U.S./World Sports category, Page 236
Oakland Catholic grad Leah Smith qualifies for finals of 200 freestyle at U.S. Olympic Swim Trials
Oakland Catholic and Virginia grad Leah Smith finished eighth in the semifinals of the women’s 200-meter freestyle Tuesday evening at the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in Omaha. Her time of 1 minute, 58.22 seconds helped clinch a spot in Wednesday evening’s finals with a pair of Olympic berths on the...
Tim Dahlberg: A different U.S. Open than imagined at Torrey Pines
The spectacular ocean vistas will fill TV screens as usual, along with the obligatory shots of hang gliders prancing above the cliffs of Southern California. In an era where betting is the rage, there’s probably a bookie somewhere who will offer an over/under on the number of times fans at...
Column: Spieth can see progress in return to Open and TorreyVideo
SAN DIEGO — Jordan Spieth is more interested in what lies ahead than what’s in his rearview mirror. This week affords him a chance to look back because it’s the U.S. Open, and it’s Torrey Pines. Both represent a low point and a turning point in the rough road back....
Nashville Superspeedway welcomes NASCAR Cup debut as track reopensVideo
Erik Moses attended his first NASCAR race in 2019 as an XFL executive looking to poach marketing ideas during a trip to Dover International Raceway. A year later, Dover poached Moses and sent him to Tennessee to re-open Nashville Superspeedway. Moses, hired last August, will open the gates this weekend...
Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka keep distance on U.S. Open tee sheet
SAN DIEGO — Anyone clamoring for Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka to play in the same group to start the U.S. Open will have to wait for another tournament. DeChambeau, the defending U.S. Open champion, will play the opening two rounds at Torrey Pines with Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and...
Upper St. Clair’s Josh Matheny, Oakland Catholic grad Leah Smith earn top 5 finishes at U.S. Olympic Trials
Josh Matheny made a push for a top-two finish and a spot on Team USA on Monday evening in the finals of the men’s 100-meter breaststroke at the Wave II U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in Omaha, Neb. The Upper St. Clair grad and Indiana commit swam slightly faster than his...
This date in sports history: June 15Video
1901 — Willie Anderson edges Alex Smith by one stroke in a playoff to take the U.S. Open. 1938 — Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds pitches his second straight no-hit game, defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers, 6-0, in the first night game played at Ebbets Field. 1947 — Lew...
Mickelson at home and running out of time for US Open titleVideo
SAN DIEGO — Phil Mickelson accepted a special exemption from the USGA with reason to believe this might be his last shot to finally win a U.S. Open. Now he gets five more years, courtesy of his stunning victory last month at the PGA Championship that made him the oldest...
Column: Pairing of Larson, Hendrick seems unstoppable in NASCARVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Everybody knew Kyle Larson was going to win races once he started driving Rick Hendrick’s cars. But this? This looks like a driver capable of chasing down the modern-era record of 13 wins in a season set in 1975 by Richard Petty and tied in 1998 by...
Analysis: Give Novak Djokovic his due as he paves his ‘own path’
The question put to Novak Djokovic after he won the French Open for his 19th Grand Slam title, moving within one of rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the men’s record, was whether he ever was resigned to not being able to catch them. The context: Entering the 2011...
Upper St. Clair’s Josh Matheny to swim in 100 breaststroke finals at U.S. Olympic Trials
Upper St. Clair’s Josh Matheny kicked off his first U.S. Olympic Swim Trials competition Sunday night with a pair of top-eight swims in the preliminaries and semifinals of the Wave II men’s 100-meter breaststroke. Those finishes propelled him to Monday evening’s finals and a chance to earn a spot on...
Kyle Larson wins 2nd NASCAR All-Star race
FORT WORTH, Texas — Kyle Larson was back in the NASCAR All-Star race, and got another $1 million by winning it again. Larson held off a hard-charging Brad Keselowski during the final 10-lap shootout at Texas on Sunday night, after a slippery three-wide pass for the lead, and pushed Hendrick...
This Date in Sports History: June 14
1922 — Gene Sarazen edges Bobby Jones and John Black to win the U.S. Open tournament. 1934 — Max Baer stops Primo Carnera in 11th round in New York to win the world heavyweight title. 1952 — Julius Boros shoots a 281 at Northwood Club in Dallas to win the...
Top dog! Pekingese named Wasabi wins Westminster dog showVideo
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — The flavor of the year at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show: Wasabi. A Pekingese named Wasabi won best in show Sunday night, notching a fifth-ever win for the unmistakable toy breed. A whippet named Bourbon repeated as runner-up. Waddling through a small-but-mighty turn in the ring,...
N.C. State knocks out No. 1 Arkansas on Torres’ homer in 9thVideo
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — North Carolina State freshman shortstop Jose Torres hit a shot heard ‘round the college baseball world on Sunday, homering off Arkansas’ likely Golden Spikes Award winner Kevin Kopps leading off the top of the ninth inning, as the Wolfpack (34-12) stunned the top-seeded and top-ranked Razorbacks 3-2...
South Africa’s Garrick Higgo wins Palmetto Championship for 1st PGA victoryVideo
RIDGELAND, S.C. — Garrick Higgo’s day began with a call from South African golfing great Gary Player. It ended in triumph just like so many of Player’s Sundays did in his Hall of Fame career. The 22-year-old Higgo won the Palmetto Championship at Congaree for his first career victory on...
Doctor: Denmark’s Christian Eriksen ‘was gone’ before being resuscitatedVideo
COPENHAGEN — Denmark’s team doctor said Sunday that Christian Eriksen’s heart stopped and “he was gone” before being resuscitated with a defibrillator at the European Championship. Eriksen collapsed during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 group game against Finland on Saturday and was given lengthy medical treatment before regaining consciousness. “He was...
Comeback! Djokovic tops Tsitsipas at French Open for Slam 19
PARIS — Talented and tenacious as they come, Novak Djokovic was not about to concede a thing after dropping the first two sets of the French Open final against his younger, fresher foe, Stefanos Tsitsipas. Djokovic looked diminished and depleted at the outset Sunday. By the end, he was at...
This date in sports history: June 13Video
1913 — James Rowe, who had won back-to-back Belmont Stake races in 1872-73 as a jockey, sets the record for the most number of Belmont Stakes wins by a trainer, eight, when he sends Prince Eugene to victory. 1935 — Jim Braddock scores a 15-round unanimous decision over Max Baer...
NASCAR All-Star race will be Texas-sized sendoff for Gossage
FORT WORTH, Texas — An All-Star race in the Lone Star State, with at least five restarts over 100 laps, a few inversion gimmicks and $1 million for the winning driver. NASCAR is providing quite a night to mark the 25th season of racing at Texas Motor Speedway and sendoff...
Inspired by Novotna, Krejcikova wins 1st Slam title in ParisVideo
PARIS — Thinking of her late coach the whole time, Barbora Krejcikova went from unseeded player to Grand Slam champion at a French Open full of surprises. Krejcikova beat 31st-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, in the final Satuday at Roland Garros to win the title in just her fifth...
Johnson struggling at Detroit, trying to stay out of the way in maiden voyage with IndyCarVideo
DETROIT — Jimmie Johnson is struggling to get around the Raceway at Belle Isle Park and, at times, has been more than 5 seconds off the pace of the leader. It’s the most challenging track the seven-time NASCAR champion has raced, but Johnson is certain he’s not the driver Will...
Texas trucks: NASCAR leader Nemechek wins 2nd race in row
FORT WORTH, Texas — John Hunter Nemechek won his second consecutive NASCAR truck race, leading the final 22 laps and finishing more than 3.3 seconds ahead of reigning Cup champion Chase Elliott on a steamy Saturday in Texas. Nemechek, already the series points leader, got his fourth victory this season...
This date in sports history: June 12Video
1920 — Man o’ War wins the Belmont Stakes, which was run at 1 3/8-miles, in 2 minutes, 14 1/5 seconds. He shatters the world record by 3 1/5 seconds and sets the American dirt-course record for that distance. 1930 — Max Schmeling beats Jack Sharkey on a fourth-round foul...
Column: Phelps is gone, but other U.S. swimmers ready to fill voidVideo
OMAHA, Neb. — Not long after rolling into town, Michael Phelps would dutifully pop into the interview room to muse on his outlandish accomplishments in the pool. There was always an extra bit of excitement in the arena when he arrived, even if he rarely revealed anything of great importance....
