Sunday, July 16, 2006 THE Post PAGE 7 & Sports Week YOUTH BASEBALL/SOFTBALL Tyler Bush fires a pitch for Harveys Lake during a recent District 16 tournament game. «SMT, Hl: Bes alk about domination. The District 16 Little League’s West Division was narrowed down to the tourna- ment’s final three participa- nts earlier this week, with the Back Mountain area being home to all three teams. sid ‘At press time, Back Mountain Nation- al, Back Mountain American and were alive in their quests to capture the West Division championship. One of those teams was eliminated on Thursday, hen Harveys Lake hosted Back Moun- in American in a losers bracket contest. e winner of that game was scheduled to play winners bracket survivor National at 6 p.m. Saturday. A win by National would clinch the bracket title and move it into the cham- pionship game against the East Division champion later this week. If either Har- veys Lake or American defeated Nation- al, however, it will host the West Division championship game at 6 p.m. today. At press time, Mountain Top was in the driv- er’s seat to win the East Division title. Back Mountain was also kept its hope alive to win a championship in another division, with the Senior League and Ju- nior League teams remaining in con- tention. The Junior League, having outscored its first three opponents 4 39-6, will host Plains at 6 p.m. Tues- § day in a winners bracket game 4 while the Senior League was scheduled to play Saturday in a losers bracket contest. At press time, Bob Horlacher was also alive in the losers brack- et. In softball, sever- al teams from the Back Mountain area remained alive in district play. At press | time, Back Mountain was | set to play Harvey Lake in Senior League action, while Back Mountain’s 9- 10-year-old soft- ball team had al- so advanced in its division. Dallas athlete finds new challenge in grueling Lake Placid Ironman By DAVE KONOPKI Post Editor @. — Bob Oley was looking for a new challenge. And he certainly found it. ‘The 43-year-old Dallas resident will participate in the Lake Placid Ironman competition Sunday, July 16 in Lake Pla- cid, N.Y.,, home of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. The physically challenging competi- tion features three events — a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike race, and a 26.2- ile run. Approximately 2,000 amateur athletes and a field of more than 80 of 1e best professional triathletes are ex- pected to compete in the eighth annual race. The international field of conten- ders includes Ironman champions Bryan Rhodes of New Zealand, along - with Petr Vabrousek and Victor Zyemt- sev of the Czech Republic. “It’s very demanding. Everyone I talk to says it’s a rough race,” said Oley, who began competing in triathlons six years ago. “Right now, my goal is to finish and have a good time.” Oley competed in cross country as a student at Bishop O'Reilly High School. e began running marathons as an dult and competed in his first triathlon — the Wilkes-Barre Triathlon — in 1999. The local event features a swim of near- ly one mile, a 24.8-mile bike race and a 4 | \ 6.8-mile run. “I started doing triathlons because I wanted a challenge,” he said. “I always thought about doing an Ironman, but I didn’t have the time. When my daughter (Crystal) graduated from high school (in 2004), I had more time to train. It’s a much bigger challenge.” With the support of his wife Barbara and brother-in-law Dave Lawler, Oley began training for the Lake Placid event — the closest Ironman triathlon to the Wilkes-Barre area. When he reached his maximum training period about two weeks ago, Oley was swimming 2.5 miles, riding a bike for 6%2 hours and running for as long as three hours. He does most of his biking and running in Dallas, while swimming in either Har- veys Lake or the Anderson Center pool at College Misericordia. “For me, swimming is the hardest part,” said Oley. “It’s extremely techni- cal. Water is extremely dense and you have to be very technically sound.” Oley expects to arrive in Lake Placid on Wednesday before competing in the Sunday morning event. No matter when he crosses the finish line, he knows he’ll return to Dallas as a winner. “I just want to have a good time,” he said. “You do something like this be- cause you enjoy doing it and you enjoy the competition. I'm really looking for- ward to it.” \ PHOTOS FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK West For an updated look at all of the tournament brackets, visit the Web site www.padistrict16.org. Harveys Lake coach Chuck Edkins offers a few encouraging words to Cole Barbacci. FEHLINGER’S ACE WORTH $2,500 SET OF GOLF CLUBS | Pea Township resident Herb Fehlinger recently received a certificate for a $2,500 set of custom- made golf clubs after recording a hole in one on the seventh hole at Irem Temple Country Club during the inaugural ILT Michael J. Cleary Memo- rial Golf Tournament. Proceeds from the event will benefit the ILT Michael J. Cleary Foundation. Cleary, a graduate of Dallas High School, was killed Dec. 20 near Samarra, Irag. The son of Jack and Marianne Cleary of Dallas Township played for Feh- linger in Little League. Attending the certificate presentation, from left, are committee member Alan Roberts, Fehlinger, Jack Cleary, and committee member Flo Depolo. SPORTS BRIEFS Lake-Lehman sets fall sports physicals Lake-Lehman Junior-Senior High School will hold fall sports physicals in the nurse’s office on the following dates at the school on Old Route 115 in Lehman Township: Aug. 1, 9 a.m. — senior high boys Aug. 4, 9 a.m. — senior high girls Aug. 8, 9 a.m. — junior high boys and girls Aug. 10, 5 p.m. — This will be the final day of physicals for boys and girls in junior and senior high who were unable to make the previous physical dates. A parent or guardian must sign all forms prior to the exam. Phys- ical forms maybe obtained from the main office at the high school during regular school hours. For more information, call 675-7458. Ellis, Brown named all-stars at camp Dallas High School students John Ellis and Jimmy Brown were recently named as all-stars at the Keystone State Invitational Bas- ketball Camp at Albright College in Reading. Ellis is entering his sophomore year at Dallas, while Brown will be a freshman. Suppon to appear at football camp Former Dallas High School football standout Chuck Suppon will be one of the guest instructors at the program’s annual youth football camp Monday through Wednesday, July 17-19 at the high school. The three-day camp for players ages 7-13 will be held from 9 a.m. to noon each day. Suppon is entering his senior season at James Madison, where he helped lead the Dukes to the 2004 national championship. The 6-foot-4, 290-pounder defensive tackle is expected to be one of the team’s best defensive players this season. The Dallas clinic will be under the direction of veteran head coach Ted Jackson, his coaching staff, parents and former players. Jackson has led the Mountaineers to a state championship, 10 Wyom- ing Valley Conference titles, three District 2 championships, and four Eastern Conference titles. The camp stresses all aspects of offense and defense, including throwing, running, receiving, blocking, and tackling. One of the things that make the camp unique is that every player is given the opportunity to play each position. In addition to the on-field in- struction, Jackson will talk to the participants about sportsmanship, the importance of getting good grades, weightlifting, discipline and dedication. For more information or an application, call 696-3748. CM to host tennis camp College Misericordia will host a Junior Tennis Camp each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday through Aug. 16 at the tennis complex. The camp will be under the direction of head coach Allison Joanlanne. The camp will feature sessions for four different age groups. The cost for pee wees (3% to 5), beginners (6 and older) and intermediates is $12 per day for one-hour sessions. An advanced academy will be offered in three-hour sessions for $40 per day. For more informa- tion, call 674-6289. Basketball camps at Misericordia College Misericordia will host its annual basketball school for boys July 17-21 in the Anderson Sports-Health Center. The camp will be under the direction of men’s head coach Trevor Wood- ruff. The school is also holding its annual basketball school for girls July 10-14 under the direction of women’s head coach Tom Griffith. The camps are open to boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 15. The cost of each session is $115 and includes a T-shirt, basketball, lunch, and access to the Anderson Center pool. For more information, call 674- 6289.
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