Weimar Hills honors Bruce Smith

When the Weimar Hills Middle School's Class of 2009 graduates Friday, the students will be handed their diplomas in the shadow of the newly named Bruce Smith Memorial Gymnasium.The Placer Hills School District board recently voted to re-name the school's gym in honor of the longtime teacher and coach who passed away in 2008. Smith, who had taught and coached in the district for 38 years before his retirement, also has a tree-shaded bench and sitting area located near the gym in his memory.A Bruce Smith scholarship fund has also been set up. For more information on making donations contact Steve Grundmeier at (530) 878-0830 or Mary Cleary at mcmasterscleary@yahoo.com.Foothill Vault Flavor Three pole vault athletes with foothill ties competed at last weekend's USA Track & Field Western Regional Championships that were held at Mt. San Antonio College in Southern California at Walnut. In the men's pole vault, Colfax High graduate Kasey Burlingham won the open competition by clearing 16 feet 10 and three-quarters inches. Burlingham, who went 17-6 to win the recent NCAA Div. II championships for Stanislaus State, edged out former Bear River vaulter Paul Litchfield (Idaho) who also cleared the same height but had more misses. In the women's open competition, former Olympian and ex-Placer athlete Stacy Dragilla placed second at 13 feet 11 and one–quarter inches. Burlingham was trying to use the meet to reach the pole vault qualifying mark of 18 feet one inch needed to advance to the USA National Championship meet slated for later this month in Eugene, Ore.Tourney Support This past Monday's 11th annual Bill Bean Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament held at The Ridge and Darkhorse golf courses once again was a rousing success. The tournament, which raises funds for scholarships and youth sports, was again buoyed by tremendous donation support from area business which included the following: Tully-Wihr, Gold Run CHP Squad Club, Harris Industrial Gases, Amerigas-Colfax, T.J.'s Roadhouse, Industrial Solutions, Rollins Lake at Long Ravine, Colfax Recreation Association, Black Oak Golf Course, Winchester Country Club and Hansen Brothers.Free Hoops Home-school students, boys and girls, entering grades 7-9 who are interested in basketball are invited to a free basketball clinic being held at Colfax Elementary School from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. June 24. The clinic is being held in conjunction with the new CORE home school program that is being sponsored by CES. Former Colfax High girls basketball coach Dan Hicks is organizing a new sports program for CORE that is seeking affiliation with the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section for league placement. Contact Hicks at (530) 401-2741 or corehoops2009@gmail.com for more information.