn't really want to take a chance on messing up the fields again this year," Robertson said. "So about midweek last week, we made the decision to move the finish line to the Civic Center."
More than 300 runners took part in the Mightymite this year in the three-stage race -- which included a 1/3 mile swim, a 13 mile bike ride and the three mile run to the finish line.
WYNNE -- Entering Sunday as the only undefeated team left in the Zone AA American Legion baseball tournament at Wynne's Sports Complex, the Jonesboro Ricemen could accomplish two goals: Claim the district title and remain undefeated as well as claim the number one seed out of Zone II heading into the American Legion AA state tournament later this week in Alma.
Searcy starting pitcher Andy Jackson held the AA Ricemen to just five hits through five innings, Ricemen starter Ryan Blackburn was even better.
Blackburn limited Searcy to just four hits through a full seven innings as he escaped a Searcy run in the sixth inning and got some key defensive help in the seventh to preserve a 5-2 win over Searcy and send the Ricemen into the state tournament this week as the top seed from Zone II.
Searcy, which defeated Newport 7-3 earlier Sunday, also advanced to the state tournament after battling back from the loser's bracket to claim the Zone II runner-up spot.
Jonesboro (35-10), which had eight hits in its first meeting with Searcy Saturday evening and left seven runners on base, had seven hits Sunday but made key defensive plays at crucial times to earn the win. Estell and Cody Pace, who hit a big two-run single in the second inning, had two hits each to lead Jonesboro. Jackson went the distance for Searcy, striking out six.
Jonesboro coach Mark Dobson said that while his team started the game a little flat,
Searcy, which left a total of 11 runners on base in Saturday's game with the Ricemen, scored one run in the bottom of the first as a passed ball allowed Matt Dillon, who had two hits for Searcy, to score from third and give it a 1-0 lead. Jonesboro answered in the top of the second as Pace's single down the third-base line scored Blackburn from third and Hunter Smith, who singled earlier in the inning, from second to give Jonesboro a 2-0 lead.
Dobson said Jonesboro's pitching depth should be a "big plus" for his team as they prepare to head into the state tournament at Alma.
"In a double-elimination tournament, pitching can be really big," said Dobson as he got six innings from McGarity Friday, five from McGrath Saturday and seven from Blackburn Sunday. "We've got the luxury that we went through this tournament and didn't use some of the guys that have started."
*Searcy jumped on Newport early and held on late en route to a 7-3 win the loser's bracket final earlier Sunday.
Searcy scored one run in the first inning and six in the second, then survived Newport runs in the middle innings to claim the victory.
Justin Holloway went the distance for Searcy, scattering nine hits with five strikeouts and four walks.
Newport stranded 11 runners in the game.
Searcy, after leading 1-0 ending the first inning, scored six in the second as it took advantage of Newport's wildness on the mound.
Palestine-Wheatley High School will give athletic physical examinations for all junior and senior high students who want to participate in any of the school's sports or cheerleading, on Thursday, July 31, from 8 until 10:30 a.m. The physicals are free and will be held at the high school.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Forrest City placed two league teams in the final six of the adult men's district slow-pitch softball tournament played at Friday and Saturday at the Sports Complex.
Kerby's, which finish third in the regular season, finished third in the tournament, losing to runner-up Team Flash in the loser's semifinal game Saturday evening.
Kerby's qualifies for the Class EE state tournament which will be played Aug. 2-3 at Sherwood.
Poison, also a Forrest City league team, finished fourth and also qualifies for EE state at Sherwood.
Game Day Sports defeated team Flash in the finals of the tournament and qualifies for either the Class D state tournament at Jonesboro or the Class E state at Conway.
Kerby's was undefeated headed into the winner's semifinal before losing to Game Day Sports.
Chism Concrete finished second in the adult women's district tournament, losing to the Waves in the finals.
Chism has the choice of advancing to either the E or the EE state tournament, scheduled to be played at Rogers, July 25-26.