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Ruffin teams with Mackovic, Kind to win The Crosby !
By SAM DAVIS
The cmonkle
Just playing in The Crosby
Celebrity Golf Tournament was a
prize in itself for Ben RufTin.
RufTin, a former vice president
of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Compa
ny and chairman of the University
of North Carolina Board of Gov
ernors, said he went out to have
fun and to enjoy playing a sport
that he had picked up only 20
months ago.
But after charging to the head
of the field after the first day of
competition last Friday, RufTin
said his competitive spirit came
out. That helped carry RufTin and
actor Richard Kind to the cham
pionship of the tournament last
Sunday at Bermuda Run.
The Ruffin-Kind team finished
with a score of 34 under par to
hold on for the tournament cham
pionship. They won $120,000,
which will be donated to the char
ities of their choice.
"We had a great time playing
together," Ruffin said. "Going into
the tournament, I just thought it
would be a fun time to go out and
play three days of golf."
RufTin was paired with John
Mackovic in the opening round.
Mackovic provided the key shots
as the team roared to the lead after
the first day of the tournament.
The team ended the day with a
score of 12-under-par 60. Howev
er, Mackovic, the former player
and head football coach at Wake
I
Forest, had another obligation
and left after the opening round.
He was replaced by Kind, a veter
an actor who stars in the comedy
"Spin City" on ABC.
"My new partner came in on a
red-eye flight from Los Angeles on
Saturday morning and came
straight from the airport to the
golf course," Ruffin said. "I didn't
know what to expect."
Kind's relaxed style and per
sonable nature quickly put Ruffin
at ease.
"He was great," Ruffin said.
"We played some really good golf.
We picked up 13 holes on Saturday
and then nine on Suriday. Richard
is a really nice guy. Our chemistry
was really good. We were just out
there playing and having fun."
Ruffin, who carries a 20 handi
cap, led the way on Saturday. He
came through with several key
shots to help the team to its 13
under score. But on Sunday it was
Kind who stepped up with the big
shots. None was bigger than his
putt on the final hole that gave the
team its victory.
"Richard played superb," Ruf
fin said. "We needed a stroke
going into the final hole and
Richard made a great putt to get
it."
Kind's putt from 160 feet gave
the team the victory and made
Ruffin the first African American
to stand in the winner's circle at
the Crosby since it came to the
Triad area in 1985.
"It was a very humbling expert
ence for me," Ruffin said. "It real
ly didn't hit me until I saw the kids
(Crosby Scholars) out there on the
18th green. To see the number of
kids who have been helped by this
tournament is something. For
Katherine Crosby and Sara Lee to
host this tournament to benefit so
many people around here is such a
wonderful thing."
Ruffin and Kind will choose
which charities they would like the
proceeds from their winnings to
benefit.
"I guess that's the ironic
thing," Ruffin said. "You go out
and have fun playing and then you
get a chance to do something that
you've wanted to do all your life
and that is to be able to help some
one."
I From The Press Box
Son Davis
Wake s bats awaken in
time to boost Deacons
to Super Regional
Fortunes can change quickly in' any
sport, but when it comes to base
ball it seems that timing and hit
ting cab be everything,
t -Such was the situation for Wake Forest,
Which was one of the nation's hottest hitting
collegiate baseball teams going into last
week's NCAA regional tournapient.
The Deacons came into the tournament
fresh off of its second consecutive ACC
baseball championship and had one of the
nation's hottest hitters in Jon Palmieri. But
after watching their bats grow cold, the
Deacons saw all of that come to a screach
ing halt after two NCAA tournament
games. The host Deacons found themselves
on the verge of being eliminated by a team
they had beaten to a pulp less than 48 hours
previously.
' Richmond silenced Wake Forest's bats
for one game and that was enough to cause
some doubt in the beacons' camp. Howev
er, Wake broke out in time to advance to the
NCAA Super Regional Baseball Tourna
ment at powerhouse Miami this weekend.
Miami is the top seed in the tournament and
Brings a 44-13 record into the game. Wake,
which advanced to the NCAA Tournament
for the first time in 21 years last season,
comes in at 47-14.
The Deacons will travel to Florida for
the best-of-three-game series, which will be
played on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (if
necessary). The winner of the series will
advance to the College World Series.
The Deacons had made short work of
Siena in the opening round last Friday, tak
ing a 22-4 victory. Wake followed that up
with a 12-1 win over Richmond on Satur
day. The Deacons looked poised to put the
championship away on Sunday morning
See Press Box, on B5
T'r . .
Photo by Bruce Chapman
Ben KufRn
Keith Matkins
headed to A&T?
By SAM DAVIS
The Chronicle '
Bill Hayes, North Carolina A&T foot
ball coach, has landed one of his biggest
coups ever.
According to sources close to the pro
gram, Hayes has signed Keith Matkins to
an athletic grant to attend A&T. Matkins
was recently released from his athletic grant
at the University of South Carolina after
Lou Holtz took over the Gamecocks' pro
gram. .
Matkins was one of the nation's most
highly-touted players during his senior sea
son at West Charlotte High. He was a two
I time All-State selection and was named to
the Parade All-America Team. Several
scouting services rated him the top high
school quarterback in the nation during his
senior season. After, a high-publicized
recruiting tour, Matkins signed with South
Carolina and Coach Brad Scott.
However, Matkins never seemed to fit
into the Gamecocks' offensive scheme. A
classic drop-back passes the 6-5, 200
pound Matkins, didn't possess the skills to:
fit into the Gamecocks' ofTensive-scheme. It;
became even more obvious that his playing"
time would be limited under Holtz, the for-'
mer Notre Dame coach, who prefers an!
option-oriented attack. Matkins had!
dropped to No. 3 on the Gamecocks' depth;
chart going into the 1999 season.
After concluding spring drills, Matkins
informed the athletic department at South
Carolina that he wanted to be released from,
his scholarship and was granted his request.;*
There were a number of suitors for
Matkins' services. However, he and his par
ents were impressed with the academic envi
ronment and support system at A&T. Hayes
and the Aggies have been very successful
with transfers in their football program.
Another factor, according to a source,
who requested anonymity, was the number
of Aggies who have either bfeen drafted into.'
the NFL or signed free agent contracts in
recent seasons. A&T led all schools in
North Carolina in the number of players
selected in the NFL draft two years ago and
has placed multiple players in the profes
sional football ranks in the past two sea-"
sons. \
\
See Matkins on U
Photo by Brute Chapman
Wake Forest led by Danny Borrell, pounded opposing
pitching to win last weekend's NCAA regional at Ernie
Shore Field.
Stedmaa Graham brings his
mwsaff of hope to locai YOBftt
By THERESA QAVIS
Pot THE Chronicle .
Opportunities like play
ing in the Crosby Celebrity
Golf Tournament give Sted
man Graham a chance to
spread his message.
Graham, a former pro
fessional European Basket
ball player and current
fianc? of Oprah Winfrey,
takes advantage of public
appearances to talk with at
risk youth. Graham
brought his message to
LIFT Academy in Winston
Salem last Thursday morn
ing before the start of The
Crosby.
Graham said that if he
hadn't been good at sports
he probably would have
been a statistic.
"Growing up, I had a lot
of rage in me," he said. "I
came from a family that did
the best it could, but I just
didn't have the things it
took for me to be a top stu
dent. I never even thought
about being a doctor,
lawyer or any type of pro
fessional. I didn't think a
professional position was
See Staadmon ,m ?2
trying pleased with NASCAR team
By SAM DAVIS
The Chronicle , ,
Much attention has been
focused on the lack of African
Americans and other minorities
in NASCAR in recent months.
The issue was raised in a docu
mentary on HBOs "Real Sports"
and has seemed, to stay in the
headlines ever since.
There are currently few
African American owners or dri
vers in the sport. Perhaps the
most well-known team is owned
by Julius Erving and Joe Wash
ington. Both were in the Triad
last weekend when The Crosby
Celebrity Golf Tournnament was
played at Bermuda Run.
Erving. the former NBA All
Star, said he and his partner
Julius Irving
aren't interested as much in
breaking barriers in the sport as
they are in putting the best possi
ble car on the racetrack.
"When Joe came to me with
the idea of putting together a ?
racing team, we both realized
that it was a great opportunity to
use many of the same competi
tive energies that helped us to
achieve in athletics," Erving said.
"There was a conspicuous void
and we saw a great opportunity
for us. I think for both of us it
gave us a chance to rekindle some
of the things that had been on
the back burner."
Before he and Washington
invested in the business the duo
researched the stock car racing
business thoroughly. He said the
team didn't see any impediment
in gaining access to the sport.
"It's not like we crashed the
party," Erving said, referring to
comments by some in and out
Sfe NASCAR tm 12
Stmadman Oraham
| Nation's Numbs* Ons Sports Section Among African American Newspapers For The Second Consecutive YearIII
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