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Section
Charlotte $tist
SPORTS
THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2006
IN BUSINESS
Bob Johnson on
having Michael
Jordan join the
Bobcats.7C
Rams stand out
in national track
Charlotte was on center stage last week at
the Nike Outdoor National track and field
meet at N.C. A&T.
Harding High standout Kamorean Hayes
won the shot put with a toss of 50 feet, 10
inches and the girls’ 400 relay team of Felicia
Paulding, Ashley Bethime, Nyosha Bryant
and Ranae Nelson became the first N.C.
squad to record a time under 47 seconds.
They covered the distance in 46.61 seconds.
Herbert L. White
Harding field standout Kamorean Hayes
won the shot put and finished third in the
discus with a throw of 144 feet She’ll throw
this week at the high school national meet
in Indianapolis.
The 400 relay team of Felicia Paulding,
Ashley Bethune, Nyosha Bryant and Ranae
Nelson celebrate a new mark for N.C.
teams in the event.
PHOTOS/WADE NASH
Paulding sprints down the track during her
leg of the 1600 relay.
GOLF BRIEFS
Hollars wins
Classic City
tournament
Bruce Hollars won the Classic City Golf
'Ibumament June 3-4 in Colbert, Ga.
Hollars finished the two-round toiimament
with a total of 146, with Willie Fields eight
shots behind in second, Tbrnmy Jackson was
third at 156.
• Ed Johnson won the Ric^wood Golf
Club tournament June 10-11 at LinRick Golf
Course in Columbia, S.C.
Johnson finished with a two-round total of
149, a stroke in fi'ont of Desmond Hale. Ty
Young was third with a total of 152.
Johnson also won the Port City Golf
Club’s Memorial Day amateur tournament
May 27-28 at Charleston Municipal golf
Course in James Island, S.C..
Johnson fired a two-round total of 144, a
shot ahead of Jonathan Smith and Herman
Belton. Mac Frye was fourth at 148.
Herbert L. White
New region, hurdles
for Johnson C. Smith
Travel expense, loss of
rivalries a concern with
ClAA’s impending move
By Herbert L. White
herb.whife@fhecriar/offeposf.com
Road trips are going to get longer for
Johnson C. Smith’s Goldm Bulls.
In April, the NCAA Presidents Council and
Man^ement Coundl approved realignment
of its eight Division n regions,
putting the CIAA in the
Atlantic and moving the
Carolinas Virginia Athletic
Conference to the South. For
JCSU, it means increased trav
el costs and the potential for
scheduling headaches. The
changes must be made by the
2008-09 academic year.
“As far as we know. Pandora
Joyner
Please see NCAA/2C
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO/JAE C. HONG
Charlotte heavyweight Calvin Brock (right) connects to the jaw of Zuri Lawrence in a March
25 bout in Las Vegas. Brock, 28-0, is ranked In the top five in the world by each of the three
major boxing organizations going Into Saturday’s bout against 21-0-1 Timur Ibragimov.
The contender
Calvin Brock on verge of boxing’s biggest stage
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
Charlotte native Calvin
Brock is one of the top five
heavywaght boxers in the
world according to the three
major sanctioning bodies.
Brock, 28-0 takes on 21-0-1
Timiu' Ibragimov Saturday
in Las Vegas. The bout will
be televised on HBO.
Is there pressure to bringing the
heavyweight title back to the
United States?
Tm not looking at it as that
as much as a chance to fidfill
my dreams to become heavy
weight champ of the world.
It’s not quite Hke when I
fought in the (2000)
Olympics, but I do enjoy rep
resenting the U-S- I’d love to
be the man who becomes
king of the heavywei^t divi
sion.”
' You’re trying to make a name
for yourself, but is it tough when
you’re fighting someone most
people haven’t heard of?
No. People ju(^ you based
on how you look more than
anything in boxing. As long
as I get in the ring and win
impressively the job is get
ting done and IT be mar
ketable.”
Then it’s important to win by
knockout?
If I’m not knocking people
out, it has to be a great
slugfest Like I had with
Jameel McCline (a imani-
mous decision win in April
2005).
You're considered a nice guy,
but do you think people are
drawn tnore to thuggish boxers
such as Mike Tyson, who nw
jnore popular but not as success-
fill as Lennox Lewis?
“I think Lennox wasn’t as
popular because he wasn’t a
U.S. citizen and because they
liked Tyson’s style better.
People like knockout punch
ers. But I think they’re tired
ofthebad-boyimage. They’re
looking for someone like
myself to make a statement
in the ring and be a gentle
man outside the ring.”
Durham Bulls third
baseman Sean
Burroughs tags out
Charlotte Knights
first baseman Ernie E,
Young during a •
game at Knights
Stadium. Young
recently hit his
300th home run
over 17 minor
league seasons.
Young has seven
homers and 32 RBI
this season for the
International
League South-lead
ing Knights.
DOWN AND DIRTY
PHOTO/CURTIS WILSON
Rock Hill kids get a kick out of new soccer-only facility
By Harold M. tyson
FOR THE CAHRLOTTE POST
ROCK HILL - Rock Hih’s
Department of Parks, Recreation,
and Tburism expects Manchester
Meadows to make the city a soccer
magnet.
Manchester Meadows is a 70-acre,
$12.7 million soccer complex located
near the junction of Interstate 77
and Dave Ljie Boulevaiti. The site,
which opened earlier this month, is
made up of six natui'al turf regula
tion fields and two synthetic tiuf
championship fields. The champi
onship pitches accommodate 1,500
spectators. Each field is lighted for
ni^t play
The soccer pavilion near the park
entrance houses the concession
stand, restrooms, park ofl&ces, and a
150-person capacity multipurpose
meeting area that is available for
rent. Also, the park has playground
Sdng
short on
focus,
Long dry spells and
defensive lapses to
blame for poor start
By Herbert L. White
henb.wh(fe@fhechoriotteposf.com
The Charlotte Sting is doing too
much wrong at the worst times.
Usually it’s the second half, when,
competitive games become double
digit losses for the Sting, 2-8 after los
ing 90-66 to
Connecticut Thesday at
Bobcats Arena. The sce
nario is becoming way
too familiar during
losing streak that has
reached foru' games.
“I don’t know if it’s
mental thing as much Bogues
as it is focus,” Sting
guard Sheri Sam said. “It’s the same
40 minutes and there are so many
nights you can do the same thing over
and over. You either keep doing it or
you get tired of it, and I think sooner
or later, we’ve got to stop doing the
same things over and over.”
The second half has been especially
brutal to the Sting. Charlotte blew a
four-point halftime lead in a 23-point
loss to Washington in Charlotte and
was outscored 33-15 in the fomih
quarter of a 17-point loss in
Washington. Sundays collapse
against hidiana came with the Sting
See STING/2C
areas, picnic areas (also available
for rent), and trails for walking and
biking that lead to the nearby
Manchester \mage shopping area,
restaurants, hotels, and movie the
aters.
The facility is expected to attract
Please see SOCCER/3C
PHOTO/CURTIS WILSON
Charlotte Sting guard Sheri Sam
said the Sting needs to focus better
on execution.
MEAC BRIEFS
A&T OF
drafted by
Colorado
By Herbert L. White
herb.wh/fe@fhecharioftepostcom
• A bum wrist didn’t prevent N.C.
A&T outfielder Jeremy Jones fixim
being drafted by the Colorado Rockies.
Jones, a junior who missed most of
the 2006 season, was
picked in the 25th .
rovmd of the Major
League Draft, 738th
overall. The Rockies
liked Jones’ play over
his first two seasons,
which was enough to
convince them to take a
chance.
“Everyone dreams of playing profes
sionally,” he said. “But to actually
have an oppoitiinity to play profes
sional baseball is a remarkable feeling
because of all the hard work you put
in.”
Jon^ was 2005 MEAC player of the
year after batting .402 and leadii^
A&T to the league championship and
its first bid to tiie NCAA tournament.
• Norfolk State has added a mea
sure of permanence for two of its
coadies.
See S.C. STATE/3C
Jones
0»OE