*** The latest news from the USOC - June 16 ***

(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.

Archery: (June 9) Three U.S. archers competed at the recent 5th International Cup, a COPANARCO world-ranking event, in Puerto Rico. Vic Wunderle (Mason City, Ill.) won the male recurve event, had the second highest score at 90 meters and was high man at every other distance. Kathie McCart (Tucson, Ariz.) won the gold in the women's recurve category and earned the high score at every distance. David Ontell (New York, N.Y.) finished the event in sixth place overall. (June 9) Chris Deston (Unionville, Conn.), Dave Cousins (Standish, Maine) and John Dudley (Sparta, Wis.) won the team gold medal at the recent Polish Grand Prix. Cousins also won the individual silver medal. (June 13) Three 2005 World Championship team members, who will be traveling to Madrid, Spain for the World Target Championships, won titles at the National Field Championships in Spokane, Wash., and were hosted by Evergreen Archery Club. Two-time Olympian Vic Wunderle won the title for the male recurve category and five-time National Field Champion Dave Cousins finished in first for men's compound, while Jamie Van Natta (Toledo, Ohio) took first in the women's compound category. For more information, log on to www.usarchery.org.

Badminton: (June 13) The International Badminton Federation released the list of players who have qualified for the 2005 IBF World Championships. Nine U.S. athletes have qualified across the five events, earning the USA 10 chances to medal. Seven of these shuttlers train in Orange County, Calif., where they will compete against more than 350 athletes during the Championships at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, Aug. 15-21. The qualified players have been selected from a world ranking list, and 51 countries are currently eligible to compete across the five events.

Baseball: (June 10) USA Baseball and CollegeSports.com have teamed up to re- launch usabaseball.com, the official site of USA Baseball. The site contains features and applications that will bring American baseball fans closer than ever to their favorite teams and players. CollegeSports.com is a business unit of CSTV: College Sports Television, the home of college sports. (June 13) The International Baseball Federation has re-elected Paul Seiler, executive director of USA Baseball, to a second four-year term as first member at-large to the organization's Executive Committee. (June 14) With a bid award to T.A. Loving, the Cary, N.C. Town Council has given a green light to the construction of the USA Baseball National Training Center, which is being built on 127 acres at Cary's Thomas Brooks Park. The complex will feature three training fields, one signature field, retail space, a ticket booth, concessions and restrooms, and should be completed by the summer of 2007. For more information, log on to www.usabaseball.com.

Basketball: At the 2005 International Sports Invitational in San Diego, Calif., the United States swept the medals in the men's competition. The USA White Team took home the gold medal after defeating the USA Blue Team, 107-85. USA Red defeated the Russian team, 92-77, for the bronze medal. On the women's side, Team USA earned gold in its final match against Russia. (June 8) The ISI's second day of action saw all three USA teams make win. Paced by Daequan Cook's (Dayton, Ohio) 25 points, the USA Red Team started with a 107-70 victory over China. The USA Blue Team, which received 25 points on the night from O.J. Mayo (North College Hill, Ohio), cruised to a 118-57 win over New Zealand. The USA White Team got a 23-point effort from Paul Harris (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) to finish off the day by defeating Canada, 105-69. (June 8) In the women's competition at the ISI, the USA benefited from 14 points from Courtney Paris (Piedmont, Calif.) and superior team depth as the U.S. rolled to an 89-69 victory over Russia. (June 9) USA forward Crystal Langhorne (Willingboro, N.J.) posted a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds to help lead the USA women to an 82-74 win over Australia at the ISI. The win insured the Americans of a spot in the gold-medal game. (June 9) In the final day of preliminary-round games at the ISI, the USA Blue Team defeated Russia, 86-65, to take the top spot in Group B. In the day's final game, the USA White Team remained undefeated as Greg Oden (Indianapolis, Ind.) posted a double- double of 24 points and 13 rebounds in leading his squad past the USA Red Team, 103-83. (June 10) The USA women remained unbeaten at the 2005 ISI, but it took 16 points from Nicky Anosike (Staten Island, N.Y.) and a second half dominating performance to complete the 88-50 win over China. (June 10) The three U.S. teams are positioned for a possible red, white and blue medal sweep at the ISI. The USA White Team fought a tough Russian squad and came out on top 105-86 for the right to advance to the gold medal game. The USA Blue team defeated the USA Red team 96-74 to advance to the gold medal game behind 29 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and eight steals by O.J. Mayo. (June 11) Behind the inside dominance of Courtney Paris' 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Crystal Langhorne's 14 points and eight boards, the USA women earned gold at the ISI with a 73-57 win over Russia. (June 11) The USA White team captured gold at the ISIl, defeating USA Blue by a 107-85 final, despite a game-high 31 points by Blue's O.J. Mayo. In the bronze medal game the USA Red was challenged by a tough and disciplined Russian squad, but pulled for the 92-77 victory and bronze medal. (June 12) Featuring eight players who were part of last summer's gold medalist USA U19 World Championship Qualifying Team, USA Basketball announced the 12 players who will comprise the 2005 USA Women's U19 World Championship Team led by Duke University head mentor Gail Goestenkors. (June 13) Boasting of a variety of coaching experience, six high school and AAU head coaches have been selected to serve on the sidelines at the 2005 USA Basketball Women's Youth Development Festival. The coaching staffs, selected by the USA Basketball Junior Development Committee, include Diane Richardson (Riverdale Baptist High School, Md.), who will head up the USA Red Team with the help of assistant Gail Hook (Monarch High School, Colo.). Kathy Richey- Walton (Southwest DeKalb High School, Ga.) has been tabbed to lead the USA White Team and will be assisted by Michael Ensly (Dallas Lincoln High School, Texas); while the USA Blue Team will be coached by Ron Connor (Fairfield Union High School, Ohio), with Oscar Jimenez (Mission Rec AAU, Calif) as his assistant coach. For more information, log on to www.usabasketball.com.

Bowling: (June 9) Nothing was going to stop Mary Kearns-Miller from bowling in the Women's International Bowling Congress Championship Tournament. Not even her wedding. Mary, 71, and Russell Miller, 75, married June 3, and then hopped into a car for a leisurely drive from their home in Edinburg, Va., to the tournament in Tulsa. (June 11) The Mobil Marine team of Naperville, Ill. emphasizes teamwork. That philosophy helped put the women in second place at the WIBC Tournament. Competing in Division 1 (average 846 thru 945), Mobil Marine shot a team score of 2,774. (June 12) Carla Whitehead (Decatur, Ga.) believes bowling is just as much mental as it is physical. Whitehead used music to shut out all distractions at the WIBC Tournament. As a result she leads the Division 2 (average 150 thru 169) singles competition. Bowling off a 167 average, Whitehead threw games of 197, 225 and 247 for a 669 series. (June 14) 87 Mini Tvaska (Dearborn, Mich.), 87, would travel around the earth to bowl in the WIBC Championship Tournaments. In fact, she has. Tvaska just competed in her 59th championship tournament. No active bowler has participated in as many championship tournaments, and Tvaska is closing in on the record held by Mary Covell of Chicago. Covell bowled in 61 of the events before stopping in 1992. For more information, log on to www.bowl.com.

Boxing: (June 9) Lightweight Jonathan Gover (San Antonio, Texas), light heavyweight welterweight Charles Hatley (Dallas, Texas) and super heavyweight Travis Kauffman (Reading, Pa.) all took home gold medals from the 2005 Cheo Aponte Tournament in Caguas, Puerto Rico. In addition to the three gold medals, light heavyweight Brandon Gonzales (Sacramento, Calif.) won a silver medal and featherweight Richard Baltazar (Lynwood, Calif.), light welterweight Karl Dargan (Philadelphia, Pa.) and middleweight Jonathan Nelson (Little Rock, Ark.) walked away with bronze medals. For more information, log on to www.usaboxing.org.

Canoe/Kayak: (June 9) USA Canoe/Kayak announced the 2005 Whitewater Slalom Senior Team Trials at the Animas River in Durango, Colo., June 10-12. The Team Trials is the premier slalom event in the nation, and will determine which paddlers will represent the United States on the senior national team and at international competitions. (June 10) On the first day of the Whitewater Slalom U.S. Team Trials the margins between the top times in the men's classes were very slim, and the stage was set for a close competition. Rebecca Giddens (San Diego, Calif.) led the way in the women's kayak. Maria Kallman (Durango, Colo.) and Jamie Tidmore (Bryson City, N.C.) were second and third. The closest results of the day came in the men's canoe, where the top four boats were separated by less than three seconds. Austin Crane (Marietta, Ga.) held off Ryan Bahn (Bethesda, Md.) and Jeff Larimer (Marietta, Ga.) with an extremely fast first run. Sixteen-year-old Benn Fraker (Peachtree City, Ga.) was a close fourth. Scott Parsons (Bethesda, Md.) turned in the top time of the day in the men's kayak. The men's C-2 class (double canoe) field included three former Olympians. Scott Shipley (Boulder, Colo.) and Ben Kvanli (San Marcos, Texas), both former Olympians in men's kayak, finished first ahead of Aaron Sarver (San Francisco, Calif.) and Briant Grigsby (Mount Hamilton, Calif.). (June 11) Son day two of the Slalom Team Trials, Scott Mann (Bryson City, N.C.) had the best run of the day in the men's kayak class, as his second run moved him past Scott Parsons. Brett Heyl (Bethesda, Md.) was third. In the men's canoe class, Jeff Larimer set the day's best mark. Ryan Bahn and Benn Fraker finished second and third. Rebecca Giddens dominated the woman's kayak class for the second day in a row, ensuring herself both first place in the Team Trials and a spot on the national team. In second place was Zuzanna Vanha (Dillsboro, N.C.). Jamie Tidmore had two solid runs to round out the top three. The results in the C-2 (men's double canoe) class were the same, with Scott Shipley and Ben Kvanli looking very solid. Behind them in second place were Aaron Sarver and Briant Grigsby. (June 12) At the Whitewater Slalom U.S. Team Trials, Scott Parsons won the overall title in the men's kayak. Brett Heyl had to settle for second, and Scott Mann finished third. The top three kayaks were separated by tenths of a second after their best two days' results were combined. In the women's kayak, Rebecca Giddens was the fastest female on the course for the third day in a row. Molly Stock (Potomac, Md.) finished second, with Jamie Tidmore third. When the two best days' results were combined, Giddens won first place in the event, with Tidmore coming in second. Two fourth-place daily finishes boosted Paris Robinson (Atlanta, Ga.) into third place in the event. In the men's canoe class, Austin Crane resumed his winning ways. Ryan Bahn paddled his way into second and Benn Fraker was third. With Crane's victories, he placed first in the event. Jeff Larimer finished second. Two second-place finishes in the daily results left Bahn in third. Scott Shipley and Ben Kvanli faltered for the first time, as they missed a gate and wound up in third place. Winning the day were Aaron Sarver and Briant Grigsby. Coming in third was the father-son team of Devin and Jamie McEwan (Lakeville, Conn.). Shipley and Kvanli's previous wins gave them the overall title, and Sarver and Grigsby were the runners-up. Finishing third in the event were Chris Wiegand (Lafayette, Colo.) and Nic Borst (Boulder, Colo.). (June 14) U.S. Canoe-Kayak announced the Whitewater Slalom U.S. National Team that will represent the United States at national and international competitions in 2005. For more information, log on to www.usack.org.

Cycling: (June 9) World-class mountain bike racing returns to the United States and gravity racing makes its 2005 debut at the Shimano NORBA National Mountain Bike Series at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, June 16-19. After a two-month interruption, the series returns with the third round of cross country disciplines as an impressive field of Olympians and world and national champions return to Park City for a NORBA National for the first time since 2001. In the traditional Olympic-style cross country events, a deep collection of elite-level riders is expected and is led by current series leaders Sue Haywood (Davis, W.V.) and Geoff Kabush of Canada. For more information, log on to www.usacycling.org.

Equestrian: (June 9) Michael Walton (Valley Forge, Pa.), riding Elu De La Hardiere, raced to a top-place finish in the Rolex/USEF $20,000 Opening Match, giving him the initial lead in the three-leg $150,000 Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Championship. (June 9) Three-time Olympic show jumper Kathy Kusner was welcomed as one of the newest honorees to the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame. Kusner joined fellow honorees Drew Bledsoe (Dallas Cowboys quarterback) and Louis Zamperini (1936 Olympic runner) for the induction ceremonies at the Boise Center on the Grove in Boise, Idaho. All were singled out for their efforts as role models and humanitarians at the 11th annual induction ceremonies. (June 11) The Rolex/USEF $30,000 Intermediate Match, the second leg of the $150,000 Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Championship was won by Jimmy Torano (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) riding Marcel. Torano took second place in the first leg of the Championship, and his previous first-place finish puts him at the top of the standings going into the last round. (June 12) With only one time fault to speak of in the second round of competition, Jimmy Torano and his mount Marcel out-jumped 14 competitors to take home the Championship trophy, $30,000 in prize money, and the elegant Rolex watch at the $150,000 Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Championship. Jeffrey Welles (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) finished second with a total of six faults for the three legs of competition. (June 14) The United States Equestrian Federation is accepting bids for the 2006 FEI World Reining Masters. Bids must be received by July 15 to be considered. (June 14) Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil and Chris Kappler (Pittstown, N.J.) of the United States moved up to gold and silver medals, respectively, when the FEI, the international governing body for equestrian sport, officially disqualified individual gold medalist Cian O'Connor of Ireland from the 2004 Olympic Games, due to a positive drug test on his horse Waterford Crystal. Kappler initially tied with Pessoa for second place in Athens, then competed in a dramatic ride-off, earning a bronze medal. Now that Kappler has been awarded the silver, Marco Kutscher of Germany will take the bronze. (June 14) One of the nation's leaders in the fight against degenerative joint disease in equines, the veterinarian-trusted name of Adequan has joined the USEF family in a multi-faceted sponsorship. Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, manufacturer of the flagship equine health product, has stepped forward as title sponsor for three USEF championships for the 2005 competition season: the 2005 USEF National Open Reining Championship and the 2005 USEF National Pony Jumper Championships, both in Lexington, Ky, and the 2005 USEF National Junior Jumper Championships in Harrisburg, Pa. In addition, Adequan has been designated "The Official Joint Therapy of the USEF." For more information, log on to www.usef.org.

Fencing: (June 8) The best fencers in the world, including former and future Olympians, will gather for four days of international competition at the 2005 Las Vegas Grand Prix of Fencing in Las Vegas, Nev., June 17-19. This event is one of a series of World Cups held around the world this season. As a Grand Prix event, it will be a critical qualification event for athletes attempting to reach the 2005 World Championships. Individual and team events in two of the three fencing disciplines, women's saber and women's foil, will be held. For more information, log on to www.usfencing.org.

Field Hockey: (June 8) The USA Field Hockey National Team saw an early two- goal lead vanish as Australia scored four consecutive goals to top the host squad, 4-2, in game three of the four-game series at the USA National Training Center in Virginia Beach, Va. For the second time in the series, the world's No. 3-ranked Australians fought back from a two-goal deficit. The Aussies fell behind by two goals in the second half of game one before settling for a 3-3 draw. Australia won game two of the series, 4-0. (June 11) The USA Field Hockey National Team played to a 1-1 draw with long-time rival Australia in the final game of a four-match series. After a scoreless first half, Tiffany Snow (Escondio, Calif.) put the USA on top with her fourth goal of the series in the 42nd minute. Snow's field goal gave the USA only a brief advantage as Teneal Attard answered for Australia just two minutes later. U.S. goalkeeper Amy Tran (Grantville, Pa.) and Australia keeper Toni Cronk kept the game scoreless throughout the rest of regulation play. For more information, log on to www.usfieldhockey.com.

Figure Skating: (June 8) World bronze medalist Evan Lysacek (Naperville, Ill.) will appear as a celebrity guest at the 16th annual "TARGET - A Time for Heroes" family carnival and picnic June 12 in Brentwood, Calif., benefiting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation. The skater will be one of more than 130 celebrities - including 1984 Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton - meeting with families and children, and manning the many carnival booths at the event. One hundred percent of the event's proceeds benefit the foundation's lifesaving pediatric programs. For more information, log on to www.usfigureskating.org.

Gymnastics: (June 9) As Indianapolis welcomes up-and-coming U.S. gymnastics stars to the 2005 Visa Championships, local residents have a chance to make their own mark in the record books. On July 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., more than 2,000 people will gather on Monument Circle to attempt a world-record- setting number of handstands at one time. Participants not only receive a claim to fame in record books, but those who pre-register between June 9 and July 8 also receive a free ticket to the opening night of the Visa Championships on Aug. 10 and a T-shirt to commemorate their participation in a new world record. For more information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.

Luge: (June 12) The top sliders in the sport of luge are set to return to the Verizon Sports Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y. in mid-December for a stop on the World Cup luge tour. The announcement was made by USA Luge and the New York Olympic Regional Development Authority, which manages the venue. The competition will be the fifth of eight World Cup meets prior to the Torino Winter Games. Training on the mile-long, 20-turn chute begins Dec. 12 at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg location. The action will occur in men's and women's singles, doubles and a team event Dec. 16-18. For more information, log on to www.usaluge.org.

Modern Pentathlon: (June 9) The U.S. Olympic Committee will host the 2005 U.S. Pentathlon National Championships for men and women in the youth, junior and senior divisions in Colorado Springs, Colo., June 24-26. International competitors from Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala are also expected to participate in the event. Many of the top U.S. athletes competing in the senior division live and train in Colorado Springs, including Dennis Bowsher, Eli Bremer, Jennifer Haney, Niul Manske, Emily Shertzer and Terris Tiller. In the week preceding the national championships, a series of camps will be offered for the athletes in each of the five sports. The camps will be conducted June 20-23. For more information, log on to www.usapentathlon.org.

Rowing: (June 9) The second 2005 National Selection Regatta will be held June 10-12 on Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J. The national selection regattas are the first steps towards making the 2005 National Team, which will compete at the 2005 FISA World Rowing Championships Aug. 28-Sept. 4 in Gifu, Japan. NSR 2 will include races in eight boat classes. (June 11) Marin Rowing Association's Mike Altman and Bjorn Larsen won the final of the lightweight men's double sculls to highlight the second day of competition at the National Selection Regatta II. In addition, finals in the remaining seven events were set. (June 11) Oakland Strokes, the defending champions in the junior women's eight, and the junior men's eight from St. Ignatius College Prep, in San Francisco, Calif., clocked the fastest times of the morning heats on the first day of competition at the 11th-annual USRowing National Youth Invitational Championships on Harsha Lake in Amelia, Ohio. The winner of each heat moved on to the final, while the remaining crews were forced to race in the afternoon's repechages, or second-chance races, for the right to advance to the final. In the repechages, Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club clocked the fastest time and was one of four additional crews to move on. (June 12) Seven winners were crowned at the second National Selection Regatta. In the men's double sculls final, Saugatuck's J. Sloan DuRoss and Sam Stitt crossed the line first to defeat the New York Athletic Club duo of Matt Hughes and Gabe Winkler by nearly four seconds. In the women's double sculls final, it was Mercer Training Center's Lia Pernell and Megan Cooke who came in first. Pernell and Cooke edged out Princeton Training Center's Kelly Salchow and Anna Mickelson by 1.2 seconds. Beau Hoopman and Bryan Volpenhein, 2004 Olympic gold medalists in the men's eight, took first place in the men's pair final. In the women's pair final, Mercer Training Center's Leslie Shoop and Megan Dirkmaat defeated teammates Molly Baker and Sharon Kriz by two seconds. Renee Hykel and Julia Nichols of Penn Athletic Club/Pocock Elite won the women's lightweight double sculls final. The New York Athletic Club men's lightweight pair of Simon Carcagno and John Wachter won its final. NSR 2 also included racing in the men's under 23 single sculls. Ellis Evans Brown took first place in the final with a time that was two seconds ahead of Ricky Visinski, and nearly five seconds ahead of James Dietz II. (June 12) Despite a 1.5-hour delay due to equipment breakage, Oakland Strokes repeated as champion of the junior women's eight at the National Youth Invitational Championships. Oakland also came home with two more Youth Invitational titles in the junior women's lightweight eight and the junior men's four with coxswain. (June 14) The United States will have three crews rowing at the second stop of the 2005 BearingPoint Rowing World Cup that begins June 17 in Munich, Germany. On the women's side, the U.S. has entered the women's eight and women's quadruple sculls events, while Wyatt Allen has entered the men's single sculls competition. For more information, log on to www.usrowing.org.

Shooting: (June 9) SFC Tom Tamas (Columbus, Ga.) of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit clinched the bronze medal in men's 50m prone at the World Cup Munich. Tamas went into the final round in eighth place, and hit a 104.9 in the final 10 shots to make a huge come-from-behind rally and secure a place on the medal stand for the USA. In the 50m free pistol competition, John Ennis (Simi, Calif.), also of the USAMU, finished in 14th with a 558. Ennis was the highest finisher for the U.S. in this event. For more information, log on to www.usashooting.com.

Soccer: (June 8) The U.S. Men's National Team recorded a resounding 3-0 victory against Panama in Panama City, further entrenching the team's bid for a berth in the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006. The 3-0 win was the second of the week for the U.S. in World Cup qualifying and came courtesy of goals from Carlos Bocanegra (Alto Loma, Calif.), Landon Donovan (Redlands, Calif.) and Brian McBride (Arlington Heights, Ill.). The victory improves the U.S. to 4-1-0 halfway through qualifying, and in second place in their six-team group with 12 points, just one behind Mexico's 13. (June 10) U.S. Soccer announced the second-round pairings for the 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Four teams from the United Soccer Leagues Second Division and four from the USL First Division will play the winners of the June 15 first-round games. All eight of the second-round matches will be played June 29. (June 11) The U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team pulled off the upset of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Tournament so far with a 1-0 victory over heavily-favored Argentina in Enschede, Holland. Jonathan Spector (Arlington Heights, Ill.) went off with a leg injury in the first half and Freddy Adu (Potomac, Md.) missed a second- half penalty kick, but a Chad Barrett (Beaverton, Ore.) header in the 39th minute was all the U.S. needed to secure three points from its first match. (June 14) The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team will play two matches in the month of July, taking on Ukraine July 10 on the campus of the University of Portland and facing Iceland on July 24 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The match against Ukraine kicks off at 3:30 p.m. PDT and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 while the match against Iceland, also live on ESPN2, kicks off at 2 p.m. PDT. (June 14) The Under-20 Men's National Team dominated the majority of play, but couldn't find the back of the net as the squad remains locked in second place in Group D of the World Youth Championship after a 0-0 draw with group-leader Germany. The U.S. is tied with Germany with four points after two games, but sits in second place due to a lower goal differential. For more information, log on to www.ussoccer.com.

Softball: (June 9) The USA Softball Women's National Team opened the 2005 International Sports Invitational with a 3-0 win over Canada. This is the first time the USA squad has competed together since winning its third consecutive gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Led by pitching ace Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.) from the circle, the U.S. used a three- run fifth inning to seal the victory. (June 9) A triple shy of the cycle, USA's Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif.) had a stellar 3-for-3 afternoon leading Team USA to a 7-0 rout of China on day two of the ISI. (June 11) For the second consecutive game, the Women's National Team ended its contest early due to the run-rule. The 8-1 five-inning win over Australia places the USA in the grand final. (June 12) USA Softball used another explosive day at the plate to record its third consecutive run rule victory, winning 9-0 over Australia in the Grand Final of the International Sports Invitational. Three U.S. players hit home runs in the game. (June 13) The Amateur Softball Association and USA Softball announced the addition of four athletes to the invitee list for the USA Softball Women's National Team camp June 13-17 in Chula Vista, Calif. Players must participate in the team camp in order to earn a spot on one of two rosters for the 2005 season. A total of 45 players will be in camp trying to earn the opportunity to wear the Red, White and Blue this summer. An 18-member national team and 16-member elite team will be selected from the camp to represent the United States in the various international events in 2005. For more information, log on to www.usasoftball.com.

Swimming: (June 9) A handful of 2005 World Championship team members will continue preparations for this summer's competitions at the Counsilman Classic, June 10-12 in Indianapolis, Ind. Six-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md.) and five-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin (Valleja, Calif.) headline the list of top swimmers competing. The Counsilman Classic is the second of four stops in the Grand Prix circuit leading up to the FINA World Championships, July 24-31 in Montreal, Canada. It is the only non-California meet in the series. (June 9) The United States Sports Academy named Michael Phelps as its male May 2005 Athlete of the Month. Phelps took home top honors in the men's category by ruling the pool during three days of competition at the Stanford Invitational Grand Prix. For more information, log on to www.usa-swimming.org.

Tennis: (June 9) The USTA announced that it will conduct ballperson tryouts for the 2005 US Open at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., on June 30 at 4 p.m. Registration begins at 3 p.m. (June 13) The USTA and Lexus announced a multi-year worldwide marketing partnership that designates Lexus as the "Presenting Sponsor of the US Open Men's Singles Championship" and the "Official Vehicle of the US Open," the highest attended annual sporting event in the world. (June 13) The Royal Belgium Tennis Federation announced Leuven, Belgium as the site for the USA vs. Belgium Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Play-off Round Sept. 23-25. The series will be played on an indoor clay court at the 3,500-seat Sportplaza Leuven. For more information, log on to www.usta.com.

Track and Field: (June 8) Justin Gatlin (Brookly, N.Y.) was named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week after winning the 100 meters at the Nike Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore. The 2004 Olympic 100m gold medalist, Gatlin ran a wind-aided, personal-best time of 9.84 seconds. (June 8) America's track coaches are protesting the University of Utah's decision to cut its men's track/cross country program by wearing black wristbands at the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif. (June 8) 2000 Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder Stacy Dragila (Auburn, Calif.) will compete in the women's pole vault at the inaugural Reebok Grand Prix in New York City. A two-time world outdoor champion, Dragila has been sidelined since sustaining an Achilles injury earlier this spring. (June 8) Retired Nashua High (N.H.) track and field coach Francis Tate died in Manchester, N.H. He was 94. Known New England-wide as "Mr. Track," Tate graduated from Keene State College in 1934 and began his teaching and coaching career at Portsmouth High School, founding the Clipper Relays invitational meet in the process. (June 9) Justin Gatlin has moved into a tie for the lead in the Race for the Visa Championship thanks to his winning performance at the Nike Prefontaine Classic, the fourth stop of the Visa Championship Series. Co- leader John Godina (Mesa, Ariz.), the indoor Visa Champion, will look to break that tie when he competes at the Reebok Grand Prix. (June 10) During their highly successful careers, Kim Batten, Tonja Buford and Sandra Farmer-Patrick made their mark on previous World Outdoor Championships with great performances in the women's 400m hurdles. Following a brief down period in that event for U.S. competitors, the track world can now look for a talented foursome of top-10, world-ranked American hurdlers who'll try to put their own names in the history books at the 2005 World Outdoor Track & Field Championships Aug. 5-14 in Helsinki, Finland. In entering the 2005 season with four of the top 10-ranked women's 400m hurdlers in the world - Sandra Glover (Sugar Land, Texas), Sheena Johnson (Stafford, Va.), Lashinda Demus (Columbia, S.C.) and Brenda Taylor (Chula Vista, Calif.) - prospects for success this season in that event have never been brighter for Team USA. (June 10) Jill Pilgrim, USA Track & Field's General Counsel and Director of Business Affairs, received the 2005 Larry Ellis Alumni Award, given annually to an alumnus for distinctive service to track and field and cross country, at Princeton University's Class of 1980 25th Reunion Program. (June 11) Four-time world champion Allen Johnson (Burke, Va.) prevailed over 2004 Olympic gold medalist and co-world record holder Liu Xiang in the Reebok men's 110-meter hurdles at the Reebok Grand Prix. Dominique Arnold (Compton, Calif.) also bested Liu, finishing second with a personal best time. Michelle Perry (Palmdale, Calif.) nudged past Joanna Hayes (Williamsport, Pa.) to win the women's hurdles in a world-leading time and personal best of 12.45 seconds. Perry's time is .2 seconds better than her previous best of 12.65 seconds, set in winning the Payton Jordan U.S. Open two weeks ago, and makes her the third-fastest American woman in history. Shalane Flanagan (Marblehead, Mass.) finished fourth in the women's 3,000 meters. Flanagan's time was the fastest time of the year by an American and a personal best. Jamaican Kenia Sinclair won the women's 800, followed by a trio of Americans. Treniere Clement (Stow, Ohio) was second, Jen Toomey (Salem, Mass.) was third and Kameisha Bennett (Dayton, Ohio) was fourth. Maurice Greene (Kansas City, Kan.) returned to the victor's position in the Reebok men's 100-meter dash. Shawn Crawford (Van Wyck, S.C.) was second. Adam Nelson (Atlanta, Ga.) had a big day in the 24 Hour Fitness men's shot put. His first throw of 21.25m/69 feet, 8.5 inches was easily his best throw of the year, and he improved to 21.58m/70-9.75 on his second attempt, the fourth-best throw in the world this year. Indoor American record holder David Krummenacker (Tucson, Ariz.) placed third in the Reebok men's 1000 meters. In the men's 200, Rae Edwards was second, with Bernard Williams (Baltimore, Md.) third. Tim Broe (Peoria, Ill.) was the third-place finisher in the men's 3,000 meters. Me'Lisa Barber (Montclair, N.J.) posted a U.S. leader and personal best in the women's 100 meters, winning in 11.05 seconds over LaTasha Colander (Portsmouth, Va.). In the women's 400, Monique Hennagan (Coumbia, S.C.) ran her best time of the year to win the race. Fellow Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist Dee Dee Trotter (Decatur, Ga.) also ran a personal season's-best for second. Sheena Johnson and Brenda Taylor (Boone, N.C.) ran down TaNisha Mills (Midland, Texas) in the final straightaway in the women's 400-meter hurdles. Johnson finished first ,with Taylor second and Mills third. In the men's race, Bayano Kamani (Houston, Texas) won, followed by Danny McFarlane of Jamaica and world championships silver medalist Joey Woody (Iowa City, Iowa). April Steiner won the women's pole vault with a personal-best clearance of 4.50m/14-9. Kim Kreiner (Akron, Ohio) won the women's javelin and Bashir Ramzy (Dallas, Texas) won the men's long jump. Brian Chaput (East Haven, Conn.) won the men's javelin. (June 13) As the 2005 Team USA marathoners begin their preparations for this summer's IAAF World Championships in Athletics, USA Track and Field will be holding a marathon summit for the Helsinki-bound squad in Rochester Hills, Mich. The summit will be conducted by Dr. David Martin (Atlanta, Ga.). (June 13) 2005 marks the 16th consecutive year for the Mohican Trail 100 Mile, which will this year be the first ever USA 100 Mile Trail Championship, sanctioned by USA Track and Field. In the course of the Mohican Trail 100 Mile, runners ascend and descend over 11,000 vertical feet (roughly the total vertical equivalent of two trips from the rim to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back). (June 13) ZAP Fitness, the Blowing Rock, N.C.-based post collegiate distance running center, has added University of Kentucky graduate and All-American Thomas Morgan to its group of resident athletes. (June 13) The University of Arkansas men won their third consecutive team championship, and the University of Texas clinched the women's title with a victory in the final event, the 1,600m relay, at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif. The Arkansas men finished with 60 points to win their 12th outdoor title and their 11th in the last 14 years. Florida was second with 49 points, followed by LSU with 36. In winning its third NCAA women's track title and first since 1999, Texas tallied 55 points. South Carolina and UCLA tied for second with 48. (June 13) The U.S. Olympic Committee named 2004 Olympic high jumper Chaunte Howard (Riverside, Calif.) as its female May Athlete of the Month. (June 13) Former University of Texas sprint great Bobby Whilden (Houston, Texas) set a new masters M70 100m world record at the National Senior Games in Pittsburgh, Pa. Whilden finished the race in 12.76 seconds to shatter the previous world record of 12.91 set by legendary Stanford University coach Payton Jordan. (June 14) Through an added bonus from the ING Run for Something Better program for women, the ING New York City Marathon 2005 on Nov. 6 will increase its prize purse to $130,000 for the women's champion, the largest first-place prize in the history of marathoning. For more information, log on www.usatf.org.

Triathlon: (June 10) USA Triathlon announced that the 2005 USAT Youth National Championships for athletes ages 7-12 will take place Aug. 27 at the University of New Orleans Aquatic Center at the Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, La. (June 13) Citing the importance of athlete safety and a fair playing field, USA Triathlon announced that it will no longer sanction events owned by the World Triathlon Corporation or Ironman North America. The move comes in reaction to WTC's desire to establish a global rulebook for its races that is not in compliance with USA Triathlon's rules. (June 13) U.S. duathletes Tim Menoher (Covington, Ky.) and Jenifer Padilla (Tustin, Calif.) won the elite titles at the USA Triathlon Duathlon National Championships in Mason, Ohio, while Jeffrey Boyd (Atlanta, Ga.) and Christine Knight (Eagle, Idaho) took the overall age group titles. Menoher had the best times on both of the run courses. Defending U.S. champion Eric Schwartz (Boulder, Colo.) was second. In the women's elite race, Talis Apud-Martinez of Mexico was the winner in 2:05:01. Padilla was the first U.S. elite finisher and second overall. Menoher, Schwartz, Padilla and Kimberly Hager (The Woodlands, Texas), who finished fourth overall in the women's race, all qualified for the 2005 International Triathlon Union Duathlon World Championships Sept. 25-26 in Newcastle, Australia. Boyd won the overall age group title. Chuck Dumke (Boone, N.C) was second Sean Ion (Shippenville, Pa.) was third. In the women's race, Knight finished just seven seconds ahead of ITU long distance duathlon world champion Kristin Villopoto (Chapel Hill, N.C.). Kat Clewley (Greensboro, N.C.) placed third. The top six finishers in each age group qualified for the duathlon world championships in Newcastle. Yasmine White (Arcata, Calif.) and Beau McDougall (Henderson, Nev.) won the girls' and boys' junior elite races, respectively. Shaun Boedicker (Powell, Ohio) was second and Andrew Welsh (Loganville, Ga.) was third. (June 13) Hunter Kemper (Longwood, Fla.) won the Accenture Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco, defeating the 2004 Olympic gold medalist in the process. Kemper braved a 1.5-mile swim in cold waters, an 18-mile bike and an 8-mile run to win the race in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 53 seconds. Kemper's 2004 Olympic teammate Andy Potts (Princeton, N.J.) was third in 2:05:08. Though he's known for his tremendous swimming, Potts had the fastest run of the day, completing eight miles in 43:15. Kemper and Potts were the only U.S. men in the top 10. Matt Reed (Boulder, Colo.) racing for the first time since being injured in a bike crash while training, finished 11th. The U.S. women also put on a good show, as 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Susan Williams (Littleton, Colo.) won the women's race in 2:20:09. Barb Lindquist (Alta, Wyo.), a 2004 Olympian and past Alcatraz winner, was second in 2:21:26 while Canada's Samantha McGlone was third in 2:22:18. Becky Lavelle (Cupertino, Calif.) continued her strong season with a fourth-place finish and Laura Bennett (North Palm Beach, Fla.) was fifth. For more information, log on to www.usatriathlon.org.

Volleyball: The U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team finished second to the team from the Netherlands at the International Sports Invitational in San Diego, Calif. The USA Women's National Team placed seventh at the Montreaux Volley Masters in Switzerland and currently stands as the No. 2 team in Group B at the Pan American Cup in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. (June 8) Kay van Dijk scored a match-high 28 points to lead four players in double-figures as the Netherlands defeated the United States, 3-2, in the second match of the men's volleyball competition at the ISI. (June 9) The USA Women's National Volleyball Team dropped to 0-2 in pool play at the Montreux Volley Masters following a 3-0 loss to Poland. Tayyiba Haneef (Laguna Hills, Calif.) scored a match-high 17 points on 15 kills, one block and one ace. (June 9) The USA Men's National Volleyball Team overcame another slow start and walked away with its first win in the men's volleyball competition at the ISI. Riley Salmon (League City, Texas) scored a match-high tying 19 points as Team USA earned a 3-1 win over Australia in pool play. (June 10) From 23 tryouts held across the country during March and April, USAV High Performance staff and coaches have reached final selections for nearly every girls' High Performance National Team, A2 Camp, A3 Camp and Development Camp to be held this summer. These rosters will be released over the coming two weeks. The roster for the 2005 Girls' National High Performance Camp has been finalized, comprising one of the strongest groups of HP athletes that has ever been brought together. (June 10) The Men's National Team emerged victorious in its final pool play match of the ISI. Curt Toppel (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) scored a match-high 19 points and Dave McKienzie (Littleton, Colo.) added 18 points in Team USA's 3-1 win over China. (June 11) Elisha Thomas (Grass Valley, Calif.) scored a match-high 15 points and Nancy Metcalf (Hull, Iowa) added 13 points as the Women's National Team posted a 3-0 win over Jamaica to begin the Pan American Cup, which serves as a qualifier for the 2006 World Grand Prix for the top three NORCECA teams and the best South American team. (June 11) Germany defeated the Women's National Team, 3-0, in the consolation semifinals of the Montreux Volley Masters. The U.S. team finished seventh. (June 11) Elisha Thomas scored a match-high 12 points and Nancy Metcalf added 11 points as the Women's National Team improved to 2-0 at the Pan American Cup by posting a 3-0 win over Mexico. (June 11) Dave McKienzie scored a team-high 14 points to lead four players in double-figures as the USA Men swept China to advance to the championship match of the men's volleyball competition at the ISI. (June 12) Patrice Arrington (Oxon Hill, Md.) and Nancy Metcalf each scored a match-high 14 points as the Women's National Team improved to 3-0 at the Pan American Cup after earning a 3-0 win over Barbados. (June 12) Kay van Dijk scored a match- high 21 points to lead a balanced attack as the Netherlands overcame a first- set loss to defeat the United States in the final of the men's volleyball competition of the International Sports Invitational. (June 13) The Women's National Team improved to 4-0 at the Pan American Cup thanks to a 3-0 win over Canada. Jane Collymore (Englewood, Calif.) scored a match-high 15 points. (June 14) The championship match of the International Sports Invitational men's volleyball competition between the United States and the Netherlands will be televised by College Sports Television on a delayed basis. The match, which was played June 12, will be broadcast as part of CSTV's U.S. Olympic Pursuit programming on June 16, from 10 p.m.-12 a.m. (EDT) and again on June 17 from 12-2 p.m. (EDT). (June 14) Veterans Yumilka Ruiz and Nancy Carrillo each scored 12 points as Cuba defeated the Women's National Team at the Pan American Cup. For more information, log on to www.usavolleyball.org.

Water Polo: (June 8) USA Water Polo amicably parted ways with two-time Olympic men's coach Bill Barnett (Newport Beach, Calif.) just three months after naming him as its Women's National Team head coach. The two sides were unable to settle on the terms of Barnett's contract. Women's assistant coach Heather Moody (Green River, Wyo.) was named as the interim head coach. For more information, log on to www.usawaterpolo.com.

Wrestling: (June 9) USA Wrestling announced that the new rules of Greco-Roman wrestling, recently introduced by the international wrestling federation, will be used during the World Team Trials in Ames, Iowa, June 18-19. The Trials is the qualifying event for the U.S. team that will compete in the World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 26-Oct. 2. (June 13) USA Wrestling hired Vladislav Izboinikov (Yucca Valley, Calif.) to the new full- time position of Women's Freestyle National Developmental/Resident Coach. He will run USA Wrestling's Women's Freestyle Resident Program at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. For more information, log on to www.themat.com.