Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament Gets Started with Banquet and Line Drive Contest

by Christian Stryker, SID Coker College
4/16/2009

Hartsville, S.C. - The 2009 Conference Carolinas softball tournament got under way on Thursday night with a few new additions to the traditional format. This year instead of the formal awards banquet, host Coker College brought all the players, coaches and fans together for a more informal cookout style banquet that included, a DJ, some line dancing, a little game play and of course the presentation of awards. But before any of that even started there was the first every Line Drive Contest.

Instead of a home run derby like their male counter parts, the women of Conference Carolinas Softball competed in a line drive contest. One contestant from each team stepped to the plate trying to belt line drives to different parts of the field, trying to collect points based on where they hit the ball. Each contestant got 10 swings with the player with the most points winning. After 11 contestants and many line drives it was Limestone's Christina Woolgar coming out on top, adding to her awards stash for the night, which included a Player of the Year and a First Team All-Conference award.

Conference Carolinas All-Conference Teams were determined by vote from each head coach of participating league institutions. Nominations are collected and then voted upon by ballot and tallied to determine Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year, All-Conference First Team, and All-Conference Second Team. Awards were presented at the Conference Carolinas softball team banquet at the Conference Tournament Championships hosted by Coker College at Byerly Park, in Hartsville SC. This year's award winners are as follows:

Player of the Year:
Christina Woolgar, Limestone College

Freshman of the Year:
Jenna Guse, Limestone College

Coach of the Year:
Jimmy Martin, Limestone College

NRA Intercollegiate Pistol Championships Return To Fort Benning

FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA - The National Rifle Association is pleased to announce that this year's Intercollegiate Pistol Match will be held March 16-20, 2009 at Fort Benning, GA. This annual championship determines the national individual and team champions in NRA Intercollegiate Pistol competition. Events include NRA Intercollegiate Free Pistol, Standard Pistol, Open Air Pistol, Women's Air Pistol, and Women's Sport Pistol.

Qualifications for an invitation to participate in the national championship are determined from pistol scores fired in the annual NRA Intercollegiate Pistol Sectionals held throughout the United States between January and February each year. To be eligible to participate in the championships, a shooter must be a regularly-enrolled undergraduate student who complies with the eligibility rules of his or her institution.

NRA Collegiate Shooting Manager Tori Croft said of this year's championships, "We're excited to be returning to Fort Benning. Our collegiate competitors have an immense opportunity in front of them to compete on a premier, Olympic-style range with electronic targets. As always, we are very grateful for the help and support of the Army Marksmanship Unit."

This year's competition promises to be intense with such all-star teams competing as the U.S. Naval Academy, Ohio State University, and MIT. The top women's team from the U.S. Military Academy will also be returning. "We are looking forward to fantastic performances from all of our competing teams," said Croft.

For more information about NRA's Collegiate Shooting Programs, visit the NRA's Web site, call (703) 267-1473, or e-mail collegiate@nrahq.org.

ETV to Broadcast "Finding Money For College"

While rescue packages and financial market instability continue to color the fiscal landscape, ETV and the South Carolina Department of Education offer hopeful options during the annual broadcast of Finding Money for College.

This timely program provides students and parents with valuable information on ways to pay for a college education. The show airs LIVE on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. on all ETV channels.

The two-hour telecast features financial aid professionals from public and private colleges and universities in South Carolina. In addition, guidance counselors will offer advice and representatives from the South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants, South Carolina Student Loan Corporation and South Carolina Commission on Higher Education answer questions on accessing scholarships, grants and loans.

Viewers are invited to call in with questions during the live broadcast via a toll-free number that will be announced on air.

Attention: DHS JROTC students contemplating SC colleges

Coastal to start ROTC program in Fall of 2008

Coastal Carolina University is starting an Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program in the fall of 2008.

The series of courses will be taught by instructors provided by the Army ROTC and the South Carolina National Guard. The program will be initially affiliated with the University of South Carolina ROTC program.

The ROTC co-educational program is dedicated to developing college-educated men and women to serve in positions of leadership, responsibility and varied managerial positions both as officers in the U.S. Army and civilians in corporate America. Army ROTC requires from two to four years to complete, depending on student qualifications.

Twenty freshman students are being sought for the initial class.

Scholarships are awarded for two, three and four years to eligible students on a competitive basis. The scholarship amount is applied to the cost of tuition.

CCU Provost Robert Sheehan said Coastal will create a Department of Military Science that will be affiliated with the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation within Coastal’s Spadoni College of Education.

"This program will be especially suited to students in Junior ROTC programs in high schools," said Sheehan, adding that prior ROTC coursework is not required.

Courses within the program will concentrate on military science, leadership training and an introduction to the U.S. Army. Credits will count toward one of CCU's established degree programs, plus each graduate of the ROTC program will receive a commission as a second lieutenant in the Army.

For more information, call the Office of Admissions at 349-2026.