Sports Digest

Retzlaff scores pole, but wrecked out of Martinsville Xfinity race

Rhinelander native Parker Retzlaff grabbed his second pole position of the season in NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series on Friday at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Va. But the top starting spot did not yield a good result on Saturday as the driver of the No. 31 Chevrolet for Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport was knocked out of the race and finished 36th following a crash toward the end of the first stage.

Retzlaff set the fastest time in Friday’s qualifying, piloting his machine around the .526-mile paper-clip oval in a time of 19.901 seconds (95.151 MPH). He led the first 17 laps of the race, and then retook the led briefly on laps 40-42. Retzlaff was still running second on a lap 54 restart when contact from behind sent him skidding into the Turn 1 wall.

“Great car. 2nd pole of the year. So much to be proud of with this group,” Retzlaff posted on his public Facebook page. “Straight up got drove through, not much else to say. Goes to par with how the rest of the season has gone.”

Retzlaff sits 20th in Xfinity Series points heading into this coming Saturday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. 

Tomahawk pool tournament to benefit Honor Flight

Folks are invited to watch some pool and help a good cause Saturday, Nov. 9 as the inaugural Veterans Day pool tournament takes place in Tomahawk benefitting the Never Forgotten Honor Flight. The event will be based at the Tomahawk VFW Hall, Cockatiels and Floyd’s. 

The event has already drawn a full field of 20 scotch doubles teams that will take part in a double-elimination tournament throughout the day. Half of the entry fees collected will go to the Honor Flight with the other half we serve as the purse for the top three teams. Additionally, tournament organizers encourage the public to get in on the raffles, eat some food and watch some pool. Proceeds from the raffles will also be donated to the Honor Flight.

“Although the tournament is already full for participants, we encourage the entire community to come out and show our vets some love,” tournament organizer Misty Bergsrud stated in a press release. 

Registration for the tournament begins at 11 a.m. Nov. 9 at the VFW, with games starting at noon.

Jim Gantner baseball camp to be held in Rhinelander Jan. 10-11

The Jim Gantner Baseball Clinic and Camp will be held at the Hodag Dome on Jan. 10 and 11. 

The Milwaukee Brewers 17-year second baseman from 1976 to 1992 will be hosting the clinic and camp with former Major League Baseball pitcher Juan Berenguer and former Brewers bullpen catcher Ronnie Nedset. Berenguer spent 15 years in the big leagues with seven teams. 

The coaching clinic will run on Jan. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Dome, followed by a meet-and-greet at Clarion Pointe Hotel in Downtown Rhinelander from 8:30 to 10 p.m. The camp will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 11. 

Youth baseball players ages 8 to 14 will learn pitching, fielding and hitting fundamentals. The cost of the camp is $75 and includes a camp T-shirt. 

Five percent of proceeds will go toward the Rhinelander Little League baseball program. 

For more information about the clinic and camp or to register, contact camp coordinator Mike Vanderbunt at 715-360-1285 or [email protected].