Page 44 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch September 6, 2013 Sports In The News Seahawk Golfers Continue Early Dominance By SHAWN J. SOPER SPORTS EDITOR September 11 Spot Tourney Returns BERLIN – Stephen Decatur’s varsity golf team continued is early dominance thus far in the 2013 season, shooting a low team score of 154 at River Run on Tuesday to remain unbeaten and atop the Bayside South standings. Decatur’s Delaney Iacona shot a 37 to lead the Seahawks and share medalist honors with Washington High’s Chase Benton, who also shot a 37 at River Run on Tuesday. Decatur’s Andrew Urban was close behind with a 38, while Danny Parker shot a 39, Matt Kristick shot 40 and Chase Eslin shot 51. Decatur finished with a low team score of 154 to clinch the match against the Bayside South foes. Washington was second with a 165, followed by Parkside at 186 and Bennett at 179. Pocomoke finished at 224, followed by Snow Hill at 227 and Wicomico at 250. After a handful of early matches, Decatur has the top four golfers in the Bayside South. Urban is ranked first with an average of 37.67, followed by Parker at 38, Kristick at 38.33 and Iacona at 39.67. Ayden Whitehead of Bennett and Chase Benton of Washington are tied for fifth at 40. After three matches during which they are unbeaten, the Seahawks lead the Bayside South team standings with just three points, followed by Washington with six, Bennett with nine and Parkside with 12. Teams are awarded one point for a first-place finish, two points for a second-place finish, three points for a third-place finish, etc. Memorial Paddle-Out To Honor Falck By SHAWN J. SOPER SPORTS EDITOR Each September 11 since the tragic terrorist attack in 2001, the Ocean City Fishing Center has hosted an annual spot tournament to commemorate the solemn day. Pictured above is a scene from last year’s tournament. Photo by Shawn Soper By SHAWN J. SOPER SPORTS EDITOR OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City Fishing Center next Wednesday will host its 12th Annual Ocean City Spot Tournament, an event directly tied to the September 11 terrorists attacks over a decade earlier. On that fateful September 11, 2001, the mood was grim all over the country including Ocean City as the nation watched the horrific images coming in all day from New York, the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania hillside. To break the tension and get away, for a short time anyway, from the endless gloomy news reports, someone at the Ocean City Fishing Center suggested breaking out the light tackle and doing a little spot fishing from the docks and piers and the annual tournament was born. The tournament has been held every year since, always on September 11, to commemorate the fateful day and this year will be no exception. The tournament will be held on Wednesday at the Ocean City Fishing Center in West Ocean City and all are welcome to participate in the annual event. ASSATEAGUE – Beloved local resident Steve Falck, who passed away in July after a lengthy battle with a rare neurological disease, will be remembered by the community with a memorial paddle-out at Assateague on Sunday morning. Falck died peacefully at Coastal Hospice by the Lake in Salisbury on July 14 after a lengthy battle with Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA), a rare neurological disease for which there is no cure or treatment. Despite the debilitating disease that curtailed many of his favorite activities in the waning months of his life, including surfing and everything else related to water sports, his spirit remained strong and active until the end and continued to set a perfect example of how to handle adversity with dignity, class and grace. Nearly two months after his passing, friends and family will gather on Assateague around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday for a memorial paddle-out into the ocean Falck loved so much. Many are expected to paddle out on Sunday, while quite a few more will likely gather on the beach. For those wishing to watch the ceremony from the water, Stormy and Bev Harrington have generously offered the services of their boat, the “Tiki XIV” out of the West Ocean City commercial harbor. The “Tiki XIV” can take about 30 people and those wishing to attend the paddleout from the vessel are asked to get to the harbor by 7:30 a.m. Friends and family will gather for the paddle-out at the North Beach parking area and those participating will paddle out from Shipwrecks. Parking in the area is $15 per vehicle, but carpooling is encouraged and a great place to meet and share a ride in is the visitor’s center on the west side of the bridge. 55th Labor Day Tourney InThe Books By SHAWN J. SOPER SPORTS EDITOR Marlin Club Looks To Even Challenge Cup By SHAWN J. SOPER SPORTS EDITOR OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City Marlin Club will seek to even the decades-long series with its friendly rivals from Cape May next weekend when the two clubs compete in for the annual Challenge Cup for the 35th time. The Challenge Cup, which pits teams of boats from the Ocean City Marlin Club against teams of boats from the Cape May Marlin and Tuna Club, officially began in 1979 as formal competition between the friendly rivals which share the same canyons off the coast of the resort. The two rival clubs meet each September to compete for the Chal- lenge Cup and bragging rights until next year. Last year, Cape May edged Ocean City in one of the closest tournaments ever to take a 15-14 lead in the series. If either team wins the tournament three years in a row, that cup is retired and remains in the possession of the victors, while the losing club bucks up for a new cup. Ocean City had won two years in a row going into last year and was looking to retire the cup and take an edge in the series, but Cape May won and now leads the series 1514. The tournament officially gets started next Thursday with registration and a captains meeting, but the action offshore gets going next Friday with the first of two fishing days. OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City Marlin Club’s 55th Annual Labor Day White Marlin Tournament last weekend was a huge success with a suddenly hot white marlin bite ongoing off the coast of the resort and thousands of dollars in prize money awarded to the winners in several categories. While it might lack the glamour and the high payouts of the White Marlin Open, for example, the Marlin Club’s Labor Day White Marlin Tournament trumps all others when it comes to history and prestige. Called the “granddaddy” of resort area fishing tournaments, the annual Labor Day White Marlin Tournament is the oldest among the tournaments held in and around the resort area each summer. The first was held in 1958 and the annual event has endured for five-plus dec- ades and several generations of local anglers. In the Billfish Release Division, it was the crew on the “Par Five” taking first place with 1,300 release points worth $8,415. Angler Peggy Mumford on the “Par Five” also earned the Master Angler Award for five self-hooked marlin releases. The crew on the “Reel Joy” took second in the billfish release division with 800 points worth $1,539. The “Canyon Hunter” crew took third in the division with 700 release points worth $2,826. In the Tuna Division, it was the “Reel Fantasy” taking first place with a 1555.6-pounder and a 150.2pounder worth $5,940. In the Dolphin Division, the “Kylee’s World” took first place with a 15.4-pounder worth $4,207. The “Shadowfax” was second with a 14-pounder worth $1.039, and the “Reel Fantasy” was third with a 13.6-pounder worth $693. A total of $24,660 in prize money was awarded to the winners.