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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017
Summer camps
LEARNING THE SKILLS
Stefani Surdyka eyes the tennis ball as she
gets prepared to hit a forehand shot at last
week’s Chaney Tennis Camp at the Commerce
Recreation Department. Photos by Charles Phelps
TEACHING THE GAME
Levert Chaney, left, along with his father, Sam
Chaney, right, hosted the Chaney Tennis Camp
at the Commerce Recreation Department.
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LOGGING THE MILES
Members of the Jefferson SilverSneakers senior citizens group sought to walk as many miles as pos
sible over a two-month period. Submitted photo
Recreation
Senior group walks nearly
2,900 miles this summer
7-on-7...
continued from page IB
well” and Donsha Gaither came up with a couple big
interceptions. Cathcart added that Cale Compton,
Blake Ehl, Cade McNalley and Matthew Nilsen all
played well and that Colby Wood had “another great
7- on-7 on both sides of the ball.” Quarterback Colby
Clark and Bryce Moore threw the ball very well,
Cathcart said, while Clark — a two-way player — was
limited defensively due to a knee contusion. Sammy
Elegreet and Garmon Randolph both had big days
catching the ball, as did Wood. Cathcart said Justin
Cole continued his “outstanding” play on both sides of
the ball as he's drawn the attention of recruiters with
his body of work. Clay Pender had his most produc
tive day as a Dragon, according to Cathcart, making
several key catches and big plays. Tyler Roberts and
Kevin Anderson also had “really good days.” Cathcart
said.
From a results-based perspective. Jefferson’s tour
nament title capped a successful summer in the 7-on-7
circuit. But Cathcart said how productive the summer
actually was will be determined later.
“We will see,” he said. “We will be satisfied if this
fall we are both efficient and effective throwing and
catching when the box is stacked to stop our running
game and if, when we have a lead or facing a pass
heavy team, are able to cover and defend other peo
ple’s throwing game well.”
Cathcart then offered a comparison to put the 7-on-7
season into perspective.
“The best analogy is summer is when you study and
get tutored and those special sacred Friday nights in
the fall are when the tests come,” he said.
Junior Olympics...
continued from page IB
•Dylan Ransom (boys 9U) — fourth, long jump.
•Carter Howell (boys 10U) — fifth, javelin; sixth,
800 meters.
•Trey Ransom (boys 13U) — first, javelin; second,
shot put.
•Jania Ransom (girls’ 11U) — fifth, shot put.
•Davidson, Javen Johnson, Blake Stephens, Donavon
Spry (8U boys), third, 4 x 100 meter relay.
This has been a big year for the Flash Elite, which is
only in its second season. After starting with 12 athletes
last year and sending one qualifier, Robert Spry, to
the Junior Olympics, the team now boasts 32 athletes
and sent 26 to state and then 15 to the Southeastern
Regionals.
“Then to have the big number of 10 kids that made it
to the Junior Olympics in Detroit, Mich., I am so proud
of these kids representing the State of Georgia and let
ting the nation know that we have a great youth track
and field program in Georgia,” Spry said.
Sea Dragons...
continued from page IB
26.56 seconds.
Kate Dunagan won a state title in the 25-yard free
style (14.55 seconds).
Katy Joy Beller, Madelyn English, Gertie Nazaroff
and Law teamed up to win the 12U girls’ 200-yard
freestyle relay championship.
The boys’ team’s highest finish came in the 8U
medley relay as Wyatt Dunagan, Will Nunnally, Wil
liam Allen and Thomas James took second place. That
group also took fifth in the freestyle relay.
“We had a lot of personal bests and great swims,”
coach Tess Nunnally said. “Our younger swimmers
really showed out. We had some disappointments of
9th place and missing finals but everyone tried their
best.”
The Jefferson Recreation
Department’s SilverSneakers
group has been on the move
this summer.
The senior advisor, Kay
Williams, created a way to
keep the group busy with
a program — the Motion
Walking Club — that chal
lenged its members to see
how many miles they could
walk in a two-month period.
Ann Reeves led the group
with 382.4 miles, while the
group totaled 2,897 miles.
Here’s a list of how many
miles each individual walked:
•Bessie Rakestraw 109
miles.
•Delana Hunkele 225
miles.
•Barbara Royston 141
miles
•Mike Hunkele 325 miles.
•Eddie Lipscomb 103.5
miles.
•Betty Timms 210.6 miles.
•Barbara White 94 miles.
•Marty Taylor 105.5 miles.
•Marilyn Taylor 125 miles.
•Paula Hams 166.25 miles.
•Jean Evans 152.5 miles.
•Emily Gordon 116 miles.
•Ann Reeves 382.4 miles.
•Myma Blair 104 miles.
•Frances Wood 158 miles.
•Sue Carlson 74.25 miles.
•Rusty Mckie 139 miles.
•Jean Ortowski 124 miles.
•Mary Burley 15 miles.
Husted
••• continued from page IB
an SSAC All-Freshman
team selection last year
and led the conference
in home runs and RBIs
this past season.
Husted also set sin
gle-season school records
for homeruns and RBIs
and career records for
batting average, home
runs and RBIs. And. for
good measure, she was the
Mariners’ top pitcher in
2016, winning 13 games.
By all accounts, she's
walking away from a
career most would envy.
But for all her ability and
gaudy numbers as a softball
player, Husted considers
herself a student foremost.
She’s made the Dean’s List
for three semesters and the
President’s List — award
ed for a 4.0 GPA — for
one semester. Husted was
also named to the SSAC
all-academic team this
past year. When she began
taking up to 18 hours of
classes in a semester as a
biochemistry major and
general chemistry minor,
something had to give.
“The course load
for those two is just
insane.” Husted said.
She also suffered a
shoulder injury after fresh
man year and experienced
a scare with a knee injury
this past season, which
caused her to give pause.
“Luckily it turned out
to be nothing, but it was
one of those things where
my body is giving me
signs that it’s time to give
it a break,” Husted said.
Tasked with a decision to
make, Husted consulted her
parents and former coach
es. All said they supported
whatever she chose, but
that the decision was hers.
Even after deciding to
hang up her cleats, Husted
stayed in limbo for a while.
“It caused me a lot of
stress,” said Husted, who
had played softball since
age 7 (and two years of
baseball prior to that).
“Even after I made the
decision, there were still
nights where I was like
‘maybe I can go back.’”
But ultimately her mind
returned to the demanding
course load that awaited
and her career goals.
“Then I’m like, no, it's
for the best,” Husted said.
Of course, she had to
break the news to team
mates and those closest
to her at Coastal Georgia.
They were taken aback by
the star player’s decision
but supportive at the same
time. Understandably, some
asked her to reconsider,
including her coach.
“He was upset, but at the
end of the day. he under
stands that I’m at college to
get a degree,” Husted said.
Husted leaves the
game with plenty of
memories, no doubt.
She broke in as a fresh
man in 2016 by hitting
.366 with eight homers
and 32 RBIs and followed
that up with a stellar junior
season that included her
.380 batting average and
school-record 11 home
runs and 43 RBIs.
Husted was relied on
heavily as a pitcher as a
freshman (13-6 record with
a 3.32 ERA in 116 innings)
before reinforcements came
during her sophomore year,
allowing her to concentrate
more on playing first base.
“I really enjoyed
first base, and I did
a really good job at
it. too.” she said.
Husted, a career .373
hitter with a .613 slugging
percentage, said she’ll miss
the offensive part of the
game the most and will
always remember moments
like her first home run
and her first grand slam.
Husted fondly recalls hom
ering against one of the
top pitchers in NAIA as a
freshman after striking out
three times in that game (“I
hate striking out,” Husted
said. “That is my kryp-
tonite. I hate striking out.”)
“Then I finally got
one over on her,” Husted
said. “And even after the
game she stopped me and
was like, ‘Congrats.'”
She said that moment
“was probably the high
light of my career.”
Husted fully plans to
remain at Coastal Georgia
to continue her academic
career. Husted said the
3,500-student Bruns
wick-based school has all
the classes she needs and
it’s where her friends are.
“I love it here,”
Husted said.
In fact, the small, inti
mate campus reminds her
of her days at Jefferson
High School, during which
she was named the Region
8-AA Softball Player of
the Year as a junior.
“I can draw a lot of
parallels between my
time spent at Jefferson
and my time spent at
Coastal (Georgia) just
with the small atmosphere
... I do miss playing
softball as a Jefferson
Dragon,” Husted said.
Husted plans to enter
a career in pharmacy and
hopes to work her way
up to biomedical science
dealing with disease
research, medication, dis
covery and treatment.
And while she knows
next spring will bring about
reminders of softball and
her teammates, Husted
will continue to focus on
what’s ahead of her.
She’s not looking back.
“It will be tough for
the first couple of times
that I go out and see them
just because I was out
there last year,” Husted
said. “But ultimately,
like I’ve said before, it
was the right decision.”
Athlete of the Week!
sponsored by:
HYMAN BROWN SOUTHERN TRUST
INSURANCE INSURANCE
AGENCY, INC. COMPANY
Olivia Husted
College of Coastal Georgia
Former Jefferson softball player
Olivia Husted wrapped up a two-year
career at Coastal Georgia, during
which she hit .373 with 19 homeruns
and 75 RBI.
HYMAN BROWN
INSURANCE AGENCY, INC.
11 State Street • Commerce
(706)335-3900