U.S./World Sports category, Page 152
Chase Elliott given NASCAR win at Pocono after Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch disqualified
LONG POND — NASCAR stripped Denny Hamlin of his win at Pocono Raceway when his No. 11 Toyota failed inspection and was disqualified, awarding Chase Elliott the Cup Series victory. Joe Gibbs Racing had Hamlin’s car and runner-up Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota both disqualified. Hamlin lost his record seventh...
Pato O’Ward capitalizes on crash, races to IndyCar win in IowaVideo
NEWTON, Iowa — Pato O’Ward pounced on Josef Newgarden’s misfortune Sunday to win the second race of the Iowa Speedway doubleheader, and Jimmie Johnson had the first top-five finish of his IndyCar career. Newgarden dominated and led 148 of the 300 laps while trying to sweep the weekend. But something...
Muhammad Ali’s ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ belt sells for $6.1M
DALLAS — Muhammad Ali’s championship belt from his 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” heavyweight title fight was sold at auction on Sunday for $6.18 million. The winner of the heated competition for the belt was Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, according to Heritage Auctions in Dallas. In a tweet Sunday,...
Jonas Vingegaard, king of the mountains, wins Tour de FranceVideo
King of the mountains. Champion on the Champs-Elysees. Jonas Vingegaard blossomed from a talented rookie to a dominant leader in his own right over three weeks of epic racing to win his first Tour de France title Sunday. The former fish factory worker from Denmark dethroned defending champion Tadej Pogacar...
Thomas Jefferson graduate becomes impact player on SE Louisiana offensive line
Dom Serapiglia’s football journey began at age 5 as a member of the TJ youth program, where he learned the basics from 2005-2012. He then embarked on a highly successful four-year varsity career at Thomas Jefferson, starting out as a long-snap specialist as a freshman and the team’s starting center...
Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch start out front for NASCAR race at Pocono RacewayVideo
LONG POND — The trio of drivers that will start sixth, seventh and eighth Sunday at Pocono Raceway are as intriguing to watch as the ones leading the field to green. Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace and Martin Truex Jr. are all winless. Blaney and Truex are hanging on to playoff...
Vingegaard has first Tour de France win all but secured
ROCAMADOUR, France — Jonas Vingegaard thundered through the last serious test of the Tour de France to increase his overall lead on Saturday and all but guarantee winning cycling’s biggest race. After three weeks of exhausting racing, the Jumbo-Visma leader dug deep in his reserves to deliver yet another impressive...
Scott Piercy shoots 64, takes 3-shot lead in 3M OpenVideo
BLAINE, Minn. — Scott Piercy shot a 7-under-par 64 on Friday at TPC Twin Cities to take a three-stroke lead in the 3M Open. Piercy had a 13-under 129 total. The four-time PGA Tour winner opened with a 65 on Thursday in windy conditions. Emiliano Grillo was second after a...
Trainer Bob Baffert seeks 10th win in Haskell Stakes with Taiba
OCEANPORT, N.J. — While trainer Bob Baffert isn’t welcome at every thoroughbred track around the country, Monmouth Park has no problem letting the Hall of Famer bring his horses to New Jersey. After all, the $1 million Haskell Stakes is being run Saturday at the Jersey Shore track, and no...
Hy-Vee pumps millions into Iowa for IndyCar extravaganza
NEWTON, Iowa — The longtime premise in Iowa of “If you build it, he will come” originates with the 1989 “Field of Dreams” movie. A twist on the slogan could be used this weekend at Iowa Speedway, where sponsor Hy-Vee has taken an “if you promote it, they will come”...
Larson reflects on 2nd chance offered by Philly race schoolVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Kyle Larson tried to explain the feeling of his role as the public face of the Urban Youth Racing School when a fan — one of many — wanted a second of the 2021 NASCAR’s champion’s time. “Yo, Kyle, can I steal a selfie,” he asked. Larson obliged...
WWE’s Vince McMahon says he is retiringVideo
NEW YORK — World Wrestling Entertainment impresario Vince McMahon announced Friday he is retiring amid an investigation into alleged misconduct involving the flamboyant showman who turned a small wrestling company into a worldwide entertainment business. In a brief statement issued by WWE, McMahon said he is retiring as the company’s...
Henderson shoots 2nd straight 64, leads LPGA’s Evian Championship by 3 strokesVideo
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Brooke Henderson is setting the pace in record-breaking style at the Evian Championship. The Canadian shot a second straight 7-under-par 64 to take a three-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA’s fourth major of the year Friday. She is the first player in the history...
Media predict Alabama will beat Georgia in SEC championship
ATLANTA — Two-time defending champion Alabama was predicted to win a third consecutive Southeastern Conference title in voting by media attending this week’s SEC Media Days. Alabama beat Georgia in last year’s SEC championship game in Atlanta before losing to the Bulldogs in the national title game. Media picked a...
Christophe Laporte wins Tour Stage 19 and ends drought for France
CAHORS, France — Christophe Laporte ended the host’s drought of stage winners when he surged out of the peloton in the finale of the 19th stage and claimed his maiden win on the Tour de France on Friday. Just two days before the race ends in Paris, Laporte spared the...
Speedy delivery: Medals at worlds given out almost instantly
EUGENE, Ore. — It takes speed to win some of these medals at world championships. Speed to hand all of them out, too. A little bit of jumping ability doesn’t hurt, either. In a new twist at track and field’s biggest event this side of the Olympics, athletes no longer...
Georgia’s Kirby Smart gets 10-year extension, raise to $10.25M
ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia’s Kirby Smart has agreed to a contract extension through the 2031 season, a 10-year agreement worth more than $110 million that makes him the latest coach to land the type of megadeal that is becoming increasingly common in college football. The deal announced Thursday has been...
Jonas Vingegaard drops Tadej Pogacar in final Tour mountain test
HAUTACAM, France — Barring a crash, Jonas Vingegaard is likely to be wearing the yellow jersey when the Tour de France ends in Paris on Sunday. Vingegaard responded to a series of attacks from defending champion Tadej Pogacar on Thursday and ultimately dropped his main rival in the last big...
Megan Rapinoe, Billie Jean King urge freedom for Brittney Griner at The ESPYS
LOS ANGELES — Soccer player Megan Rapinoe admonished her fellow athletes for not doing enough to speak out and encouraged them to support detained WNBA star Brittney Griner at The ESPYS on Wednesday night. Griner was arrested in Russia in February after customs officials said they found vape canisters containing...
Transfer portal windows endorsed for final NCAA approval
INDIANAPOLIS — Division I college football players would have two periods of time — one in the winter and one in the spring — to enter the transfer portal and be immediately eligible to play if a proposed rule change gets final approval. The Division I Council endorsed on Tuesday...
Sage Karam returns to Pocono for 1st time since fatal wreckVideo
Sage Karam planned to keep it simple, just a bike ride this week through the first turn at Pocono Raceway. An easy outing, no reporters around to ask questions, no fans wondering how he’s feeling in his return to his hometown track. Seven years ago, Karam triggered a wreck at...
Cameron Champ aims to defend 3M title in another challenging seasonVideo
BLAINE, Minn. — Cameron Champ fought off dehydration and dizziness down the stretch to win the 3M Open last year with a bogey-free final round, a confidence-boosting win for a young player trying to establish himself on the PGA Tour. The challenges for Champ have persisted this season, and he...
Hornets’ Miles Bridges pleads not guilty to domestic violence
LOS ANGELES — Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges pleaded not guilty Wednesday to felony domestic violence charges filed by Los Angeles County prosecutors after he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in front of their two children. District Attorney George Gascón announced Tuesday that his office filed one felony count...
Henrik Stenson joins Saudi tour, removed as Ryder Cup captain
The Ryder Cup captaincy of Henrik Stenson lasted all of four months. Ryder Cup Europe removed Stenson as captain for the 2023 matches — still 14 months away from being played in Italy — when the Swede decided to choose the guaranteed money of the Saudi-funded rival league over the...
Tadej Pogacar wins Stage 17, Jonas Vingegaard moves closer to Tour title
PEYRAGUDES, France — Tadej Pogacar claimed a third stage win as he sprinted away from Jonas Vingegaard in the punishing last climb of a grueling trek in the Pyrenees on Wednesday but failed to take significant time out of the Tour de France leader. As it has been so often...
