Resident News Network

#19 ‘Gymbacks Narrowly Lose to #13 Kentucky

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3:24 pm

#19 ‘Gymbacks Narrowly Lose to #13 Kentucky

The historic Barnhill Arena at the University of Arkansas was the site of a national top 20 match-up between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Arkansas Razorbacks. The meet did disappoint as gymnasts from both universities excelled in all exercises throughout the night. Arkansas’s comeback during the fourth rotation was outstanding, but fell just short in the team final standings, losing to Kentucky by 0.10 of a point.

Trailing 147.125 to 147.530 after three rotations, the Razorback gymnasts recorded four scores of 9.9000 or higher on the flour enroute to a season-best 49.525 on the floor. The Gymbacks narrowly fell to number 13 Kentucky, 196.750 to 196.650.

The meet marked the third consecutive meet that the Razorbacks scored a 196.500 or better, as four Gymbacks set season highs. One of those highs include sophomore Kennedy Hambrick’s all-around score of 39.425. Hambrick’s score was good for second among all competitors and ties her career high.

In the first rotation on the vault, junior Sarah Shaffer stuck her Yurchenko layout half for a career high of 9.900. Shaffer was followed by Hambrick in the anchor spot who’s Yurchenko full earned her a 9.800 for the Razorbacks.

In the second rotation, the uneven parallel bars, junior Sydney Land executed her bars routine beautifully, complete with ray and double layout dismount. Laird earned her first event title of the season on the apparatus, finishing with a score of 9.900.

Arkansas moved to the beam in the third rotation. Lead off senior, Jessica Yamzon nailed her gamer full dismount to start Arkansas off on the right foot on the beam. Yamzon scored a season high 9.875 and took home her first event title of the season in the event. It’s her third beam tite in her career. Hambrick also set a season high on the beam, improving her previous high of 9.750 to 9.850 with a well don back handspring-layout series.

In the fourth and final rotation, the Razorbacks flourished on the floor exercise with all six performances in the top eight. Hambrick and junior Sophia Carter both scored 9.92s and took home the event crown as the Gymbacks made a late push to overcome their meet deficit. Yamzon’s leadoff performance earned her a 9.850, tying her career high. On the floor exercise, the Razorbacks combined for a total team score of 49.525 and tied for the second highest in program history.

The narrow loss to Kentucky shows just how far the Arkansas gymnastics program has progressed and gives Arkansas fans the excitement of knowing great days are ahead for the gymnastics program.

If you have never attended a Razorbacks gymnastics meet, you are missing a great night of entertainment as you can see great, Division 1, college gymnasts perform, as well as enjoy the great atmosphere of the meet at historic Barnhill Arena. Music, videos, and crowd interaction are all part of the great atmosphere…and all for just $5 per ticket. Last night’s attendance was estimated to be around 6,000, so, word is getting around that Friday nights at Barnhill are a lot of fun!

Opal Pistole Tourney Update: Paris Jr. Lady Eagles Defeat Hackett 37-17

Sports

Resident News Network

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2:44 pm

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Opal Pistole Tourney Update: Paris Jr. Lady Eagles Defeat Hackett 37-17

From County Line High School:

Opal Pistole Junior High Basketball Tournament

Paris Jr. Lady Eagles defeat Hackett 37-17 in semifinal play. Paris advances to the finals to play the winner of Danville vs. Hackett. The girls final will be played at 5 p.m.

Paris Jr. Eagles boys will play in the semifinals today at 4 p.m. vs. Danville.

Stay with Resident Press for more results later in the day.

Paris Defeats Two Rivers Behind Bazyk’s School Record 45 Points

Sports

Resident News Network

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8:35 pm

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Paris Defeats Two Rivers Behind Bazyk’s School Record 45 Points

It was a shooter’s night in Paris last evening as both the Paris Eagles and Lady Eagles completed a regular season sweep of Two Rivers with decisive victories in both senior boys and girls games. For the Eagles, senior Nick Bazyk led Paris with a school record 45 points against the Gators. Bazyk got off to a blazing first quarter start with 14 points and did not cool off for the entire game.

The Eagles raced to a big early lead in the first half. Two Rivers fought back and was able to reduce the Eagles lead to as little as 8 points at different times during the second half. Paris dominated the game, but seemingly could not put away the scrappy Gators. But, unlike many games this year for Paris, the Eagles closed out the game with a strong fourth quarter to eventually win the game by a score of 80-59.

Paris coach Mike Foster was happy with the fast start and finish his team was able to execute against Two Rivers. “We got off to a fast start scoring 28 points in the first quarter and took a 9 point lead into the half. We were able to open up the game in the 3rd quarter and went on to a 80-59 win.”

The Paris Lady Eagles defeated Two Rivers 64-55 and improved their conference record to 5-4. The Paris win completed the regular season sweep of the Lady Gators. As conference teams begin the second half of the conference round robin, separation of the teams in the conference standings begins to take place. Paris’s victory over Two Rivers firmly entrenches the Lady Eagles in fourth place, two games ahead of Two Rivers. Paris is two games behind third place Jessieville, and Perryville. Perryville lost to Lamar on Thursday night and is now two games behind Lamar who is in first place with a 9-0 record.

Paris coach Dustin Williams remarked, “I’m proud of the intensity and effort on the defensive end. I thought we did a good job trying to pressure and frustrate their key players. Had a great night on the defensive glass. Tonight, we showed the ability to knock down big shots when we needed them. Four players combined for 11 three point shots. We had a really strong push at the end of the third quarter to help hold them off. Two Rivers has some very talented basketball players on their team and they are very well coached. They can definitely beat anyone on any give night, but, so can we.”

Paris had three players in double figures in scoring on Thursday night. Jadyn Hart again led the way with 33 points. Harlie Watts, who has come on strong in the past few weeks, added 12 points. The third player in double figures for the Lady Eagles was Karsyn Tencleve with 10 points. Paton Forbis and Jacee Hart rounded out the scoring with 5 points and 4 points respectively. Jadyn Hart’s 33 points was the sixth time this season with 30 or more points.

The Lady Eagles started the season slowly as the team that had very little varsity court experience took their lumps and bruises early. But as the season has progressed, the team continues to improve with each game, and now, the Lady Eagles are playing like a cohesive, experienced team, and who knows what this team can accomplish down the line. Coach Williams added, “We were 3-8 overall before the Christmas break. Since that time, we are now 5=1 after the break and 8-2 overall. The team has turned this into 11-10 overall and 5-4 in conference.”

If the Lady Eagles continue to win and make a run in the post-season, a strong case could be made for Dustin Williams to be the conference coach of the year. He and the Paris assistants have done a masterful job with this team.

According to Max Preps, the girls conference standings as of January 24 are:

Lamar 9-0

Perryville 7-2

Jessieville 6-2

Paris 5-4

Two Rivers 3-5

Atkins 3-6

Fountain Lake 2-7

Booneville 0-8

Up next for Paris are important conference games at Atkins on Tuesday, January 28 and at home against Perryville on Thursday night, January 30. If the Lady Eagles can sweep both games next week, they will wake up on Saturday morning just one game out of third place. Paris would still have a February 7 match-up with Jessieville that could potentially vault Paris into third place as the end of the conference season approaches.

The Paris Eagles will be looking to avenge an earlier home loss to Atkins when they go on the road Tuesday night to play the Red Devils. Atkins defeated Paris 67-55 on January 7. The Eagles have played well and are shooting the ball well with scorer Nick Bazyk leading the way. It will be a tough week for the Eagles, but as this team has shown all year, they are mentally tough and play hard every game. Paris is playing tough pressure defense and is pushing the ball up the court and creating scoring opportunities for Bazyk and the Paris back court. Conference teams cannot afford to overlook the overachieving Eagles.

After the Tuesday night road trip to Atkins, the Lady Eagles and Eagles need a packed house at Paris Gymnasium on Thursday when the Perryville Mustangs come calling. Paris needs a decisive home court advantage against the Mustangs.

*Due to a corrupted SD Card, the photos for the girls game could not be published. We deeply apologize for this error.

Bomb Squad Responds to Incident Near Waldron Schools

Tammy Teague

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6:09 pm

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Bomb Squad Responds to Incident Near Waldron Schools

At Approximately 3:05 p.m., Friday, January 24, the Waldron Police Department was advised of a suspicious package in a mailbox at a residence on West 6th Street.

Officers with the WPD responded, and was advised by the United States Postal Inspector in Little Rock that a caller had reported the package as a bomb.

Traffic, including school buses, was diverted around this area as a safety precaution until the Fort Smith bomb squad and USPS inspector could arrive from Little Rock.

During this time, the WPD notified residents and parents that there was no direct threat to students, or school property.

Around 5:45 p.m., the bomb squad had deployed their disposal robot, however, no bomb or threat was found. Law enforcement cleared the scene shortly before 6 p.m.

Waldron-bomb-squad — The Fort Smith Bomb Squad’s disposal robot.

Sr Tigers Chase The Wolves Back To Lincoln

Sports

Megan Hecox

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6:01 pm

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Sr Tigers Chase The Wolves Back To Lincoln

Article written by Mansfield Middle School student, Raine Hecox

The Mansfield Sr. High Tigers successfully ran the Wolves away from grandma’s house during the Tigers basketball homecoming. On Thursday, January 23, the Mansfield Tigers faced the Lincoln Wolves at home. “ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING” was the motto of the night. With one of their starters out, the Tigers were determined to stay unfazed. Court was officially in session when the Mansfield Tigers walked into the house.

“Anytime you play a game without one of your top scorers it can be tough,” stated Coach Keith Dake. “But not for our guys last night. We had guys step up into roles they previously were uncomfortable with and literally ran with it. One of the turning points in the game was Jojo Bailey coming off the bench and rattling off 11 points in the first half of the play. One thing our guys have lacked at times this season is confidence, but last night that was not the case. Lincoln led the entire game until the mid 4th quarter. Down three we forced a turnover, pushed the ball up the floor, and got a kick out to Sr Jaicy Griffin who knocked a three to tie the game.”

“Followed by a Layton Howard rebound on the next defensive possession, he took coast to coast for a foul and a one finish. After sinking the free throw, he completed the six-point swing and put the Tigers up three. Once we got the lead, we never allowed Lincoln back in the game and capitalized on our 4th quarter free throws hitting 11 to close out the game.”

Getting the dub, 68-60, gave the Tigers a record of 7-9 total season play and 3-5 in conference. Rising to the top for the Tigers with the highest amount of points was Layton Howard with 23. Livin large and in charge was Codi Chick with 16 points on the board for the Tigers. Fresh off his feet from the bench was JoJo Bailey who hit the ground running and never looked back landing a total of 14 points for the Tigers. Defending and dominating was Tyler Holmes’s name of the game with a speedy seven total points. And Jaicy Griffin and Bri Sanderson strived for greatness racking up a combined eight points.

Coach Keith Dake had this to say about the Tigers’ upcoming match against the Waldron Bulldogs on Tuesday, January 28. “I firmly believe this team has the ability to win every time they step on the floor. The issue has been getting them to have that same confidence. I think we all know the upcoming game against Waldron is destined to be a battle. Obviously, when you talk about Waldron basketball you can’t game plan without talking about Payton Brown. But the real issue is, do you focus on stopping him or do you make him beat you by himself. Waldron is a talented group top to bottom and have very talented pieces all around Payton, and that is what makes them so difficult to prep for. Both teams have been hot as of late, and this is sure to be a high scoring, fast-paced matchup.”

Pesticide Applicator Training Course Scheduled for Scott County

Outdoors

Tammy Teague

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2:30 pm

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Pesticide Applicator Training Course Scheduled for Scott County

A pesticide applicator training course will be held at the Scott County Courthouse in the Courtroom on Monday, February 10 beginning at 6 p.m. The course will provide you with the necessary training needed to receive a restricted use pesticide license from the State Plant Board. This license is necessary to purchase and apply many of the pasture and brush herbicides that are commonly used on Arkansas pastures. The cost of the course is $20 and will be collected at the training.

This meeting is open to all eligible persons without regard torace, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (large print, audiotapes, etc.) should notify the county Extension office at 479-637-2173 as soon as possible prior to the activity.

Cedarville Senior Wants to Give All Students the “Chance to Dance”

Headlines

Resident News Network

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1:33 pm

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Cedarville Senior Wants to Give All Students the “Chance to Dance”

Cedarville High School Senior Kennedy Vinson has completed many projects as a member of EAST (Education Accelerated by Service and Technology), but last year she started a project that is fulfilling the needs of many Cedarville High School students.

Vinson came up with the idea for her project after some brain-storming and sending out a survey. “I just started brain storming ideas. I have been a homecoming maid every year so I know how expensive dresses can get. I knew that Cedarville High School has a very high poverty rate so I knew it had to be difficult for parents to just drop $100-$400 on a dress for their child. I sent out a survey throughout my school asking girls if they would benefit from a free prom dress. After getting my results, I was certain that this was the project I wanted to do. I came up with ‘Chance to Dance’. I made a flyer asking for dress donations and I was overwhelmed with all of the support from the community. I partnered with the teacher of our Special Education class and made sure that all of her girls were able to get a dress of their dreams. Last year we had over 100 dresses donated and I was able to help around 20 girls get a free prom dress through out my school. To see the smiles on the girls faces when trying them on made my heart so happy. I couldn’t wait for this year!”

“Chance to Dance” has become even bigger this year. “Over the past year I also came up with the idea to have hair and makeup stylists come in to do girls hair and makeup for free. I have contacted many people and been amazed at the support I am receiving. Our community has always been the best at helping those in need so I knew that getting donations wouldn’t be a problem. One thing we are running into is shoes and jewelry for the girls. But I have also expanded to get free prom attire for boys in need throughout the school. Suits can also be expensive. We haven’t received much for the guys either so any donations for that would be wonderful!” Vinson adds, “Overall, my main goal for ‘Chance to Dance’ is for every student that is able to go to prom have all of their dream attire, head to toe, with no financial stress.”

For more information, contact Kennedy at the Cedarville High School Chance to Dance Facebook page.

7th Grade Tigers Use Cedarville As Clawing Post

Sports

Megan Hecox

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10:23 am

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7th Grade Tigers Use Cedarville As Clawing Post

Pictured is James Olinghouse

After taking their first loss of the season last week against the Charleston Tigers, the Mansfield 7th Grade Tigers said “No More”! So when they stepped onto the court to take on the Cedarville Pirates at the beginning of the week, the Tigers had an even more intense fire burning inside of them. Determined to put everything in the past, Mansfield was refocused, recharged, and ready for an all-out hijack of the Pirates ship.

And hijack they did. Although the game got off to a slow start with the halftime score reading 8-5 Mansfield, it became apparent that the Tigers were just playing possum. Mansfield shot into the second half of the game like a rocket setting the court ablaze and leaving every Pirate running and trembling with fear.

The Tigers ended the game holding Cedarville to only nine points as Mansfield sauntered away with 23. The Tigers showed more stealth than a cat burglar as they netted 13 total steals in the game with Jeremy Strozier leading with four. Trey Powell led the Tigers offensively with six points as he blew through every Pirate in his path. Bringing in four points apiece was Winston Allison, Aaron Person, and Austin Ruiz.

Combining for five points was Cameron Pettus, Jeremy Strozier, and Boston Elmore. And finishing the night with a grand total of 14 rebounds, the Tigers were led by Pettus and Strozier who earned three each. The 7th Grade Tigers will be in action again on Saturday, January 25 for the Lavaca Basketball Tournament.

Photos courtesy of Malinda Mizell

City of Hackett Honors Volleyball Team with Model Citizen Award

Tammy Teague

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8:41 am

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City of Hackett Honors Volleyball Team with Model Citizen Award

During the Hackett City Council meeting on Thursday evening, January 24, Mayor Trini Harper announced they would be honoring the Lady Hornets Volleyball team with the city’s Model Citizen Award.

Alderman Mike Opolka stated that the city would also be purchasing and erecting signs at both ends of the city noting the city champions.

Mayor Harper stated:

“Tonight, the City of Hackett is proud to recognize the Hackett Schools Lady Hornets Volleyball team for winning the 2019 Arkansas State class AA Volleyball Championship. By working together as a team and continuing to work hard at making themselves better, all around individuals, it helps teach the youth and residents of the community that they too can achieve their goals. This team has brought a sense of pride to the city and surrounding communities, as well as being positive role models, for which we are thankful…“

Harper presented the Model Citizen award to the following players: Madi Taylor, Rain Vaughn, Chloie Patton, Monica Rangel, Kadence Glass, Emma Infalt, Hannah Clark, Kandace Byrd, Sophia Neal, Kayla Richardson, Kenadi Wright, Sarah White, Sarah Moss, Shayla Foster, Madeline Freeman, Jamye Durham, Jordyn Null and Brook Holt. Also to managers, Faith Thomas and Elisa Fox. Lastly, to Coaches Bridget Freeman and Broc Adams.

The team of girls, managers and coaches were all smiles as they received their award. Together they expressed their gratitude to the city and the mayor for the honorable recognition.

7th Grade Lady Tigers Caught In Pirates Undertow

Sports

Megan Hecox

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8:38 am

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7th Grade Lady Tigers Caught In Pirates Undertow

Earlier this week, the Mansfield 7th Grade Lady Tigers once again took on the undefeated Cedarville Lady Pirates. The last time these two teams faced, Cedarville took home the win, holding the Lady Tigers to only nine points in the game. And although the outcome was still the same with the Lady Pirates earning the victory 24-19, Mansfield was able to more than double their points this time around, proving to anyone that has doubted them that hard work and determination do pay off.

“There was more good than bad in our game against Cedarville,” explained coach, Joshua Bryan. “The Lady Pirates just capitalized on our bad moments.” Growing stronger and faster every day, the Lady Tigers continue to improve their basketball skills while laying down the foundation to greatness and preparing for Jr High play next year.

Shelbie Fuller took charge of the hardwood with her speed and finesse putting 12 points on the board thanks in part to not one but two three-pointers. Fuller also netted one rebound. Ambria Whittaker who has only been playing ball a few short years, in one to keep an eye on as she has a natural ability to run the court. Whittaker ended the night with five points and one rebound.

Maylei Rogers was a modern-day Rim Reaper as she was unstoppable under the basket bringing in six rebounds along with two points. And rounding out the stat book was Trinity Triska, Presley Curry, Kaylie Lowery, and Azlynn Nelson who combined for five rebounds and three steals. The 7th Grade Lady Tigers will play next at the Lavaca Tournament on Saturday, January 25 at 10 and 11.

Photo contributions by Malinda Mizell

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