Sports Shorts

Freehold's Pedro Espinosa turned the 43rd Asbury Park Polar Race into a 100-meter dash. Espinosa was dueling with Dickson Mercer of Fair Haven over the 5-mile race held on the Asbury Park Boardwalk, until the final 100 meters, when he unleashed a strong finishing sprint to win the race in 26:21. Mercer stopped the clocked in 26:24.

Youth was served in the women's race as Rachel Provost of Millstone, who was the state prep school cross country champion, won her second straight Polar Bear 5-miler in 30:34. Dianne DiOliveira of Point Pleasant was second (32:10).

In the co-featured 10-mile race walk, John Soucheck of Little Silver (1:21.44) and Lisa Marie Velllucci of Staten Island (1:33.50) were the men's and women's champions.

The Polar Bear races were first held in 1964 and were staged by the Shore Athletic Club and sponsored by Oxford Health Plans.

The Bayshore Jammers U12 boys basketball team is holding tryouts for the spring season. Players must be born after Sept. 1, 1994. Tryouts will be held at the Tab Ramos Sports Center on Blair Road in Aberdeen. Tryout dates are Jan. 9, 16 and 23 from 6-8 p.m.

For more information, call Bob at (732) 977-9913 or e-mail bayshorejammers@msn.com.