Memorial Day proved to be a memorable weekend for coach Anthony McDonnell and his Soccer Association of Columbia/Howard County U12 Classic II girls soccer team, the Celtics.
The Celtics won the 36th annual Virginian Memorial Day Soccer Tournament by beating the Alexandria Revolution White team, 2-0, in the finals. The tournament provides a venue for more than 600 boys and girls soccer teams with players 9-19 years old to compete.
The teams came from several states including Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia as well as Washington, D.C. and Canada.
Congratulations to coach McDonnell and all the Celtics team members: Theresa Sarver, Natalie Zakel, Mary-Kate Kalinock, Haley Geier, Cecelia Koebke, Molly Hennessy, Mia Coyle, Gabrielle O'Brien, Sabrina Doherty, Abbie Snow Jessie Dunagan, Brooke Russ and Caroline Harlin.
The Howard County Community Association announced its 2011-2012 elected executive board: President Cathy Hudson (Elkridge), Vice-President Barbara Russell (Columbia), Treasurer Walter Carson (Woodbine), Secretary Bridget Mugane (Columbia). At-large members elected were Angie Beltram (Ellicott City), Brian England (Columbia), Stu Kohn (North Laurel) and Valerie McGuire (North Laurel).
Calling all visual artists! If you are 18 or older and live, work or study in Howard County, you are invited to submit art entries to the Howard County Arts Council's Art HoCo 2011. David Gracyalny, dean of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies at Maryland Institute College of Art, will be the juror for this biennial exhibit. The deadline for submissions is Aug. 26 at 5 p.m.
Art HoCo 2011 will be on display at Ellicott City's Howard County Center for the Arts from Nov. 4 through Dec. 16. A reception and award ceremony will be held Nov. 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. to celebrate the exhibit. The event is free and open to the public.
For more information, go to the Howard County Center for the Arts website at http://www.hocoarts.org and click on the "Check out our Exhibition Opportunities" link or call them at 410-313-2787.
Kudos to Howard County Striders Worley Humanitarian Award winner Kelsey Abernathy! The Centennial High School senior was one of only two high school seniors in the county selected to receive this year's award. Abernathy won the award based on her participation in sports activities coupled with her leadership positions in youth athletic programs.
As a member of her high school cross county team, Abernathy was named second-team all-county and placed 12th in the the state in the Class 3A division. As a competitive swimmer with the Columbia Clippers since the age of 7, Kelsey's talents have earned her a place in the Maryland top 10 at several meets over the years. This summer she will serve her third year as an assistant coach of the Wilde Lake Water Cats summer swim team. Also, Kelsey has worked on a number of community projects with the Girl Scouts, Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity.
The Worley Humanitarian Award was established by the Howard County Striders in memory of avid high school runner and youth coach Aaron Worley who died of leukemia in 1999 at the age of 18.