On June 5, 2010, Ed Pompa of Ballston Spa will once again Race for the Ranch in the ARCA race at Pocono Speedway.

For the past 3 years Ed has participated in the race proudly displaying the Double H Ranch logo on the hood of his car. Over the past several years Ed and his wife, Nancy, have raised funds and awareness through this program to help send children dealing with a life-threatening illness to camp.

All programs at the Double H Ranch are free of charge. Ed has designed sponsorship levels for others to support the Double H while advertising their own corporation or business. The cost for the camp to host one child for a week is $1,800.

Ed will once again offer sponsors the opportunity to have their name and company logo featured on his race car, with possible TV exposure live on race day on Speed TV. Make a donation to the Double H Ranch of $100 or more before May 15th indicating “Racing for the Ranch” and your name, your company name, or your company logo will be featured on Ed’s car.


100% OF YOUR DONATION GOES TO THE DOUBLE H RANCH

Several sponsorship levels are available based on a $1,800 camper sponsorship.

(All information must be submitted by May 15, 2010.)

-for up to 1/3 camper sponsorship, names will be put on the trunklid.

- for 1/3 to 1/2 camper sponsorship, names or logos will be put on the ‘B’ posts.

-for 1/2 to 1 camper sponsorship, names or logos will be put on doors, ahead of rear tires.

-for 1-2 camper sponsorships, names or logos will be put on the ‘C’ posts.

-for 2-3 camper sponsorships, names or logos will be put on lower rear fenders.

-for 3-4 camper sponsorships, names or logos will be put on the hood, and company will be listed in race press releases as co-sponsor of the car. Includes 2 race tickets.

-for 4+ camper sponsorships, names or logos will be put on rear fenders, and company will be listed in press releases as primary sponsor of the car. Includes 2 race tickets plus 2 pit/paddock passes to the ARCA race.

Donate today at www.doublehranch.org or by check to the Double H Ranch, Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 1378, Williston, VT 05495. Please indicate in Comments section online and by check “Racing for the Ranch”. For questions and additional information please contact Ed Pompa at (518) 857-3928, or by e-mail at bedrock5@nycap.rr.com

The first annual Adirondack Crappie Tournament sponsored by the Adirondack Bass Club will be held 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 1 on Saratoga Lake, coming out of the South Shore Marina, 113 Route 9P.

The cost is $50 per boat and there is a 10 fish limit per boat, live bait is permitted.

Payout with 50 boats participating is $480 for first, $350 for second, $280 for third, $210 for fourth, $165 for fifth, $125 for sixth, $90 for seventh and $50 for eighth.

Registration and launch will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

For the more daring, the 10th annual Michael D. Ciccolella Memorial Pike Tournament will be held May 23 out of the South Shore Marina on Saratoga Lake.

Entry fee is $100 per boat for a two-man team. $5 from each entry will be donated to the Red Cross in the name of Michael D. Ciccolella. There is also an optional $10 lunker pool with 100 percent payback.

Fishing will be held 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a three-fish limit per boat with any combination of Pike, Pickerel and Walleye. Live bait is permitted.

Expected payout with 50 boats registered is $1100 for first, $800 for second, $640 for third, $480 for fourth, $380 for fifth, $280 for sixth, $200 for seventh and $120 for eighth.

For more information, contact Joel Marcotte at 654-7210, Scott Franck at 632-5232 or visit their website at www.adirondackbassclub.com.

Support the Division Street School PTA by participating in its first-ever Dragon's Pride Run 5k 9 a.m. May 16 beginning at the Warming Hut at Saratoga Spa State Park.

The fun 5K race/walk is designed to promote physical fitness for our children, families and community. Proceeds from the race will go towards the Division Street School PTA to help us enhance our children's physical fitness through extra programs and equipment.

Prizes will be awarded for first place in age categories, medals for childrens who participate in the race and T-shirts for all participants.

Directly following the race fun fitness activities and friendly competitions for the kids to participate in. Along with a bouncy bounce, face painting and more!

Register on-line at www.active.com and search for Dragon's Pride Run.

Additional information and updates on the race can be found here.

The organization is also looking for volunteers the day of the race.

If interested call Maureen Delnicki 584-3089 / emdel@together.net or Karen Duthaler @ 309-3165 / kduthale@nycap.rr.com.

Extra Innings in Saratoga features former college and professional coaches at their upcoming Summer Camp programs.

Fastpitch Softball camps are headed by Oneonta’s Michelle Norwich; Skidmore pitching coach Jackie Hall; Castleton’s Laura Rodgers, along with former Shen standout and current Syracuse pitcher, Angie Sagnelli, among others.

The Baseball camps are headed by former Cortland SUNY/AC player of the year, Coach Michael Hubbs, with former professional players, Will Groff (Cardinals) and Jimmy Dougher (Blue Jays), along side Castleton’s Oliver Aldrich, and SUNY Albany’s Chris Hackett, among others.

Camps include play at Extra Innings and DoubleDay Park in Ballston Spa for June 28th – July 2nd, July 5th – July 9th, and August 9th – 13th. Enroll in the Rookie Camp Ages 6-9; Advanced Youth Camp 9-12; and Senior Division/Big League Camp Ages 13-15.

The camps will provide instruction in all areas of the game. Extra Innings invites you to the only camp in the area offering a 20-hour camp with your choice of specialized instruction in Catching, Infield, or Pitching.

Junior EXPRESS announces Summer Indoor Baseball
Extra Innings – Saratoga announces its instructional Summer Indoor Baseball programs. Both the T-Ball Division Ages 4-6 and the Rookie Division Ages 6-9 will meet twice weekly throughout the summer. All players receive instruction every week with games, and skill contests every Friday. All aspects of the game including hitting, throwing, catching, fielding, and base running are taught.


Extra Innings announces Summer Pitching Clinics
Both Fastpitch and Baseball summer pitching clinics are now registering at Extra Innings. Fastpitch clinics are every Wednesday from 4:30 – 6:00pm beginning May 5th and continuing throughout the summer with instruction focusing on speed and control. Summer. Baseball pitching clinics will begin July 12th and with a 12 session program that meets on Monday and Thursday evenings from 6:00 – 7:30. Ages 9-15 are welcome in both programs.

NY Elite FC will host the 8th Annual Mad Dog Mania College Showcase Tournament, which will take place in 2010 on June 26th and 27th at Gavin Park in Wilton.

Some of next year’s most talented high school junior and senior soccer players will take part in this event. With ninety boys and girls soccer teams expected to participate, the tournament will host approximately 1400 athletes during the weekend.

Over 100 college coaches attended this event in 2009. Many of these coaches have reported that this Showcase is a wonderful resource for identifying potential student athletes.

The event also receives outstanding reviews from participating teams and their coaches. After last year’s tournament, Coach Bernie Quinn (Syracuse Fusion) wrote, “The facilities were top-notch - great fields in great condition and the organization at the event was flawless”.

For more information, visit the organizer's website at www.maddogmania.com.

Marge Rajczewski of Ballston Lake captured the women’s 70-74 age group national title Sunday at USA Triathlon’s 2010 Duathlon Age Group National Championship. Rajczewski covered the course in 2:27:40 en route to the age group victory.

In addition to earning a national title, Rajczewski qualified to represent Team USA at the 2010 ITU Duathlon World Championships September 3-5 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Sunday’s race was a part of USAT’s 2010 National Duathlon Festival, which featured a record field of nearly 1,800 competitors over two days of racing in scenic downtown Richmond.

Duathlons are run-bike-run events, and Sunday’s Age Group National Championship was contested on a 5k-38k-5k course.

Saratoga Pop Warner Golf Outing May 14

The annual Saratoga Pop Warner Spring Golf outing 2-person scramble will be held May 14 at the Saratoga Lake Golf Club at noon.

Cost is $85 per golfer and includes: 18 Holes of golf with cart, lite lunch, closest to the pin & longest drive contests, prizes and giveaways.

Contact committee embers Matt Riker (matthew.riker@gmail.com), Kay Cairns (kcairns3@nycap.rr.com) or Dave Karcher (davekdesign@aol.com) for more information.

Six horses, two jockeys and two trainers are finalist nominees for election to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Under the revised format announced earlier, all the candidates are grouped together rather than being divided into categories.

Voters will be asked to vote for as many as four and are not required to include one from each type of candidate. The four with the highest number of votes will be elected. The nominees were selected by the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee from a total of 76 candidates suggested throughout the year by turf journalists, Thoroughbred industry participants and racing fans.

The nominees include contemporary female horses, contemporary male horses, jockeys and trainers. To be eligible, trainers must have been active for 25 years and jockeys must have been active for 20 years. Horses must have been retired for five years. All must have been active within the past 25 years. A separate Historic Review Committee is assigned to consider participants from farther back in history.

The nominees for 2010 are: Azeri, Best Pal, trainer Gary Jones, Open Mind, Point Given, jockey Randy Romero, Safely Kept, Sky Beauty, jockey Alex Solis and trainer Robert Wheeler.

Click here to take the Class of 2010 survey

Student athletes and the public will temporarily lose access to the track area at Schuylerville Central School District this spring and sum¬mer while crews install artificial turf field on the football field that is surrounded by the track.

The track area will be closed Tuesday, April 27 through the middle of August, as a safety precaution while the turf installa¬tion is done, school officials said.

Team practices and games will be relocated to the fields at Fort Hardy, Schuyler Park and the turf field at Stillwater. Physical education classes will use other areas of the campus and the indoor gym¬nasiums for the remainder of the school year.

The turf field was approved by district voters in February. Details about the cost of turf and its advantages are available at www.schuylervilleschools.org/FieldTurf/FieldTurf.cfm.

For more information, call the district at 695-3255.

-- Marissa Nicosia

The Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau is holding their annual golf classic on May 19 at Saratoga National Golf Club.

This year’s event is offer ing the opportunity to make a monetary contribution to sup
port the Saratoga Backstretch Workers at the Saratoga Race Course.

The golf classic is a networking opportunity for Bureau members and brings meeting planner clients to Saratoga to experience all the city has to offer as a destination.

Business support comes in the form of sponsoring a hole, donating a prize/gift certificate and making a monetary donation to Backstretch Employee Service Team of New York, Inc. (B.E.S.T.), an organization supporting back stretch workers.

The Bureau is committed to helping the community and would like to recognize all the hard working employees of our city’s historic landmark racetrack.

Registration for the tournament opens at 11 a.m., shotgun tee-off at 1 p.m., and concludes with a reception featuring awards and prizes from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The entire event is open to Bureau members and non-members. You can choose to attend the golf portion, the reception only, or both.

The tournament will proceed rain or shine unless the course is closed.

To register for the annual golf classic online, visit www.discoversaratoga.org or to request a printed invitation, call the Bureau at (518) 584-1531. Kindly R.S.V.P. by May 12.

Day 2 coverage of the Saratoga Invitational Rowing Regatta

The Saratoga Springs Lions Club Foundation, Inc. is hosting the 6th Annual Saratoga Lions Duathlon on Sunday, May 30, 2010 on the Skidmore College Campus.

Participants will tackle a 5k run, followed by a 20 mile bike ride, ending with another 5k run. Race start time is scheduled for 8 a.m. Participants can be individual, two person teams or three person teams. Area businesses can also participate with a three-person team in the corporate challenge category.


Early-bird registration fees are $50 per individual, $75 per two-person team, and $95per three-person team until May 14 (mail-in entries must be postmarked by 5/14). Pre-registration fees from May 15 through May 27 are $55.00 per individual, $85.00 per two-person team, and $110 per three-person team. On the day of the race, entry fees are $60.00 per individual, $95.00 per two-person team and $125 per three-person team.

Free shirts will be provided to the first 250 entrants. Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in each age category and results will be computerized. Proceeds will further the Foundation’s work in sight and hearing conservation, diabetes and youth programs.

To register, go online to www.saratogalions.com or call 518-899-5544.

Capital Region handicappers and racing analysts Nick Kling, Seth Merrow and Jeanne Wood will be featured in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame’s annual Countdown to the Triple Crown program at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 25.

The popular program in the Museum’s Hall of Fame Gallery includes video
highlights from important prep races and audience-driven discussions with the panel.

Admission is free and each person attending will receive a complimentary issue of the Triple Crown past performances issue published by Daily Racing Form, a complimentary copy of the Thoroughbred Times’ Triple Crown Preview issue and a complimentary copy of the most recent edition of the Blood-Horse.

The 136th running of the Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 1. The 135th Preakness is scheduled for Saturday, May 15. The final leg of the Triple Crown series, the 142nd Belmont Stakes, will be run on Saturday, June 5.

Kling has been the Thoroughbred columnist and handicapper for The Record newspaper in Troy since 1998. Prior to that he held the same position with the Amsterdam Recorder. He has been the co-host of Capital OTB’s Trackfacts since 1992. In addition, he has written for The Saratogian, Post Time USA, Horseplayer Magazine and Wizard Productions.

Merrow is the founder and publisher of Equidaily.com, recently called “the single best source of horse racing news on the Internet” in an article listing Web sites of interest to racing fans. Merrow is a regular contributor to Capital OTB-TV as an analyst and handicapper. He also appears weekly on Sirius Satellite Radio’s “At the Races with Steve Byk.”

Wood began working with and riding horses as a child. An employee of Capital OTB since 1998, Wood has more than 25 years of experience with horses. She has hosted numerous handicapping seminars and has previously served on the National Museum of Racing’s Countdown to the Triple Crown panel.

Brien Bouyea, the Museum’s communications officer, will be the host of the program.
Video of the key prep races is being provided by Capital OTB.

Check our Web site at www.racingmuseum.org

Saratoga Women’s Rugby is recruiting players for our spring season, and you don't need any rugby experience – we will teach you how to play. All you need is a desire to have some fun and be part of a team! Age and fitness level do not matter. We will get you into shape and teach you what you need to know to play!

Or join us for a team practice at Fireman’s Grove Field, 12 Fireman’s Lane (also 15 Main Street), Ballston Lake, NY, just off of Route 146A, on Mondays and Thursdays from 6pm – 8pm. At some point in April when the weather is better we will switch our practice site to The Shenentaha Creek Park on East Line Road in Ballston Spa (exit 12 off the Northway (I-87)). New players are always welcome.

For more information, please visit our website: saratogawomensrugby.com or send us an email at info@saratogawomensrugby.com.

The Town of Greenfield have announced several summer programs for its residents

Boston Red Sox baseball game
We still have a few tickets left for our May 28th, Friday night game against the KC Royals. Tickets are $62/person. Bus leaves Town Hall at 2PM and returns immediately after the game. Sign up at Town Hall.

Summer camps
This is a 1/2-day camp program that begins July 6 and runs through July 30, 9 a.m. to noon with a few extended days for field trips. Campers must have completed kindergarten and goes to age 14. The camp is held at Geyser Road Elementary School, bus transportation is available. It is a free program, but field trips are extra. Registration forms are on the Town’s website or can be picked up at Town Hall. There is a CIT program for 15 year olds. Applications are at Town Hall.

Golf clinic
The Brookhaven Golf Pro will give lessons to Greenfield youth ages 6 to 18. It’s a 5day clinic July 12 – July 16. Cost is $40. Forms are online, at Brookhaven, or at Town Hall. The Town of Greenfield’s Youth Committee also provides a $40 discount on Summer Junior Memberships at Brookhaven Golf Club. This is done right at the Club Pro Shop with proof of residency.

Sports camps
The US Sports Institute is putting on five camps for us this summer at the Middle Grove Town Park during the month of August. Aug. 2-6 is a Multi Sports Camp 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for ages 5-7 ($149), 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for 7-14 year olds ($169), and 4 to 5:30 p.m. is for 3-5year olds ($99). The August 23-27 there will be a World Cup Soccer Camp for 5 – 14 year olds from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. ($159), and a Soccer Squirts Camp for 3-5 year olds, 2 to 4 p.m.($115). All children receive a T-shirt. It is staffed by professional coaches from the UK. Registration forms are at Town Hall.

Fall soccer
Registration for our Fall Soccer Program begins in August. The season begins the second week of school. This is open for grades K – 6.

Information is available on any of these programs by calling the Recreation Director at 893-7432, ext. 307, or going to our website www.townofgreenfield.com , or you can stop into Town Hall Rec. Office Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Albany Golf Tour, a “Real Tour for the Average Golfer”, is gearing up for their third consecutive season, with its first event on Saturday April 24 at 12:30 p.m. at the Van Patten Golf Course in Clifton Park. This year many great changes have been implemented including a change in national sponsors, better prizes and a reduced cost to play.

The tour is designed to give average golfers the opportunity to experience the fun, friendly competition of tournament golf at a variety of great local courses. There are no mandatory membership fees or dues and every team has a chance to win every time they tee it up. Tournaments are played on weekends and it's very affordable.

All tournaments are two-person best ball events played on Saturdays and are open to men, women, and juniors of all abilities.

The tour offers more than $1,000 in prizes (with full-field) per event and a per event point system that crowns a “Player of the Year”. “We have 11 events at courses all over the Capital District, including a few private and semi-private courses,” Local Tour Director Larry Zimbler said.

Prospective players and sponsors may learn about tour schedules, locations, national and local sponsorship opportunities and other tour-related information by visiting www.albanygolftour.com.

It's hard to imagine after a 16-5 boys varsity lacrosse contest that BOTH coaches would be steaming...

Saratoga Springs coach Jon Coons had plenty of reason to be seeing red, well not the red of the Niskayuna Silver Warriors, but at the disappointing play of his Blue Streaks. The squad just couldn't connect with one another, lost the ground ball battles and were schooled by Niskayuna, 16-5.

So what about the other side? Niskayuna coach Mike Vorgang also lit into his squad after the contest and probably with good reason. Fellow sportswriter from the Gazette, Jim Schiltz, who agreed that the Silver Warriors didn't look as sharp as they did the last game he covered him.

Wow!

If there is any positive it's that the Blue Streaks won't see Niskayuna until May 20 and have a lot of time to get their timing together and with the Silver Warriors in Class B for classification, the Section II Class A title remains in the air.

Field notes: Monday's contest was held at Gavin Park in Wilton, moved from the Blue Streak's former home at East Side Rec. According to Saratoga Springs Athletic Director Peter Sheehan the demolition of the grandstands adjacent to the football/lacrosse field and timing of it was too close to the scheduled contest.

Saratoga will host Guilderland Friday afternoon once again at Gavin Park before moving the remainder of its games to the high school and under the lights on the football field.

Also the Blue Streaks game versus Shenendehowa on April 30th will now be on the road, under the lights on the Shen turf. In turn, the May 18 contest versus Shen will be at home under the lights at 7 p.m.

The May 18 date is the Suburban Council track championships at Shen and the chances of that finishing prior to a night lacrosse game was too close for anyone's comfort.

-- Stan Hudy

Averill Park standout Katie Duma and her coach, Sean Organ were named player and coach of the year by the New York State Sportswriters Association in Class A to lead the Capital Region honorees.

Saratoga County had five players earn New York State honors:

Shenendehowa sophomore Emily Weber was named a Class AA fourth team selection.
Shenendehowa senior Allie Setter was named a Class AA fifth team selection.
Shenendehowa senior Marissa Ray was named a Class AA ninth team selection.

In Class C Saratogian and Community News Player of the Year sophomore Dani DeGregory from *Greenwich was named to the third-team all-star selections.
Senior Abby Hanehan from Stillwater was a fourth-team selection.
Senior Jackie Sorensen from Waterford-Halfmoon was a seventh-team selection.

To view the entire list click NYSSWA Girls All-State team.

*Greenwich is not in Saratoga County, but is in The Saratogian's coverage area.

-- Stan Hudy

The Saratoga Pop Warner program will host its 2-person scramble at Saratoga Lake Golf Club beginning at noon, Friday, May 14.

The $85 entry fee includes 18 holes of golf with a cart, a light lunch along with contests, prizes and giveaways.

For more information, contact Matt Riker at matthew.riker@gmail.com, Kay Cairns at kcairns3@nycap.rr.com or Dave Karcher at davekdesign@aol.com.

Here is the entry form for the golf outing, including sponsorsship opportunities with the Saratoga Pop Warner program.

Pop Warner Golf Outing_Registration

It's also never too early to register for Pop Warner, that registration form is also attached.
-- Stan Hudy

Well, spring has officially sprung with the baseball and softball players have finally been freed from their gymnasium purgatory with the blessing of Mother Nature and along with unblemished records for all the Saratoga Springs varsity baseball squad has a new head coach, Dean Bailey.

I caught up with Bailey prior to the Blue Streaks scrimmage against Lake George Thursday afternoon in a short video and you can read the full story in today's Saratogian.

Bailey has been with the school district and the baseball program for the past nine years and brings a lot of positive energy and enthusiasm to the program. He will be joined by former head coach, Rich Lofink, who stepped down to spend more time with his family, but applied for the assistant position to remain close to the program.

A win-win for everyone.

-- Posted by Stan Hudy