News sports 2008-05-13 Andanh.com

Tops punch SBC ticket Mon, 12 May 2008 10:19:54 -0500
Last season Western Kentucky’s baseball team headed into its final Sun Belt Conference series not knowing if it would make the SBC Tournament. However, thanks to a convincing 13-4 win Sunday over Louisiana-Lafayette at Nick Denes Field, the Hilltoppers have no worries this season. The victory clinched WKU’s spot in the SBC Tournament, which starts May 21 in Lafayette, La. “It is relieving,” right fielder Matt Hightower said. “Last year we didn’t clinch until the final series and now we are playing for seeding.” Both teams battled dismal playing conditions Sunday, with winds blowing 30 miles an hour and a light drizzle that eventually formed puddles on the field. Several times during the game, the field crew was forced to work on the pitcher’s mound and the batter’s box. “We are used to playing in this (weather), but it’s usually in February,” WKU coach Chris Finwood said. “I thought our guys really toughed it out today in tough conditions. The wind is blowing the ball all over the place.” Hightower and the rest of the outfielders had to play a guessing game on where fly balls would land because of the high winds. “It was extremely difficult with the ball moving that much and with the wind coming, it kills a lot of it,” Hightower said. The Toppers (27-23, 14-13) dominated the game offensively, busting out for 18 hits. WKU was led by left fielder Jeremy Coleman, who went 3-for-4. Shortstop Terrence Dayleg and third baseman Wade Gaynor both went 3-for-5. The Toppers scored runs in every inning but one, with the two biggest in the fourth and the eighth. WKU scored four runs in both innings and took control of the game in the fourth. The Toppers had five hits and tied the game at four early in the inning. But WKU would score three more runs to take a 7-4 lead. “We swung the bats really well today,” Hightower said. “They had some good competitive arms, but we didn’t help them out. We didn’t chase a lot and we were able to put some good swings and find some holes.” WKU added runs in two of the next three innings before scoring four more in the eighth, when the Toppers had five hits and took a 13-4 lead. Defensively the Toppers held ULL (25-27, 13-14) scoreless the final six innings and only gave up six hits. Pitcher Bart Carter started the game for WKU and gave up four runs and five hits in five innings pitched. Carter gave up the four runs in the first three innings, but Carter settled down and held the Ragin’ Cajuns scoreless his final two innings. Rye Davis came in for relief of Carter in the sixth and only allowed one hit in his four innings pitched. “I was really proud of Bart Carter’s start,” Finwood said. “Bart’s had a tough year and he went out there on a big game for us and battled out of a couple of jams and Rye Davis had an outstanding job out of the bullpen.” The Toppers fell behind early after ULL scored in the first inning. WKU answered with two runs during its first at-bat to take a 2-1 lead. The Ragin’ Cajuns scored two more runs in the second and took a 3-1 lead. WKU tied the game in fourth when Chad Cregar doubled off a deep fly ball that hit the center field wall to score Hightower from second base. Dayleg scored on a wild pitch on the next at-bat. And singles from Jake Wells and Coleman gave the Toppers a 7-4 lead. WKU plays at noon Tuesday at Austin Peay before closing out the season at home in a three-game series against Middle Tennessee State that starts at 6 p.m. Thursday. “We are going to try to sweep them,” Hightower said. “These are important games coming up and we can put ourselves in a better situation heading into the tournament.” ULL 121 000 000 - 4 6 1 WKU 210 411 04x -13 18 0 WP: Carter; LP: Solich

Garcia surges, Perry stumbles Mon, 12 May 2008 10:19:55 -0500
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Sergio Garcia summed up his day, his week, maybe even his career, with one small gesture Sunday. Garcia lagged a 45-foot putt from the fringe to 3 feet for par on the famed 17th at TPC Sawgrass, then kissed his putter. The stick that tormented him so many times before, including earlier in the week and most notably at last year’s British Open, became his trusted ally in the final round at The Players Championship. The 28-year-old Spaniard rolled in one critical putt after another on a blustery day, none bigger than the 7-footer for par on No. 18 that forced a playoff against Paul Goydos, and clinched the next best thing to a major with a near-perfect tee shot in sudden death. “It feels good,” Garcia said. “These were tough greens to putt on this week, as quick as they were with the wind and everything. “It’s definitely getting there, but there’s still room for improvement, which is good.” Franklin’s Kenny Perry, who began the final round one shot behind third-round leader Goydos, struggled to a 9-over-par 81 and finished tied for 15th. Goydos could have won it in regulation. But he pushed his tee shot on No. 18 in the right rough, hacked out to about 50 yards in front of the green, chunked a pitching wedge to 15 feet, missed the par putt and created the first playoff in 21 years at The Players. It didn’t last long. Goydos, hitting first, watched helplessly as a gust caused his wedge to balloon into the cloudy skies and land with a splash a few feet in front of the green. “The hole was designed to do exactly what it did. It got me instead of somebody else,” Goydos said. Garcia, with no margin for error, followed with a wedge that landed on the green, caught a slope and stopped 4 feet away. He missed the birdie putt, but it didn’t matter. “I played good golf, and as people have found out, that doesn’t mean win unfortunately,” Goydos said. “You can’t control it. No defense. I couldn’t tackle the little guy. ... You can’t kneecap him. You just have to accept the guy beat you and move on.” Garcia and Goydos each finished at 5-under 283. Garcia, whose seven PGA Tour victories are the most by any player under age 30, earned $1.71 million from the richest purse in golf and solidified himself as a major contender with the U.S. Open a month away. “The goal is to keep getting better, and the only thing this tells me is to keep working hard and to believe in myself,” Garcia said. “And when I do believe in myself, I think there’s not a lot of guys out there that can beat me. “I’m looking forward to keep going. I don’t want to get stuck here.” The consolation for Goydos was $1.026 million for second, more than he earned for winning the Sony Open last year. And he felt no shame in losing to Garcia, whom he raved about earlier in the week as one of the top talents in the game. After the first round Thursday, Goydos said something that turned out to be prophetic. “Once he gets his putter going, he’s going to win a lot,” Goydos said. “This guy’s going to win 80 times.” Goydos may have been exaggerating, but he’s serious about his belief that Garcia will win several majors. “He’s right there on the precipice of great things,” Goydos said. Jeff Quinney had a chance to join the playoff. He went bogey-free for 10 holes in gusts that topped 40 mph at times, but failed to save par from a bunker behind the 18th green and had to settle for a 70 and third place alone, one shot behind. Garcia never needed a victory so badly. The best player without a major was in the longest victory drought of his career, stretching over three years and 53 starts on the PGA Tour. He had a 10-foot putt to win the British Open at Carnoustie last summer, then lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington. No club troubled him more than the putter, and this week was no exception. Garcia took 124 putts in regulation, 18 more than Goydos. But he came up big in the final round, rolling in a collection of par putts that kept him in the hunt, birdie putts that challenged Goydos and then the one on the 18th that made this victory possible. “I actually had a little grin when I was going to the ball because I felt so calm,” Garcia said. “I don’t know if this is going to be enough or not, but I’m going to make this putt, and I’m at least going to make Paul work a little bit. I was so happy to see that putt go in.”

Hilltopper squads win SBC outdoor championships Mon, 12 May 2008 10:19:55 -0500
On the heels of sweeping the men’s and women’s Sun Belt Conference Indoor title in February, the Western Kentucky University track and field teams equaled that feat over the weekend at the league’s outdoor meet at North Texas. This title for the Lady Toppers marked their third straight outdoor crown, while the Hilltoppers won their first title since 2004. The women scored 143 points to take the championship, followed by runner-up North Texas with 115 points, Middle Tennessee with 109, Troy with 101, South Alabama with 82, Louisiana-Monroe with 72, Florida Atlantic with 61.5, Louisiana-Lafayette with 44, Florida International with 41, Arkansas State with 34 and Arkansas-Little Rock with 14.5. The Hilltoppers managed 144 points on their way to the title, defeating runner-up MTSU by 20 points, then followed by Troy with 99.5 points, UNT with 98, ASU with 91, ULM with 74, UALR with 68, ULL with 49, USA with 41, and FIU with 29.5. Earning a pair of all-SBC performances for the women on the final day was Valerie Brown, who won the 400 meters in a NCAA Regional-qualifying time of 53.68 while also taking runner-up honors in the 200 meters with a time of 24.02. The Lady Toppers managed 18 points in the 5,000 meters, led by winner Eimear O’Brien, who won in a time of 17:48.57. Also earning all-SBC laurels was Natalie Leeper, who finished third in 17:53.32, while Sarah Namara also broke into the scoring with a seventh-place finish of 18:28.26. The Lady Topper 4x100-meter relay team of Temi Akojie, Kellie Morrison, Miaie Williams and Brown won the event in a regional-qualifying time of 45.34. The final win for the women on the last day came in the women’s hammer, where Sarah Lambrecht qualified for the regional meet with a school- and conference-record setting throw of 184-4. Also earning all-league honors for the women was Alecia Brown, who finished third in the 800 meters in a time of 2:13.45. Morrison scored in a pair of sprint events Sunday, with a fourth-place finish in the 400 meters at 55.53 and a fifth-place effort of 24.22 in the 200 meters. In the 100-meter dash, Williams finished fourth in a time of 11.86 seconds. A pair of Lady Toppers scored in the 1,500 meters, with O’Brien taking fourth in 4:43.23 and Ashley Moore finishing sixth in 4:51.13. To round out the scoring for the women, Jessica Delaunay finished seventh in the triple jump with a leap of 38-10.5. The Hilltoppers started the final day of competition by placing four throwers in the hammer competition. Brian Soverns had a career-best throw of 174-10 to take second, while Matt Taitt also earned all-SBC honors with a third place throw of 173-5. Also scoring in the event was Buddy Price and Andrew Campbell, who finished seventh and eighth with throws of 149-6 and 147-5, respectively. Taking a pair of individual titles on Sunday was Gavin Smellie, who won the 100-meter dash in a regional-qualifying time of 10.46 and the 200-meter dash in a regional time of 21.15. Terrill McCombs completed the sweep for the Hilltoppers in the 400-meter dash, winning the event in a regional-qualifying time of 47.20. Also earning all-conference honors on the track was Steve Wilson, who took runner-up honors in the 800 meters at 1:54.53. The Hilltopper 4x100-meter relay team of Derrius Brooks, Smellie, Alexander Larin and McCombs passed the baton in a regional-qualifying time of 40.48 for the gold medal. In the open 100-meter dash, Brooks was fifth in a time of 10.72, while Mandhla Mgijima was seventh in 10.86 seconds. Scoring a fifth-place finish in the 400-meter dash was Romaine McKay, who took fifth with a time of 47.57. In the triple jump, Asa Dew earned all-Sun Belt honors with a NCAA regional-qualifying jump of 50-4.5 to take third place, while Mgijima was seventh in 47-5.25. Also earning all-league accolades was Jeremy Evans, who placed second in the high jump with a clearance of 6-8.75. Soverns tied for the honor of top-point scorer of the meet in the men’s competition, totaling 24 points in winning the shot put, taking second in the hammer and third in the discus. With his victories in the 100, 200, and 4x100, Smellie was voted as Outstanding Track Performer by the league coaches. Also voted on by league coaches, WKU head coach Erik Jenkins won the third and fourth coach of the year honors of his career.

York claims prep disc golf challenge Mon, 12 May 2008 10:19:56 -0500
The fourth annual High School Disc Golf Challenge took place over the weekend at Kereiakes Park, with Jacob York from Warren East High School taking the individual title and Bowling Green High School winning the team title for the third year in a row. York, participating in the event for the first time, shot a 55, beating Austin Schlinke of BGHS by one stroke and Adam Jordan of BGHS by three strokes. Schlinke has finished as runner-up the past two years. Christian Kafoglis and Hayden Freeman teamed up to win the doubles portion of the event while York teamed with Duncan Miller to take second. Results - Individuals Jacob York (WEHS), 55; Austin Schlinke (BGHS), 56; Adam Jordan (BGHS), 58; Mike Fontana (BGHS), 59; Josh Collard (BGHS), 59; Charlie Hunt (BGHS), 60; Christian Kafoglis (BGHS), 61; Chris Rarick (home school), 61; Daniel Heltsley (BGHS), 61; Hayden Freeman (BGHS), 62; Chris Boling (BGHS), 64; Eliott Stahl (BGHS), 66; Slater Mounts (WEHS), 68; Rhett Boots (WEHS), 71; Brad Boling (BGHS), 71; Duncan Miller (BGHS), 74. Results - Doubles Freeman/Kafoglis, 24; York/Miller, 26; Hunt/C. Boling, 27; Collar/Stahl, 27; Heltsley/Rarick, 27; B. Boling/Schlinke, 30; Jordan/C. Boling, 32.

Ceremony for Hayes planned Mon, 12 May 2008 10:19:57 -0500
Friends and family of Spc. Michael R. Hayes are invited to attend a graveside memorial service at 3:10 p.m. Saturday at Bowling Green Gardens, 820 Lovers Lane. Hayes, a former Bowling Green resident and soccer coach at Butler County High School, was killed in Iraq in 2005 while serving with the 617th Military Police Company of the Kentucky National Guard. The ceremony will include the laying of a wreath and the playing of taps. — For more information, call Staff Sgt. Douglas Medlock of the 617th Military Police Company at (502) 607-2217.

Purples split with PRP Mon, 12 May 2008 10:19:57 -0500
Trent Steelman and LaVance Anderson each had two hits and two RBIs as Bowling Green took the nightcap of a doubleheader Saturday against host Pleasure Ridge Park, 8-6. Matt Ingram and Ben Rauh also added an RBI for the Purples (15-7), who recorded five runs on six hits in the sixth inning. Caleb Hanes earned the win for Bowling Green, throwing two scoreless innings. Corbin Smith also had three hits for Bowling Green. In the early game Saturday afternoon, despite a two-run home run from Smith offensively, the Purples yielded seven runs to the host Panthers and fell by a score of 7-3. Matt Ingram was saddled with the loss for the Purples. Game 1 BGHS 000 120 0 — 3 4 4 PRP 003 130 X — 7 8 0 Game 2 BGHS 101 005 1 — 8 12 0 PRP 001 023 0 — 6 11 0

Baseball and Diamonds Tue, 13 May 2008 02:36:00 EST
Tracy Haines will never forget her first trip to Louisville Slugger Field. The 27-year-old nurse went from casually watching the action on a baseball diamond to staring through tears at a diamond engagement ring.

No no-no, but Bats complete sweep Tue, 13 May 2008 02:37:00 EST
The Louisville Bats swept a doubleheader with Richmond yesterday, thanks to a near no-hitter from Matt Maloney and Andy Phillips extending his hitting streak.

Dutrow well-suited for Preakness Tue, 13 May 2008 04:02:00 EST
Trainer Rick Dutrow said he isn't superstitious, but the dark blue suit, powder blue shirt and red tie he plans to wear at the Preakness Stakes is the same ensemble he wore to the Kentucky and Florida Derby.

Harlem Rocker out; Gayego could join field Tue, 13 May 2008 02:43:00 EST
The Preakness lost a possible starter in Harlem Rocker but may gain one in Kentucky Derby also-ran Gayego. Gayego, who finished 17th after a sluggish start, is under consideration for another shot at Derby winner Big Brown in Saturday's second leg of the Triple Crown.

IU writes to NCAA that it's been punished enough Tue, 13 May 2008 03:30:00 EST
Indiana University has punished itself enough and does not deserve further sanctions, the school said in a written response to NCAA allegations of misconduct in its men's basketball program, released publicly yesterday.

Basketball tournaments will move to Knights Hall Tue, 13 May 2008 02:43:00 EST
Bellarmine University's Knights Hall will become the venue for Louisville's high school basketball tournaments starting next season.

CAL surges past Manual Tue, 13 May 2008 02:43:00 EST
Ashleigh Gustafson celebrated Senior Day for Christian Academy's softball team with a smashing performance and an 8-5 victory over visiting Manual yesterday.

Knights make D-II baseball tourney Tue, 13 May 2008 02:43:00 EST
The Bellarmine University baseball team was named to the NCAA Division II Tournament yesterday -- the Knights' first appearance since 1989.

2 Cats honored for good works Tue, 13 May 2008 02:44:00 EST
University of Kentucky track and field runners John Richardson and Andrea Halasek (Scott County High School) were named to the Southeastern Conference Good Works Teams yesterday.

Why it's nuts to recruit 8th-graders Tue, 13 May 2008 03:27:00 EST
I spent time last week trying to think of another situation beyond college basketball in which alleged adults can or have diligently recruited eighth-graders to commit to something very important in their lives that was still four years away.

PREP BASEBALL: Elizabethtown upends Central Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:08 -0500
ELIZABETHTOWN What a difference two weeks can make.

PREP BASEBALL: John Hardin sweeps North Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:06 -0500
RADCLIFF It’s been said that hitting is contagious and the John Hardin Bulldogs certainly had a bad case of it spread through the team Thursday night.

PREP SOFTBALL: Krupinski, Central Hardin shut out John Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:06 -0500
CECILIA Having been shut out in their previous two games, the Central Hardin Lady Bruins were in a little bit of a funk.

PREP SOFTBALL/BASEBALL ROUNDUP: Lady Panthers fall; Mayfield moves to 7-1 Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:07 -0500
The slumping Elizabethtown Lady Panthers lost for the 10th time in 13 games, falling to visiting Warren Central on Thursday, 3-1.

BOYS'/GIRLS' PREP TENNIS RESULTS: Thursday's Matches Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:07 -0500
Results from Thursday's area high school tennis matches:

Rose Hill hires Watkins
Rose Hill has filled one of its empty coaching positions. Mark Watkins was named the girls’ basketball coach last week, replacing Pam Euton, who resigned the position after five seasons at the helm.

AARON SNYDER: Who’s got a title shot?
It’s been seven seasons since the 16th Region produced a state champion, when Boyd County won the State Tournament in 2001.

Plummer heading to Centre
Boyd County senior Jacob Plummer inked a letter of intent to play baseball at Centre College last week in front of a host of friends and family in the high school’s library.

Tennis titles up for grabs
Tiebreaker, anyone?More down-to-the-wire team tennis is in the forecast for the 16th Region Tournament.

Report: Mayo got cash, benefits from promoter
A former associate of USC freshman guard O.J. Mayo claims the basketball star received thousands of dollars in cash and other gifts from an event promoter over the past four years that would violate NCAA rules, ESPN reported Sunday.

Cards collar Panthers
The South Laurel Cardinals used three pitchers in blanking Knox Central 4-0 Friday night.

Jags fall 5-2 to Redhounds
The North Laurel Jaguars were beaten 5-2 by the Corbin Redhounds Friday night.

Region tennis tournament starts Tuesday at Whitley County
The 13th Region tennis tournament will get underway Tuesday at Whitley County High School.

Six school records broken at MC meet
Six North Laurel school records were broken at the Madison Central meet last week.

Central defeats Lady Scotties, 4-1
Glasgow was “a play or two” away from picking up a win and ending its recent skid on Saturday.

4th Region tennis tourney begins today
Area tennis teams will play for the right to advance to the state tournament starting today as the 4th Region Tennis Tournament gets under way.

Trojans split; Trojanettes fall at East
Barren County rallied for four runs in the seventh inning to tie homestanding Franklin-Simpson and scored two runs in the eighth to pick up a 6-4 win as the Trojans split a pair of games on Saturday at the Wood Bat Tournament.

LOCAL SPORTS BRIEFS
UT’s Turner takes 15th at East RegionalHornets go 3-2 last week

Gators nip Panthers, 4-3 Tue, 13 May 2008 10:49:00 -0500
On a day when Greenwood honored its 10 seniors for helping turn around a winless district season into a No. 2 postseason seed for next week’s District 14 tournament, it was a sophomore who came up with the big play. Ricky Adams’ two-out, two-strike RBI single in the bottom of the sixth proved to be the difference Monday as the Gators got a 4-3 win on senior day against visiting Russellville. “We didn’t have much of an effort early. They definitely took the fight to us early but we were able to get some clutch hits at the end and we’re proud of that,” Greenwood coach Chris Decker said. “The nailbiters, if nothing else, we have to take some positives from that because that’s what we’re going to see next week.” With the game tied 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth, left fielder Cody Jackson reached on an error to lead off the inning. Jackson then stole second and moved to third on another error - Russellville’s fifth of the night - setting the Gators up with a runner on third and nobody out. But the next two batters failed to bring him in, leaving things up to Adams. After fouling off several third-strike pitches, Adams drove a sharp liner to center, giving Greenwood the lead and the seniors a chance to celebrate properly. “I had two strikes on me and I was just trying to put one through to the outfield and get the runner in any way I can,” Adams said. “It feels really good, I’ve gotten to become close to most of these seniors over the last two years, and it’s just good to give them a nice win on senior night.” Decker said the group of 10 - Ryan Watson, Dillon Graham, Chris Page, Brandon Miller, Jackson, Jon Sellers, Cory Henon and Michael Hoover - mean a lot not only to the Gator program, but to him personally as well. “I love this group,” Decker said. “I’m going to hate to see them go, and all the seniors tonight got significant playing time which doesn’t always happen. “But that’s the way it’s supposed to be and I’m proud of them for being able to get a win in their last game here.” Russellville coach Lou Kendall said he liked the way his team came out of the gates early - as the Panthers took a 3-0 lead after the first inning - but said the mental mistakes and the five errors of his youthful squad did it in. “From the neck down we were pretty good,” Kendall said. “But somehow we just don’t have the mental stuff down yet - we’ve only got the one senior and three juniors. “But this isn’t the first week of the season either, we did some things mentally during the last week of the season that we just shouldn’t be making - but hopefully we’ll learn from those mistakes and just go from there.” Decker said that the team will need to keep a late-inning win like this in its memory bank, because next week’s district tournament is wide open. “Just throw us all in a hat,” Decker said. “Whoever’s lucky that day, whoever has pitching that day or plays the best defense is going to win. “And that’s the way it should be, you know, it’s a competitive game and in that district we’re all even - it’s going to be fun next week.” Adams agreed with his coach, saying that while the Gators do have the No. 2 seed next week, there are no promises of success. “It’s good to win close games like this, because we’re probably going to face stuff like that next week,” Adams said. “We obviously want to blow everybody out, but if it’s close like that, we want to know we can get the win. “It’s pretty even, anyone can win and we’ll just throw our number one (pitcher) out there and try to get through the first round and on to the region.”

Greenwood’s Beal signs to play at Wooster Tue, 13 May 2008 10:49:01 -0500
In a way, Greenwood volleyball standout Lizzi Beal is going home. Beal, last season’s Region 4 player of the year, officially signed a letter of intent Monday to play college volleyball at The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. With the decision, she’s following in her family’s footsteps. “My dad played basketball there - he graduated in ’84 I believe - and my grandparents live there and that’s really where I came from,” Beal said. “I moved to Bowling Green before my freshman year and it’s just a wonderful school, it has everything I want and it’s just the perfect school for me. “I’m going home, and I’m following in my dad’s footsteps.” During her career at Greenwood, Beal definitely left her mark on the volleyball record book, finishing second on the all-time assists list with 801. Beal’s total of 783 assists last season ranked second all-time at Greenwood for a single season mark. She also holds the all-time school record for most assists in a match with 34 and ranks ninth all-time in digs with 368. Beal seemed enamored with the general idea of attending Wooster, but also with the situation on the volleyball court - Beal appears to have a good chance of stepping into the team’s setter role as a true freshman. “I was so happy, because it’s really rare to find a starting spot your freshman year as a setter,” Beal said. “So it was really exciting to know that I could come in if I’m in shape and be the starting setter right away.” Beal said there was no other choice when it came down to it, as Wooster was truly the one place she set her heart on from the beginning. “There was a few schools, smaller schools, that contacted me but I really didn’t pay attention to anyone else besides Wooster,” Beal said. “That’s just where I really wanted to go from the get-go.” Beal will join a Wooster team that finished 15-14 a season ago, ending its year in the North Coast Athletic Conference semifinals. She said her immediate goals are to just fit in as best she can and to help the team - which is a Division III school - become as competitive as possible in the NCAC. “I really just want to make a big impact on the team and improve their conference standing,” Beal said. “Right now one of the top teams in the nation (Wittenberg University) is in their conference, and I just want to be able to beat that team. “I just really want to improve as a player and I think the coaching staff there can help me do that.”

East’s Grinstead runs back to Centre College Tue, 13 May 2008 10:49:01 -0500
Warren East senior runner Emily Grinstead fell in love with Centre College last summer during the five weeks she spent at the Governor’s Scholars Program. Now she’s got four more years to enjoy the Danville campus. Grinstead, the Lady Raiders’ highly decorated cross-country and track and field athlete, signed a letter of intent Monday to run at Centre. Grinstead said she considered attending the University of Kentucky, but the chance to extend her athletic career at Centre was too great to pass up. “When I actually got the money situation (worked out), it was a no-brainer,” Grinstead said. “I think it’s a close group of people, just like my teams have been over the years,” she added. “So I think it’s going to be an easier transition than what some other schools would have been.” Grinstead joined Warren East’s cross country team as a fifth-grader and the track and field team the next season. As a sixth-grader, Grinstead was a member of Warren East’s state championship cross country team. She has run for seven regional championship teams. In track, Grinstead boasts a state indoor championship in the 4x800-meter relay, and state runner-up finishes in the 4x400-meter relay. “There are pretty much two ways that you build a program - one is with discus throwers, and one is with quarter runners,” said Centre coach Ryan New. “With her versatility, being able to go up and down in distance, and the kind of time that she’s running ... she’s about four or five tenths off of our school record. There’s seven incoming freshmen females in the track program, and she’s going to be sort of the figurehead of those.” While Grinstead’s time at GSP clearly left a deep impression, she admitted it wasn’t entirely good. Grinstead was hospitalized twice that summer due to the effects of a peanut allergy. The condition worsened her asthma and forced her to struggle to return to the track. “I couldn’t run for a couple weeks, and when I did start running I stayed sick all the time,” Grinstead said. “It was rough. There was a lot of times I wanted to call it quits and just forget about it, but I’m really glad I stuck through it now.”

WKU volleyball ‘very aggressive’ in ’08 scheduling Tue, 13 May 2008 10:49:02 -0500
The Western Kentucky volleyball program released its 2008 schedule Monday, which includes six NCAA Tournament teams. WKU will also take on a pair of Big Ten schools and play matches against teams from the SEC, ACC, Big East and Pac 10. “We were very aggressive in scheduling this year. Coming off a year when we got an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, it puts you in a position where you know getting that bid is possible now,” said WKU coach Travis Hudson. “With the talent and experience that we have returning next fall, we certainly wanted to put ourselves in a position to repeat the accomplishment again.” The Lady Toppers open the season with seven straight road matches, beginning with a pair of weekend tournaments in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Huntington, W.Va. WKU will open the campaign on Aug. 29 against Alabama - one of the six ’07 tournament teams on the slate - before taking on Iowa and Nicholls State the following day to close out that event. That is followed by a trip to Marshall’s tournament the following weekend, where the Lady Toppers will face off with East Tennessee State and Virginia Tech before closing out the weekend against the host Thundering Herd. WKU will hit the road Sept. 9 to take on another 2007 NCAA Tournament participant in Xavier before finally opening the home portion of the schedule Sept. 12-13 when it welcomes in four teams - Furman, Miami (Ohio), Valparaiso and Tennessee Tech - for the annual Lady Topper Invitational. WKU is back on the road the following weekend at Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on Michigan, Arizona State and Albany. That will serve as the final tune-up for Sun Belt Conference play, as the Lady Toppers jump right into league action with three straight home matches against SBC East Division rivals. “There are no breaks in our nonconference schedule. We’ve got a schedule full of championship-caliber teams,” Hudson added. “We certainly understand that we are not going to run through those matches, but we feel like we can win more than our share of them and be in a good position come tournament time.” League play gets underway Sept. 26, as defending league champion Middle Tennessee visits E.A. Diddle Arena for a 7 p.m. match. “The Sun Belt returns the majority of its star players, so I really think this league will be every bit as good as it was a year ago,” added Hudson. “There are a lot of teams in our league that are on the rise right now, and that just continues to make this a better, stronger volleyball conference.” The 2008 Sun Belt Conference Tournament will take place in Miami, Fla., on Nov. 20-22 at Pharmed Arena on Florida International’s campus. The Lady Toppers return 10 letterwinners and five starters from last year’s club that went 27-9 and 14-3 in the Sun Belt.

WKU baseball canceled Tue, 13 May 2008 10:49:02 -0500
The WKU baseball team announced that today’s road game against Austin Peay has been canceled. The Hilltoppers will conclude regular season action with a three-game series against Sun Belt Conference foe Middle Tennessee. The first game is scheduled to be Thursday at Nick Denes Field, with the first pitch to be thrown at 6 p.m.

Blann advances to U.S. Open sectional qualifying Tue, 13 May 2008 10:49:03 -0500
Bowling Green golfer Jordan Blann advanced to sectional qualifying Monday for the 2008 U.S. Open after shooting a 67 at Madisonville Golf & Country Club. Three golfers advanced to sectional qualifying. Paso Robles, Calif., resident Travis Bertoni led the way with a 66 and Benjamin McClung of Jacksonville, Fla., shot a 77. Sectional qualifying begins May 26 at various sites.

Greenwood softball blanks Grayson County, 5-0 Tue, 13 May 2008 10:49:03 -0500
The Greenwood softball team used a four-run rally Monday to push past host Grayson County 5-0. Greenwood (24-9) got a two-run double from Lindsey Green, an RBI single by Rachel Riley and a bases-loaded walk to Whitnee Lee to take command in a bat-around third inning. The Lady Gators added a run in the fourth when Laura Smith led off with a triple and later scored on a passed ball. Rachel Riley allowed three hits in four innings to earn the win. Lee allowed three hits over the final three innings to earn the save. Greenwood will return to action at 6 p.m. tonight when it hosts Christian County. GHS 004 100 0 - 5 5 0 GCHS 000 000 0 - 0 6 2

Freshman point guard gets scholarship offer from UK Tue, 13 May 2008 16:14:00 EST
Davis said he will not rush into making a college choice, but he is intrigued by the Kentucky offer.

Barry Bonds charged with 15 counts in new indictment
Major League Baseball home run record holder Barry Bonds was charged with 14 counts of lying to a grand jury and one count of obstruction of justice in a new indictment that was a result of the BALCO doping investigation.

A SECOND-CHANCE SERVE FOR AHMADI
When Amir Ahmadi dumps a forehand into the net or hits a volley just long, it’s sometimes enough to make him bristle.But only for a moment.

Defense backs DeHoff; Devils beat Rose Hill
Behind efficient pitching and solid defense, Russell was able to hold off Rose Hill Christian, 3-1, at Central Park on Monday night.Leading by that score in the bottom of the seventh with Rose Hill’s tying run on base, Red Devils pitcher Drake DeHoff retired three in a row to get a complete game victory.

Raceland and Rose Hill split doubleheader
Raceland hosted Rose Hill Christian in a softball doubleheader on Monday night as the two teams split games.Rose Hill took the first game 6-3 and Raceland won the second game 13-1.Paige Vanhoose struck out 11 batters for Raceland in the first game, but the Lady Royals still pushed six runs across the plate.

Regional softball title up for grabs

Ashland gets by rival Boyd in tight one
Ashland picked up its 20th win of the season, escaping Boyd County 5-3 in a tight game on Monday night.“It really got pressure-packed there in the seventh inning, but I thought we handled it well,” Ashland coach Dave Miller said.The Lady Lions (16-14) trailed by three heading into the bottom of the seventh but were able to push across a run and keep the bases loaded with no outs.

On the ropes, Greenup responds
Greenup County had its win streak on the ropes on Monday night, but a patented offensive explosion quickly erased any thoughts of a defeat.Down 4-0, the Musketeers batted around and scored eight runs in the bottom of the fourth, all with two outs. The outpour led to a 10-5 victory over visiting Portsmouth — a game Greenup County picked up on Monday after an East Carter cancellation.

Scotties defeat Pulaski, 3-2
Glasgow built a 3-0 lead and held on for dear life in the seventh inning to pick up a 3-2 win over Pulaski County on Monday.

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