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The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 13 No. 45 - September 4, 2013

sports

Southern Greens 2013 Volleyball Champions

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

SCOTT DELL | Submitted

AMICC adult co-ed Volleyball champions Southern
Greens. Pictured are Jordan Demers, Charlene Mann,
Emily and Ryan Moss.

The Anna Maria Island Community Center held its 2013 adult co-ed volleyball championships last week. Five teams worked their way through the long summer season to get to this one night. The teams were seeded based upon final season standings and then playoff tournament bracketed for the conclusion of the season.

The number one seed Beach Bums team would get the first round bye, which meant it would only have to win one playoff game to get into the championship. Going into this one night finale, Beach Bums had only lost one game all summer.

In the first game of the playoffs, the number four seed Island Real Estate team faced off against the number five seed Salon Salon. The under-dog Salon Salon team handled its opponent in two straight sets winning 25 to 22 and 25 to 14. This win propelled it into the next round to face the number one seed Beach Bums.

In the second playoff game, the number two seed Bowes Imaging Center team squared off against the number three seed Southern Greens team. Again the under-dog team took it to its opponent and won in two straight sets. The first game was slightly extended but the Southern Greens team was able to finally win by two points, 26 to 24. The second game was slightly easier, but still close, with a final score of 25 to 19 and sent Southern Greens into the championship game.

In the third and final playoff game, the first place seed Beach Bums paired up against the last place fifth seed Salon Salon team. With everything on the line and the championship game within their sights, it was a very exciting match.

It took all three sets for Beach Bums to finally defeat the scrappy Salon Salon team. The first game Beach Bums won 25 to 21. The second game was won by Salon Salon 25 to 22. In the third and final game of the match, Beach Bums pulled off the win 25 to 16 and sent it into the championship game.

In the last game of the night and the championship game, the number one seed Beach Bums played the number three seed Southern Greens team. It was a win or go home atmosphere and the stakes were high. The underdog Southern Greens team showed Beach Bums it was for real and opened up the first game with a decisive victory 25 to 16.

In the second game, Beach Bums proved why it deserved to be in the finals and bounced back with an impressive 25 to 17 win. This sent the championship into a third and final game.

In the final game of the night, Southern Greens proved to be too much for Beach Bums. It bounced back with an impressive win of its own 25 to 16 and claimed the coveted title of 2013 AMICC adult co-ed Volleyball Champions.

Adult co-ed Volleyball Results

Salon Salon  25
Island Real Estate  22
(First game of best 2 out of 3) – playoffs

Salon Salon  25
Island Real Estate  14
(Second game of best 2 out of 3) - playoffs

Southern Greens  26
Bowes Imaging Center  24
(First game of best 2 out of 3) – playoffs

Southern Greens  25
Bowes Imaging Center  19
(Second game of best 2 out of 3) – playoffs

Beach Bums  25
Salon Salon  21
(First game of best 2 out of 3) – playoffs

Salon Salon  25
Beach Bums  22
(Second game of best 2 out of 3) – playoffs

Beach Bums  25
Salon Salon- 16
(Third game of best 2 out of 3) – playoffs

Southern Greens  25
Beach Bums  16
(First game of best 2 out of 3)
Championship game

Beach Bums  25
Southern Greens  17
(Second game of best 2 out of 3) Championship game

Southern Greens  25
Beach Bums  16
(Third game of best 2 out of 3)
Championship Game

Adult co-ed Softball Schedule

Sept. 6, Friday, 6:30 p.m., Tyler’s Ice Cream Twins vs. Island Gourmet Rays – Championship game

 

Dodging storms and turtles

Dodging storms and turtles is this week’s challenge. Or as the Manatee High Girls Cross Country Coach, Rae Ann Darling Reed posted on Facebook, “Can we have just one afternoon without thunderstorms?!” Her girls have meets to compete in, and the community-wide Canes Classic 5K race she organizes every year to benefit the teams are coming up.

Actually, it is great fun to walk and run in the rain. In GT Bray Park in Bradenton, a gentle rain sounds like a tropical rain forest. One of my most memorable morning runs took place during such a cooling, soothing rain. It doesn’t come close to a smart phone white noise app, sorry. OK, well, a little close.

Running this past week with the Bradenton running club, Suncoast Striders, we did a dry (sort of) run of the Canes Classic course through GT Bray. It didn’t rain, but the humidity at 6 p.m. felt like it. Runners put up with all kinds of weather and critters. And from having run all over the U.S., I still love Florida running no matter what time of day or year it is.

This week, we had a new runner who was a woman who said she and her husband were thinking of moving here. She was very sweet and asked us all about life here, and of course, running.

One of our club members chimed in, “But it gets cold here in the winter.”

“No it doesn’t,” I laughed. “At least I don’t think so.

After having worked outside in Des Moines for 18 long torturous months in 50-below wind child factors in winter 30 years ago – that’s cold.”

The newcomer and I ran a little together, and I sounded like the chamber of commerce.

“We love it here!” I blabbed. “But if you like culture, you may want to check out Sarasota.”

“We have. We don’t need culture. We prefer the beach and serenity,” she said.

“Have you been to Anna Maria Island?” I asked cautiously.

As much as I may want to put a snowbird limit on people visiting paradise, I couldn’t help but launch into the features/benefits of the Island.

“Does the traffic get bad during season?” she asked.

“Depends how you look at it. We build time to get to where we’re going. It gets crowded everywhere near the beach in Florida during the winter. We come out again when the snowbirds leave. Seriously, it’s the price you pay. You get used to it.”

As all runners do, we got to discussing racing and ages. Turns out, she’s 2 years younger than me. It was obvious that she was a speedster.

“What’s your 5K time?” I asked.

“21 minutes is my personal record.”

Mine is 27 minutes. Two years, and then she’s in my age group.

“You know, the traffic really does get bad in winter. Terrible place to live,” I joked after she dropped that little factoid. I’d never win my age group again once she turned 60. “Just kidding,” I quickly added. “You’d love it here – great running community, trails and running on the beach doesn’t get any better.”

As I finished a glorious run at Manatee Beach this week, a woman sitting on a picnic table said excitedly, “Did you see the turtle hatching and heading toward the water? It just happened! Here, watch the video I just took!”

It was amazing. I had no idea turtles could hatch at as late as 8:30 a.m. Full of joy, I headed toward my car.

As synchronicity would have it, a few feet from my car I saw a completely flattened baby turtle. It was pointed in the direction of street lights. It had obviously gotten confused, as this endangered species often does. Based on the condition of the turtle, it appeared to have happened recently. Who knows, it could have been my car that ran him over. I hope not.

It certainly was a reminder of how much still needs to be done to minimize our human encroachment into their territory. As a community, we need to do more to install lights that turtles don't mistake for the moon or sun.

Off to be a guest chef at the Dr. John McDougall Advanced Study Weekend, and speaking at the Manatee County South Branch Library hours before I catch the plane on Thursday to do that.

Gotta run.

You can follow Island resident Ellen Jaffe Jones on her Facebook page and keep up with her just released book:,"Eat Vegan on $4 a Day," or her website: www.vegcoach.com. She is also a nationally certified personal trainer and running coach. For training in a gym or private hire, contact Ellen at ejones@vegcoach.com or 941-704-1025.


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