07.21 Ledger 01 - The Cherokee Ledger-News

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18 THE CHEROKEE LEDGER-NEWS LEDGER-NEWS SPORTS SPORTS EDITOR: BRANDON MICHEA | 770-928-0706 x203 FAX: 770-928-3152 JULY 21, 2010 AUTO RACING ■ SPECIAL From motorcycles, to go-carts, to Allison Legacy cars, to Pro Late Models, Woodstock native Tyler Speer has worked his way up the racing circuit and now looks to make a move into the big time, setting his sights on the NASCAR truck series in 2011. Making his move Speer eyeing transition into NASCAR’s Truck Series BY BRANDON MICHEA sports@ledgernews.com With his shaggy hair and young, boyish smile, Tyler Speer blends right in with the rest of the crowd on the Kennesaw State University campus. But don’t let his appearance fool you. Speer is anything but your typical 19-year-old. While many of his peers are spending their weekends deciding which party to attend, Speer has his sights set on a future in NASCAR – one that he is not planning on just waiting around for. “I’m not on the four-year college plan or any type of set schedule, but I’m taking four classes a semester and I’m going to get my degree,” said Speer, the son of Terri and Tim Speer of Woodstock. “But the cars come first right now because you can’t wait. NASCAR is trying to get kids so young, and if I sit here, wait and twiddle my thumbs, it’ll be too late for me. “We want to start running in the NASCAR’s (Camping World) Truck Series next year, move up to the Nationwide Series after that, and within the next five to seven years, we want to be racing (Sprint) Cup; and there’s no doubt in my mind that we can do it.” It’s a dream Speer has had since the age of 12. Wanting to get back into dirt bike racing, which he had been a part of at an early age, Speer’s parents had a different plan. “I wasn’t the best at it, but I really enjoyed racing motorcycles, and when I was 12, I decided I wanted to start competing in it again,” he explained. “But my mom really didn’t want me to because so many kids that we knew had gotten hurt over the years. So, my parents bought me a go-cart for Christmas and I started racing those.” And it did not take long for Speer to find his passion. “I’m competitive in everything that I do, and I always want to be the best at it,” he said. “By the end of my first year of go-kart racing, I was starting to think about one day running in NASCAR. “Once I started running up front in the go-carts, I knew there was no where else for me to go if I stayed there, so we moved into the Legacy cars (a three-quarter sized replica of a Cup car) when I was 14 and it was go, go, go from there. I knew this is what I wanted to do.” After finishing fourth in the point standings with one win and nine top-five finishes on the Allison Legacy Car Series in 2009, Speer worked a step closer to his goal with a move to Pro Late Model cars in 2010, and has had plenty of early success. Starting with the Polar Bear 150 at Rockingham Speedway (N.C.) in January, the Woodstock native placed 23rd out of more than 70 cars, despite a collision that cost him a trip to the pits with the loss of two front shocks, a bent center link and two missing rear springs – among other issues – and took him out of the top-10. He also made his Dixie Speedway debut this spring, placing in the top-five in three of the six Crate Late Model events he ran, and has placed in the top-10 in each of his three events at Lanier National Speedway, including a seventh-place showing over the Fourth of July weekend. But while he plans to continue to run Late Model events the rest of the year, Speer said he is now turning his focus toward preparing for the trucks circuit. “The biggest difference between racing and other sports like baseball and football is that there is no set path to advance,” Speer said. “As far as the other sports go, you play for your high school, go to college and play for that team, then hope the pros pick you up. In racing, there’s a thousand different ways you can work your way up to NASCAR. “We decided to go to the Allison Legacy cars after go-carts because of the travel and because they are more like a full-sized car, which has made for a pretty good transition into Late Model cars. Now that we’ve run Late Models, I feel like we are ready to run trucks; and the reason I want to run those is because SEE MOVE, PAGE 20 YOUTH SWIMMING ■ County swimmers earn state BY BRANDON MICHEA sports@ledgernews.com berths Dylan Villhauer set a meet record for the second time in three years and a total of 46 Cherokee County swimmers combined for 42 individual and 16 relay top-three, state-qualifying performances at the Georgia Recreation and Parks District 5 Championships, July 10 in Douglasville. Charting a time of 23.88 seconds in the 13-14-year-old boys’ 50-yard Freestyle, Villhauer was 2.5 seconds faster than his closest competitor, Smyrna’s Tej Suber, on his way to setting the new meet mark. The 14-year-old freestyler already held the best time in the 50 Free for the 11-12 Division, having posted a 26.97-second performance to set the record in 2005. The July 10, record-setting effort put Villhauer on a short list of county performers that currently hold multiple district records, joining Adrienne Amador (four individual records), Shelby Hixon (three) and Alec Cohen (two). Amador was also a part of two of the county’s seven relay teams that currently hold records, while Cohen and Hixon were each a part of one record-holding relay team. In addition to his freestyle showing, Villhauer took first place in the 50 Butterfly with a time of 26.12 – 2.5 seconds better than runner-up Taylor Mathis of Dalton – and teamed with Rex Eifert, Benjamin Hendrickson and Josh Bath for second-place finishes in the 200 Medley and 200 Freestyle relays. But while he was the only county swimmer and one of just seven individuals to establish a new record in the meet, Villhauer was only part of Cherokee’s success, as 22 county performers qualified for state in two or more events. Joining Villhauer in winning a pair of titles, Brad Burke captured the 11-12 boys’ 100 Individual Medley (1:18.33) and 50 Fly (33.28) championships. He also teamed up with Noah Lense, Jackson Burke and Grant Slater to win the 200 Medley Relay (2:24.86), and Lense, Daniel Gordon and Slater to finish first in the 200 Freestyle Relay (2:06.13). Along with their relay showings, Lense advanced to state in both the 50 Fly (first place, 33.28) and 200 IM (second), while Slater moved on in the 50 Fly (second) and 50 Free (third), and Hendrickson qualified in the 100 IM with a first-place time of 1:02.81. Three other county boys managed to advance in both individual and relay events. Alex Caputo placed second in the 7-8 boys’ 25 Backstroke, third in the 50 Free and joined Gann Billings, Nicholas Janflone and Evan Atkinson for a secondplace showing in the 100 Free Relay. Billings, meanwhile, complemented his relay performance with a second-place finish in the 100 IM, and Cooper Goswick took second in the 11-12 boys’ 50 Free and SEE SWIMMERS, PAGE 21
JULY 21, 2010 SPORTS THE CHEROKEE LEDGER-NEWS 19 World of Gym makes BY BRANDON MICHEA sports@ledgernews.com national impact Aszman captures All-Around Gold Dubbed the Magnificent Seven by their coaching staff, World of Gymnastics performers led Team Georgia to a title at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Age Group National Championships at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, July 1-3. Rachel Aszman, Summer Johnson and Megan Endozo each captured event titles, while Jenny Ladd, Madison Brandt and Micayla Keene medaled and Taylor Ryals added a top-four finish for the World of Gym. “This group emulates the camaraderie and teamwork of the (USA) 1996 Gold Medalists,” said gym owner Laura Mikszan, who coaches the Level 10 performers alongside Stacy Van Dusen. “They cheered each other on with encouragement, and it showed in their performances.” “The girls have been through a lot and have worked extremely hard to achieve their goals,” Van Dusen said. “It was an amazing experience for the athletes, coaches and parents.” Obtaining a “Triple Crown,” Aszman won Gold on both the Doing whatever it takes to be the... 97 Nissian Truck XE 5spd, 2dr, Cruise ABS, A/C, #8088B $4,981 08 Honda Civic LX 5spd, PW, PL, #101582A $12,981 05 Honda Pilot EX-L 4WD 4WD, Auto, Sunroof, #110076A $13,983 Floor Exercise (9.7) and Balance Beam (9.75), took Silver on the Bars (9.1) and added a fifth-place showing on Vault (8.875) to capture her third Gold – the coveted All-Around Championship with a 37.425. Johnson topped her division with a 9.75 on the Floor Exercise, and complemented her Gold with a pair of Bronze medals on Vault and Bars, and finished with a Silver All-Around (37.025). Endozo, meanwhile, scored a 9.15 on Vault to win Gold, took Silver on Bars and tied for fourth on the Floor Exercise on her way to a fourth-place All-Around showing. Finishing a little less than a point behind Aszman, Ladd took the All-Around Bronze with a 36.550 total, highlighted by Silver on Vault (9.150) and Bronze on Beam (9.225). Giving World of Gym three of the top four in the division, Keene placed Bronze on Bars (9.075) and overcame a foot injury sustained in warm-ups to tie for third on Floor Exercise and placed fourth All-Around (36.400). Rounding out the World of Gym’s showings, Ryals turned in a personal best 9.150 on Floor to tie for fourth and placed eighth All-Around. 03 Town & Country LX Tilt, PL, PW, PS, Cruise, #102260A $8,872 08 Toyota Camry LE 4dr, Auto, PW, PL, CD, #8811AA $13,781 07 Honda Civic EX Auto, 38K, ABS, Alloys, #8824 $14,981 05 Pontiac Montana SV6 Auto, CD, Cruise, Heated Lthr Seats, #101726A $8,981 08 Honda Civic Ex Auto, PW, PL, CD, MP3, #8920 $13,981 07 Cadillac CTS Auto, Leather, PL, Alloys, #102506A ■■■ GYMNASTICS ■ SPECIAL The World of Gymnastics sent seven its members to the AAU Age Group National Championships at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando earlier this month, and the group came away with 15 medals, including five Golds. Members of the team, dubbed the “Magnificent Seven” by its coaching staff are (from left) Coach Laura Mikszan, Micayla Keene, Meagan Endozo, Rachel Aszman, Madison Brandt, Jennifer Ladd, Summer Johnson, Taylor Ryals, and Coach Stacy Van Dusen $15,852 03 Honda Accord EX-VL Auto, Alloys, Leather, #8772A Auto, 4dr, ABS, Leather, #8813 06 Acura TSX $11,981 $13,981 07 Mini Cooper S 5spd, PL, PW, Leather, #102031A T H E C H E R O K E E LEDGER-NEWS The Leading Voice of Cherokee County Would you like to guarantee that you receive your FREE weekly copy of THE CHEROKEE LEDGER-NEWS for the next 3 years? Download your Reader Request form from our website: www.ledgernews.com ** IF YOU ARE ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER, YOU DO NOT NEED TO FILL THIS OUT. ** $15,981 06 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS Auto, AWD, PW, CD, Alloys, #8750A 04 Honda Pilot Auto, 4dr, PW, PL, #101773A $12,891 $13,981 2008 Nissan Murano SL Auto, 4dr, Leather, Alloys, #8931 $20,981 Over 120 to Choose From, starting at $6,995! Hwy 92 H ENNESSY H ONDA of Woodstock I-75 Town Center mall I-285 I-575 Exit 7 Next to Home Depot
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07.21 Ledger 01 - The Cherokee Ledger-News

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