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It - PLAIN DEALER - WEDNESDAY, JULY 11,1184 i * Sports Chris Juzwik Sports Editor Change. An interesting concept, that. You can change your clothes, change your mind,1 change your hair, change a tire, get change back from your dollar, change a job, change buses, even change your life. Many people don't like change. Change is a foreign word to some. No matter how bad some things in life tend to get, people shy away from change. They figure the easiest way is to ignore change. If you pretend it isn't there, it won't bother you. Not true. A change - albeit a small one - has occurred in your life. A changing of the guard, if you will, at the newspaper. But now, for better or worse, for dashes or hyphens, I'm yours. And that's where the changes come in. I can only hope you enjoy the addition of columns on golf and tennis by professionals from the area. Certainly, some will not, but the object of any form of media is to offer something for everyone. If not those additions, perhaps my column will be of moderate interest. No, you say? Well, variance is the seasoning of existence (Thought I'd spice that old saying up a little) and my job as sports editor is to present that to you. If that is indeed a change, so be it. If so, I firmly believe it's for the better. If all this works out, maybe it will be time to try a change of a slightly higher magnitude. Nah, too Herculean. Changing the world? Better left to someone who might be able to handle it. i.ikp Ryne Sandberg. One needs some type of philosophy to maintain consistency in a certain field. Even sports editors. A goal is also important, for it allows one to keep a sense of direction about their work. The first thought about sports might be of a certain game -- curling or rugby; fishing or roller derby; horse racing or hor­ seshoes. The word 'sports' can also be interchanged with another term -- 'business'. Along those lines, other sports-related words creep into the thought process. You know - free agency. Arbitration. Bargaining power. SportsVision. But these things don't really coincide with sports, not the way sports is really supposed to be. The real definition, the root of sport, is the competition. That's it. Be it a football game between 22 players, or a tennis match between two, it's all the same. The most important facet of sport is the playing. Too often, too much is made about contracts and owners and television rights. Does this type of news belong on the sports page? It's a fine line, certainly, and you draw that line with a hairline pencil. A player's performance on the field of play could be directly linked to his or her performance off that field, be it a personal matter or a financial problem. Some say the cut-off mark is money. If a fan is paying 'X' number of dollars to see a Willie Wilson play baseball, does that fan not deserve to see a Willie Wilson at his physical best? Or is it OK for a Willie Wilson to come to the ballpark strung out on drugs? Therein lies the dilemma. That is where ethics comes into play. Sports is an escape. It's an opportunity for those less athletically inclined to observe others do what they cannot. And, consequently, the sports pages of a newspaper should follow suit. I've always thought of the sports section as a sort of vacation spot, a rest area, from the rest of the tabloid, the fires and foreign policy. That, then, will be my goal during my stay here, however long that is. If you feel a need to know the city council's latest decision, or exactly what the record bridge-crossing time is, you're looking for the front page. If, however, you yearn for a descriptive on the oft-maligned, but never duplicated spectrum of sport, then, you have come to the right place. If you ever have any questions, or wonder about a sports- related matter, don't hesitate to call 385-0170, or stop in, and ask. Neither I, nor the phone, is ever too busy. Travelers set for 2nd half Back in action after a 10-day layoff, the McHenry Travelers enter the second half of the season with a sparkling 7-1 record. The Tri-County League Northern Division leaders will play an exhibition game against Area racers win at Wilmot WILMOT, WIS. - Drivers from the McHenry area starred in recent racing action at the Wilmot Speedway. McHenry's Dennis Carlton kept a spectacular winning streak intact, as he won his fourth consecutive race and second main event, passing leader Skip Martin, also of McHenry, as the two worked through traffic. The red-hot Carlton went on to win the 15-lap spectator stock feature. Vern Gliot of McHenry finished third in the first heat of the same event, while McHenry's Dwight Dittmer came in second in the semi- featured race. Other area racers also fared well at the Wilmot track, in­ cluding Wonder Lake's Duke Norton, who made a late surge in the 20-lap late model sport­ smen race. Norton challenged eventual winner Wayne Dukas of Zion, as both cars nearly spun out in turn one on the bell lap. Norton had to settle for second. Bruce Guy of Johnsburg finished second in the third heat of this category. Golfer tricks' his way to success By Chris Juzwik Plaindealer sports editor Golf is one of those games that's tough to figure. At first glance, you wouldn't think it too hard. There are those who say, "What's so hard about hitting a stationary little white ball?" That tells you how often they frequent the links. But if there's any one person who makes the game of golf look easy, it's Pete Longo. Who? Pete Longo is a trick shot artist. If there's a way Pete Longo can't hit a golf ball, about 75 who caught his act at Chapel Hill's Red Cloud Golf Open Monday would like to see it. Longo attended the annual event and put on a show that had the frustrated duffers won­ dering where they had gone wrong. At least one was heard walking from the exhibition muttering to himself. HIS DAZZLING array of clubs, tees and other paraphenalia piques the curiousity in most. Inside his golf bag are clubs with heads of hammers, hockey pucks, steam irons, miniature footballs and even sticks. He hits balls off of three-feet high tees, or with 75-inch long, two-pound drivers. He crushes drives while kneeling, sitting, standing on a chair on one foot or any com­ bination of those. And yes, he hits them long and straight. Longo, who said the first round of golf he ever played was at Chapel Hill, made his third Red Cloud appearance Monday. LONGO SAID he got into the trick shot area much by ac­ cident. "I was giving a lot of clinics, and they can get boring," Longo said. "Once, I just sat down and took a swing. I missed the ball completely, but after a while, I hit one solid. That was the start." Originally from Chicago, Longo is an Arizona resident, but spends his summers as the pro at White Pines in Ben- sen ville. He tours the Midwest during the warmer months, and showcases his talents in the winter in Arizona and southern California. Asked how he got into his specialty, Longo said, "Because I failed at everything else." He joined the PGA Tour in 1974, but struggled just to make the cuts. "You can't shoot 73,74,75 and expect to make money on the tour," Longo said. "There's just so many good players. "I had to look in the mirror and say, no way, you can't do it. "I'VE HADa lot of people say,1 'hey, you've got a nice swing,• why aren't you on the tour.' I have more control over my swing now, but the tour is a full- time job. I have too good of a future doing tricks. "This way, I control my own schedule. How many years could I be satisfied on the tour." Longo said be commands respect as a trick shot artist that he never received when he was a tour player. "I did a show last week with Tom Weiskopf and Calvin Peete, and they both told me how good I was at what I do," Longo said. "That's makes me feel real good." Ideas for new shots come from conversation with golfers, or just watching others golf. "I WAS talking to a guy a while back, and he said something about really nailing the ball down the fairway," Longo recalled. "So something clicked. I said, 'hey, I'll try it with p hammer." Eight win at tourney The 11th Annual Jaycees Kids' Tennis Meet, held Friday at West Campus, produced champions in eight age brackets. Several girls' finals matches were not̂ concluded, and will be played later this week. The trophy and ribbon win­ ners were: GIRLS: 10 & under: 1. Mariann Gray 2. Lisa Honea. 11 & 12 years: 1. Sheila Roy 2. Julie Erkenswick 3. Cris Roper 4. Heather Carroll. 13 & 14 years: 1. KrisKleeman 2. Becky Marsh 3. Meghan Carney and Kris Panerali. BOYS: 10 and under: 1. Benji Winkleman 2. Jason Levit 3. Mark Erkenswick 4. Scott Roper. 11 & 12 years: 1. Steve Aleckson 2. David Hartman 3. Mike Bunting 4. Doug Gray. 13 & 14 years: 1. Kevin McGee 2. Trent Castle 3. Steve Iacullo 4. Todd Doherty. 15 & 16 years: 1. Matt Roy 2. Scott Smith 3. Bill Etheridge 4. Gary Strom. 17 & 18 years: 1. Brian Nellis 2. Andy Mazurkiewicz. p§iian 111 • ; > /, ;,>///,',v| v| •; ' *// '/ V v/ /> V Dundee Thursday at 6 p.m. at West Campus, before delving into the second half. The Travelers will battle Kirkland at home Sunday, July 15 at 2 p.m., and then meet Southern Division-leading Marengo on the road, in a doubleheader Tuesday, July 17. Marengo is unbeaten. On Friday, July 20, McHenry begins tournament play in the Woodstock County Invitational, against Cary. Other area teams include Johnsburg, Woodstock, Crystal Lake, tournament favorite Marengo, Caty and Huntley. The McHenry Pigtail League will also send two squads to the tourney. Following the Woodstock competition, the girls face the Southern Division's second- place team, Sycamore, and then begin the Tri-County tour­ nament at Marengo. Harth wins 10K race McHenry's Terry Harth captured first place in the Lioness 10K 4th of July race in Lake Mills, Wis., last week, beating his closest pursuer by over two minutes. Harth, 16, who will be a junior at McHenry West this fall, finished the race in 38:00 to snare top honors. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Terry Harth of 5004 Pyndale, and a member of West's cross­ country, swimming and track teams. r Plaindealer photo by Chri* Juzwik Benji Winkleman follows the cardinal rule of all sports -- keep your eye on the ball. Winkleman defeated Jason Levit in the 10 and under age bracket to gain the championship at the Jaycees tour­ nament held at West Campus Friday. Winkleman edged Levit in a close match". McHenry tennis tourney scheduled for July 13,18 Registration is now being taken for McHenry's annual tennis tournament held at Knox Park this July. The tournament will include a singles and doubles category in each of the four age divisions. The tournament will be a double elimination play-off with a consolation round. The singles competition will take place on July 13 at 7 p.m., while the doubles matches will start at 7 p.m. July 20. Registration fees are set at $3.50 for singles and $6.00 for doubles. Deadline for singles applications is July 11 and doubles is set at July 18. Longo designs many of the clirf>s he uses, and a foundry in BensenviDe finishes what he cannot. The hammer chib is just that - a hammer with a golf shaft driven into it. His 45-minute show at Chapel Hill was an abbreviated version of his normal act. "I love to entertain," he admitted. "But it can get stale. There's people here who have seen me before, so I have to keep bringing in new things." For the interested, Longo has indeed shot many rounds using just trick shots. His score? "I've shot par," he said, seriously. "But I usually shoot around 40." For many golfers, shooting 40 is the real trick. PETE LONGO Youth Baseball McHenry minors BLUEBIRDS 6, ROBINS 5 The winners withstood a valiant comeback effort by ther Robins, and hung on to win. Adam Lazar whiffed 13, in­ cluding the final three batters, in recording the victory, allowing just five hits. Mike Zimmerman had two hits in three trips to lead the Bluebirds, while Mark Son- nichsen and Pat Crow had two each for the Robins. Sonnichsen struck out 11, allowing only six hits. BLUEBIRDS 21, FALCONS 2 The Bluebirds, behind the sizzling bat of Guillermo Tello, smashed the Falcons in four innings Tello had four hits in four trips, scored four runs and had four RBIs in the victory. Tom Brefeld had three hits, scored three times, and had four RBIs as well. Mike Zimmerman, Joe Sherman and Darius Pfeifer each had two hits. Zimmerman gave up just two hits, striking out six. ROYALS 8, EAGLES 4 Danny Conner, pitching in his first game, turned in an out­ standing performance, striking out 11 Eagles. John Schrader and Fred Groh had two hits each for the win­ ners. Jim Mays and Todd Busche reached twice for the Eagles. r ROBINS 27, HAWKS 8 The Robins pounded out 20 hits, led by Pat Crow and Kevin Mullin with four each, to defeat the Hawks. Crow's total included two doubles. Mark Sonnichsen and Andy Staufenbiel had three hits each for the winners, who got a six-hit pitching performance from Mark Weakman. The Hawks, who took an early 6-0 lead, were led by Bill O'Brien's three hits. BLUE JAYS 8, FALCONS 7 Hie Blue Jays nipped the Falcons 8-7 in a* recent contest, as the Jays scored four in the fifth and one in the sixth to capture the victory. Jake Schlender had a nifty five-hit pitching performance, striking out 14 for the game. Mark Erkenswick scored the winning run in the seventh on a wild pitch. Hie Blue Jays were led by the hot hitting of Erik Ekstrom, who had three hits. Casey Watrous had a double, while Dave Grove aided the Blue Jay cause with two singles. BLUEBIRDS 8, ORIOLES 3 Hie Bluebirds pounded out 14 hits in a balanced attack to thrash the Orioles. Winning pitcher Tom Brefeld gave up four hits and as many walks, while striking out 10. Guillermo Tello had three hits, including a double and triple, and three RBIs. Mike Zimmerman, John Poliakon and Adam Lazar chipped in two hits each, Lazar adding three RBIs. Mike Kinnerk and Ron Bonesz each had two hits, providing the entire Oriole offense. ORIOLES 18, HAWKS 6 Ron Neece pitched a strong game for the winners, striking out eight. The 18-run assault was led Mike Kinnerk who had three hits including a deep homer over the left field fence. Jake Wakitsch of the Eagles was 3 for 3 with two RBIs. EAGLES 7, SPARROWS 6 Chris Delisle of the Sparrows and Jake Wakitsch of the Eagles each pitched fine games, fan­ ning 12 enemy batters each. A three-run home run by Billy Vavric proved to be the deciding factor, as the Eagles held on to win. BLUE JAYS 10, CARDINALS 3 the winners continued to set fine pitching performances, Oils time from Erik Ekstrom, as they ripped the Cardinals. i