Sports Shorts

Jackson Renegades girls fastpitch softball seeks the following players for the 2007 season - U12 and U16 teams seeking several players to complete their roster, while U14 is seeking a pitcher, catcher and one additional player. Call John Byster at (732) 408-1982 or e-mail jbyster@hotmail for additional information.

The Lakewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame has been established to honor former Lakewood High School student-athletes, coaches and others whose achievements have made a major impact on the school's athletic program.

Categories for nominees are: athlete, coach and veteran. All must be Lakewood High graduates, unless they have demonstrated extenuating circumstances such as military service, illness, etc., Ed Brandt said. Brandt is a retired Lakewood High School football coach and athletic director.

For athletes, eligibility begins the seventh year after the nominee's graduation. Coaches must have served at least seven years at the school and they must have been retired from high school coaching at least seven years.

For consideration by the veterans committee, nominees must have graduated at least 30 years prior to the years in which he/she is being considered. This category is open to athletes and coaches.

Nominations will be accepted by the Selection Committee on an ongoing basis with forms available through the athletic trainer's office, the main office or on the Lakewood High School Web site (lakewood.k12.nj.us/lhs), and at Lakewood High School, East Seventh Street, Lakewood, N.J. 08701.

A maximum of 14 nominees can be selected. The deadline for nominations is Jan. 15.

The Selection Committee will meet prior to Feb. 15 of each year to vote for nominees. Those chosen will be honored at the Hall of Fame's third annual luncheon on April 22 at the Woodlake Country Club in Lakewood.

For more information, call Ed Brandt at (732) 363-4841 or Pat Halpin at (732) 905-3537.

All boys and girls ages 10-14 are invited to participate in the local level of competition for the 2007 Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship. The local competition will be held on Saturday, Jan. 20, at St. Aloysius Gymnasium, 935 Bennetts Mills Road in Jackson. On-site registration begins at noon and the competition begins at 12:30 p.m. The competition is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus annually, with winners progressing through local, district and state competition. International champions are announced by K of C international headquarters based on scores from the state-level competitions. All boys and girls 10-14 years old are eligible to participate and will compete in respective age groups. Last year, more than 179,000 sharpshooters participated in over 3,000 local competitions.

All contestants on the local level are recognized for their participation in the event. Participants are required to furnish proof of age and written parental consent. For additional information, contact Steve Stazko at (732) 901-1954.

The Knights of Columbus is an international Catholic family fraternal service organization with nearly 1.7 million members in over 12,500 local councils. Last year, Knights donated 60 million volunteer hours and $130 million to charitable and benevolent causes, sponsoring projects to benefit their church, councils, communities, families and youth.

In an effort to continue its mission to offer all children the opportunity to participate in youth baseball, Howell Recreation and Howell North Little League have partnered up with Little League Baseball to offer the Challenger Division for the spring season. The Challenger division is for all special-needs children ranging from ages 5 to 16. Registration will be held 7-9 p.m. Jan. 10 in the Griebling School Cafeteria. Registration fee is $45. For more information, call Howell Recreation at (732) 938-4500, ext. 2501, or visit the Web site www.northhowell-littleleague.org. Forms may be downloaded from NHLL and township Web sites.

The Jersey Shore Giants 12U baseball team will hold tryouts for the spring season. Undefeated (7-0) in the fall, they will be playing at Frogbridge on the 50/70 field in Jackson this year. Games on Sundays to not conflict with Little League. They have a long history of accommodating busy parent schedules. If you have a tournament or near-tournament quality 11- or 12-year-old who loves baseball, call Coach Jeff for a no-pressure tryout at (732) 259-0761 or send an e-mail to jmende@optonline.net.