Spartan Spam 5-5-05

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Barney Atwater" <bsatwater@hotmail.com>
Date:  Thu, 05 May 2005 12:08:31 -0400

>>>SPARTAN BOOSTER #257
>>>05-05-05
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>>WEEKEND SPORTS CALENDAR

>Today! Thursday, May 5
Varsity girls track & field: Class AA State Meet; Albany GA [link to
schedule below]
5:00pm Varsity baseball: GACS at Union County; Blairsville GA
5:00pm JV baseball: Holy Innocents' JV at GACS

>Friday, May 6

6:30pm Varsity girls soccer: GACS at Lovett; third round of State Tournament
Varsity girls track & field: Class AA State Meet; Albany GA  [link to
schedule below]

>Saturday, May 7
Varsity girls track & field: Class AA State Meet; Albany GA [link to
schedule below]
Varsity boys soccer; Savannah Christian Prep at GACS; third round of State
AA/A Tournament

Here is the link to the GHSA website for schedule for the girls State Track
Meet at Albany GA:
http://www.ghsa.net/index.php?well_id=2&url_publish_channel_id=564

Directions to all sports’ AWAY games are at this GACS website:
http://gacs.pvt.k12.ga.us/Dream%20Weaver%20Webs/Athletic%20Director/Opponent%20Direction%20Template.dwt
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>>BOYS SOCCER

>Spartans advance to State quarterfinals with OT victory

Coach Thom Jacquet reports:
The boy's varsity soccer team won another thriller up on the hill last
night,
3-2 in overtime.    Thanks to all who came to the game for supporting us. 
You
made a difference.  The Spartans will play again on Saturday.

>GAC rallies to top Cross Keys in OT
By Shane Mayfield, Staff Correspondent
Gwinnett Daily Post

NORCROSS—With several players wearing freshly cut mohawks to signify “team
unity,” the fifth-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian Spartans (12-3-2)
overcame a two-goal deficit to beat the Cross Keys Indians 3-2 in overtime
on Wednesday in the second round of the Class AA/A state playoffs.
The Spartans started off a little sloppy in the opening half and fell behind
2-0 on goals from Indians’ Freddy Juarez and Adan Morales.

“We were sluggish but we created chances and just couldn’t put it in the
back of the net.” said GAC head coach Thom Jacquet.

The Spartans certainly did not wait long into the second half to get things
back on the right track as Danny Irizarry broke free down the right side and
scored just 26 seconds after the break.

GAC kept constant pressure on the Indians in the second half, and with 9:54
left in the game Sam Arthur received a cross-field pass and punched it past
the Cross Keys keeper to tie the game at 2-2.
Coach Jacquet said: “I was real proud of that effort. I think it put them on
their heels.”

The Spartans were unable to capitalize on several chances late in regulation
and the game went to overtime, where GAC kept the momentum from the second
half going.

With 6:27 to go in the first overtime Marcus Hill hit Arthur in the middle
of the field where he drilled a wide open shot into the corner of the net to
give the Spartans a 3-2 lead that they would not let relinquish.

The Spartans will play No. 2 Savannah Christian on Saturday in the
quarterfinals

>>GIRLS SOCCER

>Lady Spartans play Wildcats in soccer quarterfinals tomorrow

Coach Troy Bendickson reports:
The girls’ soccer team will play at Lovett this Friday at 6:30pm. Here's how
to get to the Lovett School:

Take I-85 South to I-285 West to Paces Ferry Road and turn left. Cross the
bridge over the Chattahoochee and the school will be on the left just after
the green steel bridge
OR
Take I-85 South to I-75 North to exit #255 (Northside Pkwy/Paces Ferry) turn
left go to
the first light and turn left under I-75. Go to the next street (Paces
Ferry) turn right and the school is 1.6 miles on the right just before the
green steel bridge.  Please come out and support your Lady Spartans.

>>GIRLS TENNIS

>Coach Dana Davis reports:
Our girls' tennis team defeated Lovett yesterday by the score of 3-1. This
puts
the girls in the 3rd round of the state tournament. The boys and girls will
play
at home next week.

>GAC girls advance to tennis quarterfinals

GAC beat Lovett 3-1 in the second round of the state tournament. Winners for
the Spartans (18-4) were Chelsea Sanders and Abby Rising in singles, and the
doubles team of Grayson Meyer/Caroline Greenwood. [reprinted from 5/5/05
AJC]

>>BASEBALL

>Spartans win 1-0; going to State Tournament

Coach Cliff Shelton reports:
The baseball team clinched a State Playoff berth yesterday by defeating
Lumpkin
Co. 1-0. David Shida drove in Chase Curth in the bottom of the 6th inning
for
the only run of the game and Landon Bennett pitched an outstanding game. The
baseball team plays at Union Co. today at 5:00.

• GAC 1, Lumpkin County 0: Pinch-runner Chase Curth scored the winning run
on an RBI by David Shida in the sixth inning. Landon Bennett pitched a
complete game and struck out seven. The Spartans (14-10, 11-6) clinched
fourth place in the region. [reprinted from 5/5/05 AJC]

>>TRACK & FIELD

>Lady Spartans at Class AA Girls Meet in Albany GA

Field events (finals Friday)
Long jump: Cassi Sticker (GAC) 16-8.
Pole vault: Chanler Phelps (GAC) 9-0; Toria Strickland (GAC) 8-6.
Shot put: Courtney Samuels (GAC) 31-0.
Triple jump: Stasia Kelly-Taylor (GAC) 38-3 3/4

Running events (prelims Thursday, finals Saturday, unless noted)
1,600-meters (final Friday): Jennifer Johnson (GAC) 5:30.80.
400-meters: Cree Nix (GAC) 1:00.23
4x100 relay: Greater Atlanta Christian 51.39 sec.
100-meter hurdles: Stasia Kelly-Taylor (GAC) 15.54 sec.
300-meter hurdles: Stasia Kelly-Taylor (GAC) 46.83; Cree Nix (GAC) 47.49
4x400 meter relay: Greater Atlanta Christian 4:12.05

>Stasia Kelly-Taylor looks for big finish to star career
By Todd Cline, Sports Editor
Gwinnett Daily Post

With so much success from the very start of her track and field career, it
seems like Stasia Kelly-Taylor has been at Greater Atlanta Christian
forever. But this weekend the Baylor University signee’s stellar career
comes to an end at the all-classification state meet in Albany.

Hugh Mills Stadium, which hosts the competition, is a site Kelly-Taylor
knows well. She has qualified for state in 19 events over her four-year
career, winning three Class AA individual state titles while also running on
a victorious relay team.

This weekend she goes for her third straight triple jump title, the event
she will concentrate on at Baylor, as she tries to lead the Spartans to a
team title. She’ll leave an amazing legacy behind at GAC, including 19
region titles.

“In some ways you kind of take it for granted how good she is,” GAC head
coach Brad Kinser said. “You just expect her to do well. But to win a state
title as a freshman (in the 100-meter hurdles) is a big thing.

“She’s the only track athlete I’ve coached in 22 years who’s been at a
national level.”

This weekend Kelly-Taylor is concentrating on the state level. In addition
to the triple jump, she’ll compete in the 100 and 300 hurdles and also run
on both the 400 and 1,600 relay teams. It’s a full load, a big enough task
that she doesn’t have much time to be sentimental.

“I really haven’t thought about it being my last time,” she said. “I just
want to do my best and to come back with all gold. But I’m not going to lie
— it’s going to be a fight.

“It probably won’t hit me until after my last race.”

It’s already starting to hit her coach. Kinser, whose team finished second
last year, is looking forward to making a run for the title and to watching
his star athlete try to lead the Spartans there. But he’s not looking
forward to Kelly-Taylor’s career coming to an end.

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” Kinser said. “I’m looking forward to watching
her one last time. But I’m going to be sad that it will be the last time she
puts on the GAC uniform.”

>>GOLF

>Spartans will be at State golf tournaments on Monday

Katie Tufts, Rebekah Osteen, Lisa Licata and Kim Moore will practice today
at the Hard Labor Creek State Park golf course which will host the Class AA
State Tournament on Monday, May 9.

The Spartan boys golf team, which won the Region 8-AA tourney last week,
will play Monday at the Class AA State Tournament, at the Rocky Creek Golf
Club in Vidalia. The team includes Blake Joiner, Chris Gilbert, David
Thompson, Ben Hailey, Patrick Howard, and Pavle Potparic.

>>SOFTBALL

All 6-11 grade girls planning on trying out for the 2005 softball season
must
sign the list on Coach Tenney's door in the Bible Building.  Try-outs will
be
held May 25th and 26th.  Check the softball calendar on the web site for
specific times.

>>VOLLEYBALL
Any high school girl interested in trying out for the 2005 JV or Varsity
volleyball team, please sign the list on the high school office door and
pick up
an important information sheet inside.