*** The latest news from the USOC - June 9 ***
(Courtesy of United States Olympic Committee)
Salt Lake City, UT (My Sportsbook) - The following is a recap of events from the United States Olympic Committee.
Baseball: (June 1) USA Baseball announced that Jerry Dawson of Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Ariz., will serve as head coach of the 2005 USA Baseball Junior National Team that will represent the United States at the 2005 COPABE Pan Am Junior Championships in Villahermosa, Mexico, Sept. 2-11. In addition, Tony Gabusi of Mountain View High School in Tucson, Ariz., Jason Hisey of Catalina Foothills High School in Tucson and Tony Thompson of Frenship High School in Wolfforth, Texas, have been named assistant coaches under Dawson, while Roger Doman (Joplin, Mo.) and Doug Ashton (Joplin, Mo.) will serve as the team athletic trainers, and Duane DaPron (Broken Arrow, Okla.) will serve as the team press officer. For more information, log on to www.usabaseball.com.
Basketball: (June 1) Thirty-six of the nation's top prep women's basketball players, including 11 who earned USA Today honors in 2005, are scheduled to compete in the fourth annual USA Basketball Women's Youth Development Festival June 15-19 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The 2005 Youth Development Festival player selections are highlighted by USA Today All-America second team honoree Tina Charles (Jamaica, N.Y.), and by Jayne Appel (Pleasant, Calif.), Joy Cheek (Charlotte, N.C.), Jacki Gemelos (Stockton, Calif), Cait McMahan (Marysville, Tenn.), Bridgette Mitchell (Trenton, N.J.), Porsha Phillips (Stone Mountain, Ga.), Jasmine Stone (Detroit, Mich.), Amanda Thompson (Chicago, Ill.), Amber White (Coatesville, Pa.) and Monica Wright (Woodbridge, Va.), all of whom were among USA Today's list of top juniors. (June 2) USA Basketball announced that eight U.S. Olympic basketball head coaches and 12 renowned Olympic basketball players, dating back to the 1956 U.S. Olympic team, have agreed to be part of a working group to provide input with respect to the future of the USA Basketball senior men's national team program. (June 2) USA Basketball named former USA Basketball and CBA head coach Mo McHone as head coach of USA Basketball's 2005 Men's World Championship Qualifying Team that will compete Aug. 24-Sept. 4 in the Dominican Republic. USA Basketball also named McHone's assistant coaches, Joey Meyer and Dennis "DJ" Johnson. (June 2) USA Basketball teams will head west for the International Sports Invitational in San Diego, Calif. Seven men's squads, including three U.S. teams (Red, White & Blue), Canada, China, New Zealand and Russia; and four women's U19 national teams - Australia, China, Russia and the USA - will compete June 7-11. The women's basketball teams will be comprised of some of the world's top 19-year-old and younger talent. The seven men's teams will be comprised of top high school-aged players from around the globe. (June 7) The 2005 International Sports Invitational kicked off in Peterson Gym on the campus of San Diego State University with a bang as the two USA teams in action earned wins with impressive showings. In first day action of the five-day tournament, the USA Red Team behind 15 points from Gerald Henderson Jr. (Blue Bell, Pa.) rolled past Canada, 82-64; while the USA White Team, with the help of 21 points from Bill Walker (Cincinnati, Ohio) and 20 from Kyle Singler (Medford, Ore.), had no trouble defeating China, 112-59. In the day's first game, Russia upended New Zealand, 78-59. For more information, log on to www.usabasketball.com.
Biathlon: (June 6) The U.S. Biathlon Association announced that it is seeking nominations of qualified individuals to serve on its Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the upcoming quadrennial. The USBA is seeking nominations for individuals to fill numerous positions, including Chairman of the Board, Secretary, Vice President-Finance, and Vice President-Operations. For more information, log on to www.usbiathlon.org.
Bowling: (June 1) Former American Bowling Congress public relations specialist and 2004 Miller High Life Masters event coordinator Mike Jakubowski has been named United States Bowling Congress Manager of Sponsorship Acquisitions. (June 2) To help keep its nearly three million members fully informed about the organization and sport, the United States Bowling Congress will begin publishing new quarterly magazines for adults and youth later this summer. The inaugural issue of U.S. Bowler will arrive in the homes of about 2.6 million men and women by mid-August, while more than 350,000 USBC Youth members will receive their first issue of U.S. Youth Bowler by approximately Sept. 1. (June 3) The Buffalo, N.Y., metropolitan area has been selected as the host of the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Junior Gold Championships, the nation's premier competition for high-average youth bowlers. The 10th annual event, scheduled for July 7-13, 2007 and expected to draw more than 1,000 athletes and their families, will take place at AMF Thruway Lanes, the 60-lane host center in Cheektowaga, N.Y.; AMF Airport Lanes, a 66-lane center also in Cheektowaga; and the 52-lane Transit Lanes in Williamsville, N.Y. (June 3) Thirty women from Reno, Nev., enjoyed their time out of town, participating at this year's Women's International Bowling Congress Championship Tournament in Tulsa, Okla. Next year, the tournament will be in town for them as Reno hosts the event. (June 4) Bowling on the same pair of lanes, Kansas and Texas teams moved into the top five at the WIBC Tournament. The two teams moved into fourth and fifth place in Division 4 (average 650 and under). "Centera Bank" of Sublette, Kan., is now in fourth place with a score of 2,084 while the "Empire Girls" of Bellville, Texas is in fifth with a score of 2,051. Both teams rolled their scores on lanes 65 and 66. (June 4) Sean Rash (Anchorage, Alaska) resigned his position on Team USA 2005 to turn professional and currently is competing at the PBA Tour Trials in Merrillville, Ind. The three- time Team USA member is among 77 athletes attempting to claim one of 10 exempt spots available for the 2005-06 Professional Bowlers Association Tour season. The National Selection Committee named Derek Sapp (Keokuk, Iowa) to replace Rash on the Team USA 2005 roster. (June 5) A Missouri team of tournament newcomers bowled its way onto the leader board at the WIBC Tournament. "Black Hat Photo" stands in second place in Division 4. The team composed entirely of first time tournament participants shot a score of 2,089. Nichole Jeffries (Lamar, Mo.) led the team in scoring with a 467 series. She was followed by Terri Duncan (Lamar, Mo./424), Cristina Martin (Sheldon,Mo./408), Melissa Oertle (Lamar, Mo./403) and Michele Mercier (Lamar, Mo./387). (June 6) Friends who bowl together, stay together. A New York team demonstrated that fact when it bowled in its 22nd WIBC Tournament. The five women of "Coughlan's Pub" have bowled 22 years together on the same tournament team. (June 7) Members of Iowa's "Mishaps" team were fired up about their performance at the WIBC Tournament. The Perry, Iowa women moved into first place in Division 4 despite not bowling much after fire destroyed their hometown bowling center. The Mishaps shot a team score of 2,113 to take over first place by nine pins. For more information, log on to www.bowl.com.
Boxing: (June 2) Welterweight Demetrius Andrade (Providence, R.I.) and heavyweight Eric Fields (Ardmore, Okla.) have been honored by USA Boxing for their outstanding achievements in the month of May. Andrade was chosen as USA Boxing's nomination for the USOC Athlete of the Month award due to his international success at the USA vs. Hungary Dual and a second-place finish at the 2005 National Golden Gloves in Little Rock, Ark. Fields earned USA Boxing's Athlete of the Month award following a gold medal at the National Golden Gloves. Fields not only won the tournament but also received the Golden Boy award given to the outstanding boxer of the tournament. For more information, log on to www.usaboxing.org.
Cycling: (June 5) Chris Wherry (Durango, Colo.) captured the USPRO National Championship with a win in the grueling 156-mile crown jewel of American road cycling. Wherry escaped from breakaway companions Chris Horner (Bend, Ore.) and Danny Pate (Colorado Springs, Colo.) with two kilometers remaining to claim both the race win and the stars and stripes jersey that goes to the top U.S. finisher as the USPRO Champion. Pate took second. Horner, in only his third race back after breaking his hip earlier this season, was third. Defending USPRO Champion Fred Rodriquez (Emeryville, Calif.) was fourth. For more information, log on to www.usacycling.org.
Equestrian: (June 2) Jessica Blackmon (Valley View, Texas) and Marlee O'Neil (Chester, Vt.) were recently named champions in their respective age divisions at the 2005 USEF Dressage Seat Medal Finals in Allentown, N.J. The third- annual Finals took place at the Horse Park of New Jersey, and played host to 23 of the country's best junior dressage riders, who competed in two age divisions: 13 & under and 14 to 18 years of age. (June 2) The United States Equestrian Federation Executive Committee has approved the team and alternate/individual drivers who will represent the United States at the 2005 World Combined Pony Driving Championships, July 14-17 in Catton Hall, England, and 2005 World Pair Championships for Horses in Wals-Seizenheim, Austria Sept. 8-11. (June 3) For the first time in more than a decade, the Spanish Riding School of Vienna will make a tour of the United States, in celebration of the 60th anniversary of U.S. General George Patton's rescue of Europe's beloved Lipizzaner stallions. The dancing horses will perform in six cities, and United States Equestrian Federation members will have an opportunity for discounted tickets and access to a special pre-show clinic. (June 7) The USEF ParaEquestrian High Performance Committee has named the 2005 ParaEquestrian Advanced Rider List based on scores that the riders submitted to fulfill the published criteria. (June 7) Some of equestrian's top dressage riders are leading the list of entries for the 2005 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix and Intermediaire I Dressage Championships, presented by Paul Miller, Inc. Both events will take place at the USET Foundation Dressage Festival of Champions, June 16-18, in Gladstone, N.J. For more information, log on to www.usef.org.
Field Hockey: (June 4) Dina Rizzo (Walpole, Mass.) scored the tying goal with two minutes remaining in the game as the USA Field Hockey Women's National Team salvaged a 3-3 draw against Australia at the National Training Center in Virginia Beach, Va. Rizzo's game-tying heroics came after the USA saw a 2-0 second-half advantage evaporate into a 3-2 Australian lead with nine minutes remaining in the game. (June 5) Australia's offense received goals from four different players to top the USA Women's Field Hockey Team, 4-0, in the second test match of a four-game series at the USA Field Hockey National Training Center. After playing to a 3-3 draw with the USA in the first game of the series, Australia reestablished its position as the world's No. 3-ranked team. For more information, log on to www.usfieldhockey.com.
Figure Skating: (June 2) Kendra Goodwin and Chris Obzansky announced the reforming of their ice dancing partnership to compete during the 2005-2006 season. The team skated together for three seasons (2000-2003) and placed eighth at the 2003 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships - their first and only showing on the senior level. Just one and a half months later, Obzansky departed for a two-year mission in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. He arrived back in the United States in April 2005. For more information, log on to www.usfigureskating.org.
Gymnastics: (June 3) Gymnastics clubs across the United States are hosting the T.J. Maxx Talent Opportunity Program State Testing. Involving 61 gym clubs throughout 39 states, the T.J. Maxx TOPs State Testing provides young gymnasts an opportunity to showcase their talent with the hope of eventually being selected to the T.J. Maxx TOPs National Team. With a rich, 14-year history, T.J. Maxx TOPs is a talent search and educational opportunity for female gymnasts, ages 7-11, and their coaches and parents. (June 3) Rhythmic gymnast Olga Karmansky (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and eight-time national trampoline champion Ryan Weston (Pocatello, Idaho) lead a U.S. delegation of tumblers, trampolinists and acrobatic gymnasts for the 2005 World Games in Duisburg, Germany, July 14-24. For more information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.
Hockey: (June 2) Art Berglund (Colorado Springs, Colo.), senior director of international administration at USA Hockey, will retire June 30 after a more than 30-year career with the organization as both a volunteer and member of the national office staff. Berglund will remain with USA Hockey on a part-time basis as a consultant to the international department. For more information, log on to www.usahockey.com.
Judo: (June 6) Jason Morris (Glenville, N.Y.) has been named by USA Judo as the head coach of the team that will compete in the 2005 World Judo Championships in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 8-11. Morris is fresh off his head coach duties for the U.S. team at the Pan American Judo Union Championships in Puerto Rico last month, where the squad won 10 medals including four gold. For more information, log on to www.usjudo.org.
Luge: (June 6) USA Luge honored the late John Jenkins (Lake Placid, N.Y.) when it posthumously named him the 2005 recipient of its Sam Venezia Volunteer Spirit Award. The presentation was held during the association's annual meeting in Lake Placid, N.Y. Jenkins, who passed away in December 2004, was involved in introducing USA Luge to its founding sponsor Verizon and was also a founding member of the Adirondack Luge Club. (June 7) Young athletes who want to experience the thrill of luge, The Fastest Sport on Ice®, and train under the guidance of USA Luge national team coaches and athletes can do so when the Verizon-USA Luge Slider Search rolls into Buffalo June 25-26. The Slider Search, the official athlete recruitment tour of USA Luge, will be looking for boys and girls ages 11-14. For more information, log on to www.usaluge.org.
Rowing: (June 1) The 2005 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships begin June 2 on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J. The regatta serves as the national collegiate championship for men's programs and lightweight women's teams. While the IRA Championships includes races in pairs, fours and eights, the highlighted events include the men's varsity eight, men's second varsity eight, men's freshman eight, men's lightweight eight and women's lightweight eight. (June 2) In the heats of the men's varsity eight, Princeton clocked the fastest. In the men's second varsity eight, Wisconsin recorded the top time when it edged No. 1 seed Washington by 0.65 seconds in the first of four heats. In the men's freshman eight, California clocked the fastest time of the heats. The top two finishers in each heat advanced directly to the semifinals, while the remaining crews advanced to the repechages. Competition also was held in the men's pair, varsity four with coxswain, varsity four without coxswain, freshman four and open four. Crews with the top times of the heats in each of those events included Marietta College in the men's pair, Navy in the men's varsity four with coxswain, Harvard B in the men's freshman four, Georgetown in the men's open four with coxswain and Army in the men's varsity four without coxswain. (June 7) USRowing and the Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club will play host to the 11th-annual USRowing National Youth Invitational Championships June 11-12 on Harsha Lake in Amelia, Ohio. The Youth Invitational features more than 1,100 championship high school and junior athletes competing for titles in the men's and women's eight, lightweight eight, quadruple sculls, four with coxswain, lightweight four with coxswain, double sculls and single sculls. For more information, log on to www.usrowing.org.
Sailing: (June 2) In just a matter of weeks, nearly 160 of the country's top youth sailors will arrive in Westport, Conn., to compete in the U.S. Youth Sailing Championship organized by US SAILING and hosted by Cedar Point Yacht Club. From June 24-30, these young sailors, who are all under the age of 20, will race on Long Island Sound in Lasers, Laser Radials and Club 420s to compete for the coveted National Champion title. For more information, log on to www.ussailing.org.
Shooting: (June 3) USA Shooting's 2005 Rifle and Pistol National Championships, to be held at Fort Benning, Ga., June 16-26, not only double as the Championship of the America's Team Selection Match, but are also focused on drawing newcomers to the Olympic shooting sports. With additional cash prizes, awards and clinics, USA Shooting hopes these initiatives will draw in a new generation of Olympic-style shooters. For more information, log on to www.usashooting.com.
Skiing: (June 7) The alpine World Cup schedule returns to Colorado for two weeks of Olympic-level ski racing in December at Beaver Creek and Aspen, the U.S. Ski Team announced. NBC and Outdoor Life Network will televise the pre- Olympic races. The men will race super G, downhill, giant slalom and slalom Dec. 1-4 during the VISA Birds of Prey on Beaver Creek's heralded Birds of Prey course while the women will compete in super G, GS and slalom Dec. 9-11 during the Aspen Winternational. For more information, log on to www.usskiteam.com.
Soccer: (June 1) U.S. Women's National Team head coach Greg Ryan has named 24 players to a training camp roster prior to the first domestic match of the year against Canada on June 26 at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex in Virginia Beach, Va. (June 2) U.S. Soccer announced the qualifying and first round pairings for the 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Teams from the United Soccer Leagues Second Division and Premier Development League join regional qualifiers from the United States Adult Soccer Association as 18 teams will see action over the next two weeks. (June 4) The U.S. Men's National Team recorded a dominating 3-0 victory against Costa Rica in Salt Lake City, Utah. The win was sparked by two goals from forward Landon Donovan (Redlands, Calif.) and six second-half saves by goalkeeper Kasey Keller (Lacey, Wash.). For more information, log on to www.ussoccer.com.
Softball: (June 2) The Amateur Softball Association announced the selection of University of Texas pitcher Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) as the 2005 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. This marks the second time Osterman has received the sport's highest award, as she was honored in 2003 as a sophomore. (June 6) The USA Softball Women's National Team arrived at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. in preparation for the June 9-12 International Sports Invitational, a four-team round-robin tournament. Team USA will take the field for the first time since bringing home an Olympic gold medal from Athens, Greece. For more information, log on to www.usasoftball.com.
Swimming: (June 1) USA Swimming will launch a unique promotional website for a one-of-a-kind event - the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool. The site, www.duelinthepool.com, will go live June 1. It will serve as the hub of information for USA Swimming's signature event, which is scheduled for Aug. 2 in Irvine, Calif. (June 7) Sports Publications International, publishers of Swimming World Magazine and SwimmingWorldMagazine.com, and USA Swimming have signed a four-year agreement designating Sports Publications International as an "Official Supplier" to USA Swimming. For more information, log on to www.usa-swimming.org.
Tennis: (June 1) The United States Tennis Association and American Express announced a new sponsorship and marketing agreement extending American Express' designation as the "Official Card" and "Official Travelers Cheque" of the US Open, the highest attended annual sporting event in the world, to be held in New York, Aug. 29-Sept. 11. In the new agreement, American Express also becomes an "Official Sponsor of the US Open Series," the six-week summer tennis season that links all major North American tournaments to the US Open. (June 6) Aboard the flight deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on the west side of New York City overlooking mid-town Manhattan and the wide expanse of the lower Hudson River, two-time US Open women's champion Monica Seles and current ESPN broadcaster and former American tennis star Mary Joe Fernandez ushered in the much-anticipated first day of 2005 US Open ticket sales. For more information, log on to www.usta.com.
Track and Field: (June 1) Walter Dix (Coral Springs, Fla.) has been named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week after setting an American junior record in the men's 100 meters at the 2005 NCAA East Regional Championships at Icahn Stadium in New York City. A freshman at Florida State University, Dix won his heat in 10.06 seconds to lead all competitors in the 100m qualifying round. With his time, Dix bettered the American junior record of 10.07 set by Stanley Floyd in 1980 and DaBryan Blanton in 2003. The 19-year-old ran 10.22 to win the men's 100m finals and also clocked 20.23 seconds to win the men's 200m, which ranks No. 4 on the U.S. junior all-time list. (June 2) The Hershey Company, longtime sponsor of its own national youth track and field program, has joined the USA Track & Field sponsor family as part of an innovative partnership to promote youth sports. In becoming a sponsor, The Hershey Company will join forces with USATF to provide even greater opportunities for kids to participate in the sport of track and field and to promote both USATF Youth Programs and the Hershey's Track and Field Games. (June 2) Maurice Greene (Kansas City, Kan.), Dwight Phillips (Tucker, Ga.), Matt Hemingway (San Pedro, Calif.), Allyson Felix (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Erin Gilreath (Gainesville, Fla.) are just a few of the Team USA stars slated to compete June 5 against teams from Great Britain and Russia at the 2005 Norwich Union International Match in Glasgow, Scotland. The meet will be held at Scotstoun Stadium. (June 4) America's sprint stars proved their mettle, and Alan Webb (Ann Arbor, Mich.) posted the first American record of his professional career at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore. In the Nike men's 100, 2004 Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) jumpstarted his season with a wind-aided personal best 9.84, nosing ahead of 2005 world leader Asafa Powell of Jamaica at the finish. Close behind, Leonard Scott (Zachary, La.) dipped below 10.00 seconds for the first time ever. On the women's side, Olympic silver medalist Lauryn Williams (Rochester, Pa.) wasted little time in the 100 and ran away with a comfortable .13-second win, with LaTasha Colander (Portsmouth, Va.) second and Muna Lee (Little Rock, Ark.) third. In the two- mile, Alan Webb hung on for second overall in an American two-mile record of 8:11.48. Dathan Ritzenhein (Boulder, Colo.) utilized a more cautious strategy and raced solo in the back half of the field en route to sixth place. The results of the men's 110 hurdles included Terrence Trammell (Atlanta, Ga.) in second and Dominique Arnold (Compton, Calif.) third. Four-time world champion Allen Johnson (Burke, Va.) false-started and was disqualified. In the Visa women's 100 hurdles, Canada's world champion, Perdita Felicien, dispatched Joanna Hayes (Los Angeles, Calif.). In the men's 400 hurdles, Bershawn Jackson (Raleigh, N.C.) survived a stumble on the second hurdle to win. Jackson took the lead in the final 50 meters when he passed James Carter (Baltimore, Md.), who finished second. In the Nike Bowerman Mile, Bernard Lagat (Tucson, Ariz.) paced the U.S. contingent, finishing third. Four other Americans - Rob Myers (Rushville, Ohio), fifth; Charlie Gruber (Wheatridge, Colo.), seventh; Scott McGowan (Poplar, Mont.), eighth; and Adam Goucher (Boulder, Colo.), ninth - added sub-4:00 clockings. Frances Santin (Northridge, Calif.) and Hazel Clark (Livingston, N.J.) were DNFs in the women's 800 after they crashed on the backstretch. Treniere Clement (Stow, Ohio) placed second in the 1,500m. Khadevis Robinson (Dallas, Texas) and David Krummenacker (Tucson, Ariz.) finished in third and fourth, respectively, in the 800. In the Hershey's women's 400, Tonique Williams-Darling of the Bahamas took the lead early en route to the win over Sanya Richards (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). Jamaican Michael Blackwood won the Visa men's 400 over four Americans who was separated by only .03 seconds - LaShawn Merritt (Portsmouth, Va.), Andrew Rock (Marshfield, Wis.) and Tyree Washington (Murieta, Calif.), while Olympic bronze medalist Derrick Brew (Houston, Texas) was fifth. In the field, Brad Walker (Spokane, Wash.) moved to second in the world in the pole vault with a three-inch personal best and first-attempt clearance at his final bar. Toby Stevenson (Odessa, Texas) was second, with Derek Miles (Sacremento, Calif.) third. In the women's high jump, Erin Aldrich (Dallas, Texas) moved into a tie at No. 1 on the U.S. season best list and No. 2 in the world as she tied her personal best. Ifoma Jones (Houston, Texas) was second with a personal-best. (June 4) At the USA 10 km Trail Championships in Vail, Colo., Matt Carpenter (Manitou Springs, Colo.) and Laura Haefeli (Del Norte, Colo.) won the first trail championship of the 2005 season. Haefeli earned her second National Championship honors at the 10km distance, having won in 2004. On the men's side, Carpenter while Tim Parr (Gunnison, Colo.) finished second, and Clint Wells (Boulder, Colo.) was third. The race also included the second North American Central American Caribbean Mountain Running Championships, which pits teams from the NACAC member countries in a cross-country scoring. On the men's side, the U.S. team, led by Josiah Middaugh (Vail, Colo.) in fourth position and Simon Gutierrez (Albuquerque, N.M.) in seventh position, was victorious with a score of 11. The women's team was led by Laura Haefeli in third and Lisa Isom (Vail, Colo.) in fifth, for a team score of 8. (June 5) Despite posting wins is six events to Russia's five, Team USA fell to Russia in team competition at the Norwich Union International Match in Glasgow, Scotland. Russia led team scoring with 118 points, with Team USA second with 108 and Great Britain and Northern Ireland third with 92. World and Olympic champion Dwight Phillips led a 1-2 finish for Team USA in the men's long jump, leaping a Scotstoun Stadium record 8.26m/27-1.75. Miguel Pate (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) was runner-up with 8.01m/26-3.5. Erin Gilreath scored a big victory in the women's hammer with a season's best throw of 71.49m/234-6, relegating Olympic gold medalist Olga Kuzenkova to second place (69.64m/228-6). Olympic decathlete Michelle Perry (Palmdale, Calif.) won her second 100m hurdles race in as many weeks, winning in Glasgow in 12.85 seconds, while Kevin Ferguson won the men's 400m hurdles in 49.93. Olympic 200m silver medalist Allyson Felix took the women's 400 meters in a personal-best time of 51.12 seconds, while defending world champion John Capel (Brooksville, Fla.) was victorious in the men's 200m (21.04). (June 6) 2004 Olympic 100m gold medalist Justin Gatlin has been named one of Ebony Magazine's Top Bachelors of the Year. The magazine made the announcement in its June issue. (June 6) Olympians Tim Seaman (North Kingston, R.I.) and Teresa Vaill (Pine Plains, N.Y.) won their respective titles at the 2005 USA 10 km Race Walk Championships at Niagara Falls, N.Y. Vaill, a 2004 Olympian, won the women's title in 45 minutes, 56 seconds, as two-time Olympian Seaman finished in 41:49 in winning the men's race. Two-time Olympian Allen James (Sanborn, N.Y.) finished in third-place behind 2004 USA junior race walk champion Zach Pollinger (North Highlands, N.J.). In the junior men's 3 km race, Pollinger was declared the winner in 14:01, with runner-up Michael Kazmierczak (Plainview, N.Y.) clocking the identical time. Jenna Monahan (Long Island, N.Y.) won her first U.S. national title with her victory in the junior women's 3 km race in a personal best time of 16:37. Monahan barely edged American junior 10 km race walk record holder Maria Michta (Nesconset, N.Y.), who finished as the runner-up in 16:38. Michta also finished fourth in the women's 10 km. (June 7) USA Track & Field and America's track/cross country coaches association, the USTFCCCA, jointly called for the University of Utah to reconsider its decision to discontinue men's track and field and cross country. Citing financial reasons, Director of Athletics Chris Hill stated that Utah will "redirect funds to help strengthen other sports." (June 7) Running in her 15th Freihofer's Run for Women, Carmen Troncoso (Austin, Texas) won the USA 5K Masters Championship, bringing her total to four championships. Her time of 17:07 placed her 18th overall. (June 7) The 32nd edition of the Steamboat Classic 4 Mile Race will be held June 11 in downtown Peoria, Ill., and promises to be the epitome of high-powered international road racing, with top athletes vying for a potential prize purse of $40,000. (June 7) The Big Sur Distance Project announced the most recent athletes to join the program. Alisha Williams (Frederick, Colo.) and Lyle Weese (Dillon, Mont.) bring the total roster to eight. The project is designed to provide post-collegiate runners the opportunity to develop into national and international caliber athletes by offering coaching, housing, and travel expenses. (June 7) The Indiana Invaders are offering a "Thousand Dollar Challenge" to America's top middle distance and distance athletes competing in the American Milers Club High Performance Series. Races are scheduled for July 6, 9, and 12. (June 7) Allen Johnson, Joanna Hayes, Shawn Crawford (Van Wyck, S.C.), Maurice Greene, and John Godina (Cheyenne, Wyo.) are just a few of the U.S. stars who'll compete against many of the world's best athletes June 11 at the inaugural Reebok Grand Prix at the new Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island in New York City, as world-class outdoor track and field returns to the East Coast. For more information, log on to www.usatf.org.
Triathlon: (June 2) U.S. elite triathlete and two-time Olympian Hunter Kemper (Longwood, Fla.) returns to the site of his first World Cup victory June 5, when he will lead a small but talented U.S. men's team at the International Triathlon Union World Cup in Madrid, Spain. Kemper's early season success in 2005 - he has not finished lower than first or second in his first four races - has boosted him to No. 1 in the ITU World Cup rankings as well as in the overall ITU points race. He is the first U.S. male triathlete to reach the No. 1 spot. Also on the start list for the United States are 2004 Olympian Andy Potts (Princeton, N.J.), Mark Fretta (Portland, Ore.) and Joe Umphenour (Bellevue, Wash.). (June 5) Hunter Kemper just missed standing on his fourth 2005 World Cup podium, but fourth place at the ITU World Cup in Madrid was good enough for him to hold on to his No. 1 World Cup ranking. Mark Fretta continued to race well, finishing 10th after losing a sprint finish to Germany's Andreas Raelert by .6 of a second. Andy Potts was just a second behind Fretta in 11th and Joe Umphenour was 18th. In the women's elite race, rookie Sarah Groff (Cooperstown, N.Y.), racing in her first ITU World Cup, finished 18th. For more information, log on to www.usatriathlon.org.
Volleyball: (June 1) The 2005 season begins June 2 for the USA Men's National Volleyball Team when it hosts the Netherlands in the first of three matches at the Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash., at 7 p.m. PDT. The matches will be Team USA's first international competition of the 2005 season and the first under new head coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand). (June 1) Four Olympians from the USA Men's National Volleyball Team that finished fourth at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, highlight the roster for the 2005 International Sports Invitational. Two-time Olympian Tom Hoff (Park Ridge, Ill.), a veteran of the 2000 and 2004 Games, joins 2004 Olympians Phil Eatherton (Glencoe, Mo.), Riley Salmon (League City, Texas) and Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) on the list of 15 players traveling to San Diego for the four-team tournament. (June 1) The USA Women's National Volleyball Team-part of it-begins the 2005 season June 2 against Brazil at Metro State College in Denver, Colo. Due to a pair of simultaneous international tournaments in Montreux, Switzerland, June 7-12, and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, June 10-18, the players training at the Colorado Springs (Colo.) Olympic Training Complex have been split into two teams. (June 2) The USA Men's National Volleyball Team began the 2005 season with a 3-0 win over the Netherlands. Riley Salmon scored a match-high 16 points and Jim Polster (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) added 11 points in the 25-20, 25-18, 28-26 victory for the United States in the first of three matches between the teams. (June 2) The USA Women's National Volleyball Team used a balanced attack to defeat a young Brazilian squad in a season-opening victory. Tayyiba Haneef (Laguna Hills, Calif.) scored a match-high 16 points and Danielle Scott (Baton Rouge, La.) added 11 points in the 25-19, 25-21, 25-23 win for Team USA in the first of three matches between the two teams. (June 3) Kay van Dijk scored a match-high 23 points to lead five players in double-figures as the Netherlands overpowered the USA Men's National Volleyball Team, 3-1, at the Bank of America Centre in Boise, Idaho. Van Dijk blasted 17 kills and had a match-high six blocks as the Dutch overcame a first-set loss to post a 23-25, 25-22, 29-27, 26-24 victory in the second match of a three-match Pacific Northwest Tour between the two teams. (June 4) Brazil spoiled the debut of "Jenny" Lang Ping as head coach of the USA Women's National Volleyball Team as it posted a 3-1 victory in the second match of the Front Range Tour in Fort Collins, Colo. Thaisa Menezes scored a team-high 21 points and Adenizia Silva added 14 points in the 25-23, 25-21, 21-25, 25-23 victory as Brazil rebounded from a 3-0 loss in the opener in Denver. (June 5) Curt Toppel (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) scored a match-high 15 points to lead the USA Men's National Volleyball Team to a 3-0 win over the Netherlands in the finale of the Pacific Northwest Tour in Portland, Ore. Toppel had 14 kills, one block and a hitting percentage of .480 in the 25-22, 25-23, 25-16 win for the United States, its second victory out of three matches. (June 6) Nancy Metcalf (Hull, Iowa) scored a match-high 16 points to lead four players in double-figures as the USA Women's National Volleyball Team defeated Brazil, 3-0, in the finale of the Front Range Tour at the United States Olympic Training Complex in Colorado Springs. The victory was the first for new Team USA head coach Jenny Lang Ping, who did not coach the team during their victory in Denver. Metcalf blasted 15 kills and one block in the 25-22, 26-24, 25-22 victory for the United States. (June 7) After opening the 2005 season with two wins in three matches against the Netherlands, the USA Men's National Volleyball Team hopes to notch another one June 8 as the two teams square off on the opening night of the International Sports Invitational. The four-team tournament, which also features Australia and China, will take place in the Jenny Craig Pavilion on the campus of the University of San Diego. For more information, log on to www.usavolleyball.org.
Water Skiing: (June 2) USA Water Ski has selected Mandy Nightingale (Sapulpa, Okla.), Freddy Krueger (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Chris Parrish (Polk City, Fla.) as its Female and Co-Male Athletes of the Month for May. (June 6) Six U.S. water ski athletes clinched titles as the 2005 D3 Junior U.S. Open Water Ski Championships concluded in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. Among the athletes crowned champions at the fifth annual event was 13-year-old Adam Pickos (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.), who was competing on his home site at the Cory Pickos Water Ski & Wakeboard School. Pickos, son of 24-time world tricks record holder Cory Pickos, won his second consecutive Junior U.S. Open Boys' tricks title, scoring 8,190 points. For more information, log on to www.usawaterski.org.
Wrestling: (June 2) Sara Levin has been named the Director of Development and Special Events for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Okla. Levin joins the Hall of Fame after working for seven years in a variety of management positions for USA Wrestling, the national governing body for amateur wrestling, based in Colorado Springs, Colo. For more information, log on to www.themat.com.
