News sports 2008-08-08 Andanh.com

Patience pays Thu, 7 Aug 2008 11:10:27 -0500
INDIANAPOLIS — This victory was worth the wait for the Bowling Green East All-Stars. A day after not getting to play Appleton (Wis.) Einstein because of Little League curfew rules, BG East’s 11- and 12-year-old squad woke up angry Wednesday and pounded Wisconsin 18-3 in a four-inning Great Lakes Regional Tournament game. The victory moved BG East to 2-1 in the six-team pool play. More important, East clinched a spot in Friday’s semifinals - putting the team within two victories this weekend of advancing to next week’s Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. Seeding will be determined in today’s play. BG East will be the top seed if it beats currently undefeated Indiana at 3:30 p.m. CDT today. If BG East loses its pool-play finale, it would finish in a four-way tie for second place at 2-2 and East’s seed would be determined by how many runs it allows today. East has allowed the fewest runs of any team in the tournament thus far. “(Today’s) game does not have a whole lot of meaning because we have qualified, but at the same time, we don’t want to get into a negative situation,” manager Rick Kelley said. “You want to keep their momentum going strong. They feel good about their bats right now and we want to keep that going into the semis.” BG East and Wisconsin were scheduled to play Tuesday but rain pushed back tournament action. BG East and Wisconsin couldn’t start until about 9 p.m. EDT and Little League rules prohibit an inning from starting after 11 p.m. So officials decided to have BG East and Wisconsin play Wednesday morning. “We definitely were (angry) with the delay and everything,” said BG East All-Star Seaton Sheldon, who unleashed his frustrations with two home runs against Wisconsin. “All of our players were real mad and were real excited (today) to get out here.” BG East has reason to feel good about its offense after belting out five home runs. Along with Sheldon’s two bombs, Nacarius Shannon, Quentin Cooke and Hunter Rogers sent balls over the fence. “Everybody can hit one through 12 (in our lineup),” Cooke said. “We just keep it going. Everybody was hitting good this morning and last night. Everybody was ready and eager.” Click here for photos from the game with Appleton (Wis.) Einstein. The home-run outburst came after BG East actually fell behind 2-0 in the first inning. But BG East scored 18 of the next 19 runs. Sheldon tied the game with a two-run homer in the second inning. He also helped BG East make an emphatic statement with a three-run homer as part of a 12-run fourth inning. “They really came out aggressive and played well,“ Kelley said. “Today I think they were very selective with the pitches they swung at and that paid dividends. “Baseball is all about pitch selection and as long as you are swinging at the pitches that are strikes, with the abilities they have, they’re going to make contact with it. That’s all you have to do. You don’t have to hit five home runs.” While Sheldon had five RBIs, Cooke and Rogers each had four RBIs. The two hit back-to-back homers in the third for a 6-2 BG East lead. That helped erase any concerns Kelley had about falling behind 2-0 to Wisconsin. “I was a little nervous about it,” Kelley said. “(Wisconsin) hit (BG East starting pitcher) Zach Sibalich really well. He was mixing up his pitches and they were hitting. But we settled down and got some runs on the board. “They knew this was a win-or-die situation. If they didn’t win, it was likely they would not make it to semifinals. They knew what was at stake.” East got a solid relief performance from Christopher McDaniel, who entered in the second inning. He struck out the side in the second and gave up only one unearned run over two innings. Shannon pitched a scoreless fourth to close out the game. “Christopher has always been a great stopper,” Kelley said. “He throws the ball hard. He’s got a great ability to pinpoint his pitching - hit the knees, hit the corners. He did that today and gave us some breathing room.” Because East likely needed to defeat Wisconsin in order to reach Friday’s semifinals, it can breath a little easier against Indiana. Because of that, BG East is likely to hold its top pitchers for Friday and a possible spot in Saturday’s championship. “I think the key thing is to stay focused and stay sharp,“ Kelley said. “We’re coming out to play the game, play hard and we’d like to preserve as much pitching as we can.” BG East 024 (12) - 18 14 1 Wisconsin 201 0 - 3 7 0 WP: McDaniel LP: Polce

BG pitchers combine for no-hitter Thu, 7 Aug 2008 11:10:27 -0500
Three pitchers combined on a no-hitter, helping propel the Bowling Green 13- and 14-year-old All-Stars to a 9-0 win over Indiana in the Junior Little League All-Star Central Regional on Wednesday in Fort Wayne, Ind. Matt Morgan, Tanner Davidson and Austin Briel combined to toss the no-hitter, while Cameron Johnson added a home run. Bowling Green will face top seed Iowa at noon today. On Tuesday, BG rallied to beat Missouri 6-3 in the final game of pool play. Bowling Green trailed 2-0 after two innings, but scored three in the third and were able to pull away late to finish 3-1 in pool play. Nolan Moore was the winning pitcher.

Tourney perfect for first-time major wins Thu, 7 Aug 2008 11:10:28 -0500
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Fifteen times in the last 25 years, someone has made the PGA Championship their first major victory. Anthony Kim, Franklin’s Kenny Perry and Sergio Garcia are three of the most likely candidates to make that 16 of 26 come Sunday. Maybe it’s the way the courses are typically set up for the final major of the year - conducive to scoring in the August heat - that provides such an avenue for breakthrough wins. Or maybe it’s timing, with the game’s brightest lights already worn down by three majors. It’s particularly easy to foresee a fresh face winning the PGA Championship because two-time defending champion Tiger Woods is still recovering from knee surgery. “Winning a major is winning a major, whether he’s in the field or not,” said Kim, considered by many the “Next Big Thing” in American golf at the age of 23. “Obviously, you want to feel like you beat everyone when they are at the top of their game, but that’s just not the way this game works. Whether he’s here or not, I’d love to put a major under my belt.” The PGA Championship got under way today at Oakland Hills when Bradley Dean, a club pro from Michigan, nervously hit a low hook with a bright sun in his face that found the left rough. It took him four shots to reach the green, and he wound with a double bogey. “Tough start,” someone said from the gallery. It could be tough for everyone on an Oakland Hills course that is 7,395 yards with penal rough and contoured greens. The Wanamker Trophy was on the first tee, a reminder of what’s at stake this week. Woods’ name is on the trophy four times. Kim, like the rest of the 156-player field, knows that when Woods returns next year, he might want to make up for lost time. “When he comes back, he’s going to come back firing on all cylinders, so we’d all better be ready,” said Kim. Kim has shown signs that he might be built for the biggest tournaments. He’s made the cut in all four of his major starts, including an impressive tie for seventh at last month’s British Open. “I’d love to put on a good show this week,” he said. The Masters effectively opens the golf season with its azaleas and lightning-fast greens. Then players get to grouse (usually) about the U.S. Open, long known as the toughest test in golf with narrow fairways and firm greens. Next is the British Open, the only major held on links course where the defense comes from wind and the pot bunkers. That leaves the PGA Championship, which prides itself on playability and, well, fun. “It was always very comfortable for me to play in the PGA,” said Perry, one of the hottest golfers in the world with three wins since early June. Perry elected not to play the first three majors this year, so it’s clear he thinks a lot of the PGA. Besides, the tournament has almost been an annuity for him, since he’s made the cut in 16 of his 17 starts. Garcia’s career has been bracketed by the PGA Championship. It was in 1999 when the then-19-year-old Spaniard burst upon the world’s consciousness, scissoring his legs while running to follow his shot from next to a tree at Medinah. He challenged Woods to the final hole before falling a shot short. Nine years later, many are wondering when he’s finally going to live up to that bright promise and win a major. There could be no better time than this. Garcia has had success at Oakland Hills before, collecting 4 1/2 of a possible five points in Europe’s lopsided win over the United States in the 2004 Ryder Cup matches at the Donald Ross-designed layout in suburban Detroit. He said changes to the course in the ensuing four years - some bunkers were restructured, some tees moved back - has taken away any advantage he might have on the course. “This is a great golf course, probably the toughest PGA (course) I’ve ever played,” Garcia said. “Shots around the greens here (you just take) a big whack at it, try to get out of the rough and land it softly.” No European has won the PGA Championship since Scotland’s Tommy Armour in 1930. England’s Justin Rose, like Garcia a promising 28-year-old without a major championship, believes this is the year to end that drought. “You’ve got to think if there is ever a venue that’s going to suit a European,” he said, “it’s going to be this week.”

Shot putter is tossing a weight off his shoulders Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:26:00 EST
More than 10,000 athletes will compete in the Olympic Games. Perhaps none brings a more compelling story to Beijing than Reese Hoffa, one of the favorites in the shot put.

China wants to be identified with red and definitely gold Wed, 06 Aug 2008 23:17:00 EST
Though political protests, air-quality concerns and freedom-of-press issues have dominated the buildup to the Summer Games, a far different story line figures to emerge once the athletic competition begins.

'I'm a ball coach; that's what I do' Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:12:00 EST
People were talking about Mike Cassity long before he started working as the linebackers coach at Fern Creek High School last week, dressed in a white T-shirt and his black University of Louisville football shorts.

KHSAA adds post to monitor compliance Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:22:00 EST
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association announced the addition of a compliance coordinator and named two assistant commissioners.

Cardinals' backfield looks a lot younger Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:21:00 EST
The University of Louisville has undergone a backfield transformation that has left it thin on experience, but not without talent.

two-minute drill Atlanta Falcons' HArry Douglas Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:22:00 EST
Former University of Louisville wide receiver Harry Douglas will make his NFL preseason debut Saturday when the Atlanta Falcons play at Jacksonville. Douglas, a third-round draft pick by the Falcons, grew up in Jonesboro, Ga., 17 miles from Atlanta.

Two years later, Bush ready to play Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:23:00 EST
Michael Bush is tired of watching football after spending nearly two years on the sideline. He has not played in a game since suffering a broken right leg during the University of Louisville's season opener in 2006, his final college season.

Multi-threat freshman gets passed around Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:21:00 EST
It's a chore for a true-freshman college football player to learn one position. Two days in, and the University of Kentucky's Randall Cobb has a handle on two.

Pulley talks with EKU about transferring Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:07:00 EST
Former University of Kentucky quarterback Curtis Pulley might transfer to Eastern Kentucky. EKU spokesman Michael Clark said that Pulley met with coach Dean Hood on Tuesday. Clark stopped short of saying a transfer is imminent but confirmed interest on both sides.

Jockeys remember the Titans Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:24:00 EST
Billy Gillispie is going to be watching some sixth-grade basketball stars in action tonight, but it's not a recruiting trip.

Churchill eyes slots at Florida track Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:20:00 EST
Bob Evans, chief executive of Churchill Downs Inc., indicated yesterday that the Louisville-based racetrack operator might open its second slots facility next year at its Calder Race Course near Miami.

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:

EKC sets grid
A long-standing high school football tradition in the area is once again set to startup.

Elliott is beach bound
For high school basketball teams from coast to coast, the Beach Ball Classic is one of the true barometers of greatness.

City tennis tourney gets under way today
There’s more incentive this year to reach the Men’s Open singles final of the Ashland City Tennis Championships.

Open Season
Barren County opened its boys golf season with a home match against Glasgow on Wednesday.

Hot fishing action happens at night
We’re smack in the middle of dog days and high temperatures have mostly shut down fishing at Barren during daylight hours. Most of the action, and there is still some, is happening at night, or at dusk and dawn.

Comeback kids Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:50:10 -0500
INDIANAPOLIS — Bowling Green East All-Star Christopher McDaniel admitted he wasn’t confident when his team was heading into the sixth and final inning, trailing Indiana by one run. But a bomb off McDaniel’s bat rejuvenated his club. McDaniel’s game-tying homer to open the sixth kick-started BG East’s wild 11-run inning and propelled the team to an 16-6 win - and the No. 1 seed - in the Great Lakes Regional Tournament at Stokely Field “I thought we were done, to tell you the truth,” McDaniel sheepishly said. “But we always find some way to come back.” BG East has rallied for victories in the area, district and state tournaments, and its rally Thursday capped a sizable comeback. BG East opened tournament pool play with a shutout loss last week, but regrouped for three consecutive victories - including Thursday’s win over previously unbeaten Indiana - to grab the tournament’s top spot. Now BG East is two wins away from reaching the Little League World Series. It will meet fourth-seeded Ohio at 6:30 p.m. CDT tonight. No. 2 Indiana will face No. 3 Illinois in this afternoon’s other semifinal. The championship game is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT Saturday, to be broadcast on ESPN. “I think it’s a huge advantage to go into the semifinals as the No. 1 seed,” BG East manager Rick Kelley said. “Momentum is on our side. From a psychological standpoint, that’s important. It’s a really tough region, and to come out of this region as the No. 1 seed I think speaks a lot.” As far as being the No. 1 seed, McDaniel said, “All we have to do is keep (the momentum) and win the whole thing.” Click here for photos from the game. Because both BG East and Indiana had solidified spots in today’s semifinals before Thursday’s game, both teams kept their top pitchers to minimum pitch counts to preserve them for the final two rounds. In the end, BG East proved to have enough, as both teams used five pitchers apiece. Indiana rallied from a 5-3 deficit with a three-run fifth inning and took a 6-5 lead on Ben Shahroudi’s two-out, two-run single. “Our focus was to come in and try and win the game,“ Kelley said. “We knew we would have to piece pitching together. But that still doesn’t mean we weren’t going to play the game as if it didn’t have a lot at stake. “We knew the pitching was (diminishing) on the other side. I think we were confident we could come back.” Once BG East got its final at-bats, it capitalized. McDaniel homered the first pitch he saw. Nacarius Shannon - who went 5-for-5 - then doubled and scored the eventual winning run on Hunter Sewell’s single. But BG East picked up a few more insurance runs - 10 to be exact. Seaton Sheldon clobbered a three-run homer, Shannon added a run-scoring single, Sewell chipped in another two-run single and Quentin Cooke had a two-run single. “We’ve been a team for two years now and when we get down, we always come back,” Shannon said. Had Shannon not been limited to a strict pitch count, his arm may have actually overshadowed his 5-for-5 day at the plate. Shannon went 2 2/3 innings, allowing only a solo home run to Drew Ellis and striking out eight. “It was pretty fun going 5-for-5 and getting on base every time I hit the ball,” Shannon said. “I had a good pitching game and a good hitting game and just had confidence in myself.” Shannon scored four runs, including BG East’s first two. BG East eventually built a 5-1 lead in the fourth when Zach Sibalich and Robbie Guthrie scored on wild pitches and Shannon singled in McDaniel. “(Shannon) did really well,” Kelley said. “He’s a superb athlete and that showed today, both on the mound and at the plate.” BG East 101 30(11) - 16 16 0 Indiana 100 230 - 6 4 3 WP: Hayes LP: Hines

Ohio a new foe for BG East Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:50:11 -0500
INDIANAPOLIS — After opening the Great Lakes Regional Tournament as quiet as any team could, the Bowling Green East All-Stars made plenty of noise in its last three games. With its 16-6 win Thursday over Indiana, BG East clinched the top spot in the pool and will meet No. 4 seed Ohio at 6:30 p.m. CDT tonight at Stokely Field. Click here for photos from the Indiana game. BG East has been riding high since it lost its opening game to Illinois last Friday - a 3-0 defeat where BG East managed only one hit. Now they are confident, but manager Rick Kelley doesn’t expect the confidence to turn into arrogance. “I think they’ve been sort of aware of the surroundings all along and I think they understand what it takes to get to the finals,” Kelley said. “I don’t think there will be any question they will be totally focused on Ohio and will be ready to play.” The early loss might have been a wake-up call for East. “We had to get more focused and pay attention to other teams,” BG East All-Star Nacarius Shannon said. “We got back together and now we’re doing pretty good.” Although BG East has been playing baseball in Indianapolis for a week, Ohio is the one team that’s unfamiliar: It’s the lone team that BG East didn’t face in pool play. Ohio, represented by Mount Vernon Little League, went 2-2 during the pool play portion. It didn’t play top-seed BG East and lost to No. 2 seed Indiana and No. 3 Illinois, the other two teams in the semifinals, which meet at 3:30 p.m. CDT today. Ohio’s two wins came against Wisconsin and Michigan, the two teams that didn’t qualify for the semifinals. BG East likely has the pitching matchup on its side. Kelley expects to start Zach Sibalich, who threw in BG East’s opener. BG East also has virtually all of its pitchers available for tonight. Ohio tournament-opening starter Jayben Martin pitched Wednesday and is ineligible to throw today. “We knew (Thursday) was going to be a crazy game from the standpoint of people trying to preserve pitching,“ Kelley said. “It had to be a situation (for us) where you preserved pitching (for the tournament).” If BG East gets past Ohio, it will meet either Indiana or Illinois. Indiana defeated Illinois 8-7 on Saturday but needed to score three runs in the sixth to do it. Illinois pitcher Wendell Ferguson, who one-hit BG East over 5 1/3 innings, is ineligible to pitch today but Indiana ace Drew Ellis, who one-hit Ohio, could throw today.

Late bloomer hopes to shine for Lady Tops Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:50:11 -0500
Basketball wasn’t always part of Teranie Thomas’ life. Despite family history - her father, Terrance, played at Southern Methodist University - Thomas didn’t play basketball until the age of 10. Eight years later, Thomas has blossomed into a player full of potential and hope that she can step in and contribute right away for Western Kentucky University. After playing behind a pair of Big 12 recruits her junior season, the 5-foot-11 forward became the focal point at Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, helping lead the Pantherettes to a 31-4 record. “She is an athlete in every sense of the word,” WKU coach Mary Taylor Cowles said. “I think she has shown that in the fact that she been very successful in more than just one sport. Her passion is basketball and we are very fortunate to have her.” Thomas led the team in points (10.8) and rebounds (6.2) and was second on the team in steals (67) and blocked shots (34). Thomas said her senior year at Duncanville really boosted her confidence. “I learned how to be smarter on the court,” Thomas said. “I helped my team mostly on defense. I feel like I can bring defense to this team. That is one of my strengths.” Thomas said she’s come a long way from where she was eight years ago. “The way I started, I didn’t think I would be playing basketball this long,” she said. “I was horrible. I was very uncoordinated. I was the tall, lanky girl who kept tripping over her feet.” To help with the coordination, Thomas took dance classes and also competed in track - where she enjoyed success competing in state in hurdles and the triple jump. Thomas said she didn’t really think about playing college basketball until a few years ago, when she started receiving attention from coaches. “While I was playing summer basketball, I had a lot of coaches coming around to watch me,” Thomas said. “That was exciting.” While Thomas is a long way from home, she’s actually familiar with a pair of faces. Fellow WKU freshmen Jasmine Johnson and Vanessa Obafemi were rivals at DeSoto High School, and the three hooked up several times last season - including the region championship when DeSoto beat Duncanville. The rivalry was so heated that when all three players attended WKU’s game at North Texas in February, they hardly spoke. “We were still like, ‘You’re from DeSoto and I’m from Duncanville,’ ” Thomas said. “We didn’t really say too much.” Thomas said that rivalry faded once they all arrived at WKU. “It’s different because I didn’t think we’d be as close and talkative as we do now,” Thomas said. Thomas will be asked to play the No. 4 position for WKU, with a possible transition to the 3. She said she is excited about the chance and plans to get in the gym whenever she can to help improve her game. Cowles is confident Thomas will do just that. “She wants to improve her individual game and she wants to study the game and put forth the effort that it is going to take to elevate her game,” Cowles said. “With that kind of attitude and that kind of talent, you have something that could be very, very special over the next four years.”

Perry pulls out with eye injury Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:50:14 -0500
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Kentuckian Kenny Perry, playing in a major for the first time this year, withdrew from the PGA Championship after an opening-round 79 because of an eye injury. Franklin’s Perry, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour this year, is ranked 17th in the world and has clinched a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team. “I have had Lasik surgery and have been wearing Lasik lenses which have a hard center and flatten out at the end,” he said after withdrawing. “I had got some infection in there and my doctor said that I needed to let my eyes rest by keeping the contacts out. “He gave me cortisone and steroids which were very painful and it was annoying and difficult to be to trying to fight a tough golf course and have my eye aggravating me at the same time.” Perry said he is being examined by Dr. Robert Erickson, an opthamolgist from Birmingham, Mich. “I love the PGA Championship and I hate to not be continuing. But I have got to get ready for the Ryder Cup,” said Perry, who turns 48 on Sunday. The biennial competition with Europe will be played in September at Valhalla Country Club in Louisville in Perry’s home state. Perry, who did not even try to qualify for the U.S. Open and passed on playing in the British Open, has made nearly $4.5 million - trailing only Tiger Woods, whose season ended with knee surgery - on the money list and is averaging a PGA Tour-low 69.51 strokes in 21 events. He was winless the previous two seasons, slowed by knee surgery, after winning twice in 2005 and three times in 2003. This was Perry’s 18th PGA Championship and his best finish was a second in 1996 when he lost to Mark Brooks in a playoff.

Tops have spirited practice, full pads today Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:50:14 -0500
The Western Kentucky football team held its fourth practice of fall camp Thursday at Houchens-Smith Stadium, and had a little fun while doing it. The WKU football team practiced in shoulder pads and helmets for the second consecutive day and will hold its first workout in full pads Saturday. “Tonight was a lot of fun,” coach David Elson said. “We are on track and I am ready to get on full pads and to start scrimmaging. Putting on full pads is the best way to prepare for a game-like atmosphere because that is how the game is played. We need to get in a lot of reps, learn to fight and learn to control our emotions. That is the most important thing.” The practice started with position drills and ended with an intense battle between the offense and defense when the team came together. “This was an excellent practice,” Elson said. “I think it was by far our best practice this week and the intensity was great. A lot of guys just finished summer school and they were ready to release some stress. “Right now we just need to take it one day at a time,” Elson said. “We still have a lot of work to do, but our players are being competitve each day. Overall, I am very pleased with our player’s performances.”

WKU tracksters honored Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:50:15 -0500
Western Kentucky track and field athletes Temi Akojie, Sarah Lambrecht, Natalie Leeper, Eimear O’Brien and Gavin Smellie were honored for their academic achievements by being named to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team. Akojie, a Paducah native, is a Sun Belt Academic Honor Roll member and is majoring in elementary education. This season she competed in her third NCAA Regional meet in the 4x100 meter relay, helping the team finish fourth. Additionally, she holds the WKU indoor season school record in the 200-meter dash. Lambrecht, a special education major and Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List honoree, completed the season by breaking the WKU school record in the hammer throw. The Bedford, Ind., native recorded a throw of 184-4 at the Sun Belt Conference Championships to qualify for the Mideast Regional competition where she placed 26th. Leeper, also a Commissioner’s List award winner, is a sociology major. She qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional meet in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Cardinal Last Chance Twilight Meet and carried the best ranking among the WKU women heading into the meet. She bettered her own school record in the event by more than ten seconds, finishing with a time of 10:38.92. O’Brien, a sophomore on the Sun Belt Acadmic Honor Roll, joined distance teammate Leeper, as she qualifyed for the Mideast Regional in the 5,000 meters. The Sligo, Ireland, native finished 16th in the event. Smellie, a native of Toronto, was named to the Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll earlier this season. He concluded his junior season by qualifying for the NCAA Mideast Regional in a team-record five events. In addition to being a vital part of the 4x100 and 4x400 meter teams, Smellie also qualified for the 200-meter dash, the 100 meters and the 400 meters.

Local teen wins fishing tourney Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:50:15 -0500
Bowling Green’s Joe Manley finished first in the 15- to 18-year-old division of the FLW Kentucky youth state championship fishing tournament this past weekend at Barren River Lake. Manley, 14, won the group with a total catch weight of 19.97 pounds. Manley won the event by more than four pounds. Louisville’s Efrin Snider finished second with a weight of 15.52 pounds.

Respect your Olympic elders Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:19:00 EST
Before your television screen fills up with gymnasts young enough to bring teddy bears to the Olympics, can we hear it for the geezers? This is their moment, too, and we don't mean just Dara Torres swimming at the age of 41, because she's only a kid.

Lost no more, Lomong will lead U.S. to Games Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:12:00 EST
Lopez Lomong's life on the run began in the Sudan, and it would have ended there, too, with just one false step. Two decades and thousands of miles later, it will slow to a walk for a few moments tonight, long enough to carry the U.S. flag into the Olympic stadium.

Morgan Hamm bows out for U.S. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:12:00 EST
With bone spurs digging into his left leg that make it impossible for him to tumble, Morgan Hamm withdrew from the U.S. men's gymnastics team yesterday, two days before competition begins.

Perry's gone in a blur at PGA Championship Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:29:00 EST
Kenny Perry has had one of the best seasons of any golfer in the world, but yesterday was a major disappointment. In his only major championship this year, Perry was forced to withdraw from the PGA Championship after one round because of a left eye injury suffered Tuesday.

Fast start but fading finish for Holmes Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:30:00 EST
Former University of Kentucky golfer J. B. Holmes found his name atop the leaderboard in the first round of the PGA Championship yesterday.

Papa John's buzzing in middle of summer Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:01:00 EST
The place was buzzing on Day 1 over dropped passes. And I will admit, the prior regime here threw such a fit at any dropped pass that even the defensive players didn't like to see it happen. But the drops diminished on Day 2 and 3. Blog: Eric Crawford Blog: U of L fans

Wade hopes to be lucky in Kentucky Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EST
Whitney Wade made the cut at the U.S. Women's Open. She has earned $9,500 on the Duramed Futures Tour, which will be in London, Ky., today through Sunday for the Falls Auto Group Classic.

Clock rule may not be noticeable Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:10:00 EST
The NCAA Football Rules Committee adopted the NFL's way of speeding up play, but University of Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe doesn't think it will have much of an impact on his team.

Finch 'proud to be a Hoosier' now Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:10:00 EST
Jerimy Finch is uncertain whether he'll be eligible to play football at Indiana University right away this fall.

IU decides against another hearing Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:11:00 EST
Indiana University will not request an in-person hearing with the NCAA infractions committee on a charge that the school failed to monitor its men's basketball program for rules compliance, school spokesman Larry MacIntyre said yesterday.

Keeneland considers expansion Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:35:00 EST
Keeneland Race Course has hired the HOK Sport architectural firm to develop a master plan that could allow the Lexington track to play host to the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Santa Anita could be sold to reduce Magna's debts Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:32:00 EST
The founder and chairman of Magna Entertainment Corp., a racetrack operator and business partner of Churchill Downs Inc., suggested this week that major assets such as California's Santa Anita Park -- the home of the Breeders' Cup World Championships for the next two years -- might be sold in an effort to reduce the company's debt.

Tayshaun Prince is a team player for Team USA Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:20 EDT
BEIJING - From the NBA season to a youth camp in Lexington, Ky., then on to training camp in Las Vegas and five exhibitions in China, Tayshaun Prince has been keeping a rapid pace.

Now he's ready for the payoff: an Olympic gold medal.

When Team USA opens play in the Beijing Olympics, the opponent will be none other than China (Sunday, 10:15 a.m. EDT).

Forecasts indicate that it may be the most-watched sporting event of all time.

Consider that Beijing alone is home to 17.4 million of China's 1.3 billion population. And no athlete is more revered and recognized here than Houston Rockets center Yao Ming.

China opens its long-sought Olympics spectacularly Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:30 EDT
China didn't just walk onto the world stage. It soared over it. At last playing its long-sought role as Olympic host, China opened the Summer Games in spectacular fashion Friday with an extravaganza of fireworks and pageantry dramatizing its ascendance as a global power.

Disasters, environmental problems and human-rights disputes preceded the games, and questions abound about how they will unfold. But for an evening, at least for the 91,000 people packed into the new National Stadium, it was an interlude of fervor and magic - capped by the spellbinding sight of a skywalking, torchbearing gymnast floating around the stadium's top rim before sending a torrent of fire upward to light the Olympic flame.

Scores of world leaders were on hand, and the potential TV audience was 4 billion worldwide for what was certainly the costliest and probably the largest opening ceremony in Olympic history.

The centerpiece was the parade of athletes, climaxing with the entry of the 639-strong Chinese team. Its flag-bearer was basketball idol Yao Ming, accompanied by 9-year-old schoolboy Lin Hao, a survivor of May's devastating earthquake in Sichuan province.

A chanting, flag-waving crowd gave a thunderous welcome, and erupted again a few moments later when President Hu Jintao declared the games open.

UK's Lumpkin finally healthy, ready to hit Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:31 EDT

The thought of yet another hip surgery had Ricky Lumpkin scared to death.

But now, after his latest procedure, Lumpkin has gone from feeling like an old man to feeling like a new one.

Lumpkin, a 6-foot-4, 289-pound sophomore defensive tackle from Clarksville, Tenn., had surgery on his hip the summer before he arrived at the University of Kentucky. His recovery cost him a good portion of fall camp, and he ended up redshirting.

Lumpkin showed flashes of brilliance last fall but was limited to seven games because of recurring problems with the hip. In April, Lumpkin learned that he would need surgery to remove calcium deposits from his hip area. He remembers the agony he was going through during that surgery.

Ex-Cat Pulley will not play at EKU Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:58 EDT

Former University of Kentucky quarterback Curtis Pulley will not be transferring to Eastern Kentucky.

Pulley attended an EKU practice on Tuesday after getting his official release from UK and met with Colonels Coach Dean Hood on Wednesday.

But Pulley's father said Thursday that both parties ultimately decided it was in the best interests of everyone involved for Pulley to find another school to continue his playing career.

Pulley was dismissed from UK on Monday for a violation of team rules.

Gillispie's jockeys lose in charity game Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:54 EDT

IndyCar: Briscoe fits just fine in ex-champ Hornish's shoes Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:35 EDT

Ryan Briscoe doesn't mind if people are shocked by his level of success this year because, really, he's still wrapping his head around it himself.

He was, by his own admission, an unproven commodity in the IndyCar Series before this season, and then he was handed the almost impossible task of trying to fill the shoes of one of the sport's greatest champions.

He knew no one would have blamed him if this year was more struggle than success. But he also knew he would never forgive himself if he failed to take advantage of an astonishing opportunity.

When Briscoe was pegged to take over the No. 6 Team Penske Dallara/Honda after three-time series champion Sam Hornish Jr. jumped to NASCAR, most figured it would be up to longtime Penske star Helio Castroneves to carry the team's burden for 2008.

Live: PGA Championship scores Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:05 EDT

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