Think about how strong the North Rowan girls track team is. Three straight state titles. Wow.
It’s hard to believe the Cavs could’ve been better — if only Bill Ray Washington had stayed home.
Washington, a 1972 graduate of North, was a former star sprinter in the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 relay and 800 relay. He now resides in Winston-Salem, not Rowan County.
Because of it, Winston-Salem Reynolds is benefitting.
Billy Ray’s daughter, Bernadette Washington, has proven that genes are everything. She runs the same events as dad.
“I’ve worked out with her all her life,” said Bill Ray, still appearing in good enough shape to sprint a race or two. “She’s a remarkable young lady.”
In fact (sorry Billy Ray), Bernadette has shown up her old man.
Last week, she was named the MVP of the 4A state track meet, winning the 100 and 200 meters.
Her personal best in the 100 is 11.8 seconds.
Billy Ray shared some of the credit, but directed most of it toward “all of the strong women behind her.”
The group includes her mother, the former Renee Monroe, grandmothers, Eunice Monroe, who still lives here, and the late Mildred Washington, and the late grandfather Alexander Monroe, who you might remember as the principal at Price High and an assistant principal at Knox.
And where have athletics and academic role models led Bernadette?
To the University of Charlotte on a track scholarship. She chose the 49ers over N.C. State, Appalachian State and Howard.
Bernadette can’t be beaming as much as her father. Now, he can ride down from Winston-Salem, pick up Eunice, Renee and the rest of the Monroes and Washingtons and head to Charlotte to watch his pride and joy.
n
More North Rowan: Brian Whitaker, a former star pitcher for the Cavs, recently completed a successful season for the 33-22 UNC-Wilmington Seahawks.
Whitaker was 9-3 with a sparkling 1.87 ERA. He was even the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week after shutting out East Carolina.
n
Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle: “Birmingham (Ala.) has had six pro football teams go belly up—Bolts, Americans, Vulcans, Stallions, Fire and Barracudas.
“The city was going to build a Football Failure Hall of Fame, but the funding fell through.”
n
Catawba College is planning to bring back wrestling next year.
Amazingly, the Indians will be one of just three Division II schools in the state carrying the sport. Even more amazing, only seven Division I schools have it.
n
Comedy writer Alan Ray told the San Francisco Chronicle that the NFL’s decision to realign its divisions “was necessary from a logistical standpoint. This will allow teams to play closer to their probation officers.”
n
More realignment: Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle, on the NFL’s new divisions: “Truthfully, the Cardinals belong in the Pac-10 and the Bengals in Conference USA, but those choices weren’t made available to them.”
n
Just wondering: Should the word “abbreviation” be such a long word?
n
Now, this is getting just a little ridiculous, don’t you think?
Officials at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Hamburg, Germany, did more than roll out the red carpet for Tiger Woods recently.
They even built a temporary tee on the balcony of his fourth-floor hotel room so that he could hit balls onto a temporary floating green in an adjacent river, according to Golf World magazine.
He also received a $2.25-million appearance fee along with his check of 450,000 Euro for winning the tournament. The rich get richer.
n
Another famous Salisbury resident is making his name in professional sports.
Johnny Estrada, a former Piedmont Boll Weevils catcher, who married a Catawba College grad, hit his first major-league homer Friday night for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was brought up when Mike Liberthal went down with a knee injury.
Estrada has a young child and a wife who taught this year at Southeast Middle School.
Last summer, I found him in a local GNC store. He told me, “I have a young child. I’ve gotta pay the bills.”
Considering the minimum salary in the majors is around $225,000, Estrada shouldn’t have any worries at the moment. He becomes the second former Weevil starting in Larry Bowa’s lineup, the other being shortstop Jimmy Rollins.
One more thing about Estrada. The famous mohawk is gone but he’s putting the mojo on opposing National League pitchers so far.
n
Hot off the wire: Twelve men have just been added to death row in Texas: the San Antonio Spurs.
n
Nuke Laloosh’s mentor: Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, on the perplexing wildness problems of Rick Ankiel: “This is not a job for a pitching coach. Even a very fine pitching coach. Anyone seen Susan Sarandon?”
n
Golden State Warrior Coach Dave Cowens, on projections that the NBA will draft several high school players ahead of Duke senior Shane Battier:
“We’re so screwed up. We look at this and we say, ‘Well, we can’t take Battier because he has plateaued.’ Isn’t that ridiculous?”
n
One coach with Rowan roots who is really succeeding is Mark Freeze, a 1973 graduate of South Rowan.
Freeze coaches at Dorman High School in Spartanburg, S.C. He has coached boys basketball for 23 years, track for nine and football for 10. Dorman is a powerhouse, winning four state titles this year alone.
Freeze reports he reads the Post on the Internet and has just one question: How does West Rowan get all of those big basketball guys?
Freeze pointed out that he is at a school of 2,600 and is lucky to put two 6-foot-4 players together on the same team.
n
Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star, on NBC’S NBA coverage: “Please for the sake of humanity, take the three-man broadcast booth and drive a stake through its heart. And if Bill Walton happens to get in the way, well, so be it.”
n
“I came from a show where I got to kiss Jennie Garth every day and now I have to kiss Bob Jenkins and Jack Arute. That’s tough.” — former “Beverly Hills 90210” star Jason Priestley about working as a racing analyst for ABC Sports at the Indy 500.
n
And finally. ...
Let’s give a big farewell salute to China Grove athletics director Steve Mabry, who is retiring after 30 years.
I have just one question. How can a guy have that much thick hair after 30 years of teaching school?
n
Contact Ronnie Gallagher at 704-797-4256 or rgallagher@salisburypost.com
.
Today's News
