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Off the Tee: Area players continue to shine in junior golf tournaments

As prep golf season begins in earnest this week, area players got a solid tuneup at the annual Belmont Hills Junior Golf Tournament, which was hosted by the Barnesville Golf Parents at the challenging, par 72 Belmont Hills Country Club. Bridgeport’s Matt Herink fired a 7-over, 79 to win the overall title in the 17-18 year old division. He was three shots better than Buckeye Trail’s Evan Archer and four shots lower than St. John Central’s Aaron Rataiczak. In the 15-16 year old division, St. Clairsville’s Brandon Vucelich and Harrison Central’s Cline Heavilin both fired ...

Youngster Primco Mayes packs power

Rodney Cooley never was one to start out a young greyhound without plenty of morning work. The Charter Kennel trainer has always believed pups need time to adjust to the racetrack and to start the maturation process before going into official schooling and racing. All that changed when Primco Mayes arrived in Wheeling after competing at the 2007 National Greyhound Association Spring Meet in Kansas. “In the morning he would blister any dog we put him up against — other maidens as well as graded dogs. Sometimes he’d unload on them by 10 lengths or more,” Cooley said. “He forced ...

Trent Lee pups give C And C shot in arm

C And C Kennel trainer Patrick Bever feels like he has hit the jackpot. Languishing in the bottom third of the standings at the Wheeling Island racetrack a few months ago, the kennel has received a shot in the arm with the addition of several Trent Lee pups. Since arriving in Wheeling this summer, the youngsters have helped propel C And C into a top five contender. “We have struck gold with the Trent Lee breedings,” Bever said. “Nearly all of the Trent Lee pups in our kennel as well as those in other kennels have done well. We’re pleasantly pleased with their efforts.” Among ...

David shines on backside

When Kiowa JSK David moved to the backside in late August, Cardinal Kennel trainer Jerrod Varner was confident the youngster could hold his own. Six Grade AA 3/8 races later, David not only has been competitive but he’s won five of those middle distance starts and finished second in the other race. David definitely has found a new home. “He was having some trouble getting to the rail in his sprint races but I didn’t want to move him until he got a little age and experience,” Varner said. “It’s safe to say he’ll be over there (3/8) for awhile.” An October 2005 greyhound ...

W.Va.-bred sprint stars are retired

Two of the best West Virginia-bred greyhounds to grace the Wheeling Island racetrack in recent years have been retired. Ending their outstanding careers this summer were Cardinal Kennel’s Rhythmless and Thorne-Abrahamson Kennel’s Iruska Creme Pie. The pair combined for 93 victories while racing against some of the top greyhounds in the country. Both Rhythmless and Iruska Creme Pie broke in at Wheeling in 2005 and their success was fueled by tremendous box speed and rush to the first turn. “Rhythmless was one of the better dogs racing at Wheeling the last couple years,” Cardinal ...

Thunderkat rushes way to Grade AA

Tom Ferris took a gamble at the 2006 National Greyhound Association Fall Meet in Kansas. Today, it’s paying big dividends. While Ferris has always leaned toward proven bloodlines in his auction purchases, the A Ray Kennel operator went out on a limb with CDN Thunderkat. “His mother (Tom S Kuntry Kat) came from a pretty good litter at Southland but this was her first litter of pups. Of course, his father (WW Greys Drifter) had some success at Wheeling,” Ferris said. “Thunderkat showed some fast times in schooling before the fall meet, but it was pretty much a stab in the ...