By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
June 4, 2004
One of the area's highlights each summer has been the Mississippi Women's Golf Association Junior Girls Amateur Championship at Briarwood Country Club and this year was no exception.
Leigh Phillips, a rising senior at Lamar School, won the 16-18 age group by 21 strokes with a 2-over par 150. Britany Hanna of Pontotoc won the 13-15 age division by seven strokes with a 7-over par 81. Mary Langdon Gallagher won the 10-12 age group by 27 strokes with an 8-over par 82 on a modified 18 holes.
There's no doubt where Langdon gets her skills as her father, Jim, plays on the PGA Tour and her mom, Cissye, has played on the LPGA Tour and is a nine-time state amateur champion.
A proud dad watched both days of this year's tournament. He just wishes more girls took advantage of the opportunity.
A rivalry in the making?
Meridian Community College and LSU-Eunice have never tangled on the baseball diamond, but don't be surprised if they don't develop an instant rivalry once MCC drops to Division II in the spring of 2006.
MCC has ruled the roost in Region 23 as a Division I member. LSUE, which began playing in 1999, is rapidly doing the same in Division II.
The Bengals are currently 51-12 and playing in the D-II World Series at Millington, Tenn. They are assured of no worse than a third-place finish as they played L.B. Wallace of Alabama last night with the winner to meet Grand Rapids (Mich.) for the national championship.
LSUE was 39-14 last year.
This year's Bengals were 4-0 against Bossier Parish and 3-1 against Delgado, sweeping the Dolphins (7-6, 4-3) in New Orleans. After winning the Region 23 South Tournament, LSUE swept Itawamba (4-3, 7-3) for the Region 23 title. They lost their first game of the district tournament to Forest Park at St. Louis 7-1 before rallying for 9-2 and 8-7 wins to advance to Millington.
Stroke, Stroke, Stroke
Not every high school competes in sailing, but the Rockachaws of St. Stanislaus recently sent a six-man crew to Annapolis, Md., to compete for a national championship.
The six competed in three two-man teams for the Baker Trophy, emblematic of the Interscholastic Sailing Association National Team Racing Championship.
Apparently, some folks take this stuff seriously.
Emily Taylor, daughter of U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, previously competed for St. Stanislaus and knows what her brother and the other five were up against.
Taylor competed collegiately at the College of Charleston..
Surf's Up
Speaking of water sports not likely to happen around here any time soon, surfing was recently made an official sport by the Hawaii state Board of Education by a unanimous 9-0 vote. Each school in the Aloha State now has the right to decide if it wants to compete or not.
Previous concerns over safety, liability, and cost had kept the sport from being school-sponsored.
Native American All-Stars
Five members of Choctaw Central's football team have been picked for the third-annual Native American All-Star Game. Making up the group headed to Haskell University for the July 10 contest are quarterback/defensive back Shaun Jimmie, fullback/linebacker Dustin Wallace, tailback Bracey Billie, and linemen Harley Briscoe and Bryan Williamson.
The group from Choctaw Central will play on the East Team.