SWIMMERS WIN MEDALS, SET RECORDS AT GAMES OF TEXAS

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (July 25, 2009) Derrick Mauk and Susan Matherne combined for six gold medals and three state records to lead the South Belt Area “All Stars” Swimming Team (SBAS) at the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation’s Games of Texas. The swimming competition was held at Josh Davis Natatorium in the Northeast Independent School District in San Antonio.

Matherne, competing in the women’s 45-49 year old age group won three gold medals and set new state records in all three events.

The former LSU swimmer’s gold medals were in the 50-yard freestyle (:25.53), 100-yard freestyle (:55.05) and the 50-yard butterfly (:28.57). All three performances set new TAAF state records.

Mauk won his state titles in the men’s 30-34 year old 50-yard backstroke, 50-yard butterfly, and the 100-yard individual medley.

Matherne’s son Harrison, competing in the boys 11-12 year old age group took the bronze medal in the 50-yard backstroke.

SBAS also scored two relay medals. Susan Matherne and Mauk combined with former Pasadena High School swimmer Kristine Kelly and Landon Howard to take the silver medal in the 18 and over mixed 200-yard freestyle relay. Their time of 1:43.09 was the third fastest in games history.

Howard also combined with Gendalyn Seale and former Sam Rayburn High School swimmers Jenna Taylor and Brian Vestal to take the bronze medal in the 18 and over mixed 100-yard freestyle relay.

Harrison Matherne also placed fourth in the 50-yard butterfly and seventh in the 50-yard freestyle.

SBAS has two swimmers competing in the men’s 18-24 year old division. Howard finished fourth in the 50-yard freestyle, 10th in the 50-yard butterfly and 11th in the 50-yard freestyle. Vestal placed 17th in the 100-yard individual medley and 23rd in the 50-yard butterfly.

In the men’s 40 and over age group, SBAS co-head coach Robert Kelly placed 11th in the 50-yard breaststroke and 17th in the 50-yard freestyle. Ed Seale placed 19th in the 50-yard freestyle.

In the boys 15-17 year old age group, John-Philip Seale placed 48th in the 50-yard butterfly, 53rd in the 50-yard freestyle, and 56th in the 100-yard freestyle.

On the female side, Erin Wilson placed 12th in the 50-yard backstroke and 13th in the 100-yard individual medley. She was competing in the girls 11-12 year old age group.

In the women’s 18-24 age group, Taylor placed 9th in the 50-yard breaststroke and 17th in the 100-yard freestyle. Kristine Kelly finished 8th in the 50-yard backstroke and 12th in the 50-yard butterfly. Gwendalyn Seale placed 12th in the 50-yard breaststroke and 21st in the 50-yard freestyle.

In the women’s 40 and over age group, SBAS co-head coach Darla Kelly placed 9th in the 50-yard breaststroke ands 14th in the 50-yard freestyle.

Over 1500 swimmers competed in the three day competition, which contested 130 events.

The South Belt Area “All Stars” Swimming Team is a select swimming team consisting of elite swimmers from the Pasadena, Deer Park, Pearland, Friendswood, Clear Lake and Houston South Belt areas.

19th Houston Int’l Jazz Festival Set

Rachelle Ferrell, Grupo Niche, Hiroshima To Appear

HOUSTON, TX (July 22, 2009) Jazz will fill the air in downtown Houston Saturday and Sunday, August 1st and 2nd as the 19th Annual Houston Int’l Jazz Festival kicks off August Jazz Month. The event will be held at the Discovery Green Park, 4:00 to 10:00 PM each day. An all-star lineup is scheduled including: “Rachelle Ferrell,” “Grupo Niche,” “Hiroshima,” “Texas Brass Band,” “Summer Jazz Workshop All-Stars,” and many more.

“The Houston Int’l Jazz Festival represents a rich tradition of excellence through musical expression. The Festival is the primary fundraiser for Jazz Education Inc., which is a non-profit organization committed to the mission of providing worthwhile education activities for school-aged youth,” stated Houston City Council Member Jarvis Johnson, Chairman of the Festival.

Produced by Jazz Education, the Jazz Festival is funded by: Houston Arts Alliance through the City of Houston, Bud Light/Silver Eagle Distributors, Kroger Food Stores, Yellow Cab Co., Comcast, Discovery Green Conservancy, Greensheet, Fox 26, KCOH Radio, KTSU 90.9 FM and Majic 102 FM.

The Heart of a Turfcat

AUSTIN, TEXAS (July 22, 2009) Austin Turfcats defensive lineman Ryan Childress never gives up. No matter how many times he's been told no, if he wants something, his determination will not waver. He proved that this season by going to every Turfcats practice and home game despite never making the 23-man roster.

On July 11, Ryan became the Turfcats' version of Rudy when he made his debut into the SIFL in the last game of the 2009 regular season. Childress helped the Turfcats close out their regular season with a 60-28 win over the Texas Hurricanes.

"I always wanted to play professional football," Childress said. "That was my dream and now I've had the opportunity to work hard and make it a reality. Being part of game felt great and I got to help the Turfcats earn a win on their way to the championship."

"His determination and loyalty motivate the rest of team," said Turfcats head coach Chris Duliban. "He makes everyone remember that you better come to practice ready to fight for your spot and produce during the game because there are guys working hard in the wings trying to take your position."

The Turfcats (10-2) and the Louisiana Swashbucklers (11-1) face off Monday in the inaugural SIFL President's Cup championship game. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. from the Smuggler's Den at the Lake Charles Civic Center in Lake Charles, La. Tickets will be available at the ticket booth on game day. For ticket prices visit the Swashbucklers website at www.labucs.com.

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M FOOTBALL PLAYERS RECEIVE PRESEASON HONORS

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA (jULY 22, 2009) Seven members of the Prairie View A&M University Panther football team received All-Southwestern Athletic Conference Honors Tuesday, as the SWAC Office announced their annual preseason teams during its annual media day festivities. In addition to the individual accolades, the Panthers were also picked to finish third in the SWAC Western Division standings.

Representing Prairie View on the All-SWAC First Team are running back Donald Babers, offensive lineman James Dekle, defensive end Quinton Spears, defensive back Anthony Beck and punter Pedro Ventura. Earning second team honors were offensive lineman James Blanton and tight end Marlon Allen.

Babers, Beck, Dekle, Spears and Ventura earned all-conference honors last season following Prairie View’s 9-1 campaign while this marks the first time both Blanton and Allen received All-SWAC accolades.

In addition to the SWAC’s preseason teams, a total of nine Panthers received either First or Second Team All-SWAC Honors by Phil Steele’s College Football Preview.

The quartet of Babers, Beck, Dekle and Spears received first team honors while Allen, Ventura, offensive lineman Stoney Owens, defensive lineman Dalvin Nettles and linebacker Renaldo Revuelta landed spots on the second team.

Prairie View begins preseason practice on Monday, Aug. 10 and kicks off the 2009 season with the annual Labor Day Classic versus conference rival Texas Southern on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Reliant Stadium beginning at 7 p.m.

Seven Turfcats Named To The All-SIFL Team

AUSTIN, TEXAS (July 21, 2009) The Austin Turfcats had seven players chosen for the 2009 Southern Indoor Football League all-league team. Voting was conducted among the head coaches and front offices of the league's five charter teams along with SIFL staff and fan polling.

Fans were also allowed to vote for their player of the year at respective positions. Fans selected Austin's quarterback Deron Ellis and wide receiver Robert Quiroga as their players of the year, but neither garnered enough votes to make the all-league team.

Keith Clay tied for the all-team running back, center John Cardenas was selected as one of the four offensive line man, Kevin Earvine was selected as one of the four defensive lineman, Avery Cleveland tied for linebacker, JR Turner tied for defensive back, and Darrick Wallace was selected as the kick returner.

Clay finished the regular season third for rushing touchdowns with nine and kick return touchdowns with one, fourth for rushing yards with 183, and fifth for rushing yards per game with 22.9. He was also sixth for total offensive touchdowns with nine, seventh for scoring with 7.5 points per game and tenth for yards per rush with 3.1.

Earvine is ranked second for sacks with six, tackles for a loss with 14 and tackles among defensive ends and lineman with 28.5. Cleveland is tenth for tackles among linebackers with 16. Turner closed out the regular season ranked sixth for tackles among all positions with 33, sixth for interception returns with three, and seventh for forced fumbles with two.

Wallace topped the leader boards in six different categories: all purpose yards with 104.4 per game, touchdowns with 10.4 points per game, missed field goal return yards with 253, missed field goal return touchdowns with five and kick return touchdowns with two. He was also second for kick return yards with 401, seventh for receptions with 27, ninth for reception touchdowns with 6, and tenth for yards per catch with 10.4 and reception yards with 281.

The second seeded Turfcats (9-2) are set to take on the first seeded Louisiana Swashbucklers (11-2) Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the inaugural SIFL President's Cup championship game. With the Swashbucklers having home field advantage the game will be held at the Smuggler's Den at the Lake Charles Civic Center in Lake Charles, La. Tickets will be available at the ticket booth on game day. For ticket prices visit the Swashbucklers website at www.labucs.com.

Three Texas State Football Signees To Play in THSCA All-Star Game

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS (July 19, 2009) Three members of Texas State’s 2009 football recruiting class have been selected to play in the Texas High School Coaches Association Football All-Star Game in Austin on July 21.

Frank Reddic, a fullback from Kilgore High School, and Blake McColloch, an inside linebacker from Midland Greenwood High School, will play for the North Team. Defensive end of Jordan Norfleet of Clear Brook High School will play for the South Team.

The game will be played at Darrell K. Royal/Memorial Stadium with kick off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Reddic is a two-time All-District 14-4A First-Team selection and an All-State Second-Team choice after running for 2,013 yards and 22 touchdowns on 334 carries. He set school records of 53 carries for 347 yards against Marshall in a Bi-District playoff win over Marshall for Kilgore coach Mike Vallery.

McColloch was the District 3-3A MVP and an All-State Second-Team selection after running for 651 yards and six touchdowns on 114 carries.

Norfleet was an All-District 24-5A selection and named Clear Brook’s Defensive MVP and Defensive Lineman of the Year after leading coach Paul Lanier’s District Championship team to a 7-3 record.

TCU Women's Tennis Announces 2009-10 Schedule

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (July 16, 2009) TCU women's tennis head coach Jefferson Hammond announced the schedule for the 2009-10 season Wednesday. The Horned Frogs will face nine teams that ended last season in the top-25, and 17 teams that finished in the
top-50.

"This is one of the strongest non-conference schedules in the country, and we look forward to the challenge," Hammond said. "Playing quality opponents helps our players get better and prepares us well for the conference season and the NCAA tournament."

The Frogs' non-conference schedule will be highlighted by home matches against No. 6 Baylor, No. 13 Stanford, No. 15 Arkansas, No. 23 SMU, No. 28 Texas A&M, No. 33 Illinois and No. 44 Virginia Commonwealth.

TCU will also face stiff non-conference competition on the road, facing No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 7 Miami, No. 18 Michigan, No. 22 Vanderbilt, No. 26 Alabama and No. 35 Auburn.

The Frogs will host three Mountain West Conference matches, while traveling away from Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center for the other five MWC meetings.

The fall season will begin on September 18 as the Horned Frogs will kick off the year at the Racquet Club Invitational in Midland, Texas. Selected players will then jump to the West Coast to Pacific Palisades, Calif., for the ITA All-American Invitational, starting Oct. 3. After the nine-day event, TCU will take part in the ITA Texas Regional in Waco, Texas, from Oct. 16-20.

On Nov. 5-8, select members of the Frogs’ roster will close out the fall schedule in New Haven, Conn., for the ITA National Indoor Individual Championships, while others take part in the Kitty Harrison Invitational in
Chapel Hill, N.C., Nov. 6-8.

"We will use the fall to build and gain confidence for the spring," Hammond said. "We have a strong fall schedule that will give our players opportunities to climb in the individual rankings."

The 2009 dual match season will begin in Knoxville, Tenn., to face No. 22
Vanderbilt as part of the “ITA Kickoff Weekend” on Jan. 29. TCU has claimed the
last two meetings against the Commodores to hold a 2-1 advantage in the all-time
series. The Horned Frogs will finish the weekend at Rocky Top with a tall task,
handling No. 10 Tennessee or No. 32 Texas.

TCU will open the home schedule at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center with a
premier battle against No. 13 Stanford on Feb. 5. The meeting will be the first
Fort Worth appearance for the Cardinal.
After an appearance in the final rounds of the ITA National Team Championships,
Feb. 12-15, the Frogs return home to take on cross-town rival No. 23 SMU for a
twilight match under the lights on Feb. 17. TCU holds a 26-17 lead in the
all-time series against the Mustangs, taking four of the last five matches. The
Frogs have also taken the last seven meetings against SMU at the Friedman Tennis
Center.

Four days later, TCU will host No. 15 Arkansas for a chance to avenge the
heartbreaking loss against the Razorbacks that dismissed the Frogs’ in 2009 NCAA
Regionals. The former Southwest Conference foe returns to Fort Worth for the
first time since 1988.

The Purple and White will wrap-up February with a three-match road swing through
No. 18 Michigan on Feb. 24, before taking on Southeastern Conference standouts
No. 26 Alabama and No. 35 Auburn on Feb. 27-28, respectively.

With only six matches scheduled during March, TCU will kick-start the month by
hosting No. 28 Texas A&M on March 6 in Fort Worth. The last two matches with the
Aggies have come down to the final court, as TCU turned the 2009 season around
with a 4-3 victory in College Station. The Frogs will end the weekend with a
matchup against No. 33 Illinois on March 7. TCU will look to build on their 3-1
ledger against the Fighting Illini, meeting for the first time since 1998.

After traveling to No. 7 Miami on March 15 and hosting No. 44 VCU on March 18,
the Frogs’ will head to Wichita, Kan., for a tough two-step against Wichita
State (March 26) and No. 5 Notre Dame (March 27).

TCU will return to the Lone Star State to open Mountain West Conference play,
hosting Air Force and Colorado State on April 2, before ending the home schedule
against Wyoming on April 3. The Purple and White have never lost to the MWC
trio, owning a 17-0 record against the league foes.

After battling UC-Irvine on April 7, the Frogs will make a pivotal trip to Las
Vegas, Nev., to challenge MWC rivals No. 42 San Diego State (April 9) and No. 43
UNLV (April 10). The Rebels were the only league opponent to defeat TCU in 2009,
but the Frogs got their revenge by taking down UNLV in the MWC Championship
finals.

TCU will wrap-up the conference season in Albuquerque, N.M., facing No. 64 BYU
on April 17, followed by a doubleheader against No. 63 Utah and New Mexico on
April 18. The 2010 regular season ends with a return trip to Waco to battle No.
6 Baylor on April 21.

The 2010 MWC Championships will be held in Las Vegas, Nev. April 28 – May 1. The
NCAA Team Championships will take place on May 20-24 in Athens, Ga., followed by
the NCAA Individual Championships on May 25-31.

KFC World Cup of Softball brings premier players to Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA (July 15, 2009) The first pitch of the 2009 KFC World Cup of Softball presented by Six Flag is less than 24 hours away at the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City, Okla., with the Italy and Netherlands game scheduled for July 16 at 11:30 a.m. The currently undefeated USA Softball Women’s National Team (12-0) gets into World Cup action Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Netherlands.

A premier international event that will be aired throughout the world on the networks of ESPN, the World Cup features the top teams from the 2008 Olympic Games: gold medalists Japan, silver medalists USA, bronze medalists Australia and fourth place finishers Canada. Also making an appearance at its first ever World Cup are the Netherlands, ranked eighth at the Beijing Olympics, and Italy, an emerging softball nation.

Netherlands and Italy will face each other at the World Cup for the first time since the Netherlands upset Italy to advance to the recent Olympics. But the biggest showdown will come on Saturday at 7 p.m. when the three-time Olympic Champion United States, now a relatively young team that relies heavily on its 10 rookies, takes on Japan for the first time since Japan took over the No. 1 world ranking by winning Beijing’s Gold Medal game 3-1.

"The big goal is to win the gold medal every time we take the field. That's ultimately what we're about as a program," said head coach Jay Miller (Starkville, Miss.). "We want to continue that and, more importantly, we want to get better individually for our players and we want to get better as a team, bottom line."

Though both the American and Japanese teams will look different in Oklahoma City, the eight veterans of Team USA—Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.), Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.), Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.), Vicky Galindo (Union City, Calif.), Lauren Lappin (Anaheim, Calif.), Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.), Cat Osterman (Houston) and Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.)—see the World Cup as an opportunity to redeem themselves from the silver medal disappointment.

“It’s always nice to come to Oklahoma City and compete in front of the best fans in the World. I think we are all excited to face Japan as the last time we matched up with them, the result wasn’t exactly what we wanted,” said Finch. “It’s not just Japan though that we are looking to as the top teams in the World will be in Oklahoma City. It’s an amazing opportunity for softball fans to see some incredible softball action.”

The USA is coming off its season opening 12-0 appearance at the 2009 Canada Cup in Surrey, B.C., Canada, where they captured a Gold Medal with a come-from-behind, bottom of the seventh inning rally over host Canada, 3-2. At the World Cup, the Americans will again face Canada, for the fifth time of the season, as well as Australia and the Netherlands.

Watley (Irvine, Calif.), named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament, has been instrumental in the success of the team hitting .548 (17-for-31) with 14 RBI and 11 runs scored. Osterman and Abbott both earned four wins each for the team with Osterman earning the win in the circle in the Championship game against Canada.

The team has outscored opponent 78-5 and have a combined .373 batting average heading into the World Cup.

Although women’s fast pitch is the focus of the World Cup, the first USA Softball Men’s National Slow Pitch team will take part in three exhibition games on Thursday and Friday before competing in the inaugural Border Battle with Canada’s slow pitch team.

ESPN will air seven games live from the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City while also providing coverage on the www.espn360.com Web site. For more information on the television schedule, refer to the USA Softball Web site at www.usasoftball.com/folders.asp?uid=5056.

Tickets for the World Cup of Softball and the Border Battle are still on sale at www.softball.com and will also be available at the stadium ticket booth July 16-20. Fans who attend the games in person will have the chance to win prizes like wrist bands and even meet members of the USA Softball Women’s National Team.

Thursday, July 16 – Fan Banners to first 3,000 fans!
Session #1
11:30 AM Italy vs. Netherlands
2:00 PM Australia vs. Japan
7:00 PM ESPN USA vs. Netherlands
9:00 PM Canada vs. Italy


Friday, July 17 – Wear RED to support the troops! Camo Wrist Band packs to the first 2,000 fans!
Session #2
11:30 AM Netherlands vs. Australia
2:00 PM Canada vs. Australia
7:00 PM ESPN USA vs. Italy (Autographs with Team USA to follow)
9:00 PM Italy vs. Japan

Saturday, July 18 – PINK OUT! Pink hats to the first 5,000 fans! Show support for Breast Cancer research.
Session #3
12:00 PM ESPN USA vs. Canada
3:00 PM ESPN Men’s Slow Pitch USA vs. Canada Border Battle
7:00 PM ESPN USA vs. Japan
9:00 PM Japan vs. Netherlands


Sunday, July 19
Session #4
12:00 PM ESPN USA vs. Australia
2:30 PM Japan vs. Canada
5:00 PM Italy vs. Australia
7:30 PM Netherlands vs. Canada


Monday, July 20 – USA Nike hats to the first 500 fans!
Session #5
12:30 PM #6 Seed vs. #5 Seed
3:30 PM #4 Seed vs. #3 Seed
8:00 PM ESPN2 #1 Seed vs. #2 Seed (Autographs with Team USA to follow)


Also check out www.usasoftball.com for complete coverage of the World Cup including box scores, recaps, interviews and much more.

PASADENA AREA SWIMMERS WIN MEDALS, QUALIFY FOR GAMES OF TEXAS

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publlications

PASADENA, TEXAS (July 14, 2009)The South Belt Area “All Stars” Swimming Team (SBAS) recently competed in the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation’s (TAAF) Region 1 Swimming Championships at Conroe ISD Natatorium and came home with numerous awards and honors.

Harrison Matherne, competing in the boys 11-12 year old division, won the gold medal in the 50-yard butterfly and silver medals in the 50-yard backstroke and 50-yard freestyle.

Erin Wilson, competing in the girls 11-12 year old division, took the bronze medal in the 100-yard=2 0individual medley. She also placed fourth in the 50-yard backstroke and ninth in the 50-yard butterfly.

As a result of their performances, Matherne and Wilson have qualified for the TAAF Games of Texas State Championships to be held July 24-26 at Josh Davis Natatorium in San Antonio. Matherne will compete in all three of his events while Wilson will compete in the 100-yard individual medley and the 50-yard backstroke.

The top four finishers in all 14 years old and under events qualified for the state championships.

This will be Matherne’s fourth trip to the Games of Texas, having competed previously in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Wilson will be making her first trip to the Games.

In addition to Matherne and Wilson, other SBAS swimmers placed at the regional championships.

Henry Huelskamp (9-10 year old division) finished 20th in the 25-yard breaststroke and 25th in the 25-yard freestyle

Sarah Taylor (11-12 year old division) placed 34th in the 50-yard breaststroke and 47th in the 50-yard freestyle.

Ian Burke (13-14 year old division) placed ninth in the 50-yard breaststroke, 13th in the 50-yard freestyle, and 14th in the 50-yard backstroke.

John Phil lip Seale (15-17 year old age group) placed 16th in the 50-yard butterfly and 19th in the 50-yard freestyle.

Matherne and Wilson will not be the only SBAS swimmers competing in the championships. They will be joined by a large contingent of SBAS masters (ages 18 and over) swimmers.

Former area high school swimmers Kasey Mauk, Kristine Kelly, Jenna Taylor, Brian Vestal and Derrick Mauk will hit the water again for the state championships. They will be joined by Landon Howard, Gwendolyn Seale, John Philip Seale, Ed Seale, Susan Matherne (Harrison’s mother) and SBAS coaches Robert Kelly and Darla Kelly.

This year will make the sixth appearance for SBAS swimmers in the Games of Texas.

The South Belt Area “All Stars” Swimming Team is a select swimming team consisting of elite swimmers from the Deer Park, Pasadena, Pearland, Friendswood, Clear Lake and greater Houston area.

Dynamo’s Cameron, Holden voted into First XI for MLS All-Star Game

HOUSTON, TX (July 14, 2009) Houston Dynamo players Geoff Cameron and Stuart Holden were both voted to the Major League Soccer First XI and will represent the league in the MLS All-Star Game on July 29, Major League Soccer announced today.

All-Star selections were voted on by players; coaches and general managers; media; and fans, each of which accounted for 25 percent of the voting. Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear, who will coach the MLS All-Stars against English club Everton, will select most of the squad’s reserves, augmented by two commissioner’s picks.

Cameron and Holden are the fourth and fifth All-Star First XI selections in Dynamo history. Dwayne De Rosario was a First XI selection in 2006 and 2007, and midfielder Ricardo Clark was named in 2007.

Cameron, 24, has had an outstanding season so far as a center back after playing most of his rookie season last year as a midfielder. He has partnered with Bobby Boswell in the center of the Houston back line to anchor the league’s top defense, with only 12 goals allowed in 17 MLS games this season.

Holden, 23, is also in his first year as a full-time starter and helped lead the Dynamo to first place by notching three game-winning goals during the Dynamo’s 11-game unbeaten streak April 11-June 20. Holden has four goals and three assists in 15 games on the season and earned a call-up to the United States national team, where he has scored two goals in his first two games.

Currently the overall Major League Soccer leader, the Dynamo will play their sixth of seven consecutive road games on Saturday afternoon against Toronto FC. The Dynamo will then travel back to Seattle for a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal match against the Seattle Sounders on Tuesday, July 21. Houston’s next home game is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, against the New England Revolution.

Fielder Wins 2009 State Farm Home Run Derby

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (July 13, 2009) The finals of the State Farm Home Run Derby found Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers facing off against Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The home run totals were reset and both batters had to accumulate the most home runs in the final to be crowned the 2009 State Farm Home Run Derby Champion.

Cruz lead off and looked to be trying to muscle the ball a bit more than he did in the first two rounds. He hit five home runs.

Fielder batted second and looked, in his warmup swings, as if he meant business.
On his seventh out, he hit his sixth home run to win the title.

Both players shook hands and congratulated each other on their performances.

As a results of the Home Run Derby, State Farm Insurance donated $665,000 to the Boy's and Girl's Clubs of America.

2009 State Farm Home Run Derby: Second Round Results

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (July 13, 2009) The second round of the State Farm Home Run Derby is complete and the results are listed below, in order that they batted. The results from both rounds, one and two, were combined to get a total with the two top batters advancing.

Each batter got ten outs in the second round.

1. Albert Pujois-St. Louis Cardinals (batting right handed)
1st Round: 5 home runs
2nd Round: 6 home runs
Total: 11 home runs

Pujois came on strong in the second round and seemed to be hitting the ball better.

2. Ryan Howard-Philadelphia Philles (batting right handed)
1st Round: 7 home runs
2nd Round: 8 home runs
Total: 15 home runs

Howard was hitting better this round.

3. Nelson Cruz-Texas Rangers (batting left handed)
1st Round: 11 home runs
2nd Round: 5 home runs
Total: 16 home runs.

Cruz looked a bit tired as the second round progresses. He will need to dig deep down to keep hit hitting hard in the finals.

4. Prince Fielder-Milwaukee Brewers (batting left handed)
1st Round: 11 home runs
2nd Round: 6 home runs
Total: 17 home runs

Fielder only needed one home run with five outs to go to advance to the finals.

The finals will see Fielder facing Cruz in a National League versus American league final.

2009 State Farm Home Run Derby: First Round Results

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (July 13, 2009) The first round of the State Farm Home Run Derby is complete and the results are listed below, in order that they batted.

1. Nelson Cruz-Texas Rangers (LH): 11 home runs; average: 410 feet; longest: 416 feet.

2. Prince Fielder-Milwaukee Brewers (LH): 11 home runs; average: 422 feet; longest: 497 feet.

3. Brandon Inge-Detroit Tigers (RH): 0 home runs; average: 0 feet; longest: 0 feet

4. Albert Gonzalez-San Diego Padres (LH): 2 home runs; average: 410 feet; longest: 416 feet.

5. Carlos Pena-Tampa Bay Rays (LH): 5 home runs; average: 429 feet; longest: 454 feet

6. Ryan Howard-Philadelphia Philles (LH): 7 home runs; average: 412 feet; longest: 434 feet

7. Joel Mauer-Minnesota Twins (LH): 5 home runs; average: 430 feet; longest: 458 feet

8. Albert Pujois-St. Louis Cardinals (RH): 5 home runs; average: 402 feet; longest: 416 feet

Inge went 0-10 but seemed to have fun and Howard got a welcome home standing ovation from the local fans.

There was a five swing-off tie breaker bewteen Mauer, Pujois, and Pena to see who received the fourth round two berth.

In the swing-off, Pena batted first, followed by Mauer and Pujois.

1. Carlos Pena-Tampa Bay Rays (LH): 1 home runs on five swings.

2. Joel Mauer-Minnesota Twins (LH): 0 home runs on five swings.

3. Albert Pujois-St. Louis Cardinals (RH): 2 home runs on five swings.

Pujois advanceed to round two and joined Cruz, Fielder, and Howard.

2009 State Farm Home Run Derby Preview

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

ST. LOUIS MISSOURI (July 13, 2009) Here is the batting order for the State Farm Home Run Derby at the 2009 MLB All Star Game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

1. Nelson Cruz-Texas Rangers
2. Prince Fielder-Milwaukee Brewers
3. Brandon Inge-Detroit Tigers
4. Adrian Gonzalez-San Diego Padres
5. Carlos Pena- Tampa Bay Rays
6. Ryan Howard-Philadelphia Philles
7. Joe Mauer-Minnesota Twins
8. Albert Pujois-St. Louis Cardinals

I am picking Albert Pujois to win it all. The home town player must have the advantage.

Here are the rules for the contest:

Opening Round
• Each player gets 10 outs to hit as many home runs as possible.
• The four players with the most home runs hit in the Opening Round advance to the Semi-Final Round.

Semi-Final Round
• Home runs totals from the first round will carry over to the second round.
• Each player gets 10 outs to hit as many home runs as possible per at bat.
• The two players with the most home runs in the Semi-Final Round advance to the Championship Round.

Championship Round
• Home runs from the first two rounds do not carry over to the Championship Round; Opening and Semi-Final Round totals are cleared from the board.
• Each player gets 10 outs to hit as many home runs as possible.
• The player who hits the most home runs in the Championship Round is declared the Home Run Derby champion.

Rules
• An out is registered when a player swings at a pitch and does not hit a home run.
• A ball hit over the fence must be fair to count as a home run.

I will update the results after the first round.

Waite Hurries Up For Second Place at the Aviva World Trials & UK Championships

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND (July 13, 2009) Former Distance runner Lennie Waite (Rice, 2008) placed second in the 3000m steeplechase at the Aviva World Trials & UK Championships held at Alexander Stadium.

Waite, who was born in Scotland and raised in Austin, Texas, posted a second place time of 9:52.62. 2009 was Waite's final year of collegiate eligibility and she earned All-America honors with a fifth place finish in the 3000m steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Championship. Helen Clitheroe was first with a time of 9:48.24

The IAAF World Championships qualifying standard is 9:40.00 and the "B" standard is 9:48.00. Waite's fastest time in the 3000m steeplechase is 9:50.48.

Rice's Colwick Sets Meet Record in Germany

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 13, 2009) Rice's All-American pole vaulter Jason Colwick is spending his summer vacation competing in Europe, and in his first-ever international competition he set a meet record. On Sunday (July 12) in Rottach, Germany, Colwick won the Rottacher Springer-Meeting with a mark of 5.72m/18-9.25, which also ties his all-time best mark.

Colwick is accompanied on the trip with Rice assistant track and field pole vault coach David Butler. He will compete at Karlsruhe, Germany, on Wednesday (July 15) and at Jockgrim, Germany, on Tuesday (July 21).

Beside it being Colwick's first-ever international competition it was also the first time that he has ever been to Europe. The San Marcos, Texas, native will be a senior on head coach Jon Warren's Rice Owls track and field squad next season.

Results
1. Jason Colwick (USA) 5.72m
2. Björn Otto (LAV Bayer Uerdingen/Dormagen) 5.67m
3. Fabian Schulze (LAZ Salamander Kornwestheim/Ludwigsburg) 5.62m
4. Tim Lobinger (LG Stadtwerke München) 5.57m
5. Jeremy Scott (USA) 5.52m
6. Giuseppe Gibilisco (ITA) 5.52m
7. Richard Spiegelburg (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen) 5.37m
8. Michel Frauen (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen) 5.37m
9. Nico Dieckmann (LG Nord Berlin) 5.22m
10. Lars Börgeling (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen) 5.22m
11. Thorsten Müller (LAZ Salamander Kornwestheim/Ludwigsburg) 5.02m
12. Leo Lohre (TSV Eltingen) 5.02m

Ivan Rodriguez: All-Time leader in games caught behind the plate.

By Chris Fernandez of El Dorado News
Special Article for TexSport Publications
(Photos by Erik Williams)

Ivan Rodriguez All-Time leader in games caught behind the plate.

This past Tuesday night Ivan Rodriguez tied a Major League Baseball record for starts behind the plate at 2,226. Wednesday a new record will bare the name of "The Greatest Catcher Ever Known".

Into The Record Books

Coming to the Astros in late spring, Ivan Rodriguez began his quest for unsurpassed greatness behind the plate. In games caught Rodriguez after this week will be second-to-none.

The ledgers will read # 2 Carlton Fisk, 2,226 games caught, Ivan Rodriguez 2,227 and counting.

All time leader in hits Ivan Rodriguez 2,649 and counting as a catcher.
An All Star at 20 Rodriguez became a Golden Glove recipient.

What’s next for Ivan Rodriguez? Answer: The Hall of Fame.

Ivan Rodriguez has been in baseball since he was 17 years old, and has caught for pitchers like Nolan Ryan, when Ivan was on the Rangers. Puerto Rico native, Rodriguez makes his home in Miami, Fl.

Rodriguez is an 18 year veteran with a 301 career batting average. Rodriguez has been to the “Big Show”, twice and postseason play five times.

Rodriguez leads all Puerto Rican-born players with 524+ career doubles.

*Don't miss El Dorado's one on one interview with the Hall of Catcher next week July 22, 2009 at El Dorado News at http://www.myeldoradonews.com/

THE AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE ANNOUNCES DIVISION ALIGNMENTS, SCHEDULE FORMAT FOR 2009-10 SEASON

SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS (July 11, 2009) American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced that the league's Board of Governors has approved the following conference and division alignment for the AHL's 2009-10 season (NHL affiliates in parentheses):

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI)
Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)
Lowell Devils (NJ)
Manchester Monarchs (LA)
Portland Pirates (BUF)
Providence Bruins (BOS)
Springfield Falcons (EDM)
Worcester Sharks (SJ)

East Division
Adirondack Phantoms (PHI)
Albany River Rats (CAR)
Binghamton Senators (OTT)
Hershey Bears (WSH)
Norfolk Admirals (TB)
Syracuse Crunch (CBJ)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)

Western Conference
North Division
Abbotsford Heat (CGY)
Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)
Hamilton Bulldogs (MTL)
Lake Erie Monsters (COL)
Manitoba Moose (VAN)
Rochester Americans (FLA)
Toronto Marlies (TOR)

West Division
Chicago Wolves (ATL)
Houston Aeros (MIN)
Milwaukee Admirals (NSH)
Peoria Rivermen (STL)
Rockford IceHogs (CHI)
San Antonio Rampage (PHX)
Texas Stars (DAL)

The 2009-10 regular season will begin on Oct. 2. The Houston Aeros complete schedule will be announced later this summer. Houston is slated to host 28 games within the West Division, 11 against the North Division and one versus the East Division. The Aeros opponents and number of home games are as follows (Houston plays each team an equal number of times on the road):

West Division
Texas Stars – six games
San Antonio Rampage – six games
Chicago Wolves – four games
Milwaukee Admirals – four games
Peoria Rivermen – four games
Rockford IceHogs – four games

North Division
Grand Rapids Griffins – three games
Abbotsford Heat – two games
Lake Erie Monsters – two games
Manitoba Moose – two games
Hamilton Bulldogs – one game
Toronto Marlies – one game

East Division
Syracuse Crunch – one game

In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 84 percent of today's NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the eighth year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2008-09.

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M ATHLETICS SEASON TICKETS ON SALE

PRAIRIE VIEW, TEXAS (July 12, 2009) The Prairie View A&M Department of Athletics has announced season ticket information for the 2009-10 athletic season. Once again, fans will have a variety of season ticket options ranging from all-sports to football-only packages.

For the ultimate Prairie View A&M fan, the Panther Pack ($300) is the best option as it includes admission to all home athletic contests for the year, one ticket each to the State Farm Labor Day and Southwest State Fair Football Classics, reserved floor seating for men’s and women’s basketball games, a priority parking pass and a complimentary PVAMU Athletics shirt.

The Purple Pack ($250) includes admission to all home athletic contests for the year, one ticket each to the State Farm Labor Day and Southwest State Fair Football Classics, reserved seating for men’s and women’s basketball games and a priority parking pass.

Individuals who select the Gold Pack ($200) will receive general admission to all home athletic events, one ticket apiece to the State Farm Labor Day and Southwest State Fair Football Classics and a parking pass.

Football fans who purchase the $125 Football Pack will receive admission to all home games at Blackshear Field, one ticket each to the State Farm Labor Day and Southwest State Fair Football Classics and a parking pass.

After an historic 9-1 campaign in 2008, the 2009 football season promises to be an exciting one highlighted by three home contests at Blackshear Field and the annual State Farm Labor Day Classic (Sept. 5) in Houston, Texas at Reliant Stadium and the Southwest State Fair Football Classic (Oct. 3) at the newly-renovated Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.

For more information or to place your order for season tickets call (936) 261-1392. A PDF copy of the season ticket brochure is also available for download on the season tickets link at the Prairie View A&M athletic Web site (http://sports.pvamu.edu).

GULF LSC SWIMMERS, RELAYS SCORE AT USA SWIMMING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 11, 2009) Two relays and three individuals from the Houston area made the finals and scored at the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships held at the Indiana University Natatorium.

The Aggie Swim Club won the gold medal and the national title in both the 4 X 100 meter freestyle relay and the 4 X 200 meter freestyle relay. Hannah Kinder, Melissa Hain, Maria Sommer and Sarah Woods combined to swim the time of 3:49.29 in the 4 X 100 meter freestyle relay in route to their title. Megan Latone and Ella Doerge joined Kinder and Hain in the 4 X 200 meter freestyle relay, swimming the event in 8:17.80 to claim the gold medal.

Individually, Magnolia Swim Club's Cammile Adams placed 4th in the 200-meter butterfly (2:10.25) with Matthew Barber finishing in 7th place in the the 400-meter freestyle (3:56.53).

The Woodlands Swim Team's Michael McBroom swam to a 7th place finish in the 1500-meter freestyle.

MEXICO'S AGUIRRE HANDED THREE-MATCH SUSPENSION FOR ACTIONS IN PANAMA MATCH

NEW YORK, NEW YORK (June 11, 2009) – Mexico manager Javier Aguirre will be suspended three matches for his actions during Thursday night’s Gold Cup Group C match against Panama, the CONCACAF Disciplinary Committee ruled Saturday.

In addition, the Mexican Football Federation will be fined $25,000 for the conduct of its bench personnel, who engaged in “serious irresponsible behavior” against Panamanian midfielder Ricardo Phillips and others that precipitated an unruly reaction from the partisan crowd at Houston’s Reliant Stadium.

Aguirre’s suspension will commence with Mexico’s final group game Sunday against Guadeloupe and make him eligible to return for the final July 26 at Giants Stadium in suburban New York. If eliminated before the semifinals, any remaining games would be served in World Cup qualifying.

Aguirre initiated a fracas at midfield of the 1-1 draw in the 80th minute when he left the technical area surrounding the Mexican bench to stop a loose ball that Phillips had been dribbling. Referee Joel Aguilar whistled the play dead when Phillips had let the ball exit the field of play but continued to play the ball as if it were live.

The Mexican coach extended his leg to block the ball, but instead made contact with Phillips, who fell, regained his feet and shoved Aguirre. That prompted Mexican bench personnel to respond by pushing Phillips and a fracas ensued, with debris showering the field from the crowd. The match was interrupted for approximately 12 minutes until order could be restored.

After reviewing video and several reports from numerous officials on site, including the match commissioner, referee, assistant referees and others, the disciplinary committee determined that while Aguirre was not attempting to injure Phillips, he did leave his designated area to engage in activities that resulted in contact and instigated the incident.

“The committee acknowledged that Mr. Aguirre is well known to them as a responsible person and it was their belief that this was an aberration rather than any aspect of his normal behavior,” CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer wrote in his letter to Mexican general secretary president Decio de Maria informing him of the decision.

The disciplinary committee chaired by David Sabir, the general secretary of the Bermuda Football Association, also included Central American Football Union (UNCAF) President Rafael Tinoco of Guatemala and Tony James of Jamaica, the immediate past chairman of the panel.

Tinoco and James were called by Blazer to replace standing members Hector Gonzales of Mexico and Mike Edwards of the United States, who were excluded to remove any appearance of a conflict of interest.

The committee took special note of the “exemplary behavior of Mexican goalkeeper Memo Ochoa in attempting to get the spectators to allow the game to restart and in helping lead Ricardo Phillips…to a safe exit from the playing field.”

Former Texas Standout Guard Terrence Rencher Named Assistant Coach At Texas State

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS (July 11, 2009) Texas State head basketball coach Doug Davalos has named former Texas standout guard Terrence Rencher an assistant coach for the 2009-10 season.

“Terrence is a great addition to our new staff,” Davalos said. “He is a very driven person who has come highly recommended by people I know and respect in this business.”

Rencher comes to Texas State after serving as a graduate assistant coach at Saint Louis under Rick Majerus in 2008-09. He also was the head coach and basketball program director for the boy’s varsity team at Regents School of Austin in 2007-08. In addition to his coaching duties, Rencher served as an academic mentor for the University of Texas men’s basketball team from 2006-08.

“I am excited to be at Texas State,” Rencher said. “I was always intrigued by the school when I played at Texas and always felt like it would be a great place to coach. I am just thankful that coach Davalos was confident in me and felt that I can help the program.”

“I have played or watched the sport since I was five years old,” Rencher added. “I have a passion to teach the players at the collegiate level because it is an impressionable and crucial time in their lives and I feel that I can relate because I have been there. I know the mentality about where they want to go and I feel that I can be an asset for them.”

Rencher is the all-time scoring leader at Texas, where he scored 2,306 points in his career and ranks sixth among the school’s career assists leaders with 440. A four-year starter at Texas, Rencher helped lead the Longhorns to three NCAA Tournament appearances, three Southwest Conference championships, one SWC Tournament title and a combined record of 83-44 from 1992-95.

“He was a tremendous player who maximized his talent and went on to play professionally in the NBA and overseas,” Davalos added. “That experience will have a great influence on our players.”

Following his collegiate career, Rencher was the #32 overall selection in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets and played one season in the NBA with Miami and Phoenix. He also played one season in the CBA before playing almost 10 years overseas in Israel, Italy, Croatia, Germany and Greece.

Mexico, Panama Battle to Tie in Gold Cup 2009

(Panama's Blas Perez falls from the stretcher under a barrage of cups in the final minutes of the Mexico-Panama Gold Cup match at Reliant Stadium. Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loco Photography Copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved)

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 9, 2009) In a match that saw action on and off the field, Mexico and Panama battled to a 1-1 tie in Group C action of CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

The game, which was the second game for each team in the tournament, puts Mexico at 1-0-1 and Panama 0-1-1 in the team standing.

Mexico will now face group leader Guadeloupe (2-0-0) while Panama will square off against Nicaragua (0-2-0)

El Tri got on the board first with a 9th minute goal from Miguel Sabah and Panama evened the score with a 28th minute goal by Blas Perez to even the score at halftime.

The half ended with two red cards issued to Panama’s Armado Gun and Mexico’s Luis Miguel Noriega. Gun was ejected for forcibly taking Giovani Dos Santos to the ground.

In a reaction to Santos’ rough treatment, Noriega went into a tirade and was sent off as a result. Both squads finished the half with ten players on the field.

The volatility of the last minutes of the first half action carried over in the second half of the game.

Another fight erupted in the 79th minute when Panamanian midfielder Ricardo Phillips went after the ball in the area in front of the Mexican bench.

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre, by his own admission, attempted to stop the ball and accidently made contact with Phillips. A shoving match ensued and both Phillips and Aguirre were given the heave-ho.

Phillips initially refused to leave the field; protesting for nearly five minutes before accepting the red card. He was escorted from the field by Gold Cup officials and local police; under a barrage of beer cups.

As a result, the delay lead to 10 extra minutes of playing time after 90-minutes of regulation.

Aguirre was quoted after the game, "I want to apologize to everyone, because I was not on my best behavior for two or three minutes. I tried to stop a dead ball, and there was contact with the player, because of his inertia and me holding my leg up high to stop the ball. I came out of my technical area, and for that I was ejected. I was a bad decision. This is a sincere apology. It was a product of that passion for the game."

Perez was injured at the 90th minute and medical staff carried him off the field on a stretcher. Another hail of beer cups caused Perez to fall off the stretcher. He was immediately placed back on the stretcher as police attempted to maintain decorum.

The volatility of the game carried over into the stand as no less than three spectators were handcuffed and escorted from the stadium by law enforcement officials.

After that, the game ended quickly after that, and the Panamanian team remained on the field for about 15 minutes until the officials cleared the stands.

Mexico and Panama will faceoff against Group C opponents Guadeloupe and Nicaragua on Sunday July 12 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Panama and Nicaragua will play in the first game with Mexico and Guadeloupe to follow in the nightcap.

Guadeloupe Downs Nicaragua in Gold Cup Soccer Action

(Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loco Photography Copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved)

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 9, 2009) The tiny archipelago of Guadeloupe punched its card to the quarter finals of Gold Cup 2009 with a 2-0 win over Nicaragua.

On a warm, yet air conditioned evening at Reliant Stadium in Houston, the Gwana Boys took on hungry Nicaraguan squad that as itching for a win after their 2-0 lost to Mexico in their first game of Gold Cup 2009.

Guadeloupe was coming off a 2-1 victory over Panama and was hoping to extend their winning streak to 2-0 in Group C play.

After a scoreless first half, Guadeloupe was the first to find the goal in the 58th minute when Stephane Auvaor took a pass from Aurelien Capoue to get the ball past Honduran goalkeeper Denis Espinosa.

Guadeloupe waited less than a minute to score its second goal of the match when Ludovic Gotin got a pass from Capoue to take the score to 2-0. The game ended in regulation with The Gwana Boys holding on the 2-0 lead to win their second match of the tournament.

The officials allowed the game to proceed at the player's pace; only issuing three yellow card and one ejection.

Guadeloupe’s Mickael Tacalfred receive the a warning in the 17th minute, along with a second yellow card in the 66th minute, which resulted in his ejection from the game.

Panama’s Silvio Aviles was also yellow carded in the 45th minute.

Guadeloupe had nine shots on goal, while Panama had 11, with Panama only having one save. Guadeloupe tallied three saves in the goal.

Guadeloupe raised its record to 2-0 in Gold Cup 2009 action, while Nicaragua fell to 0-2.

The Gwana Boys will now face Mexico in their final game of Group C action, with Nicaragua playing Panama. Both games will be played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Schwendenwein Makes Finals in 200 Free at WUG

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

BELGRADE, SERBIA (July 9, 2009) Former University of Houston swimmer Sasha Schwendenwein blasted her way to a semifinal time of 2:01.12 in the 200-meter freestyle to qualify for the finals at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia.

Schwendenwein finished in second place in her preliminary heat with the time of 2:00.79 to qualify for the semi-finals later in the day.

She finished in fourth place in the second heat of the semi-finals to qualify for her second finals of the Games.

Earlier in the week, the former Cougar swimmer also made the finals of the 100-meter butterfly, where she battled to an 8th place finish with the time of 1:00.62 her finals time was a bit slower than her preliminary effort of 1:00.05 and her semi-final time of 1:00.24

On Friday, she will compete in her speciality, the 200-meter butterfly, in which she is the seventh overall seed. Barring any unforeseen problems, she will swim the semi-finals of the 200-meter butterfly and the finals of the 200-meter freestyle in the evening session.

Previously in the Games, Schwendenwein finished in 22nd place in the preliminaries of the 50-meter butterfly and the 100-meter freestyle.

During her college career, she was a four year letterwoman for the Cougars and qualified for the NCAA Swimming Championships in 2009, finishing in 16th in the finals of the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:57.48.

She also finishing 21st place at the NCAAs in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:41.73 establishing a new school record.

Schwendenwein is competing for Austria in the Games, as she hold dual citizenship with both Austria and South Africa. After the completion of the Games, she will compete in the Austrian National Championships on August 5-9, 2009.

Sponsors Extend Commitments to Chevron Houston Marathon

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 8, 2009) – The ABB Team Challenge and the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute EXPO will continue to be integral parts of the Chevron Houston Marathon weekend through 2012.

“Having two of our title sponsors commit to multi-year agreements, especially given the current economic challenges, speaks volumes to the value our event provides to our partners,” said Steven Karpas, managing director of the Chevron Houston Marathon. “Their continued support allows us to grow and enhance the race weekend experience for our 30,000 participants.”

ABB, a leader in power and automation technologies, returns as title sponsor of the inaugural 2009 ABB Team Challenge. The dual-purpose competition promotes fitness and fundraising, encouraging companies, running clubs, charity groups and individuals to form teams to participate in the marathon, half marathon or 5K. In addition, ABB will continue to raise funds for the Chevron Houston Marathon’s Run for a Reason charity program, donating $15,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network at Texas Children’s Hospital in honor of the team challenge winners.

Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute, a leader in the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of orthopedic injuries and disorders, returns as title sponsor of the EXPO for the fourth consecutive year. The two-day health and wellness event kicks off the marathon weekend of events and attracts over 65,000 EXPO attendees.

In addition to ABB and Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute, Chevron, Aramco Services Company, El Paso Corporation, Under Armour, Sports Authority and H-E-B will continue as prominent supporters of the 2010 Chevron Houston Marathon.

Registration for the 2010 event will open the morning of Friday, July 17 at 12:01 a.m. (CST) with a record 30,000 participants expected to register for one of four weekend races. The popularity of the races have continued to climb each year, with the marathon and half marathon selling out just 12 weeks after registration opening for the 2009 races.

The Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon, EP5K and ABB Team Challenge will be held on January 17, 2010.

The Chevron Houston Marathon, a Running USA founding member, is the nation’s premier winter marathon, annually attracting participants from all 50 U.S. states and more than 20 foreign countries. In 2009, more than 26,000 runners participated in four marathon weekend events (marathon, half marathon, 5K run and children’s run).

The Houston Marathon has been ranked among the top five marathons in the nation by Ultimate Guide to Marathons for fastest course, organization and crowd support. More than 5,000 volunteers organize the race, which is Houston’s largest single-day sporting event.

Kazemi Shines at World Championships

Rice signee averages double-double at international competition

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 8, 2009) Serving as captain for Iran's FIBA Under 19 World Championship team, Rice University basketball signee Arsalan Kazemi averaged 16.6 points and 12.2 rebounds during five games at the championship being played in Auckland, New Zealand.

Iran closed out competition at the world championship on Tuesday with a 93-53 win over Syria. Kazemi scored 23 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had four steals in the victory.
Iran went 1-4 in preliminary round and consolation play at the tournament. The world championship continues through Sunday.

Through Tuesday's games, Kazemi was leading the tournament with his 20 steals (4.0 pg). His 12.2 rebounds per game ranks second among players at the tournament. His scoring, blocked shot and free throw shooting numbers also rank among the top 10 at the tournament which features the top teen basketball players from throughout the world.

In addition to averaging a double-double, Kazemi averaged 3.0 assists, 2.0 blocks, shot 81.6 percent from the line and 48.1 percent from the field in five games.

Kazemi's 20 rebounds against Angola ties for a world championship game high this summer while his 19 boards against Egypt ranks third among tournament performances. He had a tournament-high seven steals in Iran?s loss to Team USA in preliminary round play.

Kazemi, a native of Esfahan, Iran, is one of five incoming Rice University freshmen who make up one of Conference USA's top signing classes.

UH's Schwenidenwein Places In 50 Butterfly at WUG

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

BELGRADE, SERBIA (July 5, 2009) Former University of Houston swimmer Sasha Schwenidenwein finished in 22nd place in the 50-meter butterfly at the 25th World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia today.

Schwenidenwein, who was an NCAA Championships qualifier for the Cougars earlier this year in the women's 200-yard butterfly is competing for Austria in the Games.

Her time of 28.17 seconds was good enough to win her heat, but did not qualify her for the finals.

The former Cougar swim team captain is competing in six events at the Games, including the 100, 200 and 400-meter freestyle and 50, 100 and 200-meter butterfly.

Her next event will be the preliminaries of the 100-meter freestyle on Monday, July 6.

The swimming competition is taking place in the swimming pools of Sports & Recreational Center “Tasmajdan" in Belgrade.

Joey Chestnut Wins 2009 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

CONEY ISLAND, NEW YORK (July 4, 2009) Joey Chestnut has won the 2009 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest for the third consecutive year. He was a small favorite to win over Takeu Kobayashi.

Chestnut pulled far ahead of Kobayashi. An average of 7 hot dogs were eaten per minute. Chestnut set an all time record, gulping down 68 hot dogs.

Kobayashi's 64 hot dogs were the most he has ever eaten in the competition.

The IFOCE Nathan's International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest is an annual competitive eating competition held at Nathan's Famous Corporation's original and best-known restaurant at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. The event is held on July 4, and is regarded as the world's most famous hot dog eating contest and a colorful tradition of Independence Day in the United States. An average 1.5 million households watch it live on ESPN.

Chestnut and Kobayashi are considered two of the best competitive eaters to ever walk the face of the Earth.

Celebration followed with a playing of the U.S. National Anthem.

Texas Gymnasts to Compete in Japan Cup

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 3, 2009) Houston's Jonathan Horton and Flower Mount's Steven Legendre have been named to the USA Gymnastics squad that will compete in the 2009 Japan Cup.

The Japan Cup will be held July 18-19 at the Makuhari Event Hall in Chiba, Japan. Jonathan Horton was a 2008 Olympic silver-medalist and Legendre was the 2008 NCAA all-around, vault and floor exercise champion.

Horton and Legendre will to joined on the team by Kyle Bunthuwong (U.S. junior parallel bars champion), Danell Leyva (gold medalist on the parallel bars at 2009 Winter Cup and the high bar at the 2008 PAGU Individual Event Championships), Tim McNeill (2009 Winter Cup horizontal bar champ) and Sho Nakamori (2009 NCAA team champion).

Horton was also a member of the USA’s Olympic bronze-medal team and won the weighted all-around at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

The team competition will take place July 18 with the all-around competition on July 19. The all-around will feature 12 gymnasts, with a maximum of two per country.

In the team competition, three gymnasts compete on each apparatus and all three scores count toward the team score.

McNeese State Announces 2010 Softball Signees

LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA (July 2, 2009) McNeese State’s softball program signed nine recruits for the 2010 season as announced by second year head coach Natalie Poole. Of the nine recruits, four are junior college transfers.

The transfers include catcher Jessica Wilson from Paris Junior College, pitcher Kayla Shepherd from Temple Junior College, pitcher Kelsey McClain from San Jacinto College and second base/utility Holly Lawrence from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

The high school signees include catcher/outfielder Hayleigh Maisel from Klein Oak High, utility Alex Corbello from Sam Houston High, shortstop Kourtney Kober from St. Louis High, shortstop Marissa Koetting from Ferris High, and pitcher Meagan Bond from Presbyterian Christian High.

Wilson, a native of Irving, Tx., hit 12 homeruns and was a first team all-region last year. She helped Paris Junior College to the 2009 Region XIV Conference Champions and a second place finish in the Region XIV Regional Tournament. As a freshman, she was a second team all-region as a utility player.

Shepherd is a native of Baytown, Tx., who posted a 20-10 record with a 1.8 ERA in her final season at Temple JC. She was a member of the 2009 Conference Championship team and earned first team all-conference honors as well as all-conference and all-America academic honors.

McClain is a native of Pasadena, Tx., where she pitched 201.33 innings and posted a .364 batting average in 2008 and earned NFCA all-American (second team) and first team Midwest Region in her freshman season at San Jacinto JC.

Lawrence, a native of Biloxi, MS., was a member of the 2009 NJCAA Region 23 championship team and the sixth ranked team in the NJCAA polls. Lawrence was a member of the NJCAA all-state, all-region and all-American team. She was awarded the MGCCC highest batting average award.

Maisel is a native of Spring, Tx., where she was a member of the topped ranked team in the nation in 2009. Klein Oak picked up their first loss of the season in the playoffs. The four-year starter who was a member of two district championship teams and earned second team all-district honors twice.

Corbello hails from Moss Bluff, La. And is the younger sister of current Cowgirl Whitney Corbello. Corbello batted .448 in her finals season at Sam Houston High and helped the Broncos win three district championship titles, one regional championship and reached the quarterfinals in 2009. Corbello is a three-time all-district selection at three different positions. She is a two time all-state selection and was named to the All-Southwest Louisiana team in 2008. She was a member of the 2009 Louisiana All-Star game.

Kober is from Lake Charles and attended St. Louis High where she was a four-year letterwinner and two-time district MVP. She was a three-time all-district, two-time all-state and all-Southwest Louisiana selection. Kober was also named all-Southwest Louisiaana MVP once.

Koetting is a native of Ferris, Tx. Who was a four sport letterwinner for Ferris High. In softball, Koetting was a member of three district championship teams and produced a .544 batting average as a junior and a .463 batting average with 11 homeruns as a sophomore. She was a second team all-state selection and earned Newcomer of the Year honors.

Bond is a native of Lumberton, Tx. And was a six-year softball letterwinner for Presbyterian Christian High. She is a six time MVP, all-district selection and was named to the all-star team in 2008.


2010 McNeese State Softball Reccruits

Jessica Wilson (catcher, Paris JC, Irving, TX)

Kayla Shepherd (pitcher, Temple JC, Baytown, TX)

Kelsey McClain (pitcher, San Jacinto College, Pasadena, TX)

Holly Lawrence (2B/utility, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Biloxi, MS)

Hayleigh Maisel (c/outfield, Klein Oak HS, Spring, TX)

Alex Corbello (utility, Sam Houston HS, Moss Bluff, LA)

Kourtney Kober (shortstop, St. Louis HS, Lake Charles, LA)

Marissa Koetting (shortstop, Ferris HS, Ferris, TX)

Megan Bond (pitcher, Presbyterian Christian HS, Lumberton, TX)

Rice's Colwick Named Conference USA Athlete of the Year

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 1, 2009) Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky made the announcement today of the 2008-2009 C-USA Male and Female Athletes of the Year.

Rice pole vaulter Jason Colwick was the recipient of the Male Athlete of the Year, while East Carolina softball pitcher Toni Paisley and Tulane volleyball player Sara Radosevic were selected as the Female Co-Athletes of the Year.

Colwick became the first Conference USA track and field athlete to win national titles in the pole vault at the both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships.

Jon Warren, Rice's head men's track and field coach was quoted saying "Just looking at the athletes at Rice with the (Jarett) Dillard and (James) Casey, and Chase Clement in football and with Anthony Rendon in baseball and what they accomplished it is very impressive for Jason to receive this award especially with the strength of this conference.'

"I am a firm believer that anyone can achieve what they want, athletically or not, if they believe and work hard. To win this award is awesome,' Colwick stated when he was notified of the award.

The San Marcos, Texas, native placed sixth at the USA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships when he cleared 18 feet 6.5 inched. He also captured his first NCAA crown by clearing 18 feet 4.5 inched, then followed up with a gold medal performance of 18 feet 8.25 inches at the outdoor championship. He was the only pole vaulter to surpass the 18-foot mark at nationals and is the only C-USA athlete to ever clear 18-feet indoors and outdoors.

Colwick will spend part of the summer competing in the international track circuit in Europe before returning to Rice for his senior year.

Dynamo begin Open Cup on road Wednesday against in-state foe Austin

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 1, 2009) -- The Houston Dynamo begin their campaign in the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tonight with a road game against the Austin Aztex at Nelson Field in Austin.

The third-round game can be heard live in the Houston area on 790 The Sports Animal and can be seen on the internet at USLLive.com. Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m. The winner of this game will travel to take on the Charleston Battery on Tuesday, July 7, at 6:30 p.m. CT.

The Dynamo and Aztex met in a pre-season friendly at Nelson Field and tied 2-2, but this will be the first competitive meeting between the teams. The Aztex, from the United Soccer Leagues First Division, the tier directly below Major League Soccer, advanced to the third round with 2-0 wins over PDL teams Mississippi Brilla (2-0) and El Paso Patriots (2-0). The Dynamo qualified directly as one of the top six teams in Major League Soccer last season.

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest soccer competition in the United States. It is a single-elimination tournament open to any team in the country, often pitting regional rivals against each other.

The Dynamo reached the U.S. Open Cup semifinals in their first season in 2006 but have been eliminated on the road to USL1 opposition in each of the last two years, falling to the Charleston Battery in overtime (2007) and on penalty kicks (2008). Both of those games came just two days before scheduled league contests.

After Wednesday’s game, the Dynamo will continue their road trip with a Saturday night contest against the Kansas City Wizards at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, kicking off at 8 p.m. Houston’s next home game is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, against the New England Revolution.

Texas State’s Tyler Sibley Named Second-Team Freshman All-American by Baseball America

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS (July 1, 2009)Texas State freshman outfielder Tyler Sibley has been named a Second-Team Freshman All-American by Baseball America after helping the Bobcats win their first outright Southland Conference championship and earn a NCAA Tournament berth in 2009.

This marks the second time this season that Sibley has been selected as a Freshman All-American after he set a Texas State and Southland Conference single season record for most runs scored in a single season with 77. He broke the old school record of 66 that was set by Thomas Field in 2008, while the previous SLC record was held by Ben Broussard of McNeese State in 1999.

A native of Frisco, Texas, Sibley also earned All-Southland Conference Second Team honors after finishing the 2009 campaign with a .367 batting average, 10 home runs and 38 RBI’s. He also hit for 13 doubles and stole 14 bases for the Bobcats.

Baseball America Freshman All-America Team



Pos. FIRST TEAM
C Jeremy Schaffer, Tulane
1B Preston Tucker, Florida
2B Matt Jensen, Cal Poly
3B Anthony Rendon, Rice
SS A.J. Pettersen, Minnesota
OF Jackie Bradley Jr., South Carolina
OF George Springer, Connecticut

OF Kolten Wong, Hawaii
DH Troy Channing, St. Mary's
UT Danny Hultzen, Virginia
SP Trevor Bauer, UCLA
SP Sean Gilmartin, Florida State
SP Taylor Jungmann, Texas
SP Noe Ramirez, Cal State Fullerton
RP Matty Ott, Louisiana State
UT Danny Hultzen, Virginia

Pos. SECOND TEAM
C C.J. Cron, Utah
1B Todd Brazeal, South Florida
2B Ross Heffley, Western Carolina
3B Matt Skole, Georgia Tech
SS Sam Mende, South Florida
OF Kameron Brunty, Southern Miss
OF Dusty Robinson, Fresno State
OF Tyler Sibley, Texas State
DH Alex Dickerson, Indiana
UT Nick Ramirez, Cal State Fullerton
SP Jordan Cooper, Wichita State
SP Sam Gaviglio, Oregon State
SP Anthony Meo, Coastal Carolina
SP Tyler Pill, Cal State Fullerton
RP Mitchell Lambson, Arizona State
UT Nick Ramirez, Cal State Fullerton