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Recreation: Naples' Keller, Faulkner win a
pair of Redfish Cup awards
By DANA OPPEDISANO
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Local boys Al Keller and Bill Faulkner may have missed out on the 2007 Oh
Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup -- and the $75,000 first-place prize that came with
it -- last weekend in Pensacola, but the Naples residents still took one heck
of a double-dip.
Despite their fourth-place finish, the pair claimed two of the biggest prizes
in competitive saltwater fishing: Team of the Year and Rookie of the Year
honors after a 2007 that saw the pair in contention for the title in every
tournament they fished.
"It's been a great year for us, and we feel really lucky to be here with all
of these great anglers," Faulkner told the Redfish Cup's official Web site.
"It may sound trite, but for us, it's really all about teamwork. Al and I
know each other so well, we might as well be brothers."
That bond's got its bonuses, too.
The Team of the Year award included a $25,000 payout, while the Rookie title
gives Keller and Faulkner a chance to earn some more winnings at next
weekend's All Stars "Last Cast" event from Oct. 5-7 in Morehead City, N.C.
Congratulations to the local pair on their achievements this season.
Naples' Sara Weaver, 43, turned in the top time among 16 locals who competed
at the 2007 Walt Disney World Triathlon in Lake Buena Vista on Sept. 23.
Weaver finished the 1,500 meter swim, 36-mile bike ride and 10K run in a
combined 3 hours, 12 minutes and 40 seconds, the fourth fastest time among
Florida women and good for fifth place overall. Tampa's Svetlana Slocum won
the overall women's crown in 3 hours, 1 minute and 48 seconds.
Estero's Melissa Ippolito, 28, also looked strong, finishing 25th in the
state and 30th overall with a 3:25:44 finish.
A record number of close to 2,000 athletes swam, biked and ran through the
annual event, held at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground and
concluding with the run just outside of Fort Wilderness Pioneer Hall.
Congratulations to all our local finishers.
The Gulf Coast Runners will present the Naples On the Run 20K this Sunday,
Sept. 30 at 7 a.m., with a start at the Naples On the Run store (2128 Ninth
St. North) and a course that winds down Gulfshore to the end of Gordon Drive
and back.
Pre-registration costs $20 per person, with time and age divisions for
children through adults. The top three in each division will receive awards,
with the top five men, women and masters receiving free entry into January's
Naples Daily News Half Marathon.
The race is run on a flat, fast course, with quality race T-shirt, post-race
refreshments and water given to all participants.
For more information, call George Dondanville at (239) 434-9786.
In other running news, registration is now open for this year's Half
Marathon, which will be held on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008.
You can pick up registration forms at Naples On the Run, or you can visit the
official website at www.napleshalfmarathon.net.
You can help a great cause by playing a part in The Pilot Club of Naples and
the Gulf Coast Runners' annual 5K Run/Walk at Kings Lake on Oct. 6. The event
will benefit the Pilot Club, which since its charter in 1959 has donated time
to local patients with Alzheimer’s, supported the Shelter for Abused Women
and awarded scholarships to local students, to name just a few of their
worthy community service causes.
You can help this first-class event through a trio of sponsorship
opportunities, available in $100, $300 and $500 designations.
For $100, you can be a "Friend of Pilot" sponsor and have your name or
company printed on the official race T-shirt. For $300, your name is listed
more prominently, and a Gold Sponsorship, a $500 donation, gets your company
name and logo in large type on the shirt and on all finish line
advertisements.
You can learn more about the race and how you can help by calling (239)
566-1612.
Oct. 13 should be a beautiful day for C.A.S.T. For Kids.
It starts with the Second Annual King Fling Kingfish Open, to be held on Fort
Myers Beach at the same time as the charity organization holds its fourth
Florida Saltwater event for local disabled and disadvantaged children.
The King Fling will award cash prizes to its top five finishers, including
$5,000 to the overall winner, with additional prizes awarded to the top
female and junior anglers, largest amberjack and largest king caught from a
single engine boat.
The event opens with a Captain's meeting at the Pinchers Crab Shack inside
the Holiday Inn on Friday the 12th. Food, beverages and soft drinks will be
served during the tournament, with a live band scheduled to perform
throughout the day. Special rates are also available for participants at the
Holiday Inn on Fort Myers Beach.
For information, visit www.triplecrownfishing.com or call Wally Thomas at
(239) 822-3796.
While the King Fling gets underway, 30 disabled and disadvantaged local kids
will receive a rod, reel, tackle box and gear as they board boats with
volunteer boaters, captains and guides for a fun-filled day of fishing. The
Fish House Restaurant will provide a picnic following an awards ceremony,
where each child will receive an award plaque.
C.A.S.T. for Kids is looking for volunteers and gifts (such as fishing gear,
jewelry, art, etc.) for the auction taking place at the King Fling awards
ceremony. If you'd like to help, contact C.A.S.T. Director of Development
Sandy Kostick at SandyKostick@gmail.com, or call her at (239) 822-6593. You
can also visit www.castforkids.org for additional information.
The Marco Sportfishing Club will meet a week from tonight and the first
Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island
at 991 Winterbury Dr. Meetings typically cover fishing methods, locations and
other topics of interest to local anglers. All meetings are open to the
public. Call Perry London at (239) 394-8038, or visit their official website
at ww.marcofishingclub.com.
The Southwest Florida PODS Angels will hold their sixth annual Buddy Walk at
Lions Park (off Cleveland Avenue) in Fort Myers on Sunday, Oct. 28.
The event, one of 200 such walks around the country, is held to promote
awareness and inclusion, plus raise money for research and education programs
for people with Down Syndrome. Close to 500 participants turned out for last
year’s one-mile walk, and organizers are hoping for an equally impressive
turnout this year.
To learn more, call director Mary Pringle at (239) 540-7897.
Ghosts and goblins descend almost everywhere else around Halloween, so why
not on the water, too?
The 2007 Ghost & Goblins Open Bass Tournament to benefit Our House will be
held on Sunday, Oct. 28, at the Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale.
Entry fee is $120 per two-person team, which includes entry in the Big Fish
pot that will pay out cash to 1 in every 10 boats in the field. Total payout
is $10,400 if the 120-boat field is filled. For more info, contact Jim
Pollock at (954) 695-6035, or by email at bigreeljim@aol.com. You can also
download an entry form online at www.shallowwatercustoms.com.
© 2007 Naples Daily News and NDN Productions. Published in Naples, Florida,
USA by the E.W. Scripps Co. |
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