Down the Line: Peninsula Former Athletes set up major music event July 2 at Mill Point Park in Hampton
Peninsula Former Athletes, the ex-athletes and ex-cheerleaders who mentor youth in Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg and nearby areas, will host a day-and-night music event July 2 at Mill Point Park in Hampton that is expected to include at least 10 bands performing.
Admission is $5 for performances that are expected to start around noon. Among the artists expected are the AmbassadorZz (reggae), Patricya Everette (gospel), T&E (smooth jazz), Larry Ross and Phazz 2 Band, Yvonne Bey and the Champagne Band, Theresa Woods, Gina Payne (violin), Perf3ction (go-go), J.Nedd & Brandon LA Raiderz, Dynasty Band Featuring Dominic & Danny, the Marching Elites and the Peoples Choice Reunion Band, which is scheduled to appear at 8:20 p.m. as the final act.
On the event’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1517751258489802), many of the sponsors and artists receive a salute from event organizers.
For information on the group, contact penforath@gmail.com.
Sipe climbs to No. 1: Brandon Sipe of Yorktown recently became the No. 1 player in the nation among the high school class of 2027, according to juniorgolfscoreboard.com.
Profiled in late December 2021 in The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press (https://www.pilotonline.com/sports/vp-sp-brandon-sipe-golf-20211228-77m44hv37bc2vht7fub46ttg4y-story.html), Sipe, who is homeschooled, is continuing his upward trajectory. In the Scott Robertson Memorial at Roanoke Country Club in May, he won the 14-and-under boys championship by two strokes by closing with a 3-under-par 68 for a 1-under 212 total.
It was the latest highlight of a budding career that included the boys 13-and-under title at the Notah Begay III All Boys Jr. Golf National Championship in southwestern Louisiana.
GPro Tour Championship up next: The Sound Golf Links at Albemarle Plantation is hosting the GPro Tour Championship this week in Hertford, North Carolina.
Thirty-six players are expected for an event that brings together the top players from the GPro points race to compete for the Empact Cup.
The tournament’s first round, planned for a 10 a.m. Tuesday start on the first and 10th tees, is also a pro-am, with teams of three amateurs paired with two GPro players. The entry fee of $300 per team includes lunch, dinner, golf and prizes.
To enter the pro-am, prospective players should e-mail Lee Duncan at lee.duncan@albemarleplantation.com or Ed White at ed.white@albemarleplantation.com.
Wahoo Slam fest: Former Virginia Cavaliers No. 1 tennis player Alexander Ritschard earned his way into the Wimbledon singles main draw by advancing through qualifying, culminating with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory Thursday over Croatia’s Duje Ajdukovic.
Ritschard, 28, will be making his Grand Slam main-draw debut at the All England Club. That means that, according to college tennis authority Alex Gruskin, five of the six starters from the 2015 and ‘16 U.Va. teams that won national championships will have competed in a main draw.
“Citizen Ashe” on CNN: A documentary on the great Arthur Ashe is set for 9 p.m. Sunday on CNN.
Ashe, a Richmond native who won Wimbledon in 1975, is one of the world’s all-time greats on the court and especially off of it.
One of the last speeches before his death was in October 1992 at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, and I was fortunate to cover it for the Daily Press. I’m eager to see younger generations learn about his heroism.
What’s coming up
Tuesday: Baseball’s Premier Collegiate League will feature a pair of games at Lakewood Park in Norfolk, with the Greenbrier Knights meeting the Norfolk Redbirds at 4 p.m. and the Tarboro River Bandits playing the Suffolk Voyagers at 7.
Saturday: After five consecutive road games on the schedule, the Peninsula Pilots should be eager to return to the friendly confines of War Memorial Stadium as they meet the Tri-City Chili Peppers at 7 p.m. ... At Langley Speedway, the card is expected to include twin races for the Super Street and UCAR divisions as well as Virginia Sprint Cars, Modified and Kart races. ... Virginia Beach City FC plays National Premier Soccer League Mid-Atlantic foe FC Frederick at 6 p.m. at Powhatan Field in Norfolk.
