Let’s Hear it for the Girls!

The first weekend in November is all about the ladies…well at least when it comes to athletics! There are quite a few tournaments taking place in Maryland over the next couple of days featuring women athletes.  We’ve got a little bit of everything going on this weekend.  The 2011 ACC Field Hockey Championships got underway yesterday in College Park, the NJCAA Region 20 Women’s Volleyball Tournament starts tomorrow and goes through Sunday at the College of Southern Maryland, the Primetime Showcase girl’s lacrosse tournament is on Saturday and the Fall Lax Clash tournament is on Sunday, both at Cedar Lane Park in Bel Air.

Zombie Jamboree — the Latest in 5K Fun

My oldest son, whose idea of exercise is strumming his guitar, recently informed me he was in “training” for a 5K race this fall.  I could not have been more shocked if he was auditioning for the Sugar Plum role in our local Nutcracker.

So it was with immense curiosity I looked up Run For Your Lives, a 5K obstacle course race where you combine physical challenges and sloppy terrain with dodging the zombies who are out to eat your brain.

Autos, Bikes & Boats, Oh My!

Winners at the IHRA Junior Dragster Final

There were many exciting sporting events that took place this past weekend in our great state.  From fishing to cycling, Maryland had something to offer all sports fans.   We’ll be covering auto racing in Southern Maryland, bicycle road racing in the suburbs of DC, tuna fishing down the beach and youth lacrosse in and around Baltimore.

First up were the IHRA Junior Dragster Finals.  Held at the Maryland International Raceway in Budds Creek, the three-day event featured practice sessions, special races, games, and the final points-based competition on Sunday. The Junior Dragster racers from Northeast Dragway in North Carolina won the IHRA Junior Team Finals against 26 teams from 18 different tracks.

Spring in Maryland (Horses, Courses, and Natural Resources,) Part II

COURSES — Spring is also when golf season in Maryland resumes in earnest. One of the most famous courses in the state will be getting international attention this year when the US Open takes place at the Congressional Country Club.

But you don’t need to be on the PGA circuit to enjoy a good round of golf in Maryland.  If you check our data base, you’ll find facilities throughout the state, along with websites and other contact information.

Kudos for Cal at TEAMS

Terry is reporting from the TEAMS conference that the Cal Ripken World Series World Championship Game just won the SportsTravel Award for Best Single Sporting Event.

This is a national award, and the globally televised game (the culmination of nearly a week of tournament play with hundreds of kids and their families in attendance) beat out some pretty stiff competition. 

It is particularly gratifying since Harford County is represented at the TEAMS Conference.

Congratulations to Harford County, City of Aberdeen and the Iron Man himself for staging such a successful youth sports event.  It is a recognition well deserved.

Weekend Wrap-Up

A little rain wasn’t going to slow these athletes down. Maryland was booming with sporting events this past weekend.  Two notable events were the Cal Ripken World Series and the Aflac Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon.

In Aberdeen, the Ocala Highlands team from Florida played Mexico in the World Championship Sunday afternoon.  Ocala Highlands beat the Ohio Valley Regional Champs from Lexington, KY on Saturday in the Semi Finals with a 3-2 win to earn them the U.S. Championship Crown, and a spot in the big game.  Mexico defeated the Dominican Republic with a stunning 18-0 win, clinching the International Division Crown for the eighth consecutive year.

Mexico is no stranger to the World Championship as this was their eighth straight year playing in the final game, and their fourth straight championship facing a team from Florida.  The Club from Mexico are four time World Champions, although their last win occurred in 2007.  Hard work certainly pays off over time, as this was their year to bring home the trophy.  Mexico defeated Ocala Highlands in a 7-1 victory Sunday afternoon.  Many teammates and coaches attributed a large part of the win to their pitcher, Gerardo Haro.  Haro was named MVP after striking out 11 batters.

Just a short trip down the beltway from Aberdeen the Aflac Iron Girl Triathlon was taking place in Columbia, MD. The event took place at Centennial Park in Howard County.  Howard County executive Ken Ullman offered words of encouragement to the participating ladies, as well as thanks to the many (most likely sleepy) volunteers just around 6am.
The race course is known as a “sprint” distance. It consists of a .62 mile swim, 17.5 mile bike ride, finishing with a 3.4 mile run.  The course has a reputation for being pretty daunting with lots of hills on the bike and running portions. 
Over the years the Aflac Iron Girl Columbia has grown into the largest Iron Girl Triathlon in the United States! Participation topped around 2,400 females this year. With a record number of 52 mother/daughter teams, 62 teens, 71 relay teams and 34 woman ages 60 and over. This year there were also three Para triathletes running. Notable among them is Sarah Reinertsen the first female above-knee amputee to ever finish a full Iron man.

The big winner of the day was quite the determined young lady, 35 year old, cancer survivor Laurel Wassner of New York, NY, with a time of 1:23:16.  Some impressive Marylanders are Marge Burley, at 65 years old she finished the race with a time of 1:58:01. Also Suzy McCulloch of Columbia, who finished fourth overall, and Para triathlete finisher, Jamie Rogers from Baltimore with a fantastic time of 3:00:59.

Great Job Ladies!