SportsWeek
l ' 1
April 12, 2012
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WSSU Photo by Garrett Garms
The WSSU Golf Team walked away with a victory last weekend.
Rams win Golf Challenge
James Draper
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Winston-Salem State Rams closed
out the 2012 Winston-Salem State
University Spring Golf Challenge on a high
note, winning the two-day tournament with
a final score of 608 (+40).
The Challenge was played at Salem Glen
Golf and Country Club in Clemmons.
The Rams capped the tournament with
four WSSU golfers finishing in the top five
of the event. WSSU senior James Draper fin
ished the tournament in second place with a
146 (+4) two-day total. Rams senior Wes
Griswold placed fourth in the event with a
150 (+8) while the sophomore tandem of
Glendon Mabe and Zachary Sheets both tied
for fifth with a 156 (+14).
A Perfect Season
Submitted Photo
The Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy Girls Basketball Team is coming off a perfect season. The squad finished
the season 10-0 and was the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Middle School co-champions for 8th Grade Girls.
Here Coach Corey Simmons (far left) and Coach Antonio Crawford (far right) pose with the team from left): Kristin
Gardner, Madison Collins, Kayla Robinson, Kristian Sanders, Marrissa King, Mychala Wolfe and Latroya McCrae.
^
Coach Tom Walter wins Giant Steps award
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Wake Forest Head Baseball Coach Tom
Walter has been named a winner of the
National STUDENT-Athlete Day Giant
Steps Award, the National Consortium for
Academics and Sports (NCAS) announced
Friday.
National STUDENT-Athlete Day is
designed to honor the hard work and dedica
tion of high school and college student-ath
letes nationwide who have excelled in the
classroom and on the playing field, while
making significant contributions to their
schools and communities.
The Giant Steps Awards are not limited
to student-athletes but aim to honor profes
sional athletes, athletics administrators.
civic leaders, coaches, parents, organiza
tions and other individuals who exemplify
the ideals of balancing academics, athletics,
life pursuits and giving back to the commu
nity through the spirit of athletics.
Walter was named head basebqJl_?Qach at
Wake Forest on June 16, 2009. In just his
second season with the team (2011), he
guided the Deacs back to the ACC
Tournament for the first time since 2008
after finishing the conference schedule with
a 15-15 record.
He made international headlines last year
when he donated a kidney to one of his play
ers, Kevin Jordan.
This year's Giant Steps Award Winners
will be honored on Thursday, Oct. 4 at the
NCAS Banquet in Orlando, Fla.
File Photo
Coach Tom Walter
Aggies fall after five-straight wins
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The bad news is the North Carolina A&T softball team lost
13-0 on Saturday.
The good news is the Aggies are still
near the top of the MEAC Southern
Division standings after splitting
Saturday's doubleheader at Lady Rattler
Complex in Tallahassee to Florida A&M.
Sabrina Edmonds hit her fourth home run
of the season, and Juanita Jemigan went
3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to
lead A&T to a 9-5 win in the first game.
Edmonds and Jernigan lead the team
in home runs. The Aggies improved to
12-19 overall and 5-1 in the MEAC. They
Edmonds
have won five out of their last six games.
A two-out rally in the sixth inning helped the Aggies pull away
in the first game.
Trailing 4-3, Zabresha Blakeney led off the inning with a
single. Tiffany Macklin and Erica Turner popped out to bring
Florida A&M reliever Taylor Thomas closer to getting out of
the inning. Dominique Smith ended those plans with a single.
Detavia Kenan followed with an RBI double to tie game.
Addie Dozier replaced Thomas, but didn't get help from
her defense as Tranea Jones reached on a fielding error by
shortstop Alyssa Weaver. The miscue allowed Smith and
Kenan to score for a 6-4 A&T lead.
A&T padded its lead in the seventh with three more runs.
Blakeney and Tiffany Macklin both drove in runs in the inning.
The Aggies scored their third run on another Rattlers error.
With two outs, Florida A&M first baseman Genesis Lopez
bobbled a groundball hit by Smith. The error allowed Macklin,
who reached on a triple, to score for a 9-4 A&T lead.
The Rattlers (16-24, 2-4) were able to score a run off of
A&T starter Ashira Dobison in the seventh. Tera Gainer sin
gled through the left side to score Jasmin Donaldson, who
reached on a leadoff double. The Rattlers kept the threat going
with a double to right center by Dozier. With two runners in
scoring position, Dobison (11-11) picked up her fourth straight
win by striking out Venica Brown and Kieifi Myrick to end the
game.
Tide teams
headed to
nationals
BY CRAIG T. GREENLEE
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE .
Basketball is the obvious platform for the Carolina Tide,
but there's more to this AAU organization than rebounding,
running fast breaks and shooting free throws.
To participate, prospective players must maintain a 2.5
grade-point average and they are required to take part in a
community service project.
"The whole objective is to help kids get to college so
they can make a better future for themselves," said Tonya
Woods, Carolina Tide president. "Our organization provides
an avenue to help keep kids in a positive environment. We're
family-based and family-operated."
Four years ago, the Carolina Tide started off with one
team. That total has increased to six teams (fourth grade
through eighth grade). So far, four of the Tide's teams have
qualified to
play in the
AAU national
champi
onships for
their respec
tive grade
levels this
summer. The
Tide has two
7th grade
teams that
will travel to
Memphis,
Tenn. for
their national
tournament.
The 5th grade
Tide will play
in Cocoa
Beach, Fla.,
and the 4th
grade team
will go to
Orlando, Fla.
Fielding
multiple AAU
teams that
play in
national tour
naments can
I ??I llll????!?? II i ll 1IIli?i !?? ? ? I
Submitted Photo
Fifth grade team members (front row, from
left) Reese Cope, Stephon Minor, Ben
Williams, Devin Ingram (back row) Mysta
Goodloe, Chaz Gwyn and Justin Davis.
be an expensive undertaking. According to woods, tne aver
age cost to send one player to the nationals is around $1,200
(covers travel, lodging and meals). Due to the cost, the Tide
conducts a series of fund-raisers. These events run the gamut
from hosting Zumba dance-a-thons and basketball tourna
ments to selling raffle tickets and fish dinners.
During the course of the year, each team conducts its
own fundraisers. But the organization's primary fundraising
event is the annual Carolina Tide Golf Tournament, sched
uled for May 19 at the Winston Lake Golf Course. A year
ago, the golf tournament secured 25 sponsors.
"Fundraising is year-round," Woods said. "Once all of
our overhead expenses are paid, we take what's left and we
distribute that money among the teams. This helps those
players whose families aren't able to pay for all their
expenses to go to a national tournament. "Dial's part of what
makes our organization unique. All the money we raise
(after expenses) goes back to the (Carolina Tide) families." ??
Just like the Tide's fundraising efforts, the organization's
community service projects are conducted year-round.
In recent years, Tide players helped in the construction
of a new playground at the Winston Lake YMCA as part of
their public service commitment. During the Thanksgiving
and Christmas holidays, players have collected food items
and made donations to the Second Harvest Food Bank. On
other occasions, players have donated clothing and house
hold items to Goodwill and have participated in the annual
back-to-school drive in which bookbags and school supplies
are distributed to children in need.
"Having the players take part in these projects helps
them to better understand how important it is to give back to
the community," Woods said. "We do family things away
from the basketball court, such as going bowling and having
sleepovers. And we talk a lot about school, mannerisms and
making correct life choices. The Carolina Tide is not just
about basketball. It's about helping our players build char
acter."
For more information about the Carolina Tide, contact
Woods at 971-1152 or carolinatide@yahoo.com.
Craig T. Greenlee is the author of "November Ever
After!' Visit http:IINovemberEverAfter.com for details.
A*T Photo
Tiffany Macklin at bat.