IMCA Modifieds – 1. Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb., 1,198; 2. Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn., 1,191; 3. A.J. Ward, Ionia, Mich., 1,188; 4. Cory Sample, Winnemucca, Nev., 1,177; 5. Bricen James, Albany, Ore., 1,164; 6. Anthony Roth, Columbus, Neb., 1,162; 7. Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz., 1,152; 8. Jay Noteboom, Hinton, Iowa, and Drew Armstrong, Alexander, Ark., both 1,149; 10. Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, 1,147; 11. Zane DeVilbiss, Farmington, N.M., 1,144; 12. Matt Szecsodi, Clio, Mich., 1,141; 13. Tim Ward, Chandler, Ariz., 1,140; 14. Troy Cordes, Dunkerton, Iowa, and Tyler Limoges, Redwood Falls, Minn., both 1,138; 16. Josh McGaha, Abilene, Texas, 1,135; 17. Bryce Garnhart, Shannon, Ill., and Joel Rust, Grundy Center, Iowa, both 1,132; 19. Jeffrey Abbey, Comanche, Texas, 1,128; 20. William Gould, Calera, Okla., 1,107.IMCA Late Models – 1. Matt Ryan, Davenport, Iowa, 789; 2. Todd Cooney, Pleasant Hill, Iowa, 788; 3. Jeremiah Hurst, Dubuque, Iowa, 787; 4. Andy Nezworski, Buffalo, Iowa, 780; 5. Rob Toland, Colona, Ill., 763; 6. Ryan Dolan, Lisbon, Iowa, 749; 7. Chuck Hanna, Port Byron, Ill., 733; 8. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown, Iowa, 727; 9. Joe Zrostlik, Long Grove, Iowa, 685; 10. Gary Webb, Blue Grass, Iowa, 680; 11. Shawn Cooney, Bondurant, Iowa, and Curt Schroeder, Newton, Iowa, both 669; 13. Chad Holladay, Muscatine, Iowa, 663; 14. Joe Ross, Thomson, Ill., 646; 15. B.J. Jackson, Clinton, Iowa, 641; 16. Terry Neal, Ely, Iowa, 640; 17. Eric Sanders, Sherrard, Ill., 634; 18. Justin Kay, Wheatland, Iowa, 611; 19. Nick Marolf, Moscow, Iowa, 605; 20. Chad Coyne, Orion, Ill., 570.IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars – 1. Kevin Ramey, Fort Worth, Texas, 794; 2. Tyler Drueke, Eagle, Neb., 769; 3. Mike Houseman, Des Moines, Iowa, 765; 4. Zach Newlin, Millerstown, Pa., 757; 5. Austin Mundie, Carrollton, Texas, 746; 6. Matt Richards, Lincoln, Neb., 744; 7. Dusty Ballenger, Harrisburg, S.D., 729; 8. Trevor Serbus, Olivia, Minn., 727; 9. Ethan Barrow, Bloomington, Ind., 719; 10. Jeff Wimmenauer, Greenwood, Ind., 714; 11. Zach Blurton, Quinter, Kan., 712; 12. Colin Smith, Sheldon, Iowa, 709; 13. Jason Martin, Lincoln, Neb., 707; 14. Chip Graham, Lewisville, Texas, and Robert Vetter, Wolfe City, Texas, both 698; 16. Brandon Allen, St. Peter, Minn., 694; 17. Kenneth Duke, Selinsgrove, Pa., 693; 18. Kyle Smith, South Egremont, Mass., 692; 19. Elliot Amdahl, Flandreau, S.D., 688; 20. Drew Ritchey, Everett, Pa., 687.IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars – 1. Mike Nichols, Harlan, Iowa, 1,200; 2. Damon Murty, Chelsea, Iowa, 1,185; 3. John Oliver Jr., Danville, Iowa, 1,176; 4. Westin Abbey, Comanche, Texas, 1,153; 5. Dan Mackenthun, Hamburg, Minn., 1,134; 6. Jason Wilkinson, Neligh, Neb., and Mark Adams, Fort Worth, Texas, both 1,127; 8. Andy Roller, Waco, Texas, 1,122; 9. Jason Rogers, Selden, Kan., 1,117; 10. Devin Smith, Lake City, Iowa, Travis Van Straten, Hortonville, Wis., and Matt Speckman, Sleepy Eye, Minn., each 1,114; 13. Derek Green, Granada, Minn., and Brian Blessington, Breda, Iowa, both 1,110; 15. Troy Burkhart, Hays, Kan., 1,109; 16. Colin Heim, Hoxie, Kan., 1,107; 17. Chris Heim, Hoxie, Kan., and Damon Hammond, Burleson, Texas, both 1,097; 19. Donavon Smith, Lake City, Iowa, 1,095; 20. Luke Sathoff, Jackson, Minn., 1,093.IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks – 1. Shannon Anderson, New Virginia, Iowa, 1,200; 2. Cory Probst, Brewster, Minn., 1,185; 3. Luke Wassom, Broken Bow, Neb., and Jeff Ware, Columbus, Neb., both 1,175; 5. Leah Wroten, Independence, Iowa, 1,168; 6. Tim Gonska, Brainerd, Minn., 1,160; 7. Cameron Wilkinson, Neligh, Neb., 1,150; 8. Tathan Burkhart, Hays, Kan., 1,149; 9. Brady Bencken, Oakley, Kan., 1,146; 10. Justin Luinenburg, Reading, Minn., and Cody Williams, Minneapolis, Kan., both 1,133; 12. Adam Goff, Minot, N.D., 1,118; 13. Brandon Nielsen, Spencer, Iowa, 1,110; 14. Allyn Myers, Berwyn, Neb., 1,103; 15. Drew Barglof, Sioux Rapids, Iowa, 1,102; 16. Brock Beeter, Minot, N.D., 1,094; 17. Adam Ayers, Adair, Iowa, 1,092; 18. Roy Armstrong, Beatrice, Neb., 1,087; 19. Bryce Sommerfeld, Fort Dodge, Iowa, 1,086; 20. Justin Wacha, Vinton, Iowa, 1,080.Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods – 1. Gabe Tucker, Carbon, Texas, 1,186; 2. Rodney White, Ector, Texas, 1,159; 3. Jake Upchurch, Grand Prairie, Texas, 1,153; 4. Tyler Bragg, Springtown, Texas, 1,113; 5. Trevor Raney, Sherman, Texas, 1,096; 6. Taylor Florio, Copperas Cove, Texas, 1,091; 7. Dustin Robinson, Post, Texas, 1,039; 8. Kyle Wilkins, Italy, Texas, 1,013; 9. Ryan Thomas, Lubbock, Texas, 952; 10. James Skinner, Burleson, Texas, 938; 11. Cory Williams, Slaton, Texas, 927; 12. Chris Cogburn, Robinson, Texas, 920; 13. James Hanusch, Belton, Texas, 904; 14. Brayden Wyatt, Wichita Falls, Texas, 863; 15. Chase Vineyard, Davis, Okla., 842; 16. Justin Nabors, Kemp, Texas, 834; 17. J.P. Vasquez Jr., Lubbock, Texas, 833; 18. Cullen Hill, Healdton, Okla., 804; 19. James McCreery, Midlothian, Texas, 803; 20. Edward Grmela Jr., Hewitt, Texas, 792.Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods – 1. Matthew Looft, Swea City, Iowa, 1,195; 2. Lucas Lamberies, Clintonville, Wis., 1,179; 3. Chase Alves, Chandler, Ariz., and Cody Thompson, Sioux City, Iowa, both 1,175; 5. Austin Luellen, Minburn, Iowa, 1,171; 6. Tyler Soppe, Sherrill, Iowa, 1,170; 7. Jason George, Laveen, Ariz., 1,160; 8. Austin Svoboda, David City, Neb., 1,154; 9. Austen Becerra, Carthage, Ill., 1,153; 10. Dakota Sproul, Hays, Kan., 1,149; 11. Colby Fett, Algona, Iowa, and Tony Olson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, both 1,145; 13. Jake McBirnie, Boone, Iowa, 1,143; 14. Tony Rialson, Cottonwood, Minn., and Johnathon Logue, Boone, Iowa, both 1,141; 16. Gage Neal, Ely, Iowa, 1,123; 17. Kelly Jacobson, Fargo, N.D., 1,121; 18. Austin Howes, Memphis, Mo., and Brandon Setser, Davenport, Iowa, both 1,116; 20. Ethan Braaksma, Newton, Iowa, 1,115.Mach-1 Sport Compacts – 1. Ramsey Meyer, Pierce, Neb., 1,196; 2. Dustin Virkus, Clarkfield, Minn., 1,177; 3. Barry Taft, Argyle, Iowa, and Alex Dostal, Glencoe, Minn., both 1,156; 5. Oliver Monson, Clear Lake, Iowa, 1,154; 6. Bubba Brown Jr., Jackson, Minn., 1,149; 7. Curtis Miller, Lewis, Iowa, 1,138; 8. Jay DeVries, Spencer, Iowa, 1,137; 9. Andrew Harris, South Sioux City, Neb., 1,111; 10. John Martinez, Beatrice, Neb., 1,103; 11. Kaytee DeVries, Spencer, Iowa, 1,084; 12. Terry Tritt, York, Neb., 1,073; 13. Shawn Hein, Beatrice, Neb., 1,071; 14. Howard Watson, Weatherford, Texas, 1,067; 15. Scott Newbury, Rhome, Texas, 1,053; 16. Brock Klaith, Marshall, Minn., 1,051; 17. Julia Childs, Weatherford, Texas, 1,050; 18. Austin Friedrich, St. James, Minn., 1,046; 19. Joshua Young, Beatrice, Neb., 1,019; 20. Jeff Klinkefus, Golden, Colo., 990.
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Russian Olympic athletes warned not to dress like flag
(BBC) – Russian athletes taking part at the Winter Olympics as neutral competitors have been warned not to replicate their country’s flag via their kit.“Separate items of clothing cannot create a tricolour” is one of 13 International Olympic Committee stipulations.The Russian emblem and coat-of-arms is not permitted on kit with a generic text proposed to replace it.The IOC has proposed a logo to be used by Russian athletes with ‘Olympic Athlete From Russia’ printed in red on a white backgroundThe country, which was blocked from sending a full team to Rio 2016, has been accused of operating a state-sponsored regime that included tailored drugs programmes and urine samples being switched.Individual athletes can still compete providing they can meet anti-doping criteria.The IOC stipulates that athletes’ kit can only carry the words ‘Olympic athlete from Russia’ or ‘OAR’, while officials’ clothing can only feature ‘OAR’.The uniforms cannot consist of all three colours of the Russian flag, while the red and blue cannot match the shade used in the flag – the IOC suggests “that these are darker in colour”.The 2018 Winter Games, which will be staged in Pyeongchang in South Korea, start on February 9.
Demerara remain unbeaten to cop Under-17 title
THE Demerara U-17s remained unbeaten when action in the third and final round of the GCB/ RUBiS Bel Air Under-17 Inter-county 2019 came to a close at Everest cricket ground. Demerara’s Mathew Nandu hit a positive 70 to help his side to victory over the Select Under-15 XI.Despite U-15 captain Zachary Jodah and Krisna Singh sharing 6 wickets, they lost by two runs.Demerara won the toss and elected to bat, posting a challenging 207 all out from 48.2 of their allotted 50 overs. Mathew Nandu hit a well-composed 70, while Rommel Daterdeen scored 49 and Niran Bissu chipped in with 40.Bowling for the Select U-15, Zachary Jodah and Krisna Singh grabbed 3 for 39 and 44 respectively, while Mavendra Dindyal, Alvin Mohabir and Thaddeus Lovell grabbed one wicket apiece.In reply, the Select XI gave an excellent account of themselves and fell just three runs short of victory, finishing on 205 for 6 from 50 overs.Opening batsman Rampertab Ramnauth stroked 76, while Mavendra Dindyal continued his rich vein of form by making a solid 67. The other batsmen to reach double figures were Tameshwar Mahadeo with 17 and Thaddeus Lovell, 16 not out.Bowling for Demerara, Andre Seepersaud took 2 for 31 while Rudranauth Kisssoon had one for 44.
Afghan stars allowed to play out remainder of Hero CPL 2020
THE Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) extends its thanks to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) for ensuring that the Afghan players, who are taking part in this year’s tournament, have been able to stay until the conclusion of the event.
Mohammad Nabi The six Afghan players taking part in the Hero CPL this season are Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Najibullah Zadran and Zahir Khan, all of whom were due to take part in the Shpageeza Cricket League, their domestic T20 competition.Following discussions between CWI president Ricky Skerritt and ACB Chairman Farhan Yusefzai an agreement was reached to allow the players to stay on until CPL ends.Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s COO, said, “We understand the importance of the Shpageeza Cricket League to the ACB and the reasons why it had to be scheduled during the CPL after the NOCs were all issued.“We truly appreciate the Chairman of the ACB allowing these six Afghan players to stay at the Hero CPL until its conclusion. Afghan players have had a huge impact on our competition, both this season and in previous years, and we are very grateful to have them with us until the final on September 10.“I would also like to put on record our thanks to CWI’s president and CEO for taking the time to resolve this situation, which has shone a light on the issues leagues such as CPL faces with the current NOC policy and system.” Russell ended.
‘How Keshi, Camp GTBank Inspired Me’
Awards/recognitionMy determination to succeed spurred Mr. Tobi to launch an appeal fund on Facebook where his friends, footballers, sports journalists raised money and bought me a professional camera, a Nikon D3400. In the course of these fundraising, I received two awards. The first was Nightingale Award and another award from Ladies In Sports which came with an educational grant. I also had Mrs. Funke Nabila, wife of Oritshefemi paying for my school fees for my Year 2.I also remembered when I was asked to cover the arrival of the 2017 Big Brother housemates as my picture graced the cover of the New Telegraph; that was a great achievement for me.Next targetI’m already planning my first programme which was facilitated by Mr. Tobi in collaboration with the Lagos Chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN). It is a one-day free Photography training programme billed for the SWAN Secretariat at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.It is called Justina and Friends which the assembly of the best sports photo editors in the industry. The facilitators include Akin Farinto (Photo Editor, DStv/SuperSports), Dele Ojo (Photo Editor, The Sun), Femi Adebesin-Kuti (Photo Editor, The Guardian), Ganiyiu Yusuf (Photo Editor, Complete Sports), Suleiman Hussain (Photo Editor, New Telegraph) Segun Ogunfeyitimi (Sengol Pix), Suleiman Adebayo (Pooja Media), Latifa Adebayo, Victor Modo ( Modzero ) and Oni Afolabi (NBBF media officer). I picked up the courage and confidence while playing with the boys on my street but my aunt was so worried and that made her beat me whenever I play football.She felt I could be influenced into living a negative life that is associated with Bariga but I was ready to prove her wrong. GTBank Principals’ CupDue to the pressure from my aunt, I nearly quit playing football but the GTBank-Lagos State Principal Cup provided me the platform to showcase my talent.I will stay back in school and train hard because I wanted to make the school team as my school CMS Girls High School was noted for producing top football stars.My efforts were rewarded as I made the school team and lost in the final of the 2010 edition.The next year, we lost the final again to Ikotun Girls and it was so painful because I was the captain of the team.In the finals of the 2012 edition, we were primed to win the trophy after eliminating our top rivals in the knockout stage but that day became the worst day of my life because we gave all our best but it was unfortunate that we lost 2-1 to Kuje Senior Secondary School at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.Foray into photographyBesides the GTBank-Lagos State Principal Cup, the competition also has two other segments namely the Tournament Ambassadors Programme (TAP) and Camp GTBank.During the TAP in Lagos, late coach Stephen Keshi prior to winning the 2013 AFCON was the guest speaker who enjoined us to embrace education with football. In fact, his words still ring bells in my head. He said: “You cannot play football forever, discover your other passion and elevate it education.”It was that day I fell in love with photography as we all scrambled to take pictures with him but unfortunately, I couldn’t snap with him. I wished I had a professional camera that day.His words motivated me to work harder throughout the competition as I was very determined to make the Camp GTBank where all the best players from the tournaments will be camped in Ibadan for one-week training with top coaches in the country. Education, football and photographyWith his help, I enrolled for JAMB and gained admission into Yaba College of Technology where I’m currently studying Mass Communication. His wife paid my school fees and that inspired me back to football. So, I had to combine my educational pursuits with football and photography.During the days I have jobs to do, I just have to wake up early enough to report and get the job done, train with the school team at noon and attend classes later in the day. That’s basically how the day with all three goes. Quitting footballAt the 2012 edition final, I wept profusely for losing three consecutive finals as I felt like dying that day because I couldn’t lead CMS Girls to lift the trophy. It was at that point, I met Mr. Tobi Emmanuel, a Sports journalist who gave me his complimentary card. I told him I was done with football and he said no problem but I should call him.For three months I was devastated, no passion for the game again but I was just stagnant in life as I couldn’t do anything.I summoned the courage and called Mr. Tobi who enrolled me at Lagos State Vocational School, Ikorodu, where I studied Photography. He also helped me secure my Industrial Attachment placement at his office, New Telegraph where I blossomed under the tutelage of Mr. Suleiman Hussain. For Justina Aniefiok, growing up the streets of Bariga in Lagos was really tough for her as a young girl who was determined to achieve success. She, therefore, had to live with her aunt because her parents were separated while she was a child. Bariga is noted for notorious activities such as cultism, gang raping, street fighting, drug consumption but she knew she must be different if she wants to be successful in lifeGrowing upI discovered I could play football very well while I was in the primary school but the talent started blossoming while I got to the secondary school. Future plansI want to go for more training to equip myself. I missed the opportunity to learn from TY Bello as I applied for the 2018 Days of Dorcas Photography Competition and Workshop sponsored by GTBank but I was later dropped after being selected.I see myself playing professional football and become the best in photography like T.Y Bello. I would love to take shots of the President and as many of the big names in the world. I want to cover the next FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022.I believe I can achieve all these with self-belief, focus and determination. I have learned never underrate or look down on anybody.Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram
Boys indoor track Bees finish second at Class AA sectional meet
Sam Mellinger, in 6.72 seconds, was runner-up to Proctor’s Damoy Allen (6.54) in the 55-meter dash. Delaney ran 3,200 meters in 9:49.27 and made his way to fourth place.Waldron, Quinn Peters, Nate Hludzenski and Logan Hayes were third in the 4×400 relay in 3:42.02, while Mellinger, David Mahar, Malik Davis and Robert Thompson were third in the 4×200 relay in 1;36.57.Steven Miller had a third-place weight throw of 51’8” and earned fifth place in the shot put, throwing it 44′ 1/2” as Adam Graham was seventh with 39’1” in the shot put and Alex Boak had a seventh-place weight throw of 47’6”.The B’ville girls earned 63 points for a fourth-place finish, which included Karen Ekure’s sprint sweep.In the 55, Ekure went 7.32 seconds as part of a 1-2 effort with Lauren Addario, who finished in 7.47 seconds. Then, in the300, Ekure went 42.48 seconds as F-M’s Phoebe White (43.05) was more than half a second behind.Nearly getting a third title in the 4×200, Ekure, along with Addario, Hannah Johnson and Courtney Botstic, were second in 1:48.73, one-hundredth of a second behind the 1:48.72 from F-M.Johnson, Madison Kennedy, Avamarie Davis and Carlie DeSimon were second in the 4×400 in 4:22.05, also with F-M in front in 4:04.09. Ella Smith, clearing 8 feet, was second in the pole vault to F-M’s Wren Usiatynski (10 feet).Lauren Shaler, with her weight throw of 33’7 1/2”, put herself in fourth place, while Sarah Smiley (32’6”) edged Kathryn Mitts (32’4 1/2”) for sixth place.Allyson Surowick earned fifth place in the 55-meter hurdles in 9.44 seconds and was fifth in the long jump with 16’1 1/4”. Anna Conklin, Sage Springsteen, Sarah Fawwaz and Bailey Nicholson were fifth in the 4×800 in 10:44.61.Share this:FacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditComment on this Story Each of the Baldwinsville indoor track and field teams put up superb efforts during last Saturday’s Section III Class AA championship meet at SRC Arena.And for the boys Bees, it nearly meant a sectional title as it earned 88 points, just behind the 91.5 that Cicero-North Syracuse needed to finish on top.On the oval, B’ville got a victory from Connor Waldron, who covered 600 meters in one minute, 27.01 seconds to pull clear of Utica Proctor’s Harris Brankovic (1:29.38) and the field. Adding a second title, Waldron beat the field in the 300-meter dash in 36.98 seconds as another Proctor runner, Azzan Johnson, was second in 37.43 seconds.In the pole vault, Aidan Priest, clearing 11 feet 6 inches, beat out Liverpool’s Jamie Vong (11 feet) for that top spot. Robert Thompson’s long jump of 19’11 1/2” put him second to C-NS’s Isaiah Wright, who won with 21’11 1/2”.In the 1,000-meter run, Jack Michaels finished in 2:42.44, second to the 2:38.96 from C-NS’s R.J. Davis, with Michaels also fifth in the 1,600-meter run in 4;37.65 as he helped Colin Delaney, James Cary and Tom Hagopian get second place in the 4×800 relay in 8:28.89 to the winning 8:25.13 from Fayetteville-Manlius.
Tags: Baldwinsvilleindoor track
Teams keep focus forward
Much like a college student after taking a midterm exam, a team in the Big Ten conference is forced to move on to next week, regardless of the result of its last big test. With the season nears the halfway point, football coaches across the Big Ten conference recognize the fact that a lot can — and will — change in the weeks to come.There are few better examples of this than Michigan State.One of the season’s fast starters, the Spartans jumped out to a quick 4-0 record at the beginning of the season, only to lose the next two games in conference play.”It’s frustrating to lose, but you have to crawl out of bed the next day and get back to work,” Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio said.With Ohio State establishing itself as an early frontrunner in the conference race, it is especially important the undefeated Buckeyes don’t lose focus.”It’s fun to talk about, and it’s fun to prognosticate, and all that … but we’ve got some of the best teams in the country out in front of us,” Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said. “Consistency is the hallmark of greatness, and we’re only halfway through the journey.”The journey Tressel referred to was made harder last year with the removal of a bye week during the season. Without a week to refresh, maintaining mental toughness becomes even more important.Most coaches agreed mental toughness is taught to players during high school and then built on throughout their career, making finding the right players so important in the long haul.”The key is, if you’ve recruited good people that takes care of itself,” Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr said.While recruiting the right players is important to teams maintaining mental toughness, a lot of the battle happens through experience.”When something negative happens, you have to push through it,” Dantonio said. “There’s something to be learned from all the things that happen, week in and week out.”When teams let their guard down, even for one week, they are susceptible to be defeated by a supposedly inferior opponent. Often, these upsets spice up the season by thrusting to the forefront teams that few had given much thought.That “Cinderella” this season has been South Florida. The 5-0 Bulls remind some of NCAA basketball tournament little-knowns that seemingly topple big-time programs yearly.With a string of upsets to start the season, the question as to whether football should adopt a playoff format has become a hot-button issue in recent years.Big Ten coaches, very much like their colleagues across the country, hold varying opinions on the issue.According to Tressel, before a playoff system could be established, officials would have to take into account “the fact that adding more games to an already grueling schedule for college athletes” would be hard on student-athletes, especially considering all the other aspects of their lives.Other coaches prescribe to the “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” line of thinking.”I think first of all we’ll have to see how this season works out, because in the past the BCS has done a good job matching two teams — that there is no question about,” Carr said.While Tressel and Carr were somewhat less straightforward about their opinions on the institution of a playoff system, other coaches made their views on the issue very clear.Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema and Illinois headman Ron Zook took different sides on the topic.While Bielema was clearly satisfied with the current BCS system, saying that there was nothing good that a playoff system could bring, Zook firmly disagreed.”I’ve said from the very beginning since I got back into college football that I am a supporter of the playoff system,” Zook said.For now, however, postseason play in any form is still a long way away. To succeed, coaches recognize the necessity to focus only on the game immediately ahead of their teams.”The main thing for any team or coach is to focus on where you are and where you want to go,” Carr said.
SU Athletics releases first renderings of new practice facility
Syracuse University Athletics released the first renderings of SU’s new indoor practice facility Tuesday evening.The project was announced in February and remains in the design phase. This phase is marked by the release of the renderings and public discussion, with an open meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Room 201 of South Campus’ Goldstein Student Center.The cost of the entire project is estimated at $17 million.SU’s project is set to be funded by the school’s capital budget and debt service, Vice Chair of the SU Board of Trustees Joanne Alper told The Daily Orange in April. Jean and Dick Thompson announced a $1 million “I’m in” donation on July 1.The renovations are aimed to keep SU competitive in its move to the Atlantic Coast Conference, which became official July 1. While other teams will have opportunities to use the facility, renovations for Olympic sports facilities such as the ice hockey team’s Tennity Ice Pavilion remain “in the pipeline,” Alper said.AdvertisementThis is placeholder textThompson told The Daily Orange in March that a new football facility has been under consideration for 5-7 years, and that it came together now due to low interest rates — which Alper echoed — and available funds.Phil Dordai, a principal at Cannon Design, which is taking on the project, said in May that the facility is being designed for football, but with accommodations for soccer and lacrosse. He explicitly mentioned accounting for lacrosse balls that move at 90 mph.Weight rooms will remain in Manley Field House while meeting rooms will move to the new proposed football facility, Dordai said.Dordai also said that his firm will try to maximize the use of natural light in the building’s design in an effort to minimize operating costs.Syracuse football currently practices on artificial turf fields at and behind Manley Field House.Asst. copy editor Dylan Segelbaum contributed reporting to this article. Comments Facebook Twitter Google+ Published on July 9, 2013 at 7:46 pm
Trojans file appeal of NCAA sanctions
After absorbing a harsh blow by the NCAA, USC has decided to fight back.The university will appeal the several sanctions — a two-year bowl ban and a loss of 30 scholarships from 2011-2013 — deemed “too severe” and “inconsistent with precedent.”“We disagree with many of the findings in the report from the NCAA Committee on Infractions and assert that the penalties imposed are too severe for the violations identified and are inconsistent with precedent in similar cases,” said Todd Dickey, USC’s senior vice president for administration, in a statement released Friday.Not in control · First-year coach Lane Kiffin and the Trojans hope the school’s appeal will allow them to compete in a bowl game in 2011-2012. – Geo Tu | Summer Trojan In the release, USC announced it will ask for the two-year bowl ban to be reduced to one year. The university also seeks a reduction in scholarship penalties for the football program — instead of losing 10 scholarships each year from 2011-2013, the Trojans are asking it be reduced to five each year.The NCAA infractions committee plans to meet in late September and early November, but, with the time frame given, USC decided to accept the bowl ban for the upcoming season and hope the NCAA will leave it at that.A four-year investigation of the university’s athletic program resulted in a 67-page report that penalized USC for a lack of institutional control.Two of the primary culprits listed in the report included former football Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush and basketball one-and-done prep star O.J. Mayo.The football team was not the only subject of controversy for the university. The men’s basketball team and women’s tennis team were also cited in the report, but the NCAA did not take any further action against the basketball team.Earlier this year, the university self-imposed sanctions on the basketball team, banning it from postseason play for the 2009-2010 season, forfeiting all victories in the only season Mayo was eligible and reducing the amount of scholarships the program is allowed to use for the next two years.Bush received lavish gifts from two would-be sports marketers — Lloyd Lake and Michael Michaels — and his family also accepted payments for hotel stays and a rent-free home in San Diego.“The university recognizes that violations of NCAA rules did occur, especially involving impermissible benefits going to student athletes as well as their friends and families, from unscrupulous sports agents and sports marketers,” Dickey said. “We take full responsibility for those violations, given that they happened on our watch.”The NCAA declared Bush was ineligible to play beginning in December 2004 and, in turn, USC was ordered to forfeit every victory in which Bush participated while ineligible.Bush’s Heisman Trophy could be revoked as well. Members of the Heisman Trust said they might review Bush’s award if the NCAA deemed him ineligible.Bush has acknowledged no wrongdoing and vowed to help USC fight the sanctions.“I’m going to do everything I can to make this right, some way, somehow, some shape or form, if it’s the last thing I do,” he said.The appeals process will take at least several months, and many experts believe an answer in the spring would be the best-case scenario for the university.In that situation, an NCAA overturning of the original ruling and upholding the terms of USC’s appeal would put the school in immediate position to compete in a bowl game — and halve the number of scholarships lost.USC has already begun to find recruits to enroll in January to help bypass the NCAA’s mandated scholarship limits that kick in next fall.
NCAA Digest
Times announced for USC Spring football practiceUSC football spring practice times have been set for 7:25 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10:30 a.m. Saturdays, according to the athletic department.Historically, practice times have typically been mid-to-late afternoon, around 4:00 p.m.Spring practice begins March 22 and continues through the annual spring game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, scheduled for April 23 at 1 p.m.The Trojans are coming off an 8-5 campaign and a third place finish in the Pac-10 during Lane Kiffin’s first season as USC’s coach.Because its appeal of NCAA sanctions is still pending, it is unknown if USC will eligible to compete in a bowl game next season.USC was barred from participating in the postseason in 2010.— Joey KaufmanTrojan football players found in police reportSeven USC football players were found to have police records, according to a recent report released by Sports Illustrated and CBS News.The story, published on SI.com, was the result of a six-month investigation that involved criminal background checks on players listed on the rosters of every 2010 preseason top-25 team.“Our coaches use a variety of methods to look into a recruit’s background, including those mentioned in the story,” said USC Athletic Director Pat Haden in a statement published in the Los Angeles Times. “On a case-by-case basis, if we feel it necessary, we’ll do a formalized background check.”According to the report, seven percent of the 2,837 players had either been charged or cited for a crime.Some players had been arrested multiple times. Of the 277 uncovered incidents, 40 percent were found to be for “serious” offenses.“The story does raise some good issues,” Haden added. “We need to discuss internally if doing formal background checks becomes something that is factored in for the future here. It is certainly worth exploring.”Pittsburgh finished atop the list with 22 players charged, while USC had the same number of players charged as three other schools: Florida, Ohio State and Oregon, which was 11th on SI’s list.Race, however, was not a factor, according to the findings, as 48 percent of the players were black and 44.5 percent were white.“[It is] a set of facts that obviously should concern all of us,” new NCAA president Mark Emmert told SI. “Seven percent, that’s way too high. I think two percent is too high. You certainly don’t want a large number of people with criminal backgrounds involved in activities that represent the NCAA.”Of the 277 incidents in which a player was charged and an outcome to the case was made available, the individual was found guilty or paid some penalty 60 percent of the time.— Joey KaufmanCynthia cooper to be recognizedThe No. 44 jersey Cynthia Cooper wore during her time at USC will be retired this Sunday at the USC-Washington women’s basketball game, scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m.Cooper will become the third USC women’s basketball player ever to have her jersey retired, joining Cheryl Miller and Lisa Leslie.Now known as Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, the former USC standout is currently the head coach at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.Cooper-Dyke holds several records at USC. She is the No. 9 all-time scorer, No. 3 all-time in steals and No. 7 all-time in games played and assists.During her four-year career at USC, she helped lead the team to back-to-back NCAA championships in 1983 and 1984.Cooper-Dyke was also a 1982 WBCA Freshman All-American and a 1986 All-Pac-10 first-team selection.In the WNBA, she averaged 21 points per game and nearly five assists per game. In her time with the Houston Comets, she helped lead the team to four consecutive WNBA titles from 1997 to 2000.In April 2010, she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — one of only 13 women players to be given that honor.— Maheen Sahoo