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Prep Roundup
Columnists Brian Meadows Brad NormanMembersLocal Connection› Iredell County Young Athletes Association› South Iredell Athletics Association › SHS athletics › WIHS athletics › NIHS athletics › SIHS athletics › LNHS athletics Syndicate RSSAP NASCAR NASCAR Features A look at this year's schedule A look at this year's drivers Differences between stock car and open-wheel racing NASCAR Research & Development Petty Enterprises splitter testing Aerodynamic testing in Concord's wind tunnel Top 10 moments in Daytona history Site StatisticsThis page has been viewed 276265 timesPage rendered in 0.2341 seconds Total Stories: 2136 Total Comments: 34 Most Recent Entry: 08/15/2008 12:53 pm Most Recent Comment on: 04/17/2008 10:54 pm Most Recent Visitor on: 10/11/2008 10:30 pm |
• Community
2008 Feb-05
Calling all turkeysBy Larry Sullivan
When Mooresville’s Kyle Gilliland commences calling, the state’s wild turkey population has a hard time not answering. A year removed from emerging as his age division’s winner of the Mooresville-held North Carolina State National Wild Turkey Federation Calling Contest, Gilliland showed no signs of silencing upon winding up as the highest-finishing local entry in this year’s state championship competition event as well. After winning his Jakes Division for callers age 15 and under a year ago, the now more maturing teen-aged Gilliland competed nearly as well in his Intermediate Division for competitors age 16-20 by putting forth a second-place finish during his continued preparation for the NWTF National Championships that will take place later this month. Gilliland is hoping for the same kind of success he experienced a year ago when he followed up his win here by going on to place fifth nationally in the championship contest that was held in Nashville. Gilliland wound up as the only immediate Mooresville caller to call the state calling contest his home, his runner-up finish in the Intermediate Division making him the only local entry and one of eight participants from the host state to post top-two showings in any of the total of eight classes of competition to take place.
This marked the fourth consecutive year that Mooresville was selected to host the state calling contest. Daylong festivities took place in the Charles Mack Citizen Center in downtown Mooresville.
“Our contest,” praised Mooresville’s own Janie Stephens, newly-elected president of the N.C. State NWTF Chapter, local event director, “has become known as the best in the South because of the quality of the place, the great facility, great judges and prizes. It had previously been held in Charlotte, New Bern, Raleigh and Hickory. After researching the options, the Citizen Center had everything we needed.” Stephens has been associated with the event throughout the period of time. She was previously the vice-president of the state chapter and, in that capacity, was the one organizing the calling contest and state awards on an annual basis. She also remains the president of the Lake Norman NWTF Chapter that served as the state contest’s official host. The event here proved particularly appealing, according to Stephens, due to the fact that it served as a qualifier into the National Championships. This year’s nationals will be held in Atlanta next month. During the contest, events took place in a host of divisions with the top three positions awarded within each. Divisions included: Natural Voice, with no artificial devices used; Jakes, for youth up to age 15; Intermediate, for youth 16-20; Tarheel Open, for those up to age 21 and up who live in any state; N.C. Senior Resident, for those age 21 and over and state residents; Friction, open to anyone from any state; Owling, open to all entries; and Gobbling, also open to all interested. At this year’s contest, Knight & Hale Game Calling team member Mark Prudhomme of Georgetown, S.C., especially made himself right at home. The 13-year calling veteran took back home with him the most number of division titles, placing first in the Tarheel Open, Owling and Gobbling classifications. Another multiple division winner was Georgia’s Chris Drake, who placed first in the Natural Voice and Jakes divisions. Other firsts came courtesy of Lance Hanger of Churchville, Va., in the Intermediate, where Mooresville’s Gilliland placed second; Jeff Sipe of Conover in N.C. Senior Resident; and Mitchell Johnston of Purlear in Friction. As it turned out, both three-time winner Prudhomme and single champion Johnston are fellow cohorts, companions and even competitors with the same Knight & Hale Game Calling team. In a true showing of teamwork, the pair placed first and second, respectively, in the Tarheel Open, Owling and Gobbling competition won all three times by Prudhomme. In fact, it was during a break between competitions when the two were found comparing their notes and fine-tuning their calls along with each other. They each tooled through their respective tackle boxes at their various calling gear while also provided one another with vital details in additional preparing to make their presentations. The top three finishers in order within each of the N.C. State National Wild Turkey Federation Calling Contest are as follows: The Lake Norman NWTF Chapter will be hosting a fundraising banquet March 29 back at the same Charles Mack Citizen Center at which the state calling contest was held. Bookmarkz |
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