Former Jamestown tennis star Sam Ross gets to experience Wimbledon

By John Harvey

HarveySports757@yahoo.com

LONDON – Sam Ross’ bucket list includes attending all four major tennis tournaments on the ATP World Tour.

The 19-year old from greater Williamsburg is halfway there following his visit last week to the Wimbledon Championships in London.

A 2013 Jamestown High alum, Ross said that he has been to the U.S. Open in New York “a couple of times”, but there’s nothing like seeing tennis played on the hallowed grounds of tennis royalty.

“Wimbledon was absolutely incredible,” Ross said. “I got to see, up close, what makes it the most special and prestigious tournament in the World. The ivy covered walls, the grass courts, the white dress code and the classiness of the event.”

Ross just finished his first year of college abroad at the University of Durham in London.  He traveled three hours by train to the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, he couldn’t resist the opportunity to see pro tennis on grass.

“Since Wimbledon is such a traditional tournament, very few tickets are solid in advance, so my friend and I had to join ‘The Queue’ (last) Friday to see Saturday’s matches,” he said. “The camping was pretty terrible. I’m pretty sure I got maybe a half-hour of sleep, but once the queue started moving in the morning the excitement kicked in.”

Ross and his friends purchased ground passes for the day, which gave them access to the outside courts. Right befo

re the gates opened, Ross said it began to rain.

Anticipating no play on the outer courts for the day, Ross and his friends raced for the ticket resale line with hopes of securing a Centre Court ticket. After waiting nearly six hours in line, he and his friends were able to purchase tickets.

Ross said the wait was worth it as he got to watch two former Wimbledon champions play on Centre Court. “I was able to watch the entire Maria Sharapova-Alison Riske match as well as the entire Roger Federer and Santiago Giraldo match,” he said. “The feeling of watching these stars in person was surreal.”

“All the mannerisms of the players, which can be seen on TV, I saw in person,” he continued. “I could see David Beckham in the Royal Box and John McEnroe in the commentary booth. Everybody gave Sharapova and Federer standing ovations after their matches, which added to the Wimbledon charm.”

The Federer match was particularly rewarding for Ross.  “During warm-ups, he smacked the ball so carelessly, but during the match, he maneuvered the ball so gracefully. His backhand is the greatest shot I think I’ve witnessed in person. Getting to see him play was probably the highlight. I had always wanted to see him play before he retired, and with the resale ticket, I actually got the chance.”

“The rain, you could say, worked out for the best,” Ross continued. “That was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience, which made the 18 hours of camping/queuing well worth it.”

Contact Harvey at HarveySports757@yahoo.com or you can follow him on Twitter at HarveySports757.

Thomas Richardson lifts Williamsburg Post 39 to sixth straight win

By John Harvey

johnharveysports@gmail.com

JAMES CITY – Thomas Richardson had four hits and scored three runs to lead Williamsburg Post 39’s baseball team to a 4-1 victory over Gloucester Post 75 Thursday night at Warhill High School.

The victory marked the sixth in a row for the Wildflowers and the fourth this week as they extended their lead in the District 3 standings.

Most of the production came from the bottom of the lineup, as Richardson and Austin Carter combined for seven of the team’s 12 hits and all four runs.

“You know, it was just one of those days,” Richardson said. “I’ve been working on my swing and I’ve felt really comfortable in the batter’s box. I honestly was just seeing the ball really well and I hope it continues.”

Gloucester Post 75 struck first with a run in the top of the fourth inning. Linzie Coleman delivered an RBI-single off Williamsburg starter Blake Otey to score Matt Contreras for a 1-0 lead.

Post 39 answered with two in the bottom of the inning. Michael Brumfield drove in Richardson with a run-scoring single to left field. Tyler Klinedinst followed with a sacrifice fly to score Carter for a 2-1 lead.

The Wildflowers added insurance runs in the sixth and eighth innings. Brumfield drove in his second run of the game with a single to center in the sixth. Carter delivered an RBI-single to plate Richardson in the eighth inning.

Otey allowed one run on one hit and struck out three in four innings to earn the victory. Matt Smith was sensational in relief, striking out nine batters and allowing just one hit in five shutout innings of work.

“We really have a deep pitching staff and a good offense,” Richardson said. “The biggest thing (for us) is how good our defense is. “Starting off with six straight is great because last year we went undefeated (in the regular season) and ended up losing in state. This year we feel we have a better team, even with the loss of Teddy West and Trevor Otey. Hopefully this will make the team play better together.”

Williamsburg Post 39 will return to action Monday when they play host to Hampton Post 31. Game time is 7 p.m.

Harvey can be reached by email at johnharveysports@gmail.com or via Twitter @JohnHarveySport.

VPSU Swimming: Greensprings defeats Queens Lake in opener

By John Harvey

johnharveysports@gmail.com

WILLIAMSBURG – Greensprings  swim team opened defense of its Virginia Peninsula Swim Union title earlier this week with a 292-203 victory over Queens Lake in the opening meet for both teams.

Austin Smith earned triple-winner status in the Boys 11-12 division, with victories in the 100 IM, 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly. Matt Cudzik won the 100 IM 50 freestyle and the 50 butterfly in the Boys 15-18 division. Shea Buirski was a force in the Girls 11-12 division, winning the 100 IM, 50 breaststroke and the 50 butterfly.

The Gators also won three of the four relay events.

Elijah Fields earned triple-winner status for Queens Lake in the boys 9-10 division.

Here’s a breakdown of this week’s results.https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B6v-2w8LGZ7ZUGY3eUszczVtSUU&usp=sharing

Division 1: Greensrings defeated Queens Lake 292-203, Kingswood defeated Ford’s Colony 295-192, Kingsmill defeated Windsor Forest 277-218.

Division 2:  Coventry defeated Two Rivers 300-187, Ford’s Colony defeated Stonehouse 256-235, Powhatan Secondary defeated Indigo Park 259-219.

Division 3:  Windsor Great Park defeated Kingspoint 251-232, Williamsburg Community Pool defeated Village Green 317-174, Wellington defeated Edgehill 322-161.

Here’s a complete list of all of this week’s scoresheets:

Harvey can be reached by email at johnharveysports@gmail.com or via Twitter @JohnHarveySport.

Nick Tremps placed 17th at the VSGA Amateur championshps

By John Harvey

johnharveysports@gmail.com

GORDONSVILLE – Nick Tremps earned a top 20 finish during Wednesday’s 101^st annual Virginia State Golf Association Amateur championships held at Spring Creek Golf Club in Gordonsville.

The former Jamestown High standout shot a 2-under-par, 70 on Wednesday to finish the tournament tied for 17^th with a score of 151.

A rising junior at the University of Virginia, Tremps advanced to Thursday’s stroke-play event. He

will compete against Leesburg’s Brantley Kushner in the first round of the competition.

Four other golfers from greater Williamsburg competed in this week’s tournament, but none made the cut.

Zach Weaver, a former standout at Lafayette High, carded rounds of 75 and 76 to finish with a 151.  Nathan Dean shot a 75 on the second day to finish with a 156. Jeff Fleishman carded a 159. Nicholas Crowe shot an 84 on the first day of the tournament before withdrawing.

Richmond’s Adam Bell carded back-to-back rounds of 66 to edge Richmond’s Jordan Utley (136) and Chilhowie’s Conner Hayden (136) for the tournament title.

Harvey can be reached by email at johnharveysports@gmail.com or via Twitter @JohnHarveySport.

Post 39 pitcher Michael Brumfield blanks Hampton Post 31

By John Harvey

johnharveysports@gmail.com

JAMES CITY – Some teams are built around pitching. Others rely on hitting. Williamsburg Post 39 has a nice mix of both.

The Wildflowers extended their winning streak to four in a row Tuesday night with an 11-0 victory over Hampton Post 31 in seven innings.

Michael Brumfield (2-0) scattered three hits and struck out 10 in six innings. Matt Smith struck out three of the four batters he faced in the seventh to secure the win.

“I think what makes this team so successful is we all get together as one,” said outfielder Tyler Klinedinst. “Some of us have been playing together for 10 years now. We know that if we don’t get a hit, the person behind us can pick it up right after us.”

Hampton Post 31 starter Christian Rivera matched Brumfield pitch for pitch for the first four innings, allowing an unearned run on Mike Anerton’s sacrifice fly in the third inning.

When the southpaw was lifted in the fifth, that’s when Williamsburg went to work. Post 39 scored six runs in the fifth inning and added four more in the sixth to break the game open.

Collan Cryts had two hits and scored two runs. The Walsingham Academy catcher also picked off a runner at third base in the sixth inning to keep the shutout alive.

Brumfield broke out of a slump at the plate with two hits and a run scored. Anerton drove in three runs and Jake Countiss added a 2-run double in the win.

“Hitting is definitely contagious for this team,” Klinedinst said. “Once one of us gets it going, the rest of us just feed off it.”

Brumfield extended his scoreless innings streak to 12 in a row. He has allowed just seven hits in 12 innings and struck out 18.

“Our pitching is solid throughout the rotation,” Klinedinst aid. “Our pitchers are going to give us a chance to win every day. We just need to provide the offense.”

Contact Harvey at johnharveysports@gmail.com or via Twitter @JohnHarveySport.