The Oconee Leader

is something we against North Hall for the rom the beginning,” Titans, Walker Towns won orth Oconee head 6-1, 6-7, 13-11 CALDWELL/Oconee at No. 1 MATTHEW Leader Michael Hudson Williams. singles, Bullock Charlotte high-fives No.Elijah 1 doubles partner Sydney MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader end theFriday’s day, it ismatch wonagainst 6-0, 6-2Oconee at No. 2County. sinnt inof last Below, r McCarthy hitsWe a backhand in his match No. 1Above, singlesNorth Oconee’s Charlotte Hudson high-fives No. 1 doubles partner Sydney nother match. gles, John Knight wonat6-0, YangFor after winning a point in last Friday’s match against Oconee County. Below, on hisone match last Thursday against Morgan County. nother next week 6-4 at No. 3 singles and ay’s Oconee-Oconee CountyBrandon match, see otherNorth one after that. Christopher and Oconee County’s Connor McCarthy hits a backhand in his match at No. 1 singles need to keep rolling Henri Johnson won 6-3, 6- last Friday. McCarthy won his match last Thursday against Morgan County. For more photos of last Friday’s North Oconee-Oconee County match, see ery Ansley match the way 2won at No. Hardeman 6- 1 doubles.

Hannah Boran wontheoconeeleader.com.

6-1, 6me to0,this6-1 one.at No. 1 singles, For the 3 Lady at No.Titans, 1 singles, Julia Ansley Hardeman won 6- Hannah Boran won 6-1, 6Hannah Daniel won 6-1, Hardell won 6-3, 6-3 at 0, 6-1 at No. 1 singles, 3 at No. 1 singles, Julia 6-1 at No. 2, Kate Dukes No. 2, Miranda GomezHannah Daniel won 6-1, Hardell won 6-3, 6-3 at won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3 and Puche won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6-1 at No. 2, Kate Dukes No. 2, Miranda GomezCharlotte Hudson and 3, Sara Catherine Pennell won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3 and Puche won 6-1, 6-2 at No. Amanda Bounds won 6-1, and Miranda Gomes won Charlotte Hudson and 3, Sara Catherine Pennell 6-0 at No. 2 doubles.

7-5, 6-3 at No. 1 doubles Amanda Bounds won 6-1, and Miranda Gomes won In last Thursday’s win for and Alexis Anderson and 6-0 at No. 2 doubles.

7-5, 6-3 at No. 1 doubles the Warriors, Connor Mc- Lexi Houston won 2-6, 6In last Thursday’s win for and Alexis Anderson and Carthy won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3, 6-2 at No. 2. the Warriors, Connor Mc- Lexi Houston won 2-6, 61 singles, Gabriel Young “We have to go out and Carthy won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3, 6-2 at No. 2. won 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2, Clay execute but we are looking 1 singles, Gabriel Young “We have to go out and Malcom won 6-1, 6-4 at pretty good in the region at won 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2, Clay execute but we are looking No. 3, Landen Benson and this point,” Hon said. “JefMalcom won 6-1, 6-4 at pretty good in the region at Andrew Davis won 6-0, 6-1 ferson is usually pretty No. 3, Landen Benson and this point,” Hon said. “Jefat No. 1 doubles and Jack good and Hart County girls Issue 11 Volume 11 From the Oconee to the Apalachee Andrew Davis won 6-0, 6-1 ferson is usually pretty Boran and Malachy Mejias are usually pretty good. We at No. 1 doubles and Jack good and Hart County girls won 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 have them coming up. We Boran and Malachy Mejias are usually pretty good. We doubles.

Please see ‘NOHS-OCHS’ won 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 have them coming up. We For the Lady Warriors, Page 5 doubles.

Please see ‘NOHS-OCHS’ For the Lady Warriors, Page 5

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

This Week: Sports

Tennis action takes hold as Oconee and North Oconee square off

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Sports, page 4

U.S. Olympic Trials ella Torre qualifies for U.S. Olympic Trials

ming

BY MATTHEW CALDWELL The Oconee Leader

er this month in Knoxville on the campus of the sity of Tennessee, Oconee County High School junnielle Della Torre, 16, officially punched her ticket ha for June’s USA Olympic Trials.

Torre swam a 2:18.39 in the 200-IM to hit the qualime, which is 2:18.69. ng into the weekend, it was really stressful because what was on the line. It was a fun weekend,” Della aid. “Ever since I got close to it last year at a grand eet in Charlotte, I have been working to get it. We een in short-course season since then. When long rolled around, I wanted to get it. as really exciting. My parents were so happy for y dad was my coach and he was so ecstatic that I ng so well in swimming. He normally takes me to my meets. When he saw I got my Trial cut, he was py for me. eans so much to me and it means so much to my . They were so happy for me that I am being sucin something. It means a lot. After qualifying, I felt MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader big weight was lifted off my shoulders because it at UGA anielle Della Torre looks at her time during a meet MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader e qualified earlier this month for the USA Olympic Trials.

Please see ‘Della Torre’ Oconee County junior Danielle Della Torre looks at her time during a meet at UGA Page 5 in December. Della Torre qualified earlier this month for the USA Olympic Trials.

Danielle Della Torre punched her ticket to Omaha for June’s USA Olympic Trials.

Sports, page 4

ROB PEECHER/Oconee Leader

Donna Washington (right) talks to Bethany Griggs after Saturday’s race. Griggs, who manages an orphanage in Kenya and used to babysit Amy Washington, said she runs in a 5K fundraiser for the orphanage in Kenya called the Flip-Flop 5K. The name comes from the fact that the kids from the orphanage run the 5K either in flip-flops or their bare feet.

News

A race to help Kupendwa Ministries

By Rob Peecher The Oconee Leader

Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation announces the opening of its spring quarter art classes News, page 2

For many of the runners on Moore’s Ford and Lane Creek Saturday morning, the 5K wasn’t as much about the run as it was supporting Amy Washington’s Kupendwa Ministries.

“I’m super excited about what Amy is up to,” said Bethany Griggs. “I used to babysit Amy when she was little.”

Bethany ran the race Saturday morning pushing her 6-month-old son Judah in a stroller. Like Amy, Bethany lives in Africa fulltime, but has been in the United States for the past several months having her son. She plans to return to Kenya after he has had all of his immunizations.

“I work with Living Hope Ministries, and we have an orphanage in Kenya where we are taking care of 44 children. We’re trying to build a school, and I was at a fundraiser for the school when I heard about the 2 Soles for 2 Souls 5K,” Bethany explained. “When I learned about what Amy is doing, I knew I wanted to come and support her.”

The race began Saturday morning at Washington Farms, the local farm owned by Amy’s parents, John and Donna Washington. The money raised from the 5K is going to support Kupendwa, a ministry Amy started in Uganda in 2012. Kupendwa’s focus is providing care for young mothers and their children who are in crisis situations. Many of the mothers Ku-

pendwa helps have been abandoned by their families. Kupendwa provides them with a place to live and also with vocational and parenting training.

Jenny Major was among the volunteers helping to organize Saturday’s race.

“I love Amy’s story,” Jenny said. “Her faithfulness to God in leaving her home to move to Uganda and care for mothers and babies. It’s a privilege to be part of Kupendwa, a ministry rooted in Oconee County, bearing fruit on the other side of the world.”

One of the runners Saturday morning was Lynette Hermanski who heard about the race while on a tour of Africa. Hermanski met Amy Washington in Jinja, Uganda, where Kupendwa is housed. Hermanski said Amy gave her a brochure for the race.

“I just had to come and run it,” she said.

Deanna Washington, Amy’s sister, helped to organize the race Saturday, and she said she was pleased with the way it went. Close to 300 people registered to run in the race, she said.

“This is our second 5K, and we’re really happy with it,” Amy said. “The weather was terrific. It was gorgeous, and the rain held off.

It’s been the perfect weather out here.”

Amy recently returned from spending several weeks in Uganda helping at Kupendwa.

She said the money from the race will go to help with construction projects Kupendwa has in the works.

Last year, Amy bought property outside of

Jinja where she wants to build three maternity homes. Currently, Kupendwa is helping about 30 birth mothers who are all living in one of two houses. Amy hopes to build three houses on the property that will provide a residence for 10 women a piece. Deanna said the money raised in Saturday’s race will go to the construction fund.

Deanna also explained that Kupendwa helps mothers who are not living in one of the maternity homes.

Kupendwa offers maternity clinics in villages where the ministry provides education and supplies necessary for the mothers to give birth in local hospitals. Even though healthcare in Uganda is free, Deanna said, patients are expected to provide things like bed sheets, gauze, and other medical supplies. When expectant mothers are unable to provide these supplies, Kupendwa gives them birthing kits.

Jenny Major explained that Amy came up with the name of the ministry because in Swahili “kupendwa” means “love.”

“One of my favorite things the ministry does in Africa is hosting birthday parties for the young moms,” Jenny said. “It seems so simple and small to us, but to these young women, it’s a sweet reminder that they are indeed loved – by their brothers and sisters in Christ, and by God the Father.”

For those interested in learning more about Kupendwa, they can visit kupendwaministries.org.

Several candidates qualify for primary election in May

By Mike Sprayberry The Oconee Leader

Oconee bowled over at the Fifth Annual Empty Bowl Dinner Photos, page 2 and at the oconeeleader.com

Contact us:

Email editor@theoconeeleader. com

Twitter @TheOconeeLeader

Qualifying ended last week for the May 24 primary election that, with no Democrats qualified, will decide who will hold 11 county offices.

Candidates qualified for three seats each on the Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education (including the Chairman’s seat on each), Sheriff, Tax Commissioner, Coroner, Clerk of Superior Court and Probate Court Judge. Most of the races include incumbents and several of them are uncontested. With the exception of the non-partisan election for Probate Court Judge, all candidates qualified as Republicans.

Stepping down from Post 2 on the Board of Commissioners to

run for Chairman is John Daniell.

Daniell, a Board member for more than seven years, would succeed retiring Chairman Melvin Davis and is uncontested for the position. His vacated Post 2 seat will be filled in a special election later this year.

Qualifying for Post 1 on the Board of Commissioners are retired college administrator Penny Mills and contractor and Board of Education member Mark Thomas.

The winner will replace retiring Commissioner Jim Luke.

Running for Post 4 on the Board of Commissioners are incumbent Mark Saxon and challenger Sarah Bell, a consultant and former candidate for Chairman.

The only contested race on the Board of Education is for that of

Chairman where incumbent and retired principal Tom Odom faces opposition from school counselor Britt Beaver.

Both Post 4 incumbent Tim Burgess and Post 5 incumbent Wayne Bagley qualified and neither race is contested.

Incumbent Sheriff Scott Berry faces a challenge from Kevin “Chappy” Hynes, a chaplain for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

In another contested race, incumbent Coroner Ed Carson will seek reelection with a challenge from funeral director and embalmer Dale Rogers.

Other uncontested races on the Republican ticket include both incumbent Clerk of Superior Court Angela Elder-Johnson and incum-

bent Tax Commissioner Jennifer Riddle seeking reelection without opposition.

Incumbent Probate Judge David Anglin was the only candidate to qualify in the non-partisan Probate Judge race.

The deadline to register to vote in the May 24 primary is April 26.

Early voting will be from May 2 through 20, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and will include one Saturday voting day, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 14.

No voting will be allowed at the Board of Elections office on the Monday before the election or on election day.

Absentee ballots may be requested up to 180 days before the election. The deadline to request the paper ballot is May 20.

Page 2

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Oconee briefs

BankSouth Awards Outstanding Team Members

BankSouth honored outstanding members of the BankSouth team at its first annual Kick-Off and Awards Banquet which was held at the University of Georgia’s Conference Center last month.

Vice President, Lending, Eric Fletcher was presented the “Sales Associate of the Year” award for his excellence in exceeding sales and quality goals and maintaining a high standard of business ethics and integrity.

Vice President, Product Management and Digital Banking Solutions, Misty Shay Cole, and Assistant Vice President, Branch Sales and Service, Jamie Arnold were both awarded with the “Excellence Award” for exceeding expectations related to their roles and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within the enterprise.

Cole and Arnold were also recognized for contributing to BankSouth’s success as a whole, advancing the team, and maintaining a strong customer commitment and focus, both internally and externally.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Having a bowl The Fifth Annual Empty Bowl Dinner was held at the Oconee County Civic Center on March 5. The event helps to fund Oconee Food for Kids, which provides weekend meals for Oconee County children in need.

Assistance for the event comes from students, parents and faculty of surrounding schools. People who attended get a dinner and a bowl to take home, as well as entertainment. For a full gallery of pictures, go to theoconeeleader.com.

Photos by SALLY GUSTAFSON

OCAF offering spring art classes

The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation is proud to announce the opening of new spring quarter art classes. Included with regular classes in pottery, watercolor and painting, OCAF is offering classes and workshops in writing, metalwork/jewelry, collage, sculpture, color theory, handmade cards and Raku pottery.

One of the new workshops being offered this quarter is Textures in Clay: A Raku Pottery Workshop with Candone Wharton. In this hands-on workshop students will create finished pieces with an emphasis on surface design using different tools and raku glazes/firing.

OCAF is also offering Beginning Portrait Sculpture with Jean Westmacott.

Westmacott is the sculptor of “Athena” located at The Classic Center in Athens.

In this beginner level class, she will introduce students to the forms, proportions and expressive possibilities in shaping the human head and will guide students in completing a portrait of their own in clay.

In addition, two workshops by Alicia D. Keshishian are being offered. Keshishian, an award winning designer, former art director for Papyrus and board member of

the Color Marketing Group, will be teaching Chroma-licious — A Color Liberation workshop and a Handmade Cards workshop. Chroma-licious is designed to help students develop a deeper comfort and fluency with color. Students will discover how applied color impacts perceptions, both physically and emotionally and will lean how to incorporate color strategically in their work and lives.

OCAF is located at 34 School Street in Watkinsville. For class descriptions, required materials and fees, visit OCAF’s web site at www.ocaf.com and click on Art Education, call (706) 769-4565 or email info@ocaf.com.

Oconee High putting on High School Musical

The Oconee County High School Drama Department is putting on the play High School Musical on Thursday, March 24, Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26 at 7 p.m. at the Oconee County Civic Center. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

Oconee State Bank donates to ARMC Guest Houses Employees of Oconee State Bank

contributed a generous gift to Athens Regional Medical Center’s Guest Houses.

This was the largest one time donation of supplies The Guest Houses has ever received.

In November, The Friends of The Guest Houses was established to engage local business and longtime supporters with the needs and mission of The Guest Houses. Tim Watson, Vice President of Oconee State Bank, attended the first meeting.

“We are grateful to Oconee State Bank for being a strong Athens Regional supporter for many years,” said Tammy Gilland, Vice President of the ARHS Foundation. “The items their employees have so generously donated to The Guest Houses will help us provide support and comfort to many families who have loved ones receiving treatment in the hospital.

We thank Oconee State Bank for partnering with us to put people first at Athens Regional.”

The Guest Houses provide a supportive and accessible residence for the families of Athens Regional patients. The patients, their families, and the entire ARHS community are highly appreciative of this donation.

— Staff Reports

Thursday, March 17, 2016

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Never a bad day in a canoe On the Apalachee River between Price Mill Bridge and the US 441 bridge, there’s a little shoal where some big boulders push all the water in the river toward the right bank.

It’s a pretty little spot, and we call it Lunch Rock Shoals because that’s where we usually stop for lunch when we’re paddling the Apalachee. The area to the right of the rocks, where the river flows, is a fun little drop to paddle through. As the water rushes between our big lunch boulder and the bank, there are some rocks under the surface of the water that you have to watch out for, but if you hit the channel right (and the water level is high enough) it’s a fun little rapid to run down.

Saturday, Rodney and I were paddling the Apalachee.

We came through Lunch Rock Shoals, did our eddy turns to get out of the current and paddled back up to the boulder for lunch.

“You want to try my boat?” Rodney asked. “We can lift it over the rocks, you can paddle back up stream a ways and then turn around and run the shoal in it.”

The Blue Iguana – Rodney’s canoe – is a whitewater canoe with a rounded hull and deep rocker. It’s basically shaped like a banana. My canoe has a flat bottom and is better for lakes and flat rivers.

My canoe – I call her Big Turtle – has a foot rest and a La-Z Boy recliner, and in Rodney’s canoe, you sit in a saddle with your knees on the floor of the boat.

I’ve never paddled a whitewater canoe before. Since Rodney got the Blue Iguana a few months ago, I’ve been surfing the internet and watching videos, trying to pick out the whitewater canoe I want to buy one day. The Blue Iguana is like a sports car, and Big Turtle is like a Greyhound bus. I want a sports car, too.

I’ve wanted to try Rodney’s boat, but I want to try it out on flat water when the water is warm and I don’t mind going for a swim. Saturday we were not on flat water and the Apalachee was not warm.

But when two grown men are pad-

dling down the river and one of them is in a sports car and the other one is in a Greyhound bus, you don’t turn down the chance to drive the sports car.

So before I’d really thought it through, I was helping Rodney get his cooler and fishing pole and other stuff out of his canoe. I realized, of course, that we were emptying his canoe because of the high probability that my first time in a whitewater boat I was going to roll it, but that fact had not clearly established itself in my mind until I was stepping into the boat.

For some reason, the theme song to the 1970s commercial was running through my head: “Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.”

I tried to get accustomed to the movement of the boat as I paddled back up stream. It was very tippy, and when I leaned one way or another, the boat leaned right along with me. Big Turtle is so flat bottomed I could almost do handstands on the gunwales without tipping it over.

But in the Blue Iguana, when the breeze blew the hair on my arm a little to the left, the boat leaned heavily with the redistribution of weight.

I paddled out into the current and started downstream for the drop at Lunch Rock Shoals. Rodney set up with his camera to get shots of me paddling his boat through the rapid.

My only desire was to get to the bottom of the shoal without going for a swim or smashing my face against a rock.

The rocks and the tongue of water were getting closer.

“If you go into the river, grab hold of my boat and paddle and don’t let them get away!” Rodney shouted. That did nothing to help my confidence.

“Weebles wobble,” I thought to myself.

The Blue Iguana zipped over that tongue of water like a boss. I nearly shouted with glee as I ran that rapid, but I was afraid the sound waves would roll the tippy canoe. My confidence was raised, suddenly I felt secure in my

abilities as if I’d been riding around in whitewater canoes since I was just a kid.

To impress Rodney, I thought I would do a big sweeping eddy turn toward the right bank and then cross back over the current to the left bank where Rodney, Big Turtle and the rest of my lunch were waiting for the return of the triumphant paddler.

But I reached too far with the paddle when I tried to do my eddy turn. I was suddenly proving that Weebles do fall down. In a second, I was drinking in great gulps of the Apalachee River and wondering how fast a man can freeze to death in a river in March.

I brushed past a big rock under water, and that made me remember that I needed to do something other than just freeze or drown, so I righted myself and got my head out of the water. I grabbed the canoe and was pleased to realize I still had the paddle in my hand.

Now that I was breathing again, I got acclimated to the cold water. My thought was to just stand up and walk Rodney’s canoe to the bank, but when I went to put my feet on the bottom I discovered that the shallow little Apalachee turns very deep at the bottom of Lunch Rock Shoals. I couldn’t touch the bottom.

So there was nothing for it but to swim Rodney’s boat and paddle to the bank. As I got closer to the bank, I kept trying to find the bottom with my feet, but I was in the deep channel. Finally, I reached a tree that was stable enough for me to get the Blue Iguana turned up right, and about that time Rodney paddled up in my boat.

“You were doing fine. Why’d you turn over?” he asked, as if I’d done it on purpose.

Even going for a swim in the chilly Apalachee, I can still say I’ve never had a bad day in a canoe on a river. But when I got home from the Apalachee Saturday, I altered my internet searching. I thought maybe just a solo boat with a shallow rocker and an arched hull might be more to my liking.

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

Page 3

Oconee calendar Coffee Event-Walton EMC: 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Oconee Veterans Park, 3500 Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville.

Oconee River Resource Conservation & Development Council: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Thursday, Oconee County Senior Center, 1291 Greensboro Highway, Watkinsville.

Percentage night to benefit Athens Salvation Army (at various locations): 5 p.m.

Thursday, Taqueria La Parilla, 2439 Jefferson Road, Athens. Ten local restaurants and two clothing stores “Paint the Town Red” through Saturday by donating 10 percent of a day’s proceeds to Athens Salvation Army.

TOPS weight loss: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Government Annex Building, Highway 15, Watkinsville. Meetings are held each Thursday. TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is a nonprofit support group for weight loss. (800) 932-8677 or www.tops.org.

“If You Give a Pig a Pancake” Pancake Breakfast: 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Chops & Hops, 2 S. MAIN St., Watkinsville. Enjoy a breakfast of pancakes, bacon, fruit, yogurt and granola. Reservations are $10 per person. Tickets are cash only. All proceeds will benefit the Oconee County Wee Reed program. (706) 310-1101 Bogart Historical Society Museum: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Bogart Agricultural Center, E. Thompson Street, Bogart. Free. www.cityofbogart.com.

Youth Art Month Exhibit: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation, 34 School Street, Watkinsville. (706) 769-4565 18th anniversary celebration for Pastor Willie Bodrick: 3 p.m. Sunday, Shady Grove Baptist Church, Watkinsville. Call (706) 201-8095 or email prittenberry@live. com.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide: 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. For more information, visit aarp.org/ taxaide.

Women in Business - Fox’s Pizza Den: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Fox’s Pizza Den, 2971 Monroe Highway, Watkinsville. (678) 661-0220 “Aprende Español! Semana Uno: 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. An eight-week Spanish course for beginners, Wednesdays through April 20. For more information, call 706-769-3950 or visit www. athenslibrary.org/oconee.

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

This Week:

Titans

High school tennis

Thursday, March 17, 2016

WARRIORS TITANS SPARTANS WOLVERINES LIONS

North Oconee tops Oconee in non-region matches Soccer

Signees Page 6

Wolverines

Soccer

First season Page 5

Online

Both teams still undefeated in regions

BY MATTHEW CALDWELL The Oconee Leader

Both North Oconee’s and Oconee County’s girls’ and boys’ tennis teams entered last Friday’s non-region match against each other coming off region wins last Thursday as all four teams remained undefeated in their respective regions.

North Oconee beat North Hall 4-1, 4-1 last Thursday.

Both the Lady Titans and Titans improved to 2-0 in Region 8-AAAA. Last Friday, North Oconee swept Oconee County 5-0, 5-0. The Lady Titans improved to 6-1 overall and the Titans improved to 5-0 overall.

“It’s hard not to be on cloud nine after a win against Oconee like the win we just had. It shows us to be a very competitive team, which is something we knew from the beginning,” said North Oconee head coach Michael Williams.

“At the end of the day, it is just another match. We have another one next week and another one after that.

We just need to keep rolling into every match the way we came to this one.

“I am impressed with the way both teams handled themselves. This probably was a big step in the right direction for both of our programs going into the future.”

Oconee County beat Morgan County 5-0, 5-0 last Thursday. Both the Lady Warriors and Warriors improved to 3-0 in Region 8AAA. “I thought we played really well,” said Oconee head coach Derek Hon. “Usually they are good competition for us in the region. I felt really good about that. There were a couple of lines where we had slow starts but we came back and won those matches. We played good tennis throughout. I was pleased with what we did.”

In last Thursday’s win against North Hall for the Titans, Walker Towns won 6-1, 6-7, 13-11 at No. 1 singles, Elijah Bullock won 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2 singles, John Knight won 6-0, 6-4 at No. 3 singles and Christopher Brandon and Henri Johnson won 6-3, 62 at No. 1 doubles.

For the Lady Titans,

Photo gallery

NOHS vs OCHS tennis

theoconeeleader.com

Online

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Above, North Oconee’s Charlotte Hudson high-fives No. 1 doubles partner Sydney Yang after winning a point in last Friday’s match against Oconee County. Below, Oconee County’s Connor McCarthy hits a backhand in his match at No. 1 singles last Friday. McCarthy won his match last Thursday against Morgan County. For more photos of last Friday’s North Oconee-Oconee County match, see theoconeeleader.com.

Ansley Hardeman won 60, 6-1 at No. 1 singles, Hannah Daniel won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2, Kate Dukes won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3 and Charlotte Hudson and Amanda Bounds won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 doubles.

In last Thursday’s win for the Warriors, Connor McCarthy won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles, Gabriel Young won 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2, Clay Malcom won 6-1, 6-4 at No. 3, Landen Benson and Andrew Davis won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 doubles and Jack Boran and Malachy Mejias won 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 doubles.

For the Lady Warriors,

Hannah Boran won 6-1, 63 at No. 1 singles, Julia Hardell won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2, Miranda GomezPuche won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3, Sara Catherine Pennell and Miranda Gomes won 7-5, 6-3 at No. 1 doubles and Alexis Anderson and Lexi Houston won 2-6, 63, 6-2 at No. 2.

“We have to go out and execute but we are looking pretty good in the region at this point,” Hon said. “Jefferson is usually pretty good and Hart County girls are usually pretty good. We have them coming up. We ‘NOHS-OCHS’ Page 5

Please see

Della Torre qualifies for U.S. Olympic Trials Swimming

BY MATTHEW CALDWELL The Oconee Leader

Photo gallery

PACS soccer

theoconeeleader.com

Contact us:

Email sports.oconeeleader@gmail.com Twitter @ocleadersports

Facebook The Oconee Leader sports

Earlier this month in Knoxville on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Oconee County High School junior Danielle Della Torre, 16, officially punched her ticket to Omaha for June’s USA Olympic Trials.

Della Torre swam a 2:18.39 in the 200-IM to hit the qualifying time, which is 2:18.69.

“Going into the weekend, it was really stressful because I knew what was on the line. It was a fun weekend,” Della Torre said. “Ever since I got close to it last year at a grand prix meet in Charlotte, I have been working to get it. We have been in short-course season since then. When long course rolled around, I wanted to get it.

“It was really exciting. My parents were so happy for me. My dad was my coach and he was so ecstatic that I am doing so well in swimming. He normally takes me to all of my meets. When he saw I got my Trial cut, he was so happy for me.

“It means so much to me and it means so much to my parents. They were so happy for me that I am being successful in something. It means a lot. After qualifying, I felt like a big weight was lifted off my shoulders because it ‘Della Torre’ Page 5

Please see

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Oconee County junior Danielle Della Torre looks at her time during a meet at UGA in December. Della Torre qualified earlier this month for the USA Olympic Trials.

Page 5

Thursday, March 17, 2016

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Prince Avenue Christian boys soccer

Wolverines win two of first six games in first season

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

North Oconee’s Elijah Bullock won his match at No. 1 singles last Friday.

‘NOHS-OCHS’

Continued from Page 4

have Jackson County next week and their girls have been pretty good. We still have to play well but I like our chances of finishing first in the region.”

In last Friday’s match at North Oconee, three of the matches went into a third set and two matches went into a second-set tiebreaker.

“When you reach those tie-break moments, it comes down to mental ability. Every team out here on both teams has the ability to win the match. Both teams left it all on the court but our team had that mental edge today,” Williams said. “Our match against North Hall was a good preparation for that and gave us some momentum, but it shows we have the mental edge to play under pressure.”

In the boys’ match, Bullock defeated McCarthy 4-6, 6-4, 10-4 at No. 1 singles, Towns beat Young 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2, John Knight beat Malcom 6-1, 6-0 at No. 3, Johnson and Brandon beat Benson and Davis 2-6, 6-4, 10-4 at No. 1 doubles and Doster Chastain and Quint Breedlove beat Mejias and Jake Boran 6-2, 7-6 (7-3). The match at No. 2 clinched the win for the Titans.

“Nothing feels quite as great to come off the court and coach says, ‘Hey you clinched the match.’ You just went through that insanely hard second set makes you feel better about the win,” Breedlove said. “There is nothing better.

We came out here expecting a hard match and like coach said, we went into multiple tie breaks and won every single won of them. We couldn’t expect anything better. The perseverance and the way they handled themselves (in the tiebreakers) is amazing. Not many matches go that way.

We played North Hall yesterday and did great. It was a hard weekend for us.”

In the girls’ match, Hardeman beat Hannah Boran 6-0, 62 at No. 1 singles, Dukes beat Hardell 6-3, 6-1 at No. 2, Bounds won 2-6, 6-1, 10-7 at No. 3, Sydney Yang and Hudson beat Pennell and Claire Lacksen 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) at No. 1 doubles and Gemma Kummerer and Megan Reid beat Anderson and Houston 7-5, 6-1 at No. 2 doubles.

“It showed a lot of our character, especially after playing a hard match yesterday, just keeping composed and keeping it together because Oconee is not to be taken lightly.

They are a great team. They have some great players,” Kummerer said. “It wasn’t easy. We had a lot of tight matches but we had the right mindset and going forward, it is a good win to have.”

Hon said he was disappointed at the end result but said it was a good experience for his team to have in the long run.

“Any non-region match is good experience. It is a process. I am hoping and I think the kids can get to the point where at the end of the season, we are winning more of those critical points in critical games in close matches and make the score look a little different,” Hon said. “We played in stretches well enough to win three lines on boys and girls. North Oconee was certainly the better team.

They have a very good team this year. They beat North Hall the previous day and North Hall usually has pretty good teams. We need to get better at getting some of the critical points in the critical games when we need them, which is what happened. We couldn’t get the critical points and critical games. It may have made the end score look a little bit different had we been able to do that. I thought we played OK. They had some really good young players.

I just want to see us improve on the critical games in critical points and hopefully we can do that by the end of the season and when we play a team like North Oconee, we can make the score look different or come out on top.”

Six games into their first varsity season, the Prince Avenue Christian Wolverines have picked up a pair of wins, their first in program history.

They defeated Greene County 3-2 on February 25 for their first win. They followed that up with a 7-1 win against WashingtonWilkes on February 29.

“That was exciting.

Hopefully we can build on that as the season goes. It will take time. Like anything else the first time you start something, there are some growing pains we have to go through,” said head coach Michael Palmer. “We play a lot of young guys too. We probably start five freshmen. We don’t have a JV team. We set up some JV games to get guys a lot of playing time that don’t play in these games. We are hoping that helps groom some of them

‘Della Torre’

has been there for a while.”

Della Torre knew exactly what her time meant when she looked on the board and saw what it was.

“When I turned around and saw it, I got really happy and I started smiling really big and all of my friends were crying,” she said. “I probably won’t make it to the Olympics. I know I won’t make it to the Olympics but it will be worth the experience.”

Della Torre has focused on the 200-IM for a couple of years now. She won the GHSAstate championship last month in the event. She also won the state championship in the 100-breaststroke. “(The 200-IM) has been one of my best events,” Della Torre said. “I am a wellrounded swimmer and can do all of the strokes. Doing the IM made sense because you do everything.”

She started swimming competitively at the age of 8 when she joined the Friendship Sharks summer team. At age 11, she joined

so in the future, they are ready for varsity.”

Last Wednesday, the Wolverines hosted Athens Christian and came away with a 2-0 loss. Both goals for ACS came in the first half.

“We just have to do a better job winning 50-50 balls.

If there were 100 of them in that game, they probably got 99 of them,” Palmer said. “There has to be more goal support for our goalie.

He did a great job. We just didn’t have any goals. We probably didn’t have five shots on goal. It’s all 50-50 balls. They won all of them and we didn’t. We have to get to practice and work on it.”

It was their second loss to Athens Christian this season. They lost 5-0 in their second game of the season on February 17.

“There are some growing pains. We don’t have a

the year-round team Athens Bulldog Swim Club, coached by UGA assistant head coach Harvey Humphries.

“He watched the whole race and he gave me a big hug and was so proud of me,” Della Torre said. “He told me a story of the first girl he had, Paige Wilson, who got it. She was the best swimmer there was back in her day. He was happy for me. In the video my dad was taking of me while I was swimming, you could see him jumping when I got it. He was proud.”

When she joinedABSC, her main coach was Jos Smith, who is now an assistant coach at UNC-Wilmington.

“He really impacted my swimming career,” Della Torre said. “I have never had a coach who took me under his wing like he has.

Since I had him from the time I got into the senior group that I am to the time he left, he was my coach that whole time. I have a swimmer-coach bond with

feeder system yet. Some kids play travel. Some don’t have any experience.

Some have a little bit of rec experience,” Palmer said.

“We are behind. Oconee and North Oconee use Oconee Futbol Academy and Athens Academy has a long tradition, and ACS has a great team. They only lost by two goals to Athens Academy 5-3. They do a great job. They have 11 guys that seem like every time there is a 50-50 ball, they are right on it. There are things we can work on in practice.”

As the program grows, Palmer said he hopes to use the blueprint of area programs while getting the lower school at PACS involved with the sport.

He hopes the program can get a region win this season.

“There are only five teams in our region – Acad-

emy, ACS, Georgia Military, us and Aquinas. That will help us long-term if we can get a couple of region wins before the season is over to build on for next year,” Palmer said. “Our schedule wasn’t very gracious either. We started out with East Hall, who is the No. 2 ranked team in 3A. Our region has some tough teams. ACS is tough. Academy is always good year in and year out. We played North Oconee’s JV team with our younger kids.

They have a great program.

Billy Harrell has done a good job. That’s what I have tried to do is look at what is Academy doing, what is Oconee doing, what is North Oconee doing because they have been sitting on the mountain of success for what seems like years over here. If we can go by their blueprint, we will be in a good shape.”

Continued from Page 4

him that was great.”

In the last several years, Della Torre has had the opportunity to compete in events throughout the country.

“It is a lot of fun but it is very stressful,” Della Torre said. “This past summer I went to California with my dad and I went to Seattle. I was in Seattle to train. I swam in California, Minnesota, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee.

It’s normally strictly swimming. When I was in Minnesota we made time to go to the Mall of America and when we were in California, we went to San Francisco because we got there a couple of days early. We went to sight see.”

With college just a couple of years away, she has a goal to swim at the Division I level. Her trip to California helped her narrow down the area of the country she wanted to focus on.

“I have always dreamed of going to California to school and being out west. I was out there for so long, I

was out there for two weeks, and I wanted to come home so bad. I absolutely hated it. I guess it was because I was in a hotel. That was all I could go, from the hotel to the pool. I didn’t like it. It was a lot of fun but I like being close to home,” Della Torre said. It was a really big eyeopener for me.

“I ideally want to stay in the SEC but either way, I am not going to be able to come home when I want to.

We’ll see.”

Della Torre’s focus now is school work and swimming until the end of the school year. Then it will be nothing but swimming until the Olympic Trials.

“I am going on a cruise for spring break and my coach said after you get home from the cruise, it is nothing but swimming and school until summer, and then just swimming until Trials,” she said.

“I had to postpone my vacation to the beach this summer until after I get home from Trials.”

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Erin Roche with family

Page 6

Alyssa Frey with family and coaches

North Oconee soccer

Roche signs with Wofford, Frey signs with East Tennessee State

BY MATTHEW CALDWELL The Oconee Leader

Just before this season started for North Oconee, a pair of Lady Titans signed to make it official – they would get to keep playing soccer for a college program once graduating from NOHS. Goalkeeper Alyssa Frey signed with East Ten-

nessee State and striker Erin Roche signed with Wofford. “I am excited. I am very opportunistic about it and I think it is going to be a great four years ahead of me,� Frey said. “I went to their camps starting freshman year and I loved it more each time. I kind of knew. When they told me

they had a spot on the team, I was like, alright, that’s awesome.� “I have always been interested in Wofford but they do a later recruiting process,� said Roche, who committed to Wofford in the fall of 2015. “I am sure it will take a lot of hard work (to play as a freshman). It is a big team

and you have to earn your spot, but I am real excited to go in and see what it is like. It will be a different game at the college level but I am excited and looking forward to it.�

Frey has been a goalkeeper since she was 9 when her father started to train her. She said she had offers from two other programs, both Division II, but felt the Division I program located in Johnson City, Tenn. was her home. “I loved the atmosphere up there and I loved the team,� Frey said. “That was the selling point – the team was great and I loved them. I knew I wanted to come back and be a part of that. It was a great atmosphere. “Not many people get the opportunity to do what I get to do. I am very lucky to be able to show people that it is possible.�

Frey started to fall in love with the campus when she began going to camps there as a freshman. “I loved it more each time. I kind of knew.

When they told me they had a spot on the team, I was like, alright, that’s

awesome,� Frey said. “It was the week after we got out of school last year.

The weekend before State Cup they called me. I was taking a nap and when I woke up, my dad told me I was committed to East Tennessee State. It feels great (to officially sign). It is a big relief. I don’t have to worry about that anymore. Now the hard work starts.�

Roche has played soccer for the majority of her life and she said it has been a lifelong goal to play collegiate soccer.

When her older sister began to attend Wofford a couple of years ago, that opened her eyes to the campus in Spartanburg. “I didn’t look at a ton of schools. I knew I wanted a smaller school where I could play soccer and go to school but have it not take over my whole life.

My second option was the University of North Georgia. They have a very good soccer program but I had my hearts set on Wofford since my sister went there,� Roche said. “My older sister is a junior at Wofford. She doesn’t play

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Ecommerce Ecommer ce Sales s Repr Representative esentative burton+BURTON™, the burton+BURTON™, e world’ world’s s largest balloon and coordinating gif gift ft distributor distributor, located , located cated near Athens, GA, has an immediate opening for an Ecommerce mmerce S Sales ales R Representative. epresentative.  This position is responsible for online line sales, internet-based order orders, s, customer service to website customer customers, ustomers, website-generated backorders bac korders and assisting g with maintenance and upkeep upk eep of our ur website.  Essential Responsibilities: ties: t&OHBHF t&OH BHF in live live cchat hat with customer customers s on website t1SPWJEF t1 SPWJEF customer suppor supportt via li live ve cchat, hat, phone and email t"DUJ WBUF cur rent customer egister online t"DUJWBUF current customerss who register t"TTJTU in maintaining online product ct descriptions t"TTJTU " J in i processing i new customerr leads l d and d contact to verify if legitimacy t#VJME new customer records for valid alid new accounts t"TTJTU with online backorders backorders and follow follow-up -up with customer customers s for shipping t5SPVCMFTIPPU t5 SPVCMFTIPPU customer problems with website, li live ve cchat, hat, or tel tel-ephone t' PMMPX up with registered customer ers who have not placed order t'PMMPX customers orderss t"TTJTU management with creation of strategies to increase ecom ecom-merce sales t.POJUPS website for possible impro ovements and new oppor tunities improvements opportunities t8PSL t8 PSL trade shows in Atlanta, Dallas, s, and Las V Vegas egas as needed  Education and d Experience: .JOJNVN Associates degree prefer red or a combination of preferred education and experience in a sales/ecommerce ales/ecommerce en vironment.  environment.  Please send d r esumes t to resumes cblackw ell@burtonandburton.com. nandburton.com. cblackwell@burtonandburton.com. Installation / Maintenance / Repair

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Service T Technician e echnician D&D Heating and Air r Conditioning Conditioning,, Inc Inc.. located in Athens, GA is seeking experienced xperienced service tec technician(s). hnician(s).

Must have 3-5 year yearss field experience nce in residential and commercial retrofitt and new construction.

Valid Driver’s equipment, retrofi struction. V alid Dri ver ’s License, Background Bac kground Check, Check, and Drug Screen Screen required. resume Lyons Athens,, GA Mail r esume to 100 L yons Rd. Athens 30605 or email to ddheatingaircond@bellsouth.net. d dheatingaircond@bellsouth.net. d@bellsouth.net.

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soccer but I have always been interested in the school. To have an opportunity to play soccer and go to a school I love so much is everything I wanted. I love the coaches there, the girls on the team and one of my best friends from my club team is also going to play there.�

When Roche visited Wofford, she went with her friend. “The coaches and the team were also welcoming. When I visited, I visited with my friend and having her there, we had so much fun and really enjoyed it. I am really looking forward to it,� Roche said.

Both Wofford and East Tennessee State play in the Southern Conference.

Wofford won 1-0 in last season’s meeting in Spartanburg. The 2016 schedule isn’t out yet Their current team, the Lady Titans, are 7-1-1 overall and 2-1 in the region. They have home games coming up on March 22 against Johnson and on March 26 against Oconee County.

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Corporate Corpor ate Accounts ounts Associate  burton+BURTONŽ, world’ss largest balloon and burton+BUR TONŽ, the e world’ gift distributor,, located coordinating gif ft distributor cated near Athens, GA,  has an a Corporate opening for a Corporate te Accounts Associate. Corporate Accounts Associate develops velops customer surveys, assists Executives Account Executi ves in the creation n of custom catalogs and surveys for everyday or seasonal products,, maintains the custom catalog list and filings, works directly with the he Account Executi Executives ves on pro providviding kkey ey sales data for communication ation with their corporate stores, and acts as bac backup kup for the Corporate orate Accounts Coordinator in all areas of the position. Bac position. Bachelor’s helor ’s degree d in a related field prefer preferred. red. Minimum of 2 year years’ s’ experience in a S Sales Administration ales Administration role; or equivalent equi ivalent l combination bi i off education d i and d experience. i  Please send r resumes esumes to cblackwell@burtonandburton.com. cblackw ell@burtonandburton.com. onandburton.com. Medical / Health

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Must be available to work PRN RN evenings and week weekends. ends. Â www.mmh.org Apply online at www .mmh.org Or send r resume esume to Sar Sarah ah S S.. Phillips, Phillips, HRÂ Fax: F ax: 706-342-2742 342-2742 e-mail: sar sarahp@mmh.org ahp@mmh.or hp@mmh.org Morgan Morg an Memorial orial Hospital Free Workplace/EEOC is a Drug F ree W orkplace/EEOC

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