Sean Ammerman

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Lake Mead fish levels drop: Wednesday, March 4, 2009; Decreasing water levels at Lake Mead coupled with the spread of invasive quagga mussels have made the lake increasingly difficult to stock with fish.
Nevada Department of Wildlife fish biologist Jon Sjoberg said a two-year drought, which has lowered Lake Mead's waters, along with the quagga mussel, which has impacted the lake's ecosystem since discovered in January 2007, have led to what is expected to be an 11 percent drop in fish stocking for 2009.
Soccer tournament celebrates 35 years: Valley teams dominate Silver State Invitational; Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009; The Silver State Invitational youth soccer tournament celebrated its 35th anniversary Feb. 21 and 22 at the Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex, with more than 50 club teams participating.
Of those teams, which competed in the 15 through 19 age brackets, six from the Las Vegas Valley won titles.
Fear is no match for triathlon lover: Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009; A decade ago, Jackie Arcana would have never considered competing in a triathlon, much less training others to do the same.
Until 11 years earlier, Arcana, 48, could not swim, making a long distance race featuring swimming, running and cycling impossible.
A childhood accident, which nearly ended in her drowning, had haunted the Henderson resident most her life.
Henderson bowler earns national honor: Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009; Henderson professional bowler Wendy Macpherson has gotten used to the role of hall of fame inductee throughout the last four years.
The Basic High graduate's first induction was into the Southern Nevada Bowling Association's hall of fame in 2006. Another followed in 2008, when Macpherson, 41, was voted in the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame.
In May, she will be inducted into her most prestigious hall yet, the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame.
Silverado boys, Bonanza girls claim state bowling titles: Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009; Silverado won its third boys bowling championship Thursday with a 7-2 win against Bonanza in the Clark County School District finals at the Orleans Bowling Center.
The Skyhawks won last year's title along with the 2001 championship, making them the most successful boys program since bowling became a county sport in 2000.
In the girls finals, Bonanza helped make up for its boys' loss by defeating Eldorado 7-2.
Greenspun tennis player hoping to keep momentum rolling: Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009; Yannik Mahlangu's prospects were not looking good five games into his finals matchup with Fernando Sunago at the Nate Schulman Masters Series tennis tournament Feb. 1 at the Las Vegas Hilton.
Mahlangu, an eighth grader at Barbara & Hank Greenspun Junior High, was losing the first set 4-1 in the 16-and-younger singles finals.
Tennis player immersed in sport: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009; To become competitive with the best youth tennis players in the country, Henderson native Chrissy Uriarte knew she had to immerse herself in the sport.
Uriarte, 15, realized the next step in her career required a move to Southern California.
Former Basic standouts start venture: Family credita athletics, coaches for teaching life lessons; Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009; It has been three decades since Basic won its second Nevada team wrestling championship, yet Leo Hernandez still remembers the moment like it was yesterday.
Hernandez took second in state that day in the individual competition, while his younger brother, future four-time state champion Maurice Hernandez, watched from the stands.
Downhill cycling competition comes to Bootleg Canyon: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009; Local downhill mountain bikers went up against some of the top competitors in their sport Feb. 14 and 15 in the Mob in Mojave at Boulder City's Bootleg Canyon.
More than 300 cyclists from 15 states took part in the downhill cycling event, making it one of the largest competitions at the popular mountain biking locale, tournament directors said.
Cimarron-Memorial adds to its dynasty at state championship: Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009; Cimarron-Memorial added to its wrestling dynasty Saturday night at the Winnemucca Events Center, winning its seventh large-school state title in the past decade.
The Spartans scored 132 points in the two-day tournament, beating out second place Las Vegas High, which finished with 100 points.
Standing out in a crowd: Student's stature a real asset on the court at Liberty Baptist; Friday, Feb. 13, 2009; o say Mikel Simmons Jr. stands out is an understatement.
The Liberty Baptist Academy senior wears a size 18 shoe and is 6-foot-6, by far the tallest student in the small private school at Lake Mead and North Rainbow boulevards.
Local bowler heading to hall of fame: Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009; Linda Sterner is gearing up for another tour of Las Vegas's bowling alleys.
For the past 25 years, the Northwest Las Vegas resident has spent March and April volunteering for the United States Bowling Congress' lane certification program.
Basic baseball coach released: Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009; David Gallegos was released as head coach of the Basic baseball team this week, just a month before the high school season begins.
Gallegos said Basic administrators let him go Feb. 9 as the result of conflicts he had with parents.
Golf pro honored for his teaching: Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009; Growing up a football coach's son has left a lasting impression on Matthew Grobe, even if he has focused on golf for the last two decades.
Grobe, the head golf professional at DragonRidge Country Club, said being part of a diehard football family has shaped his career.
Converted goalie leads Foothill's offense: Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009; No one has been more surprised at Kim Callen's success as a midfielder for Foothill's girls soccer team than Callen herself.
For the last five years, the 15-year-old freshman has played exclusively as a goalkeeper for the Heat FC club team.
Family duo finds success off road: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009; One of the biggest keys to success in off-road racing is avoiding the myriad disasters on the course to finish the race.
That is something Henderson drivers C.J. Hutchins and his father, Mark Hutchins, did better than most racing teams last year in the Southern Nevada Off Road Enthusiasts series.
Coronado bowler shines at county tournament: Monday, Feb. 9, 2009; Coronado senior bowler Alex Katz had been relying on her spare shot all season.
It was only fitting that her ability to record a spare was the deciding factor at the Clark County High Schools MVP Bowling Tournament at Cashman Center on Friday.
Silverado snags top spot in Southeast Division with victory over Foothill: Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009; Even after scoring 38 points and leading the Silverado boys' basketball team to a 78-68 victory against Foothill Friday night, Skyhawks senior Wade Collie was thinking of ways he could have improved his shot.
Las Vegas youth dominates winter tournament: Friday, Feb. 6, 2009; Las Vegas junior tennis player Kimberly Yee tends to hide her emotions on the court.
Her reaction to a winning shot is usually the same as her reaction to a missed shot — calm as she calculates what to do on the next point.
Class helps novice anglers learn tricks to fly fishing: Friday, Feb. 6, 2009; The basic method for fly casting is three simple arm motions — backward, forward and then relax.
The pattern is easy enough to learn, but one slight mistake and it could mean the difference of a good day and a bad day casting on the lake.
UNLV ultimate frisbee team has high hopes for collegiate tourney: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009; The roster of UNLV's Ultimate Frisbee club is filled with former high school athletes.
The club, nicknamed the Red Storm, has members who have competed on wrestling, swimming, basketball, football and baseball teams, many from Henderson high schools.
The trick for player-coach Brian Uran is condensing that diverse experience into a competitive Ultimate Frisbee team.
UNLV student puts football aside for boxing: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009; Switching from the football field to the boxing ring has forced UNLV sophomore Bradley Blankenship to make a lot of adjustments.
High school junior bowls perfect game: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009; When Green Valley junior Teofisto Cipriaso stepped up to the lanes at Sunset Station on Jan. 21, he was just hoping to bowl well enough to help his team pull off an upset victory against Coronado.
It was eight frames into his first game when Cipriaso, the Gators' No. 3 bowler, realized he was onto something even bigger – a perfect 300 game.
Basic wrestler back after bout with strep: Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009; Considering the month senior Daniel Maman had going into Basic's wrestling meet with Liberty and Green Valley High on Jan. 27, it's a wonder he even suited up for the Wolves.
Maman had been suffering from strep throat throughout most of January, forcing him to the emergency room on one occasion after coughing up blood.
Summelin resident snags regional golf award: Monday, Feb. 2, 2009; Amateur golfer Brady Exber never knew how close he was to losing the Southern Nevada Golf Association’s player of the year title for 2008.
The Summerlin resident insists he gave just a few passing glances to the points list during the season.
Tall star helping Molasky dominate: Friday, Jan. 30, 2009; Within a minute of his home opener with Irwin & Susan Molasky Middle School, eighth grader Sir Washington showed he was comfortable with his new basketball team.
Washington, a 6-foot-2 transfer from Marvin Sedway Middle School, stole the ball from a Jim Bridger Middle School guard just after tip off and raced down the court for an easy layup.
Green Valley resident qualifies for National Team Fight-Off: Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009; Training at Mount Charleston following the Las Vegas December snowstorm had a profound effect on Mario Harris.
The Green Valley resident drives to the mountain, about 30 miles northwest of Las Vegas, every weekend to train with the Two Dragons tae kwon do team. The training paid off at the USA Taekwondo National Team Qualifier in Colorado Springs, Colo., where Harris finished second in his bantamweight (less than 136.7 pounds) division on Jan. 11.
Freshman bowler brings new energy to Foothill: Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009; Foothill bowler Jakob Butturff may only be a freshman but he has the experience the Falcons need to energize their bowling team.
Butturff has led Foothill this winter with a 626 series average to give the team an edge that could result in a playoff berth.
Drag racer adjusting to rule changes: Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009; Professional drag racer and Boulder City resident Duane Shields is used to the constant rule changes administered by the National Hot Rod Association.
Silverado siblings capture off-road series title: Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009; By the final race of the Southern Nevada Off Road Enthusiasts 2008 season, Silverado junior Derek Bradley was already thinking about his acceptance speech.
Bradley and his sister co-driver, Silverado senior Briana Bradley, had already tallied enough points to clinch the sportsmen buggy limited series before the Nov. 16 finale in Ridgecrest, Calif.
Basic grad takes over girls soccer team: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009; When Ashley Perez graduated from Basic in 2003, her thoughts were solely on her upcoming college soccer career.
Coronado holds off Green Valley: Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009; Coronado sophomore Austin Nelson had no problem hanging with Green Valley's upperclassmen on the basketball court Friday night.
The Cougars' starting point guard never showed his youth and never let on that his team was an underdog as he led Coronado to a 75-65 win against the Gators.
New Green Valley Christian School team wins first game: Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009; Green Valley Christian School's boys basketball players have grown accustom to an early wake-up call.
The team typically takes the court at 7 a.m. for its daily practices at the Donald W. Reynolds Boys & Girls Club east of Eastern Avenue on Robindale Road.
They get out just in time to carpool to their campus at 711 N. Valle Verde Drive and make their first class at 8:50 a.m.
Henderson woman torches track for funny car license: Monday, Jan. 19, 2009; Henderson resident Jessica Cherniack did not want to become the smallest funny car driver in the history of Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
But with a 5-foot-1 frame, she never had the choice if she wanted to compete.
Cherniack, 26, earned the distinction at the speedway's Blast-Off Open Test Session for drag racers on Sunday, when she completed a full pass and received her funny car license.
Henderson boxer Bryant Theodile, 46, dies: Friday, Jan. 16, 2009; Henderson boxer Bryant Theodile, a man known for his quick jab and infectious personality, died Thursday of a spontaneous intracranial bleed and hypertension, according to the Clark County Coroner's Office.
2A competition gets tougher for The Meadows: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009; There was once a time when The Meadows' boys basketball team could squeak into the playoffs with a losing league record.
Last year, for instance, The Meadows went 2-6 in the 2A Southern League but still qualified for the regional tournament.
With three new opponents in the league this season, however, it will take more to make the postseason.
Rescheduled athletic events conflict with SAT testing: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009; The Las Vegas valley snowstorm that forced the cancellation of several high school sporting events Dec. 15 to 18 has turned into another headache for some coaches and players.
Some schools in the Clark County School District rescheduled their games for Saturday, Jan. 24, one of seven national SAT testing dates during the year.
Miller's boys, girls basketball teams grow together: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009; Bob Miller Middle School basketball coaches Rich Santigate and Mike Detwiler have always insisted on running their boys and girls teams together.
While Santigate officially heads the girls and Detwiler heads the boys, each coach has his hands in the whole program.
It was no coincidence both squads reached their respective Clark County School District middle school championship game last year.
Jogging and walking society excites kids: Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009; Getting elementary school children excited about exercise is not always easy.
Teen girl riding atop BMX world: Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009; Audrey Zuloaga has never shied away from a collision.
As a young girl, Zuloaga's father would take her to the open areas outside Las Vegas to ride her Big Wheel tricycle on the desert hills.
Zuloaga has competed in BMX races since 2004 and finished 2008 as the No. 1 ranked girl in the National Bicycle League's 14-and-under division.
Winning Falcons already eyeing league championship: Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009; Foothill's boys' basketball team still had last season on its mind when it pulled out a 70-63 overtime win Friday at Liberty.
Students endure grueling challenges to earn black belt: Friday, Jan. 9, 2009; When Geordie Ryder began his martial arts training four years ago, visions of Bruce Lee action movies filled his head.
To earn his black belt, Ryder figured he would have to win some kind of street fight or break a stone with his foot.
The testing he would actually endure was much greater.
Ryder, 17, spent three days fasting, 12 hours meditating and another day of testing his forms to get his tae kwon do black belt in December.
Brothers discover talent, star connection on tennis courts: Friday, Jan. 9, 2009; It shouldn't be much of a surprise that Eli Deville is a natural with a tennis racket in his hand.
The 11-year-old southwest Las Vegas resident loved watching and playing the sport before he was aware of his family's link with greatness. His mother is the half sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
Height just a starting point for Basic senior: Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009; Basic senior James Holmes always had size in his favor.
The 6-foot-6 center had the height advantage even as a freshman, when he first made an appearance on the Wolves' varsity basketball team.
But not long after taking the starting reigns in 2006, Holmes learned there was more to the position than being tall.
Coronado graduate balancing game, studies at Lafayette: Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009; Coronado graduate Amanda Smith has had plenty of challenges to overcome during her junior year at Lafayette College.
In her first year seeing significant court time with the women's basketball team, Smith has helped Lafayette face one of its toughest preseason schedules.
Twins helping Basic compete on the lanes: Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009; Basic seniors Shaunna and Suzanna Padderatz admit they are not the most coordinated athletes on the bowling team.
The 17-year-old twin sisters developed their love of the sport for just that reason.
New indoor tennis center caters to elite clientele: Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009; Nothing was going to stop Green Valley High tennis player Evan Song from practicing on this cold winter day.
A snowstorm uncharacteristically hit the Las Vegas Valley, causing roads to be blocked and schools to be canceled. But Song's routine didn't need to be altered as he took one of the eight indoor courts at International Tennis Centre Las Vegas.
Girls flag football squad overcomes challenges for third place: Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009; The Western Athletics Sports Unified Program’s 14 and under girls flag football team was at a disadvantage even before the first snap of the NFL Flag Football Tournament of Champions.
Former prep wrestling star coaching Henderson youth club: Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009; From the moment the Henderson Wrestling Club's practice commences, silence fills the wrestling room.
Not a single wrestler, who are as young as 5 and as old as 14, so much as utters a whisper as they complete their stretches.
Basic narrowly escapes upset: Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009; Boulder City's boys' basketball team went into Basic High School Monday night looking to avenge its 15-point loss to the Wolves earlier this season. For most of the fourth quarter it looked as though the class 3A school would upset Basic, which competes in the large-school 4A class.
However, a succession of three unanswered Basic 3-pointers in the final minutes quieted the Eagles and Basic nudged out a 50-47 victory.