Masters Games come home

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: October 6, 2014

Belva Durham lights the Flame of Hope officially starting the Masters Games of Alabama in Oxford. In the cover photo (from left) Oxford Mayor Leon Smith, Oxford PARD director Don Hudson and Randy Frost of the East Alabama Planning Commission salute the nearly 600 athletes in the Games.

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

OXFORD – The theme of this year’s Masters Games of Alabama is “Coming Home” because the event returns to place it all began 25 years ago.

It is also a Homecoming of sorts for Beth Moore, too.

Moore was a 1969 graduate of Oxford High School and played in the city’s rec softball leagues at the old Oxford Lake Park complex before the sport was offered in the high schools and life took her to Moody.

Monday night, shortly after the Opening Ceremonies and lighting of the Flame of Hope, Moore was at the new Oxford Lake complex and had the best overall throw in the women’s softball toss, winning the 60-64 division with a throw of 90-feet, 7-inches. It was two inches longer than Jacksonville’s Sylvia Childs’ winning throw in the 55-59 division for the best of the night.

The throw may have won the gold medal, but the self-confessed “softball fanatic” lamented it wasn’t her best effort.

“Unfortunately that’s the worst throw I’ve ever thrown to win the event, so that’s very bad for me,” Moore said. “I’m glad to win, I’m glad to participate, but I’m very disappointed in my own performance because I don’t have the foundation that I need to have.

“I’m going to get my (left) knee replaced in November and hopefully next year I’ll do better.”

Moore’s throw might not have been her best, but Childs’ “wonderful” winning throw was her best “by far.” She qualified for the Games with a throw of 88-6 that was second best among everyone in District 4 – men or women.

“I put even more into it and I think my adrenaline started going because of all the activity, the crowd,” Childs said. “I think that’s what kicked in.”

BETH MOORE

SYLVIA CHILDS

MONDAY NIGHT’S RESULTS

SOFTBALL THROW
Women’s Division
50-54 – Antoinette Davis, Jacksonville, 64 feet, 5 inches.
55-59 – Sylvia Childs, Jacksonville, 90-5; Mary Kuhn, Opelika, 79-0; Alphelia Smith, Anniston, 56-5.
60-64 – Beth Moore, Moody, 90-7; Regina Emerson, Elkmont, 80-0; Mary Pittman, Rose Hill, 76-0.
65-69 — Gretchen Carter, Mobile, 65-7; Elaine Blake, Wedowee, 59-0; Lottie McCullough, Valley, 42-2.
70-74 – Martha Collins, Shorter, 70-0; Alice Pesto, Crane Hill, 61-6; Mary Jo Owen, Anniston, 61-0.
75-79 – Liz Flowers, Mobile, 62-0; Elizabeth Howell, Verbena, 59-0; Iris Ethridge, Orange Beach, 55-5.
80-84 – Annie Minnifield, Wedowee, 58-0; Thelma Hinton, Lincoln, 50-0; Tommie Brown, Valley, 49-5.
85-89 – Cordie Bell Green, Woodland, 32-5; Louise Smith, Woodland, 30-0; Mattie Walker, Lanett, 25-0.
90-and-above – Ida Robertson, Lanett, 35-0.

Men’s Division
50-54 – Steve McFarland, Athens, 133 feet; Hamilton Edwards, Robertsdale, 123-7; Eric Todd, Jacksonville, 85-5.
55-59 – Sammy Booker, Florence, 98-5; Danny Howell, Verbena, 59-0; Donald Bush, Jacksonville, 37-8.
60-64 – Jim Fuqua, Hartselle, 228-0; Steven Frazier, Valley, 109-5; David Nolen, Valley, 87-0.
65-69 – Gary Meadows, Trussville, 136-0; Gary Brown, Florence, 119-4; James Pritchett, Attalla, 106-0.
70-74 – Bill Laskoski, Oneonta, 136-9; William Lane, Woodland, 122-6; Samuel Whatley, Anniston, 93-7.
75-79 – Earnest Lee, Hartselle, 87-5; Ramon Cordova, Bynum, 69.4; Charlie Morrison, Florence, 64-9.
80-84 – Gunther Sigle, Florence, 88-2; Frank Kimbrough, Tuskegee, 60-2; Charles Williams, Shorter, 55.6.
85-89 – Horace Plemons, Hartselle, 63-9; Wallace Bowman, Trussville, 27.5.
90-and-above – Rex Aldridge, Robertsdale, 27-0.

CHECKERS
50-54 – Male: Hamilton Edwards, Robertsdale; Female: Shelia Bennett, Anniston.
60-64 – Female: Kathleen Bender, Elberta; Regina Emerson, Elkmont; Patricia Southard, Athens.
65-69 – Female: Patricia Harrison, Willie Mae Baker, Athens; Janet Murrah, Athens.
70-74 – Male: Robert Turner, Anniston; Otis Echols, Anniston; Sammy Rich, Ragland; Female: Betty Thompson, Orange Beach; Ann Brice, Birmingham; Linda Turner, Anniston.
75-79 – Male: Earnest Lee, Hartselle; Floyd Aikens, Lanett; Female: Jeanette Houston, Woodland; Frances Nelson, Heflin; Mary Alice Fowlkes, Mobile.
80-84 – Male: Charles Prescott, Dora; Oliver Williams, Wedowee; Female: Lillie Merritt, Ensley; Ann Bowman, Trussville; Carol Rice, Valley.
85-89 – Female: Cordie Bell Green, Woodland; Viree Turner, Wedowee; Louise Smith, Woodland.
90-and-above – Male: Rex Aldridge, Robertsdale.