State sports briefs

Union County announces Hall of Fame inductees

The Union County Sports Hall of Fame will induct five members into its Hall of Fame on Aug. 1 at the El Dorado Conference Center

The inductees are Sam Bailey, Tommy Burnett, Garland Gregory, Al Miller and Ronnie Whatley.

Bailey, a 1941 graduate of Sandy Land High, was an all-conference football player at Magnolia A&M and Ouachita Baptist. He also coached at Southern State, winning the AIC baseball championship three times.

Burnett is a 1962 graduate of Smackover High School where he was a three-sport athlete. He was a member of the 1964 Arkansas Razorbacks national championship team. He also played for the New York Jets and was a member of their 1968 Super Bowl championship team.

Gregory coached football at El Dorado for 13 years, winning 101 games, and coached 10 high school All-Americans. Four of his players — Jim Mooty, Wayne Harris, J.R. Williamson and Glen Ray Hines — were college All-Americans.

Miller was a 1965 graduate of El Dorado, where he competed in football and track. He was an all-conference receiver at Northeast Louisiana.

Whatley graduated from El Dorado 1n 1965 and lettered in football and track. He was a two-time All-State selection.

GOLF

Two Razorbacks in LPGA qualifier

Arkansas’ Regina Plasencia and Samantha Marks will participate in today’s qualifying tournament for the LPGA Northwest Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers.

The two are playing in an 18-hole tournament from which two will advance. Eighteen players are entered in the qualifying tournament, and the two Arkansas golfers are the only amateurs participating.

Plasencia will tee off at 1:11 p.m., and Marks will start at 1:22 p.m.

Two qualify for U.S. Junior Amateur

Drew Gonzales of Lafayette, La., paired his final 67 with an opening 70 to finish with a 7-under 137 at Hot Springs Country Club on Sunday to earn an invitation to the U.S. Junior Amateur on July 20-25 at Colleton River Plantation Club in Bluffton, S.C.

Parker Sexton fired a 67 after an opening 72, surging into second place at 5-under 139 to earn the second invitation.

Gonzales was one of only two to shoot both rounds under par. The other was first alternate Andy Lopez of Dallas, who held a one-shot lead at the break at 3-under 69 before shooting 71 for a 4-under 140 finish.

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