Winston-Salem State softball team begins season
/ ? ?
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The Winston-Salem State
University Softball team defi
nitely has some talent on its
roster this season. Two of the
most talented players just
happen to .be sisters, though.
Shannon and Heather Davis
led the Lady Rams to a pair
of victories over the week
end.
The Lady Rams, who
were defeated last Friday by
Bennett, bounced back as
Heather and Shannon Davis
helped the team to a pair of
wins over Claflin last Satur
Ram sisters spearhead victories
against Claflin
day to improve to 2-1 on the
season. The Lady Rams
defeated Claflin in the second
game of a doubleheader last
Saturday afternoon in a
weather-shortened game that
lasted five irtnings. The win
also gave the Lady Rams a 2
0 record on the day. Heather
Davis (Sr./P/5' I I'VDetroit,
Mich.) struck out six batters
as she pitched the Lady Rams
to victory in her third straight
pitching appearance.
The Lady Rams were also
paced by Shannon Davis
(Jr./C/5'8"/Detroit, Mich.),
who recorded two hits in the
game. The Lady Rams also
received good play from
Curtina Barrett. Four Lady
Rams drove in runs in the
contest.
The Lady Rams will
return to actron on Feb. 26 at
1 p.m. as they take on Barber
Scotia in Salisbury.
Footnote:
The Winston-Salem State
University Department of
Athletics announced that
Softball player Heather Davis
was named the Crown Tro
phy-WSSU Student-Athlete
of the Week for her perform
anc<Pover the weekend.
The Lady Rams, behind
the solid pitching of Davis,
posted a 2-1 record on the
weekend as Davis pitched
three complete games to open
the 2004 softball season.
Davis
Pho?o by Anthony Hill
North Forsyth's Adrian Ford sits between his mother > Pamela Ford , and his high school head
coach, Bill Oakley ; moments after he signed a scholarship to play for Lenoir-Rhyne.
North 's Ford signs with Lenoir-Rhyne
BY ANTHONY HILL
THE CHRONICLE
North Forsyth linebacker
Adrian Ford was simply
happy he was able to go to
college for free after he
signed a national letter of
intent to play for Lenoir
Rhyne last week. He wasn't
really concerned with where
he would fit in, or if he was
going to get immediate play
ing time. The only thing on
his mind was taking the load
off of his mother's shoulders.
"I love playing football,"
Ford said. "This is another
way for me to go to school
too. I'm gonna get there. I'm
really happy that I signed, and
I'm more excited because my
mom don't have to pay for me
to go to school. I'm just trying
to do anything that I can to
help her. This is real special to
me right now."
North Forsyth head coach
Bill Oakley added: "Adrian
represents everything that a
football coach wants. He's a
good student, a gentleman,
and definitely a good athlete.
He's a leader in the school
who gets along with everyone.
He's done the right things,
academically, to put him in
this position." e
Ford seems to be one of
those athletes that most fans,
classmates and coaches like
because of his personality,
and how well he communi
cates to the general public.
He's not at all the person that
most people associate with
linebackers. Most people
think of linebackers as guys
with bad attitudes and very
little patience.
"That's not Adrian at all."
Oakley said. "I've only been
around him for a year, and I
immediately saw what type of
guy he was, or is. He'ssimpJy
one of those people that
everyone likes. He's going to
play hard. That's what is
going to make him successful.
He treats people the right way.
I think he's going to be a great
addition to their program."
The 6-0, 260-pound line
backer also thinks he's going
to add a little something to the
Lenoir-Rhyne defensive
attack. He said that he expects
to bring speed and some agili
ty to the defensive side of the
ball when he suits up. He also
expects to contribute in any
way that he's needed.
"That's what's important
to me," Ford said. "I just want
to help out where I might be
needed. I think I can bring
some speed to the defense.
I'm a big person, but I'm light
on my feet. It really don't
matter where they want me to
play. I just want to get in
where I fit in. I'm just happy
to be playing. I love football,
and I would've gone any
where to play. I just love play
hig this game."
Oakley added: "He's very
committed to being at that
school. There was no 23rd
hour about what he should do
about this. There was no
doubt that is where he wanted
to be. The relationship he's
built with the coach has been
a very positive one. I can't say
enough about Adrian."
"We're all just happy to
death with him and the res* of
our senior class,": .Oakley con
tinued. "We've got some guys
going on to places like Vir
ginia and N.C. State - not
necessarily in football. But
the lessons they learned on the
football field are going to take
them a long ways. Adrian is
one of those guys who's going
to go a long ways."
Reynolds
from page Bl
shoulders. It just feels good to be
able to hang out with my friends
without worrying about it. That
was also $100, 000 off my back.
I'm getting my education for free.
That was a big relief. I'm sure this
also took some pressure off my
mom."
Matters were a little more
bleak for Hall, and seemed
unreachable at first. Hall wasn't
even a starter before the season
began.
"You're right," Reynolds head
coach Mike Propst said. "James
wasn't even a starter at the begin
ning of the season. He's gone
from being a nonstarter to a starter
in a season. He's one of those
players who should serve as an
inspiration for some of the players
who have hopes of playing col
lege ball, but haven't gotten much
playing time. James didn't get any
playing time until this past season.
But he knew what he wanted to
do, and he worked at it."
"I will be telling the James
Hall story for the rest of my
career." Propst continued. "I
mean, he's a first for me. He's the
first player that I've ever coached
who has gone from basically not
playing to earning a scholarship in
one year. That's remarkable to
me."
Hall added: "I'm real excited.
This was a real long process. It
was a lot of stress. Right now I'm
just happy to have it over with.
Norfolk State is a growing pro
gram. and I'm happy to be a part
of it. Going to a historically black
college is very important to me. I
think most black men should be
able to experience what it's like."
Both players feel they're
going to be able to help out their
new teams right away too.
"I want to bring a lot to the
table," Hall said. "I'm just gonna
go up there and play with all my
heart, just like I did while I was
here (Reynolds)."
Six added: "Tm going to bring
some intensity and leadership to
the table. Overall, I just want to
leam more, though. I want to get
my game going a little bit more.
I've only been playing football for
three years, so I've got a lot more
learning to do."
Propst feels like his latest
group of college-bound guys will
do well on the next level. He said
that the two kids are great people
first, and excellent athletes sec
ond. That, alone, should take them
a long way.
7PERS0NAI TRAINING. YOGA PILATES.
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? Art Davis
Why l Y
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Wake Forest track and field
team competes at various meets
CHRONIC! I M AI I ri PQRl
The Wake Forest track and
field team split up to compete
at three different meets all
across the country last Satur
day. At the Meyo
Invitational hosted
by the University
of Notre Dame,
Nikeya Green
turned in her sec
ond consecutive
NCAA provisional
qualifying time in
the 800-meter
event, while Anne
Bersagel competed
for the first time
this season and
placed fourth overall in the
3,000-melg)> event.
Four Demon Deacon men
competed in the mile competi
tion, led by Brad Wharton,
who finished sixth with a time
of 4:11.74. Chris Catton and
Kevin Jones also finished
within two seconds of Whar
ton's time for Wake Forest.
At the Carolina Classic in
Chapel Hill, the Deacons were
led by Lindsay Neuberger's
second-place finish in shot put
and fourth-place mark in
weight throw. Five Wake For
est women competed in the
800-meter race, and Catherine
Fortin-Major placed fifth
overall in the 3,000-meter run.
On the men's side, Eric
Seely came through with a
sixth-place finish in the 200
meter race and followed that
up by placing third in the 400
meter. He was followed by
Winston-Salem native Mike
Loyd in fourth place. Wake
Forest's top finisher of the day
was Jesse Richert, whose 6
04.00 mark in the long jump
was good for second place
overall.
At the USA Cross Country
Championships in Indianapo
lis. Ind.. last Saturday. Wake
Forest freshman Michelle
Sikes ran a 21:42 in the 6
kilometer junior women's
race, placing seventh out of 46
"We're betting on that."
Propst said. "There's no doubt
that they'll both do well on the
next level. I'm real happy for both
of them. They're both getting a
free education. That's important. I
say, 'free education.' but they're
going to have to earn it on the
practice field. I think they'll both
excel athletically, as well as aca
demically."
runners, bul narrowly missed
an opportunity to represent the
United States at the IAAF
World Cross Country Champi
onships in Brussels, Belgium.
The top six finishers in each
of Saturday's races
will be eligible to
compete for the
United States in Bel
gium.
In November,
Sikes was selected as
tl?e ACC's Cross
Country Freshman of
the Year after a
ninth-place finish at
the ACC Champi
onsnips held on
Wake Forest's cam
pus.
The Demon Deacons will
return to action this weekend
when the^ head to Blacksburg.
Va., for the Virginia Tech
Challenge.
Sports Hall of
Fame applicants
being sought
CHRONia I SI M-> Kl.WWt
It's almost that time of year to
nominate the latest edition of the
Winston- Salem Sportsmen Club
High School Hall of Fame. The
induction ceremony is set far May
1 4 at the Benton ConventRm Cen
ter. but applications are due at the
beginning of next month.
The deadline for submitting
applications, along with the
required documentation, is March
I. Nominees may include former
players, coaches, administrators,
plus former and current support
ers. Since 1983. approximately
200 men and women who have
made exemplary contributions to
athletics jn fprsyth C(>unty, have
been inducted into the Sports Hall
of Fame.
This program is designed to
honor those persons and former
athletes, male and female, who by
excellence of their participation in
or association with high school
athletics, have brought outstand
ing recognition and esteem to
themselves and Winston-Salem.
The program also seeks to capture
much of the rich athletic tradition
that has been generated through
the years by the outstanding ath
letic programs of the city.
Winston-Salem Fossyth
County High School Sports Hall
of Fame applications ate available
at all county high schools. Jamie
AVilkes Trophies. Winston Lake
Family YMCA. Bocock Stroud
Sports. Page's Screen Printing
Co. or any Winston-Salem
Sportsmen Club member.
For further information. I on
nu t Ike Howard at 287-4861 or
Marty Penn at 767-3238.
Apply**
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