Page 7- Thursday, July 16, 2009
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"WHERE THE KID GOT HIS NAME"
i i
The Sundance Times
Local racer earns a spot at National
Championship Motocross Race at Loretta
Lynn's ranch in Hurricane Mills, TN
Gracie Van Horn just made her dream
come true. The eleven year-old dirt bike
racer has qualified for the largest amateur
motocross race in the world, the 28 th an-
nual Air Nautiques/AMA Amateur nation-
al Motocross Championships at Loretta
Lynn's Ranch. Gracie took over 20,000
hopefuls from across America to earn one
of just 1,386 qualifying positions.
"The Amateur Nationals at Loretta
Lynn's is the event every motocross racer
in the country wants to compete in,"
"says Event Director Tim Cotter. =A win
at the Amateur Nationals can serve as a
springboard to a lucrative professional
motocross career."
Most of America's top professional m oto-
crossers, including James Stewart, Ricky
Carmichael, Travis Pastrana and Jeremy
McGrath have won AMA Amateur na-
tional Championships at Loretta Lynn's.
The race is so prestigious that last year
teenaged stars such as New York's Jus-
tin Barcia, South Carolina's P.J. Larsen,
Pennsylvania's Darryn Durhman and
Texas's Blake Wharton were awarded pro
contracts after the race.
Gracie, who attends Sundance Junior
High School, has been riding since she
was eight years old. Sponsors such as Rice
KTM, No-Tot, Factory Backing, FMF and
Renthal help her to stay competitively ac-
tive in the sport by giving Graeie discounts
for parts, protective riding gear, bike
backgrounds and numbers. Motocross is
a very dangerous and expensive sport. It
requires dependable and durable equip-
ment whether she is riding in a race or just
Out practicing. Safety is such an importt
part of this sport, mentally and physically
she has to always be at the top of her game.
She has won over one hundred races in
the last three years and competes nearly
every weekend in the summer and also
races arena cross in the winter.
Graeie along with her family will make
the long journey to Tennessee the first
week in August. The race is run from Aug.
1-8. Gracie is just one of the over 20,000
who spent the last four months qualifying
for the event. She first went to Boise, ID
for the area qualifier where she earned a
first place trophy and a spot in the regional
qualifier in Washougal, WA. Gracie and her
family then traveled to Washougal in June
and from there she brought home three
1 st place finishes, which guaranteed her a
chance to race the most prestigious race of
them all, the national championship race
at Loretta Lynn'sl Racers may enter a wide
variety of classes, from minicycle classes
for children as young as four, all the way
up to a senior division for riders over 50.
There are also classes for women, and
classes for both stock and modified bikes.
Graeie will be riding in the girl's class, age
11-15 years old on a KTM 105.
The track is built on a section of Loretta
Lynn's Ranch and Campground in Hurri-
cane Mills, TN. The course contains a va-
riety of jumps, corners and other obstacles
designed to test the skills and stamina of
the racers.
Most riders attend the event with the
help of their families, friends and by local
support, in hopes that they can achieve
the dream of a lifetime.
Best Of luck to Gracie from all of us in
Sundance, Wyomingt
About the Air Nautiques/AMA Amateur
National Motocross Championships
Produced by MX Sports, Inc., the Air
Nautiques/AMA National Motocross
Championships is the world's largest
amateur motocross race. Hosted annually
since 1982 at the home of country music
star Loretta Lynn in Hurricane Mills, TN,
the event is the premier amateur moto-
cross race in the world. Approximately
25,000 racers attempt to qualify in 33
classes for the 1,386 available gates at the
finals. The National event, christened "The
World's Greatest Motocross Vacation", is
held the first week of August annually.
As proof of the significance of winning
an AMA Amateur National Champion-
ship title, most of today's top motocross
and Supercross starts, including Ricky
Carmichael, James Steward, and Ryan
ViUopoto, won championships at Loretta
Lynn's. For more information, please visit
www,mxsports.com.
Gracie Van Horn with her motocross trophies.
Local
students
appear on
Wyoming
Coaches
Association
All Star
rosters
Crook County students
will represent their respec-
• tive Teams from the North or
South in the annual Wyoming
Coaches Association All Star
Games to be held in Casper on
Saturday, July 25. A committee
of high school coaches has se-
lected the top ten players from
the northern half of the state
and the top ten players from the
southern half of the state who
will be squaring offagainst one
another in this event.
Hayden Johnston of Sun-
dance is on the North Boys
Basketball roster. Team coach
is Allen VonEye and assistant
coaches are Matt Conzelman
and Ryan Alley. Scottlin Lenz
of Sundance is on the Men's
Golf team.
The games will be played in
conjunction with the Wyoming
Coaches Association annual
Coaching Clinic, Hall of Fame
Banquet and All Star Week.
Events include Golf, Volleyball
and Girls and Boys Basketball.
Practices for the event begin on
Wednesday, July 22, with the
games to be played at Casper
College T-Bird gym. The Volley:
ball game will begin at 2 p.m.,
followed by Girls Basketball at
approximately 4 p.m. and Boys
Basketball at approximately 6
p.m. Golf All Star competition
will be held at the Casper Golf
Courses throughout the week.
This All Star Week was origi-
nated to recognize the best
seniors in their individual sport
and allow them to compete in a
highly honored event.
School Board
position open
By Evo.Ba Schelling
Crook County residents interested in serving on the school
board are invited to submit a letter of interest to Ken Rathbun,
chairman of the Crook County School District Board of Trustees.
Letters must be received on or before Thursday, July 23, 2009.
All letters of interest will be considered by the trustees.
The successful applicant will replace at-large trustee Jim Pan-
nell who recently vacated the position. Board policy states that
a board member cannot apply for a job with the school district
while still seated on the board.
According to Pannell, he has applied for the VoAg teaching
position at Sundance High School. =I loved being on the school
board, it was a great experience." But, adds Pannell, =I would
like to get back in to teaching." PanneU taught school two years
before returning to ranching.
Interested persons may send a letter of interest to Ken Ruth-
bun, Chairman, Board of Trustees; Crook County School Dis-
trict #1; PO Box 830; Sundance, Wyoming 82729.
Maupin named to School
of Mines Dean's List
Charles Maupin, a mechanical engineering student from Hu:
let-t, was named to the Dean's List at the South Dakota School
of Mines and Technology for the spring 2009 semester. The
School of Mines is an engineering and science university in
Rapid City, S.D.
More than 400 students qualified for the Dean's List. To qualify
for the Dean's List, undergraduate students must earn a grade
point average of 3.50 or higher for the semester, carry 12 or more
credit hours and not have any =F" or "Incomplete" grades.
SOUTHERN BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA
ABSOLUTE REAL ESTATE AUCTION
FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009 - 1:00 PM MDT
LocoW..d 7 mi. south of Cur, SO on Hyw. 315 in a very scenic and popular area. 12 spoctoculer, scenic
reddenlial/rereolionul tin(Is ronge from .39 to 12.15 acres, all feotudng terliie mandows, mature
limber and scenic rock ontcroppings. Perfect for horses! Beover Creek & Mkkelson hikino/nildng trail
anin many. Terms: Absolute Auction, selling without minimum or reserve! 20% down, 7.5% interest
seller finandn0 ofhrndl Brokers represent seller. Auctioneers Note: You simply will nut lind this quofily
of residenliol ooeages ovoilable anywhere. The lime could never be better to invest in Block Hills Iondl
See phntos, map, dutoils on www.sdowdiem.com- Coil 605-673-2629 for into
BRADEENAUCTIONS * 605..673-2629 * CUSTER, SD
UW announces spring
semester graduates
The University of Wyoming awarded degrees to the following students from Crook County at
the completion of the 2009 spring semester.
Jordan Ray Steele of Aladdin earned a certificate. Daniela Marinho Ribeiro of Alva earned a
Bachelor of Arts degree. Cassie L. Snook of Hulett earned a certificate. Justine M. Patton and
Amanda Suzanne Quiroz of Moorcroft each earned a Bachelor of Arts. Also from Moorcroft, Alisa
Somova earned a Bachelor of Science and Mark Steven VerBurg earned a double Bachelor of
Arts degree. Laura C. Reinhold of Sundance earned a Bachelor of Science.
For more information about the University of Wyoming, view the Web page at: www.uwyo.
edu.
Sports Physicals & Camp Physicals
SPECIAL RATES From June 8- July 31 Only
• 4t
Sports Physical. $20.00 at the time of
service, $25.00 if we are required to bill.
Sports Physical & Camp Physical: $30.00 at the
time of service, $35.00 if we are required to bill.
Sundance Clinic
307-283-2476
Moorcroft Clinic
307-756-3414
Hulett Clinic
307-467-5281
Special rates end July 31, 2009
CROOK COUNTY MEDICAL
SERVICES DISTRICT
To order tiokets log onto
wyomingathletios, oom
or Jail 8-9Z2-9461
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