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MP's Ryles, Anthony sign college scholarships
By Richard Dumas
forsyth^mymcr.net
Mary Persons senior cheer
leader Kayleigh Ryles signed
a letter of intent on May 14
to continue her cheerleading
career at Mercer University.
Ryles was a member of
MP’s 2017 competition cheer
squad that achieved the
programs highest-ever state
finish, placing fifth overall in
AAAA while also capturing
the programs second-ever
region championship.
Ryles selected Mercer over
the University of North
Georgia and the University
of Georgia because of its out
standing medical school as
well as the opportunity to be
a member of the Bears’ cheer
squad. Ryles said cheering
at Mercer had been a dream
ever since she attended the
schools first football game
when it re-started the sport
in 2013.
Ryles’ mother Leighanne
Mitchell said she’s excited
that her daughter will be
attending college in nearby
Macon.
Mitchell said of Ryles: “She
settled on Mercer for one
they had the program she
was looking for, an acceler
ated PA program that she can
get into and graduate in five
years less than six.
They also have a Behavioral
Health program that she can
major in, and that will help
her admissions as well. And
also, they have an amazing
cheer program that (former
MP cheer coach) Penny
Mary Persons senior Kayleigh Ryles, pictured with her parents Sabe Ryles (standing) and
Leighanne Mitchell, brother Charley Ryles (standing left) and MP coach Kyle Ward signed
a letter of intent on May 14 to be a Mercer Bears cheerleader. (Photo/Richard Dumas)
Mitchell has helped cultivate
and has encouraged her to
look into since it began in
2013.”
MP cheerleading coach
Kyle Ward said Ryles is just
the third cheerleader in
his four years at the helm
to advance to the college
level. Ward, who cheered
collegiately at Valdosta State
University, said Ryles has all
the components necessary
to be a successful college
cheerleader.
“Not only is she very ath
letic, not only is her tumbling
and stunting and just the
overall athletic aspect of
cheerleading high enough to
be at the collegiate level, but a
lot of times a lot of collegiate
universities, they’re looking
for not only a good athlete
but a good role model for
their university,” Ward said.
“Because they’re gonna be the
lights of a lot of things that
are going on. She holds a lot
of that. She’s dedicated and
loyal, and she’s even here at
Mary Persons always been a
big aspect of the spirit world.
And I think she’s going to
be able to carry that on to
the collegiate level and make
a big impact in the overall
athletic world, the gameday
aspect of it. A lot of universi
ties, especially big ones, they
enjoy the competitive side of
cheerleading and they par
ticipate in it, but their main
focus is gameday and how
can the cheerleaders and sup
port staff make that gameday
experience? She brings a lot
of that to that university, so
Mary Persons senior Jacob Anthony, pictured with his par
ents Keith and Kimberly Anthony and MP coach Allen Luton
(back) signed a letter of intent on May 14 to play college
soccer at Middle Georgia State University. Luton is also
the head coach at MGSU. (Photo/Lauri English)
it’s awesome.”
Ward said it was Ryles’
consistency that made her
such a valuable leader for his
team in 2017.
“When you lose some
one that’s skilled, you hope
you’ve got someone who can
take her spot,” Ward said of
Ryles. “But I think overall her
loyalty and dedication and
being somebody that’s always
trustworthy. I think that’s
always a good component
to have. And she’s been that.
I started coaching the same
year she was a freshman.
So we’ve been through this
chapter of Mary Persons the
whole time. The cool thing
about that is when she was
in middle school, that was
when Penny Pitts (Mitchell)
was still here. And now she’s
going to Mercer where Penny
is still involved. So she started
off cheerleading with Penny
being in charge and now she’s
going to continue with Penny
being in charge. So I think
that’s a cool aspect. I think
she’s looking forward to that
as well.”
Ryles said she’s learned
from Ward the importance of
character.
“Kyle has taught me a lot
about being a good person,”
Ryles said. “It’s not always
about winning, but it’s about
keeping God in things.
Honor God throughout all of
it and give God the glory no
matter what.”
MONROE OUTDOORS by Terry W. Johnson
New construction in Brent
includes huge osprey nest
T he appearance of a large nest atop a
communication tower in Brent has
caused quite a stir. It is no doubt the
largest nest ever seen in this beautiful
small Monroe County community.
There has been much discussion as to what
species of bird built it. Those lucky enough to
see the large birds carrying nesting material to
the nest reported that although the birds had
white heads, they did not think they were bald
eagles. This begged the question, if they were
not bald eagles, what were they?
As it turns out, they are ospreys, a bird often
mistaken for the bald eagle. Although the adults
of both species are black and white, the adult
bald eagle’s head is solid white. The osprey’s
head is also white;
however, a black
mask runs across its
eyes. Another differ
ence is bald eagles
have dark breasts
while the osprey’s
breast is white. In
addition, ospreys fly
with a definite crook
in their wings.
Prior to the im
poundment of Lake
Juliette, ospreys were
not known to nest in
Monroe County. Today, although most of the
ospreys that nest in the county build their nests
close to the large reservoir, in recent years nests
have cropped up on electric transmission towers
in locations near Juliette and Dames Ferry Road
as well as off Highway 41 between Smarr and
Bolingbroke.
The fact that we are even seeing osprey nests
in Monroe County, let alone some distance from
large rivers and lakes, is truly amazing. Histori
cally ospreys were almost exclusively seen in
Georgia along the coast, in the Okefenokee
Swamp and along the large rivers, such as the
Altamaha, that wind their way through South
Georgia.
During the period extending from the 1950’s
through the 1970’s, ospreys in the United States
were on the brink of extinction. Their precipi
tous decline was linked to the thinning of their
eggs’ shells brought about by pesticides such as
DDT polluting the environment.
At that time in some parts of the country os
prey populations plummeted up 90 percent. In
the Peach State as late as 1977 only 50-55 pairs
of ospreys were known in the entire state.
Fortunately the banning of DDT in 1972 and
hacking (raising and releasing young ospreys
Once almost extinct, ospreys have made a
comeback. (Photo/Terry Johnson)
from nesting platforms) played key roles in sav
ing the bird. An osprey hacking effort was even
carried out by the Georgia Wildlife Resources
Division along the shores of Lake Juliette.
Today in Georgia, most ospreys nest along the
Georgia coast and Lake Seminole in Southwest
Georgia. Elsewhere they nest in smaller num
bers near major reservoirs across the state.
The osprey-nesting attempt in Brent provides
a great opportunity for folks to take a close look
at an osprey nest as well as to observe the nest
ing habits of this handsome bird that sports a
6-foot wingspan.
Osprey nests are truly impressive. They range
from three to six feet in diameter and can be
anywhere upwards of 10-13 feet tall.
Both male and female ospreys help in nest
construction. The job of bringing dead limbs
and other nesting materials to the nesting site
usually falls to the male. Often the male collects
the myriad of dead limbs that comprise the nest.
If a male doesn’t find a dead limb lying on the
ground, he will break one off a tree. Females,
on the other hand, usually actually construct
the nest. The nest is lined with a combination of
vines, inner bark and grasses.
Nests often contain odd items. The famous
American writer, John Steinbeck, once wrote
that an osprey nest built above his garden con
tained three shirts, a bath towel, an arrow, and
his garden rake. Other items found in osprey
nests include rope, bailing twine, hats, bottles,
cans, toys, and shoes.
I have no idea how long the Brent nest has
See JOHNSON • Page6B
TERRY W. JOHNSON
C ongr atulations
( Glass of 2018!
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