Griffin wins at Duke Junior

Coming off a big win in a junior event at Duke University and an appearance in this week’s N.C. High School Invitational at Treyburn, East Chapel Hill sophomore Ben Griffin has plans to enter the UNC Hospitals Golf For Promise Junior Tournament April 21-22 in Chapel Hill.

Griffin shot a sizzling 66 at Duke GC on March 25 to clinch the N.C. Junior Golf Foundation’s Duke University Spring Championship. His two-day total of 137, seven under par, was five stroke better than the 142 of Clayton senior David Germann in second place. His finish earned Griffin a spot in the upcoming World Juniors tournament.

East junior Joshua Fried placed 13th in the NCJGF’s Duke tournament with a 161. Chapel Hill eight-grader David Cho carded a 169 total to earn sixth place in the tournament’s middle school division.

The next NCJGF event at UNC’s Finely Golf Course is a benefit for N.C. Children’s Promise, the charitable arm of North Carolina Children’s Hospital at UNC Chapel Hill. Playing divisions include high school boys, middle school boys and girls.

Tigers race to PRs at Raleigh Relays

Chapel Hill runners Mitch McLeod and Chris Reeder raced last Friday in the Raleigh Relays’ high school 3,200 meters at N.C. State, and both ran personal bests.

McLeod finished in 9:17, taking third place in one of the state’s premier distance events. Reeder, running his first competitive 3,200 of the spring track season, clocked in at 9:33 to finish in the middle of the pack.

In the college events at N.C. State’s Paul Derr Track, a pair of former Orange Panthers did well running for Guilford College. Dylan Skinner tied the Guilford record in the 400 with a time of 50.59 seconds, placing 71st in the 119-man field. First-year Quaker Emily Cash ran the third fastest time ever for a Guilford female in the 1,500 with 5:44.37 for 61st place.

Two CHHS alumni raced in heats of the men’s 1,500 Kyle Villemain (CHHS ’11) ran 4:03 in an earlier heat in the morning and Kent Pecora (the 2011 National DIII steeplechase champion at Dickinson) ran in the evening, finishing in 3:56.

In the college events at N.C. State’s Paul Derr Track, a pair of former Orange Panthers did well running for Guilford College. Dylan Skinner tied the Guilford record in the 400 with a time of 50.59 seconds, placing 71st in the 119-man field. (Hurdle Mills, N.C./Orange) finished three spots back in, Guilford’s sixth-fastest time in school history.

Close finish at Falls Lake

Randy Fisher of Hillsborough and Mebane’s Donnie Lowe caught five bass totaling 17.79 pounds last Saturday to earn fifth place in the Piedmont Bass Classic’s Springhill Outfitters Open last Saturday at Falls Lake.

Adam Haithcock and David Ford of Creedmoor took first place with five bass weighing a total 21.87 pounds. They barely edged Jay Garrard of Durham and Bahama’s Mark Herndon, who took in five bass totaling 21.48 to finish second.

— chn —