Junior Division

One week after placing second place overall at the Mid-Atlantic Dance Team Championships at Towson University, which included first-place soloists Paige Quill (senior division) and Ashlea Boseck (junior division), second place soloist Monica Nolan (senior division) and third place soloist Nicole Eppig (senior division), the C. Milton Wright Dance Team took it up notch by winning the Maryland State Championships at the Baltimore Convention Center on Feb. 2.

One week after placing second place overall at the Mid-Atlantic Dance Team Championships at Towson University, which included first-place soloists Paige Quill (senior division) and Ashlea Boseck (junior division), second place soloist Monica Nolan (senior division) and third place soloist Nicole Eppig (senior division), the C. Milton Wright Dance Team took it up notch by winning the Maryland State Championships at the Baltimore Convention Center on Feb. 2.

Fall auditions for the Annapolis Youth Chorus drew young people to Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts on Monday. The chorus, for singers ages 6 to 18, has three parts. The junior division is for grades one to seven, the senior division is for grades eight to 12 (with unchanged voices), and the mixed division is for grades eight to 12 (with changed voices).

MAYBERRY - The first time Paul Koontz Jr. fired a gun, the 15-year-old Mayberry resident could barely walk. It was only a dart gun, and Paul, not much more than a toddler at the time, can't even remember whether he hit his target, but what he does vividly recall is the feeling he got pulling the trigger; the same unrivaled thrill he gets as he fires away now. "I've been shooting forever," Paul said shortly before he took aim at a round of clay birds...

Adrienne Canterna, a 15-year-old ballet dancer from Linthicum, won the women's gold medal in the junior division of the International Ballet Competition.Medals and other awards were announced Friday in Jackson, Miss.Her sister Ashley, 13, also a dancer, confirmed the award by telephone from the hotel where she and parents John and Sally Canterna are staying.The junior division is for dancers age 15 to 18. Canterna is one of the youngest dancers to win its top prize.Rasta Thomas, Canterna's partner for the pas de deux events, won the men's gold medal in the senior division.

The Carroll County 4-H program recently held its annual public speaking contest for members.The winners in prepared speech were:Clover division: Kristopher Buckler, Abigail Hester, Denise Nott, Jodie Rinehart.Junior division: Sandy Bolm, Heather Slivecky, champion; Kimmy Bosley, Danielle Hess, reserve champion; Matthew Baile, Katie Bassler, Kelly Bassler, Miriam Beard, Alexis Becker, Corey Becker, Katie Black, Chelsea Brulinski, Whitney Dell, Hayley Eby, Rebecca Fouts, Jennifer Gehret, Hillary Geiman, Katie Helwig, Kim Holland, Meghan Leidy, Jamie Lippy, Thomas McCourt, Samantha Moore, Timmy Owings, Maryann Petkovsek, Angela Rasche, Amy Ridinger, Jenae Rinehart, Darcie Stem, Joshua Stewart, Sarah Weisse, Stephanie Wilhelm, Tara Wilhelm, blue award.

It took a while for Mount Airy III to get rolling at West Middle School in Sunday afternoon's Carroll County Girls Basketball League Senior Division championship game against St. Joseph's.But when it finally did, the team roared to a 39-27 win in the final game of the league's two-part postseason tourney that decides its championships.Earlier, St. Joseph's age 9-11 girls team had dropped a close decision, 19-15, to Westminster Bank and Trust, in the Junior Division championship.St. Joseph's Senior team of 12- to 15-year-olds, was blitzed by an 18-6 second-half spurt by Mount Airy that left the Eldersburg-based squad behind, 37-19, early in the fourth quarter.

On a table in the Canterna family breakfast nook in Linthicum is a brigade of Beanie Babies dressed in pastel net tutus, their heads crowned with tiny beribboned wreaths.The whimsy of these dolls, which are being sold at local ballet schools to help pay the travel expenses for the two dancing Canterna sisters, belies the seriousness of the occasion they support.Tomorrow, 15-year-old Adrienne will set off for the International Ballet Competition, which begins Saturday in Jackson, Miss. The prestigious competition takes place in Jackson every four years.

The Columbia Orchestra closes out its 30th anniversary season at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow with a celebration of local music and musicians at Jim Rouse Theatre. When it comes to musical luminaries from Maryland, few stars shine brighter than Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Christopher Rouse. Born and raised in Mount Washington, Rouse - a nephew of James W. Rouse - attended the Gilman School and went on to earn degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and Cornell University. He has taught at the University of Michigan and the Eastman School of Music, and teaches at the Juilliard School.

At Bel Air Bowl, the junior bowling awards list recently was published for three divisions -- Bantams, Preps and Juniors.Shawn Ryan and Lindsey Burden took the award for higaverage in the Bantam division, Shawn for the boys and Lindsey for the girls.Shawn, 8, lives in Bel Air and attends Ring Factory Elementary School. He carried a 90 average and posted a high game of 132 and a two-game set of 223, both scratch figures. He also won an award for perfect attendance.Lindsey, 9, lives in Fallston.

The Columbia Orchestra closes out its 30th anniversary season at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow with a celebration of local music and musicians at Jim Rouse Theatre. When it comes to musical luminaries from Maryland, few stars shine brighter than Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Christopher Rouse. Born and raised in Mount Washington, Rouse - a nephew of James W. Rouse - attended the Gilman School and went on to earn degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and Cornell University. He has taught at the University of Michigan and the Eastman School of Music, and teaches at the Juilliard School.

Fall auditions for the Annapolis Youth Chorus drew young people to Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts on Monday. The chorus, for singers ages 6 to 18, has three parts. The junior division is for grades one to seven, the senior division is for grades eight to 12 (with unchanged voices), and the mixed division is for grades eight to 12 (with changed voices).

IN TWO WEEKS, Linthicum resident Ashley Canterna will be leaving for Varna, Bulgaria, to compete in an international ballet competition. She has been preparing for a year, but recently the pace and intensity of training has picked up so much so that it could be said she is suffering for her art. Each day, she has to tape her toes and pad the blisters on her feet before beginning rehearsal at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington. Driving there is very interesting, said Ashley's mom, Sally Canterna: "People from cars passing by always do a double-take when they see her with her feet up on my dashboard.

SWANSFIELD RESIDENT Drew Woodbury returned last week from a three-week trip to California and Japan.He was one of 50 students nationwide chosen for the Sony Student Project Abroad, sponsored by Sony Electronics Inc. and Sony Corp. of Japan."I really profited from this experience," said Drew, who will be a senior this year in the Technology Magnet Program at River Hill High School."I was really interested in seeing what the world was up to in electronics," he added. "And I made lifelong contacts."

Adrienne Canterna, a 15-year-old ballet dancer from Linthicum, won the women's gold medal in the junior division of the International Ballet Competition.Medals and other awards were announced Friday in Jackson, Miss.Her sister Ashley, 13, also a dancer, confirmed the award by telephone from the hotel where she and parents John and Sally Canterna are staying.The junior division is for dancers age 15 to 18. Canterna is one of the youngest dancers to win its top prize.Rasta Thomas, Canterna's partner for the pas de deux events, won the men's gold medal in the senior division.

On a table in the Canterna family breakfast nook in Linthicum is a brigade of Beanie Babies dressed in pastel net tutus, their heads crowned with tiny beribboned wreaths.The whimsy of these dolls, which are being sold at local ballet schools to help pay the travel expenses for the two dancing Canterna sisters, belies the seriousness of the occasion they support.Tomorrow, 15-year-old Adrienne will set off for the International Ballet Competition, which begins Saturday in Jackson, Miss. The prestigious competition takes place in Jackson every four years.

WrestlingThe Harford County Junior Wrestling Tournament at Aberdeen High School finished with the host team, Aberdeen, taking first place with 173 points and Fallston a close second (143 points).Individual results for Fallston included championship wins for Chris Baum at 50 pounds and Dominic Bruno at 55 pounds, both in the Pee Wee division.In the Pee Wee division, Steve Markowski (50), Adam McCord (65) and Phillip Tanneyhill (70) advanced to the finals, finishing second. Kyle McGrath wrestled at 65 pounds, finishing in fourth place for a medal.

IN TWO WEEKS, Linthicum resident Ashley Canterna will be leaving for Varna, Bulgaria, to compete in an international ballet competition. She has been preparing for a year, but recently the pace and intensity of training has picked up so much so that it could be said she is suffering for her art. Each day, she has to tape her toes and pad the blisters on her feet before beginning rehearsal at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington. Driving there is very interesting, said Ashley's mom, Sally Canterna: "People from cars passing by always do a double-take when they see her with her feet up on my dashboard.

The Carroll County 4-H program recently held its annual public speaking contest for members.The winners in prepared speech were:Clover division: Kristopher Buckler, Abigail Hester, Denise Nott, Jodie Rinehart.Junior division: Sandy Bolm, Heather Slivecky, champion; Kimmy Bosley, Danielle Hess, reserve champion; Matthew Baile, Katie Bassler, Kelly Bassler, Miriam Beard, Alexis Becker, Corey Becker, Katie Black, Chelsea Brulinski, Whitney Dell, Hayley Eby, Rebecca Fouts, Jennifer Gehret, Hillary Geiman, Katie Helwig, Kim Holland, Meghan Leidy, Jamie Lippy, Thomas McCourt, Samantha Moore, Timmy Owings, Maryann Petkovsek, Angela Rasche, Amy Ridinger, Jenae Rinehart, Darcie Stem, Joshua Stewart, Sarah Weisse, Stephanie Wilhelm, Tara Wilhelm, blue award.

WrestlingThe Harford County Junior Wrestling Tournament at Aberdeen High School finished with the host team, Aberdeen, taking first place with 173 points and Fallston a close second (143 points).Individual results for Fallston included championship wins for Chris Baum at 50 pounds and Dominic Bruno at 55 pounds, both in the Pee Wee division.In the Pee Wee division, Steve Markowski (50), Adam McCord (65) and Phillip Tanneyhill (70) advanced to the finals, finishing second. Kyle McGrath wrestled at 65 pounds, finishing in fourth place for a medal.