Imel, Stith finish second as Patriot track ends season (06/01/04)

The Jay County boys track team managed a few points, but fell well short of having anyone qualify Friday for the state meet.

Jay County finished 23rd as a team with four points at the Indianapolis North Central regional as the meet was completed after being halted because of storms Thursday. Paul Imel and David Stith, both seniors, garnered the best Patriot results as they each earned a seventh-place finish.

The host Panthers took the team title with 125.5 points. Lawrence North was second with 92.5, and Lawrence Central was third with 67.

The top three individuals in each event advanced to the state meet, which will be held Saturday at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Imel finished his high school career by taking seventh in the 400-meter dash in 52.81. He was ninth in the 200-meter dash in 23.67.

Stith took part in two events, placing seventh in the shot put at 50 feet, 61/4 inches. He had a toss of 145 feet, two inches in the discus to place 11th.

Joseph Vormohr was 14th in the discus at 126 feet, one inch.

Adam Grile managed a pair of top-10 finishes as he took ninth in the 110-meter hurdles in 16.37 and 10th in the 300-meter hurdles in 43.44. Lucas McBride was 10th in the long jump at 20 feet, seven inches, and Kyle Carpenter placed 15th in the high jump at five feet, 10 inches.

Imel also competed in the 100-meter dash, but did not make the finals. The team of Grile, McBride, Steven Castillo and Justin Gilbert also missed the finals in the 4x100-meter relay.

Byrum signed

Jay County graduate Pete Byrum was recently signed and made his first start for the Richmond Roosters of the Frontier League.

Byrum did not get a decision in his first game, but went a solid 71/3 innings as he allowed just two runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked one.

He finished 8-3 in his senior season at Indiana Tech, and had an outstanding NAIA tournament. He allowed just one earned run in 18 tournament innings as he won both of his starts.

Byrum finished the year with a team-best 1.84 ERA. He had 50 strikeouts compared to just 12 walks in 83 innings.

He posted the fourth lowest career ERA in Jay County history at 2.28.

Rockets win pair

The Portland Rockets inproved to 3-1 on the season with a pair of wins — 18-10 and 6-2 — over the Decatur Dragons Sunday.

Adam Childs hit a pair of home runs in the double-header, and Matt Cannizzo added one. Kurt Rammel had a three-run double in the first game, and Brendan Cooley also finished with three RBIs.

EJ chooses cheerleaders

East Jay Middle school held its cheerleading tryouts for the 2004-05 school year Friday.

Selected as cheerleaders for the Chiefs were April Acker, Kristen Ainsworth, Kyla Baldwin, Ashley Caupp, Kari Hemmelgarn, Erin Hunt, Jennifer Hunt, Michelle Landfair and Katie Link. Also Alysia Mann, Hannah McAbee, Rachel McKinley, Jordan McMillan, Stephanie Morgan, Lindsay Moser, Sarah Ninde, Mallory Poole, Hannah Redwine, Nadlie Runyon and Gabi Stout.

Gymnastics camp

Jay County High School will hold its gymnastics clinic for kindergarten through ninth graders June 17 through 19.

The cost of the camp is $20 for those in kindergarten through third grade, and $25 for fourth through ninth graders. A T-shirt is included in the cost.

The clinic will be run by JCHS gymnastics coach Kristin Rees, assistant coach Laura Miller and the Patriot gymnasts. Registration forms are available at all Jay County schools, and the deadline to register is Monday, June 7.

For more information, call Rees at (260) 726-9306.[[In-content Ad]]