Catch Central Florida » Polk County

Polk County Welcomes Ironman 70.3 Florida

Rebecca Thompson — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:10:40 +0000

The welcome of Ironman 70.3 Florida this month kicks off a thrilling new era for Polk County!

Over 2,300 competitors from across the county, state, nation and even world will make their way to Haines City this weekend for the start of Ironman 70.3 Florida. Here, these triathletes will test their athletic abilities, stamina and competitive drive on the 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run.

Area residents will be able to take in the experience as the triathletes make their way through the course that includes a one-loop swim around Lake Eva, a bike route along one of Florida’s scenic highways and a three-loop run around Lake Eva. Among the triathletes will be seven-time Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong whose foundation recently partnered with Ironman in an effort to raise more than $1 million for those affected by cancer.

Previously held at Disney, this year’s Ironman event has relocated to Lake Eva Park in Haines City, just 30 minutes outside of Orlando, and will be held annually at this great setting through 2016.

Beginning at noon on Friday, May 18, the Ironman Village and the Lake Eva Park Bandshell will serve as the hub of all activities for the weekend. The Official Ironman Store will also open, and the public will be able to hear live music until 10:00 p.m.

Also part of the weekend will be the IronKids Florida event, which takes place the morning of Saturday, May 19. Young triathletes ages 6-15 will assemble at the starting line for a 7:00 a.m. start to a shortened version of the adult course.

The Ironman 70.3 Florida race officially begins Sunday at 6:30 a.m. As with previous days, live performances are scheduled throughout the day. The event wraps up Sunday evening and will conclude with an awards ceremony at 4:00 p.m.

Spectator Schedule of Events:

Friday 5/18
Noon – Ironman Village & Official Ironman Store Opens
Noon – 4 p.m. – Live Performance – Eli
6 – 10 p.m. – Live Performance – Spit Fire
7 p.m. – Ironman Village & Official Ironman Store Closes

Saturday 5/19
7 a.m. – IronKids Race Starts
9 a.m. – Ironman Village & Official Ironman Store Opens
Noon – 1 p.m. – Live performance – Joey Foley and the Midnight Clogging Express
5 p.m. – Ironman Village & Official Ironman Store Closes
5-9 p.m. – Live Performance – Un4giv’n

Sunday 5/20
6:30 a.m. – Ironman 70.3 Florida Race Starts
7 a.m. – Ironman Village & Official Ironman Store Opens
9 – 10 a.m. – Live performance – Jeff “Bull” Ferguson
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Live Performance – Steel Horse
3 p.m. – Ironman Village & Official Ironman Store Closes
4 p.m. – Awards Ceremony

Ironman Visitor Information

An ATV Weekend For a Cause at Triple Canopy

Miguel Castro — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:57:03 +0000

Are you in need of some outdoor fun? Come out to Triple Canopy Ranch and tear up the mud this weekend complete with excitement and thrill at the Benefit for Bailee event! This ATV weekend fundraiser hosted by Triple Canopy Ranch in partnership with SKY Powersports will benefit Bailee Kent, a local Polk County soccer star who recently suffered a severe stroke. Bailee, like a true Webber Warrior, battled the hospital bed and is on her way to an impressive recovery.

The event will feature:

Live Entertainment
ATV Rodeo Events
ATV Demos & Trail Rides
Monster Truck Rides
Swamp Buggy Rides
Prize Raffles
Bonfires
A Corn-hole Tournament
An Auction
Fun, Food and Games

Save the date, and bring your family and friends this weekend, beginning Friday, May 11 and lasting through Sunday, May 13!

Vote for Polk’s Ultimate Fishing Town!

Rebecca Thompson — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:05:32 +0000

It’s an exciting time for Polk County fishing, with three municipalities nominated for WFN’s Ultimate Fishing Town! Home to more than 550 lakes with hundreds of anglers competing in fishing tournaments weekly, Polk makes the perfect fit.

What exactly is the Ultimate Fishing Town? The World Fishing Network has opened a contest for voters to select their pick for the town they feel is most passionate about fishing and a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts, and Lakeland, Lake Wales and Winter Haven are among the nominees.

Aside from the “Ultimate Fishing Town” title and honors, the town receiving the most votes will earn $25,000 to be donated to a cause benefiting local anglers. In addition to the contribution, the World Fishing Network will produce a television feature about the region, which will be broadcast on-air and online throughout the year. Second and third place winners will also receive community donations with $5,000 being awarded to second place and $2,500 to third.

The voting has already begun, so don’t wait to participate and help your community win! Cast your votes at World Fishing Network or click: Lakeland, Lake Wales or Winter Haven. The contest opened on Tuesday, May 1 and will close Thursday, May 31. The three winning cities will be announced around June 6.
Vote up to a maximum of four times per day per email address, with one vote every six hours.

Voting is limited to one vote cast during each of the following blocks:

Voting Block One 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Voting Block Two 6:01 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET
Voting Block Three 12:01 p.m. ET to 6:00 p.m. ET
Voting Block Four 6:01 p.m.ET to 12:00 a.m. ET

You can also earn up to eight additional votes by referring friends, adding local business listings or sharing your vote on Facebook or Twitter.

Don’t wait to help your county win! Recognized as the Largemouth Bass Capital of the World, it seems only fitting for Polk County to be the home of the “Ultimate Fishing Town”.

Bok Tower Gardens Hosts the A-C-T Carillon Classic 5k

Rebecca Thompson — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:27:13 +0000

For all runners, walkers and those just looking to get into shape, the A-C-T Carillon Classic 5k Run/Walk on May 26 is your opportunity to run a course that’s never been ran before! Held at the beautiful and historical Bok Tower Gardens, the A-C-T Carillon Classic is an experience like no other. With a tranquil setting on 157-acres of garden woodland and home to the magnificent bell tower housing one of the world’s greatest carillons, Bok Tower makes an ideal location for a picturesque 5k.

Runners and walkers will trek the natural rolling hills of the course and navigate through the gardens while carillon music, the tower and gorgeous views serve as the backdrop.

Participants will receive a dri-fit t-shirt and post-race refreshments, and the top three winners from standard age divisions will receive a trophy. Following the race, all participants and spectators are invited to enjoy the gardens for the day free-of-charge making it a great way to spend Memorial weekend with the family.

This inaugural event will be hosted by the Dick Pope/Polk County Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association, and proceeds will benefit its educational and professional initiatives, as well as the George W. Harris, Jr. Runaway and Youth Crisis Shelter.

The A-C-T Carillon Classic will take place rain or shine on Saturday, May 26, and the entry fee is $25 for adults and $15 for students (1st-12th Grade) who are registered by Friday, May 11. Registering after May 11 will incur an additional $5 charge. Race day registration will begin at 6:30 a.m., while the 5k Run & Walk gun time is scheduled for 7:30 a.m.

For more information, please contact Danny Kushmer, FPRA Chapter President, at 863-559-8062 or by email. You can also contact Cindy Rodriguez or Jim DeGennaro .

Race for the Kids

Lance Cline — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:34:44 +0000

Join us March 30th on the banks of Lake Cannon in Winter Haven for Race for the Kids, and take the chance to help the Citrus Center Boys & Girls Clubs while watching some thrilling Hydroplaning boat racing.

There will be a series of classes racing for the event, which will begin preparation on March 29th and run thru April 1st. The Event Schedule will begin with race practice on the 29th from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m., and will continue on the 30th from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. The Pro races begin on Saturday the 31st from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and will go thru Sunday April 1st from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. The Kids Pro races will also be running on the afternoon of March 31st.

We will have food vendors, and the Humane Society of Polk County will also be at the event on Saturday. Don’t miss a wonderful opportunity to help a child, adopt a pet, and have some fun! Admission fees for Saturday and Sunday will range from $5.00 to $10.00, and bleacher seating is limited so make sure to get there early so that you can get up close to all the action.

Boys & Girls Club of Winter Haven is located at 2400 Havendale Blvd, Winter Haven, FL 33881.

Race for the Kids on YouTube

Enduring Warrior Dash Central Florida

Joe Cutler — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:45:18 +0000

As a young boy your mother expects you to play in the dirt, get muddy, ruin clothes and destroy shoes. Somewhere along the line you get older, take down the “no girls allowed” sign in front of the tree house, and eventually trade in the tree house for a real house in an effort to mature and move forward. No one expects that at age 25 you’d still be playing in the mud. Then again with an event like Warrior Dash, where you’re encouraged to throw on a pair of Superman briefs, a makeshift cape, crawl, swim, and jump through mud, on top of cars, under barbed wire and over fire, how could you resist?

I had the opportunity to partake in Warrior Dash Central Florida 2012. My friend and I showed up an hour before our start time so that we could grab our registration packets: a horned warrior helmet, athletic Warrior Dash t-shirt, bib and timing chip.

There were around 500 people in our 11:00 a.m. wave, and we started off with a light jog for 100 yards. The first obstacle was getting through the thickest, heaviest, black muck I’d ever encountered. It was military grade mud, if such exists. Overzealous participants had to look for help getting out after sinking knee deep. The wave had thinned. Now weighting about 20 pounds more than when I started, I jogged to the next obstacle – a barricade breakdown where we had to lift ourselves over a bar and immediately under barbed wire several times. Remember, my hands and shoes are caked with mud.

Just past the barbed wire, we got our balance and walked up and over a six inch wide ramp. After a short jog, we jumped and crawled over a 50 yard stretch of tires and junk cars. Past the last car I could see the climbing wall. Not too difficult to pull myself up with the rope, slide over and crawl down. I’m feeling good at this point.

Immediately after the wall there was a deep pool of what appeared to be clean water. I was relieved. The sign said, “Deep Water.” I’m good, I can swim. Easy part, right? Splash! The sign should have read, “Freezing Deep Water.” My body was stunned; it was pretty difficult to swim and pull myself up, and over, the floating barriers in my path. Once out of the water, we had a half mile jog through sand lined with motivational signs saying things like “Don’t worry, we didn’t train for this either,” and “Don’t let Dale from Accounting beat you.”

The next obstacle was a large manmade sand dune we had to climb up and over. Simple enough I thought, but stationed on the back side of the dune was an airboat blowing water directly into my face. A nice breeze in the middle of Warrior Dash? Not exactly. Next up was elevated cargo nets we had to crawl across. I was careful not to slip for fear I wouldn’t be able to get back upright in a timely manner.

At this point we had a mile to go. After a quarter mile run through sand, the next obstacle was a 50 yard trek through a waist deep section of mud. Done. My legs are good and tired as I approach the next obstacle of army crawling under ropes hanging less than a foot off the ground. My whole body was feeling the burn, literally, as I attempted to leap over rows of thigh high flames. Yes flames, as in real fire. I remember thinking, “This can’t be safe,” but I’d made it to the final obstacle. Or did I? After clearing the last smoky pile, I turned towards the finish line and saw a murky, muddy trench with barbed wire strung across, close to 20 yards long. Back to crawling and swallowing gritty, sandy, smelly clay water. I was ready Warrior Dash to be over. After sprinting through the finish line, I was thrilled to receive my medal and a fresh drink of water.

Repeat! Yes, I had so much fun the first time, I ran Warrior Dash again that same day.

After the race, my friend and I walked around, turned in our timing chips, watched a concert for a little while, and soon noticed that the race crowd had grown into a huge outdoor party. Surprisingly, everyone was outgoing and friendly; the post race camaraderie was like nothing I’ve been involved with before. You can expect to see me at Warrior Dash Central Florida 2013!

2011 Senior Games wrapped up a competitive nine days for Polk County

Rebecca Thompson — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:48:14 +0000

Polk County was filled with accuracy, athleticism, speed and triumph as the 20^thAnniversary Florida International Games and State Championships swept through Central Florida this past week.

For the first time since its two-year run in 2001 and 2002, this nine-day, Olympic-style competition returned to Polk County and featured 22 events in which 1,834 athletes, age 50 and over, participated.

Different from past years, the 2011 Games carried the International Senior Games designation as a way to offer more competitive opportunities for Floridians. Floridians who qualified at a Florida Local Senior Games event were eligible for dual-state championships and overall awards at the 2011 Games.

The Games kicked off a busy opening weekend on Saturday, December 3 with Archery, Bowling, Pickleball, 5k Road Race, Softball and Track & Field and were brought to a close on Sunday, December 11 with the final events that included: Billiards, Cycling, Powerlifting, Racquetball, Shuffleboard, Swimming and Volleyball.

History books were updated this year as new records were broken and perfection was achieved.

John Shultz of Inverness attained the most consecutive medal-winning streak of any Florida Senior Games athlete when he competed in the Men’s Singles competition at Table Tennis.

Other notable competitors and accomplishments included Peter Smith of The Villages who made all 30 of his free throws at the Basketball Shooting competition and Andy McGuffin of Umatilla who continued his winning streak with gold medals in all three Basketball Shooting events to bring his total to 44 overall medals since 1994.

Not to mention, 20 new Swimming records were attained at Gandy Pool in Lakeland, and 15 Cycling records were broken in the Time Trials competition along with numerous other achievements in various events throughout the Games.

To check for more results and awards, please visit: 2011 Results

Florida International Senior Games and State Championships return to Polk County

Rebecca Thompson — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:05:10 +0000

For the first time in eight years, the Florida International Senior Games and State Championships, an Olympic-style competition for athletes age 50 and over, will return to Polk County for the 20^th Anniversary Games.

The nine-day event, featuring 23 sports at various locations across Polk County, will take place Saturday, December 3 through Sunday, December 11, 2011.

Approximately 2,000 athletes are expected to compete in sports such as archery, powerlifiting, softball, golf and table tennis.

The 2011 Games now carry the International Senior Games designation as a way to offer more competitive opportunities for Floridians. Out-of-state athletes are not required to qualify at one of 19 Florida Local Senior Games events. Floridians are required to qualify, but are eligible for dual state championships and overall medals/awards.

Athletes who have not yet qualified still have a few opportunities to earn a spot in the State Championships. The Gainesville Senior Games and Ormond Beach Senior Games each begin on October 21, and the Martin County Senior Games and Golden Age Games in Sanford will be held in November. The Lee County Senior Games will also hold a Tennis qualifier in November. For more information about the remaining qualifiers, visit www.flasports.com.

Registration is now open! Conveniently register online at www.flasports.com or print the registration form found on www.flasports.com, and send it to the Florida Sports Charitable Foundation in Tallahassee.

The complete schedule for the 20^th Anniversary Games is listed below:

SPORT SCHEDULE OF THE 2011 FLORIDA SENIOR GAMES STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Archery, Saturday, 12/3 – Central Florida Archers, Fort Meade

Badminton, Saturday, 12/10 and Sunday, 12/11 – Kelly Recreation Center, Lakeland

Basketball

Shooting, Thursday, 12/8– Simpson Community Park, Lakeland

3-on-3, Friday, 12/9 – Simpson Community Park, Lakeland

Billiards, Friday, 12/9 – Sunday, 12/11 – Wally’s Billiards, Lakeland

Bowling – Individual, Saturday, 12/3 & Sunday, 12/4 – Lakeland Lanes

Bowling – Team, Saturday, 12/3 & Sunday, 12/4 – Lakeland Lanes

Cycling 5K & 10K Time Trials, Saturday, 12/10 – West Pipkin Road & County Line Road, Lakeland

20K & 40K Road Race, Sunday, 12/11 – Lake Hollingsworth, Lakeland

Golf

Men’s, Tuesday, 12/6 – Cleveland Heights Golf Course, Lakeland

Women’s, Wednesday, 12/7 – Cleveland Heights Golf Course, Lakeland

Horseshoes, Wednesday, 12/7 – Rotary Park, Winter Haven

Pickleball, Saturday, 12/3 – Monday, 12/5 – Kelly Recreation Center, Lakeland

Pwerlifting, Saturday, 12/10 and Sunday, December 11 – The Lakeland Center

Race Walk/ Power Walk

1500 Meter, Sunday, 12/4 – All Saints Academy, Winter Haven

5K Race Walk & Power Walk, Saturday, 12/3 – Lake Hollingsworth, Lakeland

Racquetball, Saturday, 12/10 & Sunday, 12/11, Lakeland YMCA

Road Race 5K, Saturday, 12/13 – Lake Hollingsworth, Lakeland

Shuffleboard, Saturday, 12/10 & Sunday, 12/11 – Lake Parker Park, Lakeland

Softball, Saturday, 12/3 & Sunday 12/4 – DiamonPlex Softball Complex, Winter Haven

Swimming, Saturday, 12/10 & Sunday, 12/11– Gandy Pool, Lakeland

Table Tennis, Monday, 12/5 & Tuesday, 12/6 – Simpson Community Park, Lakeland

Tennis, Tuesday, 12/6-Sunday, 12/11 –Beerman Family Tennis Center, Lakeland

Track & Field, Saturday, 12/ 3 (Field Events only) Tenoroc High School, Lakeland

Sunday, 12/4 (Running Events) – All Saints Academy, Winter Haven

Volleyball, Saturday, 12/10 (Men) & Sunday, 12/11 (Women) – Polk State College, Winter Haven

The Florida Senior Games is a program of Florida Sports, a division of Enterprise Florida, Inc., the state’s lead sports promotion and development organization and a division of Enterprise Florida, Inc.

For more information contact Nick Gandy, Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications at (850) 488-1422 or ngandy@flasports.com

Race for the Arts Coming Up

Kris Keprios — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 21:15:03 +0000

There are a lot of 5K races that take place throughout the year, but one that you should mark on your calendar every year is the Race for the Arts. It is for a good cause and is always a lot of fun. Make plans (and start training) to be a part of this fun event. Here are the details:

(E.Main & South Broadway Avenue)

Registration: www.active.com www.polkarts.org -or call 863-804-0494

5K Race is on Saturday, March 5, 2011 – Regustration beings at 7:00

INFORMATION: ENTRY FEES:

www.LakelandRunnersclub.com $15 ADULTS

www.Active.com $10 STUDENTS (9^th Grade-College)

www.polkarts.org $5 STUDENTS (1^st-8^th Grade)

Director@polkartsalliance.org

834-804-0494

BY MAIL: RACE CATEGORIES:

MUST BE POSTMARKED BY MARCH 1 10 & under: 11-14

POLK ARTS ALLIANCE/RACE 15-19 THEN Five Year

PO BOX 727 Age Groups to 80+

Bartow, FL 33831

EVENT SCHEDULE:

7:00AM Registration

8:00AM 5K Race

(Runners & Walkers)

9:30 AM Awards Ceremony & Refreshments

RAIN OR SHINE

www.polkarts.org

Too Wintery for Winter Nationals

Kris Keprios — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:23:11 +0000

As we told you in this week’s edition of “This Week in Sports” the ISA Winter Nationals were set to kick off this weekend, the first of four consecutive weekends of competition, but even the Winter Nationals can only take so much of this cold weather. Due to the incoming weather for this weekend, the ISA Winter Nationals Girls Fastpitch 16U and 18U Tournament scheduled at the Bartow 555 Softball Complex has been postponed. The event will now be held next weekend, and combined with the ISA Winter Nationals Girls Fastpitch 8U, 10U, 12U, and 14U Tournament on Jan. 16th-17th at the Bartow 555 Complex, the Diamondplex, and the Auburndale Softball Complex.

Stay warm and check out next week’s edition of “TWIS” for all the details of the rest of the Winter National schedule.