THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 24, 1996 TAG: 9605230181
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: 58 lines
THE ANNUAL Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs youth angling tournament was, typically, a huge success.
It might not have been the best day of catching, but that's not really the point.
More than 1,000 kids from 10 elementary schools wrote essays on the evils of drug use, and from them 65 were chosen to compete in the annual bluefishing trip.
While the bluefish didn't cooperate, Mother Nature did by providing calm seas and sunny weather.
The trip was sponsored by the recently formed Virginia Beach Billfish Foundation with a goal of teaching kids the pleasures of fishing as an alternative to drug use.
Anglers competed for the right to go on a deep sea fishing trip July 19 aboard either the Pursuer, a 50-foot Viking skippered by Ray Temple, or on the Anna Lee, a 52-foot Davis run by Tommy Powell. Last year's trip produced three billfish and several dolphin and tuna.
Winners in this year's contest were Gabrielle Strickland, a Salem Elementary fourth-grader who fished on the Blue Magic; Andrew Peck, Malibu fourth-grader, Greg Barnes, Malibu fifth-grader, and Harry Hall, Malibu third-grader, all on the High Hopes; Megan Smith, Red Mill foruth-grader on the Hakuna Matada; and Tim Robinson, Nick Zoejeenjak, Chris Hurt and William Hart of the Career Development Center, all on the Sea Horse.
``While those are the nine who get to go on the summer trip, everyone who wrote essays is a winner as far as we're concerned,'' said organizer Leslie Creech.
SHARK BITES: The Hampton Roads Sharks are going to hold one last entry-level tryout for this year's squad at 2 p.m. Saturday at Seatack Elementary School.
There is a $25 registration fee and athletes will be tested in electronically timed runs of 40 and 10 yards, as well as a 15-yard shuttle run, broad and standing vertical jumps, and 225-pound bench press for repetitions.
After last Saturday's first tryout, the coaching staff has seen a desperate need for kickers, quarterbacks and offensive tackles.
Anyone interested in attending can call the Sharks office at 463-6741.
AAU BASEBALL: The 1996 AAU state baseball tournament in the 14-year-old division will be played in Portsmouth, hosted by the Churchland Baseball Association.
The tournament will be played at Churchland High School over two weekends, beginning with the three-day Memorial Day weekend.
The tourney has drawn a field of 14 teams from across the state, including three area teams - Virginia Blasters, Tidewater Drillers and Virginia Beach Sluggers.
Following are the pairings for the first weekend: [For complete listing, see microfilm] ILLUSTRATION: Photo by LEE TOLLIVER
Parents and young anglers sign up for the fishing tournament. by CNB