The Oconee Leader

For hundreds of photos and updates about Oconee events and people, go to theoconeeleader. com

This Week: Calendar Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation Members’ Exhibition: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. all week, Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation, 34 School Street, Watkinsville. The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation is proud to present the Annual Members’ Exhibition, showcasing a diverse range of artwork from OCAF’s adult and youth members.

This year OCAF will be expanding the exhibition to include more than 150 works in all three galleries located in the historic 1902 OCAF Center building. Free.

(706) 769-4565 , www. ocaf.com Learn to Knit: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. Learn the basics of knitting with a hands-on project.

Must attend both sessions. Ages 9-13; must register. Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee.

Crafternoon: 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. Drop in for a fun, self-directed “Make it and Take it” craft. Check our Facebook page on Wednesdays to find out what we’re doing - Oconee County Library Children’s Section. All ages.

2:30-4:30 pm. Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary. org/oconee., www.athenslibrary.org/oconee Cornerstone Productions, Godspell: Shows today, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with shows also at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 1440 Greensboro Highway, Watkinsville.

Godspell is the timeless tale of friendship, loyalty, and love based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew. Tickets are $12 for groups of 10 or more (by phone or in person only), $15 in advance and $18 at the door.

(706) 705-2599, http:// cornerstoneathens.com/ calendar/godspell Heat of the Night Retro Run 5K: 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oconee Veterans Park, 3500 Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville. Oconee Co. Civitan Club presents the 7th annual Retro Run 5K. Wear your best retro costume for a chance at groovy prizes! This race benefits Oconee Civitan, which serves people with developmental disabilities. Register online. $15-$60., www.active. com/watkinsville-ga/ running/distance-running-races/7th-annualheat-of-the-night-retrorun-5k-2016 Affinis Hospice Grief Support Group: 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Affinis Hospice, 1612 Mars Hill Road, Watkinsville. Affinis Hospice offers a grief

Issue 25

From the Oconee to the Apalachee

Volume 11

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Young hero there for mom Watkinsville woman credits son, 4, with saving her life in swimming pool

By Wayne Ford

TheOconeeLeader.com

Jamie Parr feels grateful her 4-year-old son, Luke, was nearby Monday when suddenly she found herself in acute pain as she struggled in the deep end of a swimming pool.

“You would have thought he would have panicked seeing his mom screaming and crying,” Parr said Tuesday as she recalled the incident in which she believes her son saved her life.

The ordeal began Monday while the Watkinsville woman and her son were swimming at her in-law’s pool in Oconee County. Parr remembers telling Luke, who was in a float, to watch her swim across the pool.

“I went to push off the side and when I did my knee cap completely went out of place. I went to pull myself above water, but when I did I real-

ized I was at a point in the pool where it was too deep,” she said.

Terrified by being in deep water and the terrific pain in her leg, she inhaled water as she went under.

“My son was about two feet from me and he swam over and grabbed my arm,” she said. “I was able to grab the float and he pulled me over to the edge of the pool.”

She tried unsuccessfully to get her knee cap back in place, but couldn’t. Crying in pain, Parr said she asked Luke to get her cell phone, so he swam to the steps, got the phone and took it to his mother. But because her hands were wet, she couldn’t get the buttons to work. So Luke grabbed a towel and with her hands now dry, she called her husband, Chris Parr, who in turn Please see HERO

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Contributed Jamie Parr holds her 4-year-old son, Luke, in a recent photo.

Their best shot: North Oconee hosts basketball camp

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader North Oconee hosted a basketball camp where more than 70 campers participated in drills and played several games throughout the week. For more photos of the camp, see theoconeeleader.com.

Bogart library will turn a new page

By Lee Shearer

TheOconeeLeader.com

A long-awaited expansion of the Bogart Public Library Branch is slated to finally begin in the next fiscal year.

Officials with the Oconee County and Athens Regional Library systems have tried to get funding in place for the project for years,

and finally got the last piece in place in March, when the Georgia state legislature passed a 20162017 budget including $1.8 million for the expansion. The money becomes available sometime after the new fiscal year begins July 1, but there’s no definite timeline as of yet.

Oconee County voters two years

ago voted to put more money into the expansion project when they approved a list of building projects to be financed with a special fiveyear, 1 percent sales tax, the socalled SPLOST. A state formula for library grants such as the one Oconee County is getting calls for local governments to chip in an amount matching 10

Please see LIBRARY

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Campers find ways to help

By Rob Peecher

TheOconeeLeader.com

Please see CALENDAR

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Contact us:

Email editor@theoconeeleader. com

Twitter @TheOconeeLeader

percent of the first $1 million of a library building grant, and to come up with a 50 percent match after the first $1 million.

For the Bogart project, that works out to a minimum $500,000 contribution from the county.

The expansion is long overdue

ROB PEECHER/Oconee Leader Celina Zhao (left) and Samantha Wells, both rising freshmen at North Oconee High School, pick up trash at Oconee Veterans Park.

For 16 middle and high school kids, their week at summer camp was quite a bit different from the camps most of their friends were going to.

They milked goats one morning. Another morning they picked up trash at Harris Shoals Park. They played bingo and visited senior citizens. For these 16 students enrolled in Volunteer Oconee Camp through the county’s recreation department, the week meant hands-on learning about the volunteer opportunities in their community.

Cindy Pritchard, who volunteers with a number of organizations around Oconee County and is the manager of the Oconee Farmers Market, and Kay Keller, the Please see VOLUNTEER

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Thursday, June 23, 2016

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Athens Banner-Herald

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Son rises on Father’s Day We don’t make a big deal out of holidays like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day in our house, and we never have. A couple of funny cards, an inexpensive gift and a meal off the grill or at a favorite restaurant is about the extent of what we do.

So it was with more than a little surprise that I had lavish gifts bestowed unto me by my sons.

I knew something was going on by the way my 14-year-old Robert kept going into my closet and making furtive phone calls to his grandfather. Later in the day I saw Harrison, my 20-year-old, handing Robert cash.

Giving up of cash is not the sort of thing that happens easily in our house. My sons, like their father before them, are notoriously tight fisted, especially when it comes to each other. So my suspicions were dramatically increased when I saw Harrison voluntarily passing money to Robert.

The obvious conclusion for this sort of behavior the day before Father’s Day was that my sons were colluding to get me a gift.

But, as I noted earlier, this isn’t the sort of thing for which there is historical precedence.

Then Saturday afternoon my dad came by the house and got Robert, and the two of them went off on some sort of shopping expedition.

If there is zero historical precedence for my sons to get me a gift, there is even less historical precedence for my dad to go shopping.

What I should have known was that Robert was not colluding with his brothers to get me a gift as much as he was colluding with his brothers to get a gift that he would enjoy.

The mystery was settled Saturday afternoon when Robert walked into the house and handed me my Father’s Day gift: A box of 50 rounds of .40 caliber bullets.

I’ve celebrated Father’s Day as a father 21 times now, and somehow, 14-year-old Robert, who doesn’t even have a girlfriend, much less children, has managed to top me in Father’s Day gifts.

The boys and I go shooting from time to time, and the last time we went we used up all my practice rounds. We all enjoy shooting, but none of us enjoy shooting like Robert does.

The last several times he has asked to send some lead down range, I have answered him that I’m all out of practice rounds.

And the ammunition I do have is too expensive to shoot just for fun.

Of the 50 rounds Robert and Harrison bought me for Father’s Day, I reckon I’ll fire five or six shots.

The other rounds will be distributed between Robert, Harrison and Nathan.

During the brief gift giving ceremony, Nathan complained that he’d been left out of the transaction, and he was made to look like the bad son because he didn’t pitch in on the gift.

So a little while later, Jean took Nate to the Golden Pantry, and when they returned he had a 4-count package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

I felt bad for Nathan, who felt guilted into buy-

ing me a Father’s Day gift, especially knowing that the gift from his brothers was more for them than it was for me.

Harrison wasn’t around, so using both hands I counted up the number of people in the house – me and Jean and Robert and Nathan – and realizing there were four of us and four Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, I decided to divide up my second Father’s Day gift – giving everyone a peanut butter cup.

So it was a successful Father’s Day for me. A box of bullets and a Reese’s cup made me feel like I’d been pretty successful as a father.

On Sunday we went with my parents to lunch, and there I learned that if I thought I’d done pretty well on Father’s Day, it was nothing to how well Robert did.

My mom got me a gift certificate to a shooting range some time ago, and I haven’t used it because the boys and I shot up all my practice rounds shooting at a cardboard box in a field.

Apparently, she said something to Robert about using that gift certificate and he somehow connived to get her to make a wager about me using that gift certificate.

When it’s all said and done, Robert will have gotten Harrison to chip in on the box of bullets, he’ll get to go shooting, and he’ll get his grandmother to pay him (from their bet) for his investment in the bullets. And to top it off, he managed to get a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. I’ve celebrated Father’s Day as a father 21 times now, and somehow, 14-year-old Robert, who doesn’t even have a girlfriend, much less children, has managed to top me in Father’s Day gifts.

Crymes

Reines

Richardson

Trimpe

Cherry

Settles

Athens Academy honors students for performance Staff reports

During Athens Academy’s 46th commencement exercises, Head of School John Thorsen and Upper School Director Bob Sears recognized several members of the Class of 2016 for their outstanding performance during their Upper School years.

Ellie Crymes and Rachel Reines both received the Robert F. Marion Award for Service, which is presented to seniors whose outstanding service to the school and community reflect the selfless devotion to the ideals and philosophy of Athens Academy as manifest in the spirit of lifetime trustee Robert Marion (19252009).

Rachel is the daughter of David and Jennifer Williams of Athens. She will attend the University of Georgia in the fall. Ellie is the daughter of Scott and Cindy Crymes of Athens. She will attend Rhodes College this fall.

Thorsen and Sears also recognized

several members of the Class of 2016 for their outstanding performance as studentathletes during their Upper School years.

The awards, and those who received them, include: The G. William Thurston Athletic Award: Drew Richardson and Grace Trimpe. This award is presented to a senior boy and girl athlete whose keen sense of sportsmanship combined with superior athletic skill reflect the merits of Thurston. These athletes consistently portray competitive excellence with honor in attitude, effort, and performance. This fall, Drew will attend Washington & Lee University, and Grace will attend Georgia Tech.

The Scholar-Athlete Award: Kayla Cherry & Wyatt Settles. This award is presented to a senior boy and girl who have achieved outstanding records in both academics and athletics. This fall, Kayla will attend Rice University and Wyatt will attend the University of Georgia.

BOE chief to head state group Staff reports

Tom Odom, the chairman of the Oconee County Board of Education, is now in line to become president of the Georgia School Boards Association.

Odom was installed as GSBA president last week at the association’s annual meeting in Savannah.

He will succeed Will Wade, the chairman of the Dawson County school board, after Dawson’s one-year term as president.

Odom has been on the Oconee County school board since 2013, after retiring from a long career as teacher, coach and school administrator. He was re-elected to serve another four-year term last month, winning nearly 75 percent of the vote. He has three degrees from the University of Georgia and at one point served as interim director of the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce.

File photo Tom Odom was installed as GSBA president last week at the association’s annual meeting in Savannah.

Odom will become the second person from Oconee County to serve as the GSBA president, after Jerry Studdard, who was president in 1990-91.

The association trains and advocates for Georgia boards of education, which oversee city and county school systems.

Rob Peecher is author of “Four Things My Wife Hates About Mornings,” available at Amazon. com.

Parrish named to school board Staff reports

The Oconee County Board of Education named Amy Parrish to fill the position on the board vacated by Mark Thomas, who resigned earlier this year to run for a seat on the Oconee County Board of Commissioners.

A past president of the Junior League of Athens and active in several other school and community organizations, Parrish is a nine-year resident of Oconee County. She and husband Robert have two children in the Oconee County public school system.

A financial adviser with Highland Trust Partners, Parrish was one of two applicants to fill the rest of Thomas’ term, along with Dorann Mansberger. Remaining board

members interviewed both candidates in an open meeting June 6.

The board is charged by local law with appointing someone to fill a vacant position on the board.

“We are very grateful to these two wonderful people for their willingness to be considered for this appointment,” board Chairman Tom Odom said in a news release. “Because of the high quality of the applicants it was a difficult decision and the board certainly did its due diligence in reaching this conclusion.”

Thomas won his race and begins serving on the Oconee County Commission in January.

LEE SHEARER/Oconee Leader Shona Foster of Barrow County reads in the Bogart Public Library recently along with son Isaiah, 10, and daughter Noni, 11.

Library as far as Bogart branch manager Donna Butler is concerned.

Areas served by the library are growing fast, she said; one nearby elementary school added about 400

Continued from page 1 students in the past three years, she said.

“It does get really busy,” she said.

Last Thursday, about 450 people came to the library, including about 100 who came to see a screening of “Zootopia,” just out on video, Butler said.

Built nearly 20 years ago the Bogart library is within Oconee County, but is close to Oconee’s border with four other counties – Clarke, Barrow, Jackson and Walton. Most patrons come from Oconee, but people from the other counties add up to a sizeable minority, she said.

The renovation and expansion project will nearly triple the size of the library, from about 3,000 square feet to about 8,000 square feet, said Rhea Butler.

The expansion will allow the library to keep more books on hand, said Rhea Herbert, Oconee County library director.

“Bogart is packed. If you put something on a shelf, you have to take something off to make room,” she

said.

But shelf space shelf isn’t the most important change, said Butler and Hebert.

“Probably the greatest need is for programming space and meeting space,” Hebert said.

Butler is already thinking about how she can use the additional space, including meeting rooms and smaller study areas.

With small study areas, which the library does not have now, a small group such as a local quilting club could meet in one of the smaller areas while a larger crowd could gather for a movie.

She also wants to hold job fairs at the library.

“I want to help more people find jobs,” she said.

“We love this library and we love Miss Donna,” said patron Shona Foster, who came in Monday to sign up son Isaiah, 10, and Noni, 11, to do some volunteer work at the library this summer. “I’m excited about the expansion. More and more people are coming here.”

Thursday, June 23, 2016

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Athens Banner-Herald

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Commission signs off on budget, rezone requests with a general fund budget of $25.1 million.

The county’s millage rate also will remain at 6.686 for the tenth straight year. Other items approved by the Board of Commissioners included rezone and variance requests for a car dealership, fireworks store and an events facility.

“The budget was approved with no changes, with the increase and with the millage rate remaining the same,” said Chairman Melvin Davis. “The (maintenance and operations) budget is $25.1 million and the grand total is

By Mike Sprayberry TheOconeeLeader.com

After an unexpected delay on a number of items scheduled for consideration June 7, the Oconee County Board of Commissioners approved the county’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget as well as rezone and variance requests for a number of new businesses at a special called meeting June 14..

The total FY 2017 budget was approved as expected at approximately $48 million

Volunteer

Continued from page 1

president at the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce, organize and lead the activities at the camp, and this year Kerrie Bramlett of Oconee State Bank also helped for the entire week.

The camp is held twice during the summer, once in June and once in July. The July camp still has some spaces open, Cindy said.

“This is the second year we’ve had the camp, and really it’s the result of us trying to make sure that kids are aware of the opportunities that exist in their community for volunteering,” Cindy explained.

Cindy noted that students applying to college need volunteer hours, and the camp is useful in that respect.

“It’s important to be a whole person when you’re applying to college – they’re looking at grades and extracurricular activities, but they’re also looking at what you’ve done to volunteer in your community,” she said.

But the Volunteer Camp goes beyond college applications. Part of the goal of the camp is to teach kids how rewarding volunteering can be.

“Kay and I grew up volunteering in our community,” Cindy explained. “That is something that was always important to us. We expose the kids to a lot of different things, and it may be that they even find something that they are passionate about and want to continue to do.”

At the Hardigree Wildlife Sanctuary,

High school seeks to honor alumni veterans Staff Reports Oconee County High School is seeking to create a Warriors Hero Wall to honor alumni who served in the U.S. military and is asking the Oconee community to help spread the word about this project.

Send to Sharon Parsons the following information about OCHS alumni who served in the military: Name (Last, Middle and First) Branch (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard) Years of service (Example: 1982-86 or 2012– present) OCHS graduation year (Example: Class of 1997) The information can be emailed to sparsons@ oconeeschools.org or mailed to Oconee County High School, c/o Sharon Parsons Wall of Heroes, 2721 Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville, GA 30677.

The hero wall will be updated yearly, but for this year the school asks that names be sent in by July 11.

campers cleaned up debris. They helped put together meals at the Summer Food For Kids program. They sorted and stocked food at the Area Churches Together Serving food bank.

Cindy said they don’t release the schedule to the parents and kids ahead of time.

“We don’t want them to show up with any preconceived ideas about what it is we’re going to be doing,” she explained.

“We want them to just arrive and jump in. We do a variety of things during the week, some inside and some outside, so that they’re exposed to a lot of different opportunities.”

Milking goats at the Latimer’s Goat Farm was a highlight of the week for some of the kids, Samantha Wells among them.

“The goat farm was something that I didn’t even know existed,” Samantha said.

“I enjoyed milking the goats. They have a machine that does it, and I thought they just milked them by hand.”

Samantha and Celina Zhao are both rising freshmen at North Oconee High School.

Celina said the volunteer camp gave her an opportunity to get “lots of exercise.”

“It’s been a really great experience,” Celina said.

A second week of the camp will be held the week of July 11. The camp runs Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Anyone interested in signing up for the camp can do so through the Oconee County Recreation Department’s website.

Calendar

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support group on the fourth Friday of every month.

You can contact Alex Stevens, Chaplain, or Rebekah Goodson, Social Worker. Free., 706-7056000, oconee.chamberofcommerce.me/Calendar/ moreinfo.php?eventid=213720 Flashback Friday Film Screening: Rocky: 3 p.m.

Friday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. Celebrate #FlashbackFriday with a throwback flick and popcorn.

All programs and events are free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/oconee., www.athenslibrary.org/oconee Oconee County Library Children’s Department @ AthFest!: 12:25 p.m. Saturday, Athfest, 285 West Washington Street, Athens. Come join the Rebecca Sunshine Band for a sing-along and lots of fun at the KidsFest Stage at the AthFest Music and Arts Festival in downtown Athens. Children of all ages and their families get to play instruments.

Free. For more information, please call (706) 7693950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/oconee.

PRISM presents: Mean Girls: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. “Home-schooled Cady Heron finally gets to experience public school and gets a quick primer on the laws of popularity that divide her fellow students.” Rated PG-13. Popcorn and drinks served. Grades 6-12.

For more information, call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/oconee.

about $48 million including enterprise funds and SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) projects.”

Also on the agenda for the Board of Commissioners at the called meeting were rezone and variance requests for a controversial car dealership proposed for GA-316 between Jimmy Daniel Road and Virgil Langford Road.

“The car dealership was approved 2 to 1,” said Davis. “It passed with several conditions added to it. One being that a berm

with landscaping would be adjacent to the side of the property and another being that vehicles transporting new vehicles could not unload on Virgil Langford Road or Jimmy Daniel Road.”

A special use request for a fireworks store in the Manders Crossing shopping center on Mars Hill Road was approved as well as a rezone and two variance requests for an event facility on GA-53. The Board of Commissioners also approved a series of contracts for sewer and courthouse security improvements.

Hard Labor could hit full pool in a year

By Mike Sprayberry TheOconeeLeader.com

The Hard Labor Creek Reservoir, a joint venture between Oconee County and Walton County, is approximately 40 percent full and possibly less than a year from reaching full pool.

The reservoir is expected to provide up to 52 million gallons of water per day for future growth in the two counties. Oconee County is responsible for 28.8 percent of the project’s $85 million cost and will be entitled to 28.8 percent of the water (about 15 million gallons a day). With the reservoir’s management board’s June meeting rescheduled for July, Oconee County Commission Chairman Melvin Davis offered an update on

the project.

“The reservoir is filling and as a matter of fact, it’s probably 40 percent full,” said Davis. “So, it’s probably going to take another 9 to 12 months to fill because, as you know, we don’t have much rainfall right now.”

Once the reservoir is at full pool, the reservoir’s treatment facilities will still need to be built before it can supply water to Oconee County and Walton County.

“To have water available, we’ve got to have the water treated and that will take another four years,” said Davis.

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners also worked out new payment arrangements for the

Hero

project with the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority.

“The Board received permission from GEFA, where the county borrowed the money for the Hard Labor Creek Reservoir, to delay our payments to July 1, 2019,” said Davis.

The June 21 meeting of the Hard Labor Creek Reservoir Management Board was cancelled and rescheduled for July 19 at 1 p.m. at the Walton County Historic Courthouse, but according to Davis, the schedule change does not likely suggest any problems for the project.

“I don’t think the meeting was cancelled for any particular reason,” said Davis. “I think it was just some conflicts some people had.”

Continued from page 1

called Mike Link with Oconee County Fire and Rescue.

Luke stayed by his mom.

“He was like ‘you’re doing OK mom.

You’re doing a good job.’ He kept me calm and held my hand until they got there,” she said.

A rescue vehicle arrived and they were able to get her knee back in place without a trip to the hospital.

“To handle it with such calmness was pretty remarkable,” Parr said.

“If he wasn’t with me yesterday, it might have been a different story.”

“If he wasn’t with me yesterday, it might have been a different story.”

Jamie Parr

For hundreds of photos and updates about Oconee events and people, go to theoconeeleader.com

This Week: Titans

WARRIORS l TITANS l SPARTANS l WOLVERINES l LIONS

June 23, 2016

Shootin’ hoops at North Oconee Football

‘Something I will remember forever’ Mueller plays in first U.S. Open

Eisenberg signs Page 5

From Staff Reports TheOconeeLeader.com

Titans

Photos by MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Cross country/track

Moore signs Page 5

Upcoming North Oconee hosted basketball camp last week. It was run by head coach Dave Gascho and several high school players. The more than 70 campers participated in drills and played several games throughout the week with the goal of improving at the sport. For photos of the camp, see theoconeeleader.com.

Taking swings at Athens Academy baseball camp Several athletes have signed to play college sports.

Their stories will be featured in upcoming editions of The Oconee Leader.

Online

Photos by MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Photo galleries

Summer camps theoconeeleader.com

Athens Academy head coach Casey Kane led baseball camp last week. The campers went through fielding drills, hitting drills, played home run derby and wiffle ball, and watched baseball movies throughout the week. For more photos, see theoconeeleader.com.

Athens Academy graduate Kyle Mueller competed in last week’s U.S. Open PGA Tour major at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania.

He shot a 150 in his two rounds (77 and 73) and missed the cut. His score of 10-over was three shots off of former major winner Phil Mickelson and two shots off of former major winner Rory McIlroy, who both missed the cut as well.

“This week was just incredible. It was the best golf week of my life even though it didn’t go as I hoped,” Mueller said in a statement released to the media by the University of Michigan. “I played okay all week. I was hitting the ball very well in the practice round but the way that I wanted during the tournament. My short game was okay as well yesterday but felt really good today. But I would not trade this experience and moment for anything.

“This week has been huge for my confidence. I now know I can compete with the best in the world.

After playing this week, I want to be back here more than ever.”

Mueller’s week started with a practice round with Jordan Spieth. The following day, his playing partners for his next practice round included Bubba Watson.

In his first round, Mueller had five bogeys, two double bogeys and two birdies for a round of 7-over 77.

In his second round, he had two bogeys, two double bogeys and four birdies for a three-over 73. He finished his time at Oakmont by birdieing three of his final five holes.

“This will only help my confidence,” Mueller said.

“It was a great learning experience and I know what I need to work on moving forward to prepare myself for the next level.

“The best moment of the week was w alking down the 18th fairway with Chris (O’Neill) and looking up into the grandstands. I was trying to soak in the whole experience and how special this week was. It is something I will remember forever.”

Mueller is a rising junior at the University of Michigan.

“This was obviously a great opportunity for Kyle and I think he soaked up every minute of it,” said U-M head coach Chris Whitten. “I think the first part of the week in the practice rounds was important for him to see some of the best players in the world in his same group and build some confidence.

He was able to ask them a lot of questions about how they manage their games and leave with important things to work on.

“He will leave Pennsylvania a much better player than when he arrived. I was really proud of the way he prepared, competed, and showed appreciation for all the people who supported him in person and online.

It was just a great week for Kyle and our whole Michigan golf program.”

Thursday, June 23, 2016

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Page 5

Thomas Moore with family

Moore signs with Furman for cross country, track and field

By Matthew Caldwell TheOconeeLeader.com

Furman University’s cross country and track and field program had a lot of success with one North Oconee graduate, Tripp Hurt.

Now they are getting another from North Oconee to join the track and field team and cross country team.

Thomas Moore committed in January to Furman and the school had a signing ceremony for him in April.

“I feel great because it is finally done and over with. I have known where I was going for a while. It was nice to have it finally public,” Moore said at his signing ceremony. “I decided I wanted to go to Furman a long time ago but not until I went on my official visit, which was sometime in January that I decided to commit there. I committed before I left for the visit.

“Their team is really close knit. All of the guys are good friends with each other.

I like that because that is something I will miss at North Oconee, how close we all were. Their team is solely invested in running. The coach gives one-on-one meetings every week. He monitors mileage, diet, nutrition. I wanted to be on a team that put 100 percent effort into running.”

Hurt was a two-time all-conference cross country runner and holds the school

record in the 3000-meter steeplechase. He ran at Furman from 2011 to 2014. Moore said Hurt played a big role in his decision to attend Furman.

“Tripp was one of the main guys I was talking to about Furman. We met up over the summer and he called when he was in Colorado on vacation to tell me about Furman. The coaches knew North Oconee is where Tripp is from. It helped a lot. Plus I had sort of a bond with teammates on the team through Tripp. He helped a lot,” Moore said. “He is a big legacy. He is moving onto the pro runner circuit now. He had multiple school records up there. When I went on the visit, people recognized that is Tripp’s school where I was coming from.

Tripp was a big deal.”

Moore is coming off a senior year that saw him finish fourth in the 1600 in the Class AAAA state track and field meet.

He finished 12th in the state cross country meet last fall.

He has run since the seventh grade.

“My dad always told me I would run cross country so I did,” Moore said. “There have been ups and downs because running is a hard sport to do. You never like it all of the time. When it is windy outside, no one wants to go running. When it’s cold, no one wants to go running. I enjoy the sport. Otherwise I wouldn’t be signing at Furman for it.”

Mils Eisenberg with family North Oconee football

Eisenberg commits to Guilford College to play football

By Matthew Caldwell TheOconeeLeader.com

North Oconee graduate Mils Eisenberg isn’t done putting on a football uniform.

Eisenberg committed to Guilford College, which is located in Greensboro, N.C. He committed to the program in late March/early April.

“I am happy, relieved, with where I am going to spend my next four years at college,” Eisenberg said.

Eisenberg, who was recruited to play safety, was named second-team all-Region 8-AAAA for the Titans last season.

He played safety for the Titans in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. He has played football since he was 7.

“Started with pee wee ball and stayed

with it,” Eisenberg said. “It has always been a goal. It’s a dream of mine. It will feel good (to step on a college football field for the first time). It will be exciting.”

Guilford is coming off a 9-1 season. The Quakers play in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in NCAA Division III. Their season starts September 3 against Greensboro. They will also play Washington and Lee on October 15. Athens Academy graduates Will Corry and Drew Richardson committed to Washington and Lee. Eisenberg said he chose Guilford because of the recent success of the program and the academics.

“It’s a good academic school and I love the program,” he said. “They are coming off their best season yet as a program and looking to build off that.”

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Page 6

Thursday, June 23, 2016

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