LOCAL SPORTS IN BRIEF
BY SPORTS EDITOR MITCH LUCAS
TRACK & FIELD

Kilgore's Reese, Thomas compete in Austin

Two Kilgore natives took part in the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the University of Texas campus in Austin. It's the 81st annual Littlefield Texas Relays, a competition that includes college and high school track standouts from across the country.

Current Kilgore High School senior Tai'Shea Reese, a state qualifier in the long jump last school year, competed in that event on Friday, finishing fifth with a best jump of 18 feet, 1/4 inch. That isn't one of Reese's better jumps this year - she has jumped over 19 feet, and will try to duplicate that mark this week in the District 12-4A championship meet (see below). Reese also runs the 100 meter dash for KHS, and takes part in both the 400 meter relay and the 800 meter relay.

Thomas, now a track athlete at Baylor University, ran in the 100 meter dash on Friday, finishing in a time of 10.82. He was to run with his Baylor teammates in the 800 meter relay on Saturday, following the press deadline for the News Herald.

KHS in district meet this week

Tai'Shea Reese and the rest of the Kilgore High School track & field team will be in their most important meet of the year to date on Tuesday at Hallsville High School - the District 12-4A Track & Field Championships.

Those who do well qualify for regionals later this month. The Kilgore track team has been very successful at this, and coaches Kerry Strong and Phillip Lane hope to take several to regionals once again this year.

The meet is a two-day event (Tuesday and Wednesday) and begins around 9 a.m. on both days. See results here in the sports pages of the News Herald.

BASEBALL

Bulldogs-Whitehouse delayed until Saturday

Kilgore High School's baseball game against Whitehouse that was scheduled for Friday had to be postponed until Saturday (last night) due to all the rain at Driller Park.

The District 12-4A game was to be the first game of the second round of district play for both schools. Kilgore (10-7 overall, 4-3 in district) defeated Whitehouse 6-1 in the district opener last month.

The Bulldogs are currently in a three-way tie for third with Henderson and Marshall. Kilgore is scheduled to play at home against district leader Nacogdoches on Tuesday night, a 6 p.m. start, and at Jacksonville on Friday, also to start at 6 p.m.

SOFTBALL

KHS-Whitehouse to be played Monday

The Kilgore High School softball team's game against Whitehouse was also rained out on Friday, and the game is to be played Monday at 6 p.m. here at Stream-Flo Field.

That means the Lady Bulldogs will be in action on back-toback nights. They'll host Nacogdoches on Tuesday night.

KHS booster meeting Monday

The Kilgore High School softball booster club will meet Monday at 6 p.m. at the locker room at Stream-Flo Field, just beside Driller Park, where the Lady Bulldogs play their games. The meeting is open to anyone interested in supporting KHS softball.

For information, contact Lee Ann Warren at (903) 985- 0681, or Frank Baggett Jr. at (903) 987-1463.

SOCCER

Soccer boosters meet Monday, too

There will be a meeting of the Kilgore High School soccer booster club on Monday (April 7) at 6:30 p.m. at the boys soccer field house.

This is an important meeting, club officials say - they will be finalizing plans for the soccer banquet (scheduled for Monday, April 28), and hope to select a nominating committee to work on a slate of new booster club officers for the 2008-2009 school year. These nominations will be voted on at the banquet.

Also, Karen Waldo will give the club an update on the scrapbooks and the scholarship applications will be given to the scholarship committee. Anyone with questions should contact Bobby Bustin at (903) 984-2840.

GOLF

District tourneys resume this week

Both the boys and girls District 12-4A golf tournaments will play their second (and final) rounds this week.

The girls will play Monday at Lakeside Country Club in Marshall. Hallsville and Pine Tree are the two leaders after the second round, but Kilgore's Courtney Hodgkins is leading the individuals, the race for medalist, after the first round. Hodgkins shot an 84 on day one at Crooked Hollow Golf Club in Greenwood, La.

Crooked Hollow is where the 12-4A boys, including Kilgore, will play their second round on Tuesday. The Bulldogs shot a 340 on the first day and are currently in fourth - one stroke out of third and just seven strokes out of second place. Nac is currently the second-place team, and Henderson third. Pine Tree leads the field, and by a great distance (the Pirates shot a 316 on day one).

Kilgore's Chance Fitch shot a 77 on the first day, and is in a tie for third in the medalist race. Both KHS golf teams are coached by Jimmy Williams and Steve Toon.