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

File photo by Lester Murray FOOTBALL FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME - Last year's youth football camp at Kilgore College, conducted by KC coaches and players, had a big turnout, and not only instructed the children but allowed them to interact with the KC players and one another in a football setting. The camp will be held for boys ages 7 through 15 this year on June 9 through June 13.

Reese to jump at state May 9

Kilgore High School senior Tai'Shea Reese will make a trip to the UIL State Track & Field Championships at the University of Texas in Austin on Friday, May 9.

Reese, a multi-sport athlete at KHS, will once again be competing in the long jump. She won the regional competition at the University of North Texas in Denton on April 26 with a jump of 19 feet, 9 inches, a personal best.

GOLF

Lions Club tournament May 23

The Kilgore Lions Club will host its annual two-person scramble golf tournament on Friday, May 23 at Meadowbrook Country Club.

Entry fee for one is $75; obviously, for a team, then, it's $150. That includes cart and green fee, and a lunch prior to the tournament. Cash prizes will be awarded for first ($300), second ($200) and third ($100) places, prizes based on a full field. Door prizes will be given, and there will be two mulligans per player. Registration is open to the first paid 24 teams.

Funds raised in this event allow the Lions Club to contribute to Boy Scout Troup 265, the Texas Lions Camp for Crippled Children, World Services for the Blind, the Eyeglass Program for Needy Children, scholarships to Kilgore College, and the Christmas charity program.

For more information on registration or on the tournament, call tournament committee members David Cline at (903) 984-3387, Richard Henley at (903) 987-1344 or Bob Ellzey at (903) 984-7956.

Meadowbrook is also the site of the Rotary Club tournament on Monday.

FOOTBALL

KC camp in June

For youngsters with dreams of playing competitive football, the Kilgore College Rangers will host a football skills camp for ages 7-15 from June 9-13. Run by the KC coaching staff, the camp is "non-contact" and participants will be taught the fundamentals of the game and given instruction in all phases of football.

"This is a great opportunity for kids to come out and get a great instruction of the game," said J.J. Eckert, KC's head football coach and camp director. "Last year, we had a great turnout and are hoping for an even better one this year."

Players will be divided into groups according to age and position, allowing individual skills to be taught. Each camper will receive a camp certificate and awards will be given out daily. Emphasis for younger campers is basic skills development and intermediate skills for older campers to prepare them for competition.

"By exposing our campers to proper techniques and skills, we hope to instill a burning desire to become great football players," Eckert said. "And we'll definitely have lots of fun in the process."

Cost is $100 and will include instruction, all-you can eat meals, a souvenir KC football and camp certificate. Camp will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and will be held on the KC campus.

To register for the camp, visit www.kilgore.edu/rangerfb.asp and download the camp flyer. Fill out the bottom portion and mail to: Kilgore College c/o J.J. Eckert, 1100 Broadway, Kilgore, TX; 75662. A deposit of $50 is required to reserve a spot and is non-refundable after June 1. The remaining $50 must be paid at time of registration. Registration is from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. the first day of the camp (June 9) in the Masters Gymnasium lobby. Limited spaces are available.

For more information, call Chris Craddock, KC's sports information coordinator, at (903) 983-8181.

BASEBALL

Showcase in Texarkana June 10

The Pro-Day East Texas High School Baseball Showcase will take place on Tuesday, June 10 at Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

The Showcase is an opportunity for high school players (in ninth through 12th grades) to show their talents in front of professional scouts and collegiate coaches. The players will be evaluated in all areas: hitting, fielding, arm strength, arm accuracy, running, base running and pitching.

These evaluation cards will be kept on file to monitor a player's progress throughout their high school career. Pro-Day will also send these evaluations to three colleges of the players' choice.

The Pro-Day caravan will be in a 14-state area this year with the top 100 overall players from these showcases being selected to attend the Best of the Best Showcase later this fall in Orange Beach, Ala.

Since 1989, Pro-Day Professional Baseball Camps has taught thousands of players from all ages on all phases of the game. The camp has produced hundreds of college players and numerous professional players.

Six current and recent major league players have participated in Pro-Day. These players include Torii Hunter (Anaheim Angels), Dmitri Young (Washington Nationals), T.J. Mathews (Houston Astros), Rigo Beltran (Baltimore Orioles), Billy Sadler (San Francisco Giants) and Doug Creek (Toronto Blue Jays) along with hundreds of others that have been associated with professional baseball on various levels.

To register, go to pro-daybaseball.com, or to highschoolshowcases.com . Sign-up early - the showcase is limited.

Participants may register online or you may print out an application from the website and send check or money order to: Pro-Day Baseball, P.O. Box 333, Orange Beach, AL 36561. For additional information, you may call: (251) 980-2300.