Land O'Lakes Little League All-Star team comes up short in run to state

The Land O'Lakes 9- and 10-year-old Little League All-Star baseball team won the Section 4 championship to become one of the eight teams eligible to play for the state championship last weekend. It was the first time Land O'Lakes had made it to the final eight of the tournament that started with more than 300 teams. It was also the first time the tournament was at the Land O'Lakes Recreation Complex.

To get to the state tournament, Land O'Lakes had to win 11 of its 14 games on the district and sectional levels. They won one of their three games at the state tournament for a fifth-place finish, but the achievement is still one for the scrapbooks.

"It was really neat to be there because we had never experienced going that far before," coach Mike Peeples said. "We had an incredible run and we just fell short. I thought the boys played incredible baseball and when it was all over I just told them how proud I was of them. We did well and just fell short."

KARATE: On the weekend of July 11, Cheryl Cleveland and her students from Community Fun and Fitness Center in Odessa entered the U.S. Open Karate tournament in Orlando, where the group found some new accolades to go along with their new training center. Cleveland topped her former record of breaking five boards with a side kick by breaking six, which was enough to win the competition for her. Students Danielle Pollard, 14, and Anthony Swinford, 13, also took honors. Pollard broke seven boards with a stomp kick to finish second while Swinford won first place in the sparring competition. The students are part of Cleveland's martial arts classes at the Odessa Community Fun and Fitness Center, a donation-based recreation facility created by Cleveland. For information on the center and the classes it offers, call Ginger Alemaghides at (813) 842-3202.

GOLF: The second annual Wiregrass Ranch High School football tournament will be on Aug. 7. The tournament will take place at 9 a.m. at the Links of Lake Bernadette in Zephyrhills. The cost of entry is $65 per player or $220 per team. The fee includes greens fee, cart, range balls and a post-tournament barbecue and awards ceremony. The entry deadline is today. For information, call Jeremy Shobe (813) 571-7271 or Chris Barber at (813) 469-1082.

TENNIS: USTA instructor Brent Wellman is holding tennis camps throughout the remainder of the summer for students looking to improve their speed, footwork, strategy, technical ability and fitness levels. The camps are open to kids ages 5 to 14. The cost for the 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. morning sessions is $85 per week. Competitive players will train from 3 to 6:30 p.m. and will cost $110 per week. For information, call (727) 919-2011 or register online at www.brent wellmanimpacttraining.com.