UO runner Centrowitz decides to turn professional

UO runner Centrowitz decides to turn professional

Oregon distance runner Matthew Centrowitz has decided to forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility to run professionally.

The 2011 world bronze medalist in the 1,500 meters has signed with PACE Sports Management, a United Kingdom-based athlete management company.

The PACE track and field roster includes Olympic champion Usain Bolt, and world champions Vivian Cheruiyot, Mo Farah, Linet Masai, Phillips Idowu, Christine Ohuruogu and Jana Pittman.

Centrowitz will turn his focus to the 2012 Olympic trials and the London Olympics. The trials will be held June 22 to July 1, 2012, at Hayward Field in Eugene. The Olympics start July 27.

"I am very grateful to the University of Oregon and the coaching staff for all they have done for me," Centrowitz said. "This important decision has taken me a couple of months to decide on but (is) a decision I feel that is best for me in reaching my upcoming goals."

This past season, Centrowitz won NCAA and U.S. championships at 1,500 meters. He holds the school record in the event at 3:34.46.

Centrowitz was a three time Pac-10 champion in the 1,500 and was a seven-time all-American.

"Matthew has had an enormous impact on the University of Oregon track program," Ducks coach Vin Lananna said. "Oregon has a great tradition in distance running and we are proud of his accomplishments in adding to that tradition.

"We wish him nothing but the best and we are excited for his future as a professional."

Centrowitz will stay at Oregon to complete his sociology degree. Although it's not as common for a track and field athlete to turn pro early as it is in football or basketball, it is not unprecedented.

It is more common for sprinters. Allyson Felix never ran in college despite enrolling at USC. Tyson Gay and Wallace Spearmon both left early from Arkansas and Jeremy Wariner did the same at Baylor.

Former McKay standout Ryan Bailey ran one season at Rend Lake (Ill.) Community College before turning pro. Alan Webb and Evan Jager are examples of distance runners who who left college early.

Webb ran one year at Michigan before turning pro, while Jager left Wisconsin after one year.

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Cody Haas reaches boxing tournament finals

Cody Haas reaches boxing tournament finals

JACKSON — Cody Haas is one more win away from the USA New England Boxing title in the semi-novice 141 pound weight class. The Berlin resident won a unanimous decision in his semifinal bout to advance to the finals this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Billerica Elks in Billerica, Mass.

"He's fighting so well," said trainer and former three-time World Champion Kickboxer Dick "The Destroyer" Kimber, who created the White Mountain Boxing Club and it's headquartered in Jackson at the former site of the Red Fox Pub. "His jab is right on the money and his countering is better, he's doing so well. I think he'd got a real good shot on Saturday. He's in great shape, physically and mentally, I think he's ready to go."

Haas has had some great training to prepare for the tournament, including Kimber and Cody’s dad, Gary Haas, a former Olympic-trials boxer. The Haas family is originally from Ohio and has transferred to the Berlin area, as Gary is a federal officer.

Haas has been training for months in Jackson and is supported by Roland Sanschagrin, Roger Villenueve, and the Red Fox Restaurant.

Kimber is planning a women's kickboxing/self-defense class that will run for six weeks this winter. If anyone is interested, or if anybody would like to help sponsor the fighters in Kimber's program, they can contact him at 723-2659.

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Official: Dennis Erickson out as Arizona State coach

Official: Dennis Erickson out as Arizona State coach

The administrator spoke on the circumstance of secrecy on Sunday because details of Erickson's going away have not been finalized.

Erickson will meet with athletic director Lisa Love as early as Monday and, at 64, could be allowed to give up work rather than be fired. Erickson could unmoving coach in whatever bowl game the Sun Devils play in.

Erickson's job came into danger after Arizona State lost its final four games next a 6-2 start, knocking the Sun Devils from contention to play in the inaugural Pac-12 championship game next Friday. He was 31-30 in five seasons in the wasteland.

Erickson won a pair of national titles with Miami and had stops at Oregon State and Idaho before incoming in Tempe in 2007. He had an imposing start in the wasteland, named the Pac-10 coach of the year after most important the Sun Devils to the Holiday Bowl and their first 10-win season in nine years.

That twisted out to be the highlight of his tenure. Arizona State won no more than six games the next three years, ineligible for a bowl last season since two of its games were next to Football Championship Subdivision schools.

Love opt to stick with Erickson in spite of three straight shaky seasons and the Sun Devils went into this year with high prospect, recurring nearly every starter on both sides of the ball.

Arizona State looks good early; taking control of the Pac-12 South after its first eight games then went into a tailspin.

After becoming bowl eligible for the first time in four years with a win over Colorado on Oct. 29, the Sun Devils lost their grip on the South with a loss to UCLA the next week, and couldn't make up ground regardless of the Bruins' lackluster finish.

The final blows for Erickson's probability of keeping his job came with a unsatisfactory home loss to rival Arizona, which had fired its coach and had won just two games at that point, followed by Friday's 47-39 loss to California at home.

"I don't know that I have ever been through a month like this," Erickson said after the loss to Cal. "We felt that we had a chance to have a great year, then you lose four in a row and just end up with a very, very average year."

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Mistr Pála poll soupier do nemocnice. Teď vyhlíží Klička

Mistr Pála poll soupier do nemocnice. Teď vyhlíží Klička

Professional boxer Ondřej Pála z MÉDEA BOXING TÝMU obhájil titul mistra Evropy WBO v těžké váhové kategorii. Soupeře Darnella Wilsona z USA porazil jasně 3:0.

"Nečekal jsem, že toho tolik vydrží. Po zápase byl hodně rozbitej a prý ho rovnou odvezli do nemocnice. Ale doboxoval," řekl Pála po souboji.

"O mně se ví, že nejsem po žádném zápase spokojený. I tentokrát tam byly nějaké chyby, mohlo to z mé strany být lepší," okomentoval sobotní zápas Pála, který se do ringu vrátil poprvé od letošního dubna. Po dobu pauzy léčil pochroumané rameno, nyní už je prý naprosto v pořádku.

Přestože porazil Pála Wilsona na body jasně 3:0, během souboje měl prý namále. "V devátém kole mě Wilson chytil zadním hákem a musím přiznat, že jsem byl blízko počítání," prozradil český boxer.

"Jinak to šlo podle plánu a plnil jsem taktiku, kterou jsme s trenérem Krivoručkem vymysleli. Boxoval jsem technicky, na distanc a chtěl soupeře unavit. Musím ale přiznat, že mě Wilson trochu překvapil, jak byl připravený. Nečekal jsem, že toho tolik vydrží. Po zápase byl hodně rozbitej a prý ho rovnou odvezli do nemocnice. Ale doboxoval," dodal Pála.

Ten se vítězstvím nad Wilsonem významně přiblížil k splnění svého velkého snu - zápasu s Ukrajincem Vladimirem Kličkem. "Měl by být domluvený zápas, jehož vítěz by boxoval právě s ním," říká Pála, který triumfoval podevatenácté v řadě a celkově zaznamenal 30. výhru během své profesionální kariéry.

Poslední překážkou k duelu s Kličkem by měl Pálovi být Robert Helenius, boxer světové špičky. "Ale taky je to jenom člověk, rozhodně se s ním dá boxovat. Věřím si," prozradil sedmadvacetiletý boxer.

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Karthikeyan get Gold and Ram get silver

Karthikeyan get Gold and Ram get silver

India's Karthikeyan Murali wins the gold medal in the under-12 open collection in the World Youth Chess Championship at Caldas Novas (Brazil) on Sunday morning. India bag five medals in the championship including the gold, silver and three bronze.

The other medal winners for India are TN lad Ram Arvind, who won the silver in the under-8 group while Debashis Das, Rathanvel and Salonika Saina added bronze in the under-18 open, under-10 open and under-8 girl’s category correspondingly.

In the ninth and final round, Karthikeyan draw with Ravi Haria of England and joined for the top spot along with Gledura Benjamin of Hungary. But better tiebreak score helped Karthikeyan in his gold bars quest.

In the under-8 open category, Ram Aravind was unsuccessful not to win the gold as he beaten ultimate gold medal winner Liang Awonder of USA in the final round.

However, the American had a better tie-break score and was sitting pretty after the last but one round.

In under-18 open sort Debashis Das took a draw next to gold medal winner, Grandmaster Ter-Sahakyan Samvel of Armenia to resolve for the bronze medal.

Rathanvel drew his final-round game next to Fide master Tabatabaei M Amin of Iran to bag the bronze medal while Salonika Saina beat Ismayilzada Zeynab of Azerbaijan to come to an end third in her category.

Diptayan Ghosh, who has been determining well for a medal, missed it hardly in the under-14 category by final fourth as he lost his final round game next to Cuellar Diego of Peru.

Lakshmi C and Stany G A had an alike experience in the under-8 girls and under-18 open categories correspondingly as they came fourth.


How Indians finished in Brazil:

Under-8 girls: Salonika Saina (3rd), Lakshmi C (4th), Bommini Mounika Akshaya (19th), Tanishka Kotia (34th)

Under-8 open: Ram Aravind L N (2nd), Ritam Nag (41st), Sai Krishna S (52nd) Under- 10 girls: Bidhur Rutumbara (8th), Bansi Prathima M (12th), Tarini Goyal (13th), Priyanka K (21st)

Under-10 open: Rathanvel V S (3rd), Rakesh Kumar Jena (5th), Mitrabha Guha (11th), Nitish Belurkar (24th), Anand Nadar (31st)

Under-12 girls: Ivana Maria Furtado (13th),Riya Savant (14th), Priyamvada Karamcheti (24th), Tejaswini Sagar (28th)

Under-12 open: Karthikeayn Murali (1st), Aravindh Chithambaram V R (10th), Abhimanyu Puranik (14th), Hetul Shah (15th), Harshal Shahi (22nd)

Under-14 girls: Srija Seshadri (8th), Mahalakshmi M (9th), Lasya G (16th), Monnisha G K (24th)


Under-14 open: Girish A Koushik (12th), Diptayan Ghosh (4th), Satvik M (50th)


Under-16 girls: Pratyusha Bodda (5th), Nandhidhaa P V (8th), Anjana Krishna (26th), Bala Kannamma (38th)

Under-16 open: Antonio Viani D'cunha (7th), Shiven Khosla (35th), Sarang Ponkshe (53rd)

Under-18 girls: A Akshaya (18th), Saranya J (32nd), Visalatch R (37th)

Under-18 open: Debashis Das (3rd), Stany G A (4th), Himal Gusain (15th)

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2012 Olympic trial will be more able to be seen than in 2008

2012 Olympic trial will be more able to be seen than in 2008

EUGENE, Ore. - The 2012 Olympic Track & Field Trials start June 22 at Hayward Field. The local organize committee educated some lessons from 2008 that should make 2012 even better and more noticeable.

NBC is the broadcast rights holder for the 2012 trials and was so as well in 2008.
Due to NBC's tight limits on the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene, many people who were not able to go to the trials in person miss a lot of the action.

KVAL Sports has learned, however, that 2012 will be a much dissimilar story. "With our work with NBC, we try to make it as fan welcoming as likely to the most number of people," said 2012 organize Committee Co-chair Greg Irwin. "So, moving up the plan a little bit and making it more obtainable to everyone across the country, we want everybody to have the advantage of watching the spectacular events at Hayward Field."

In 2008, the men's 800 meter final was the most unforgettable event of the trials, but it was seen only once on television.

"It is trying when you turn on KVAL and you can't of necessity watch the races you want to watch because somebody else has the rights to them," said 2008 men's 800 champion Nick Symmonds.

NBC's system in '08 not only excluded anyone else from shooting any video of the trials, but NBC also prohibited any other media outlet from airing their video of events on certain days.

"NBC pays billions with a 'b', billions of dollars to own the rights not just to the Olympics, but to the Olympic Trials." said USA Track & Field spokesperson Jill Geer. "I can tell you that I've been on calls with NBC officials where we've worked on them loosen their guidelines."

But they were anything but loose in '08 and KVAL was required to use immobile pictures to tell the story of the days' events. The main reason for that was because on most days NBC chose to air its boradcasts awaiting midnight when KVAL's newcasts were previously over. However, that won't be the case in 2012.

"We haven't announced the broadcast schedule yet, but the time slots are not going to be 11 to midnight," said Geer.

"All the TV coverage of the US Track & Field Championships will be held at prime time," said 2012 Organizing Committee Co-chair VIN Lananna. "So, it will be a much better schedule." That will be good for everyone, as well as local media outlets.

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IRISH AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION UPDATE (OLYMPIC TEST EVENT)

IRISH AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION UPDATE (OLYMPIC TEST EVENT)

Ken Egan will acquire Ireland’s campaign at the Olympic Test Event happening with a quarter-final meeting next to China in London this evening.

The Dublin southpaw, who has drop back down to light-heavyweight from heavyweight, will meet Xuan Bao at the ExCel, the venue for boxing at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Ireland is using a six-man squad at the Test.

Declan Geraghty and David Oliver Joyce will be concerned in quarter-final duels on Friday, versus Thai flyweight Norapoj Tetchkoom and Italian insubstantial Donato Consenza.

Belfast’s Conrad Cummings and Tommy McCarthy and Con Sheehan have established byes into Saturday’s semi-finals.

Cummings will get together Brazilian middleweight Esquiva Florentino and McCarthy faces knowledgeable Kazakh heavyweight Vassily Levit.

Tipperary super-heavyweight Sheehan will deal leather with Morocco’s Muhammad Arjaoui for a place in the 91Kg+ final.

All the Irish squad will be boxing in the afternoon/evening session which begins at 5pm each day at the ExCel.

Ireland’s Michael Conlan, John Joe Nevin and Darren O’Neill have previously qualified for the 2012 Olympics.

There will be one final Olympic qualifier for European male boxers next April.

The May 2012 AIBA World Women’s Championships in China will act as the only Olympic qualifier for female boxers.

92 boxers, 69 Men and 23 Women, will take part in the Olympic Test Event in London.

The countries challenging are; Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, China, France, Great Britain, Greece, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, USA, Uzbekistan, Sweden and Thailand.

Olympic Test Event ExCel London

Novermber 24th Quarter-finals
81Kg: Ken Egan (Ireland) v Xuan Bao (China)

November 25th Quarter-finals
51Kg: Declan Geraghty (Ireland) v Norapoj Tetchkoom (Thailand)
60Kg: David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) v Donato Consenza (Italy)

November 26th Semi-Finals
75Kg: Conred Cummings (Ireland) v Esquiva Florentino (Brazil)
91Kg: Tommy McCarthy (Ireland) v Vassily Levit (Kazakhstan)
91Kg+: Con Sheehan (Ireland) v Mohammad Arjaoui (Morrocco)

Irish squad

56Kg: Declan Geraghty (Crumlin)
60Kg: David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)
75Kg: Conrad Cummings (Holy Trinity)
81Kg; Ken Egan (Neilstown)
91Kg: Tommy McCarthy (Oliver Plunkett)
91+Kg: Con Sheehan (Clonmel)

Team manager: Des Donnelly
Coaches: Billy Walsh & Zuar Antia
Physio: Conor McCarthy

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Diptayan, Akshaya keep on top in World Youth Chess Championship

Diptayan, Akshaya keep on top in World Youth Chess Championship

Diptayan Ghosh in under-14 open and Bommini Akshaya in girl’s under-8 category reserved the Indian flag flying in the World Youth Chess Championship at Caldas Novas on Tuesday.

Dipatyan drew his fifth round game against Fide Master Bellahcene Bilel of France while Akshaya defeated team mate Tanishka Koita.

In the under-18 open group International Master Debashis Das held Grandmaster Fedoseev Ladmir of Russia in the fifth round while Nandhidhaa, sole head after the fourth round in the under-16 girls' category, suffer her first beat in the championship next to top seed Ziaziulkina Nastassia of Belarus.

Under-10 leaders Rathanvel and Rakesh Kumar Jena also had Nandhidhaa's fate as they cut down to Zhu Yi of China and Li Ruifeng of USA correspondingly.

In the under-8 open section, Ram Aravind L N (4.5) beat Noritsyn Sergey of Canada (3.5) to be among the frontrunners.

In the under-10 girl’s group, three Indians, Priyanka K, Bansi Prathima and Tarini Goyal stay close to the leaders with four points each after their fifth-round wins.

In the under-12 girls section, India's award hope Ivana Maria Furtado (3.5) improved from her second-round beat and enclosed lost ground with a draw next to Unuk Laura of Slovenia (3.5).

In the under-12 open section, Karthikeyan Murali (4.5) beat Perske Thore of Germany (3.5) to make additional progress. In the same category, Aravindh Chithambaram and Abhimanyu Puranik were a half point at the back Karthikeyan.

In the under-14 girls section, Monnisha G K and Srija Seshadri were organization the leader close with 4.5 points each.

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Division II Cross Country Announced National Awards

Division II Cross Country Announced National Awards

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announce on Tuesday that NCAA Division II Cross Country Champions Ryan Haebe of Western State and Neely Spence of Shippensburg were named as National Athletes of the Year for the 2011 cross country season. In adding, Western State’s Jennifer Michel was standard as the National Men’s Coach of the Year while Tracy Hellman of Augustana (S.D.) was named the National Women’s Coach of the Year.

NATIONAL MEN’S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Ryan Haebe, Western State
Haebe, a sophomore from Evergreen, Colo., won the NCAA Division II person men’s title in 30:45.1, three seconds ahead of colleague Tyler Pennel.

Haebe became the first entity national champion for the Mountaineer men since 2001, and only the second student-athlete in Western State history to win a men’s cross country national championship. Michael Aish won national titles in 1999 and 2001.

Earlier in the fall, Haebe positioned fourth in the RMAC Championships, helping the team to the meeting title. Haebe did not take part in the NCAA Central Regional.


NATIONAL WOMEN’S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Neely Spence, Shippensburg
Spence, a senior from Shippensburg, Pa., won her second-consecutive Division II national championship with a 13-second triumph over the field and a 6K time of 20:53. Spence led for the majority of the race, gradually increasing her lead as the runners spread out through the frozen tundra.

Earlier in the season, Spence capture her fourth-straight Atlantic Region top and won the region this season by nearly a full minute with a 20:43 performance in the 6k. Spence also became the first in PSAC history to win four-straight league cross country crowns.

NATIONAL MEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR: Jennifer Michel, Western State
Michel’s Mountaineers engineered their first NCAA men’s cross country team crown since 2005 with a leading victory at the NCAA Championships. Western State tally just 27 points, placing their top five runners in the race’s top 13. Sophomore Ryan Haebe and senior Tyler Pennel ended the race 1-2, senior David Goodman placed fifth, senior Gabriel Proctor took seventh, and sophomore Trevor Blackman came in 13th.

For Michel, in her fifth year at the helm, Western State won their first RMAC title since 2004 and located second in the NCAA Central Regional.

NATIONAL WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR: Tracy Hellman, Augustana (S.D.)
Hellman’s squad won their first NCAA title in women’s cross country with a 75-79 victory over adjacent challenger Western State. Entering the meet as the No. 5 team in the nation, the Vikings wedged to the plan and stuck jointly as the scoring crew of five would earn overall places of 12, 13, 15, 17, and 29. Junior Leah Hansen led the group; follow by sophomore Runa Falch, sophomore Kristin Brondbo, junior Kyle Blakeslee, and senior Kelly Kougl.

The Vikings earlier in the season won their fifth-straight discussion meet as they took the NSIC title. They were third in the NCAA Central Regional.

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Athletic Sports Calendar for 11/19

Athletic Sports Calendar for 11/19

Athletic sports news: DasHuh Basketball Dads-Daughters 2-on-2 Tournament - Alternative Learning Center, 3650 Michigan Ave., Fort Myers; double elimination, games played with women's ball; registering daughters grades 6-8 & dads (any age), entry fee $60 (forms online), deadline Nov. 23. Info: Shannon Graham (239) 357-6791;

Dec. 5-Jan. 13

Cal Ripken Baseball Registration - Taking registration from players ages 4-12 at Cape Coral Parks & Recreation athletic office, 1015 Cultural Park Blvs. (City Hall), 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. weekdays; cost for T-ball & coach-pitch $50, all other divisions $110 (Dec. 5-31), $120 (Jan. 1-14); season begins Feb. 18. Info: Bernie Howard (239) 242-3485.

Jan.-May

Cape Recreational Youth Track & Field Club Registration - Ida Baker High School; athletes ages 8-18 welcome, non-competitive team meets 5-7 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays; competitive travel teams available; cost $75 (includes AAU and USA Track & Field memberships. Info: (239) 980-3351;

General Info

Cape Coral Bass Club - Meeting first Tuesday each month, 7:30 p.m., Caloosahatchee Moose Lodge 2395 on Cape Coral Parkway; men, women, children who love to bass fish welcome; tournaments held locally and out of town. Info: Jim Lewis 945-7188; Cape Coral Tarpon Hunters Club - Meeting third Thursday (March through September) each month, 7 p.m., Cape Coral Yacht Club; 40th anniversary year; club catches and releases all tarpon; social and competitive club, hosts rookie seminars, tournaments for youth and adults. Info: Gary Jackson (239) 898-2980.

Cape Coral Sailing Club - Meeting fourth Wednesday each month, 7:30 p.m., Cape Coral Yacht Club, 5819 Driftwood Pkwy.; adults interested in boating (sail or power), cruising or armchair are welcome. Info: Ron Miniter 945-7761.

Sailing Singles Club - Happy Hour gathering first Friday each month, 5 p.m., general meeting third Thursday each month, 7 p.m.; daysails & weekenders being planned; learn to sail with us; new members and captains with sailboats welcome. Info: Shannon (239) 541-0104.

Saturday, Nov. 19

Oasis High School Baseball Golf Tournament - Coral Oaks Golf Course, 1800 NW 28th Ave.; 1 p.m. shotgun start, foursome scramble format; prizes, long drive, putting, hole-in-one and closest to pin contests; entry fee $100 per player, proceeds benefit Oasis High School baseball team. Info: Louis Korchick (239) 898-8332; Frank Haba (239) 699-0572; Shuan Haag (239) 590-5217;

Sunday, Nov. 20

Lee County Archers 3D Archery Shoot - Nalle Grade County Park range, North Fort Myers; sign up 8 a.m., shotgun start 9 a.m., shooting fee $10; roving field range of 20 3D target stations plus 14-station NFAA field course. Info: Ben Brown (239) 369-6212.

Wednesday, Nov. 30

50-Plus Softball Registration - Accepting applications for players, all skill levels, for Tuesday/Thursday evenings at Cape Coral Sports Complex or BMX Park; winter/spring season starts Jan. 3 (deadline Nov. 30); cost $70 per player, tryouts held 5-6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays prior to league games until Nov. 30, all new players must attend at least one tryout. Info: Jennifer (239) 292-2923; Tina (239) 267-9684 or (860) 575-9452; Ken (941) 855-0489.

Sunday, Dec. 4

Lee County Archers 900 Round Event - Nalle Grade County Park range, North Fort Myers; 9 a.m., open to public, registering new participants, all skill levels. Info: Ben Brown (239) 369-6212.

Dec. 7-11

Jamaica Invitational Pro-Am "Annie's Revenge" Golf Tournament - White Witch and Cinnamon Hill golf courses; 54-hole tournament based at Iberostar Grand Hotel Rose Hall Resort, Montego Bay, Jamaica; foursome team (three amateurs, one pro) entries accepted, first-come first-served basis; register online. Info: www.jamaicaproam.com

January 2012

Alumni Football Invitation - Weekend games Jan-March (2012), for all former high school football players age 18 and older; full pads, officials, etc., must gather 35 players to play; can be fundraiser for your school.

Jan. 7-8

HITS Triathlon Series - Naples; five distances including full marathon; details and open registration online. Web: www.hitstriathlonseries.com

Jan. 7-15

Minnesota Twins Baseball Fantasy Camp - Hammond Stadium at Lee County Sports Complex; campers enjoy week of living a Major League experience, instruction and coaching by former Twins greats like Harmon Killebrew, Bert Blyleven, Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek and many others; registrations for 2012 currently ahead of last year's sellout pace. Info: Stan Dickman 1-888-446-8946; Web: www.twinsbaseball.com

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The current position is really crippling our sport

The current position is really crippling our sport

A three-part inquiry into the politics of best track and field athletics by KVAL Sports airs on KVAL 13 TV News at 6 starting on Monday, Nov. 21.

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - U.S. champion Nick Symmonds runs in and has won debatably the toughest race in track and field: the 800 meters.

Off the track, Symmonds is now fighting what could be a trailing battle. "The current position is really crippling our sport, track and field," Symmonds told KVAL sports.

The Willamette University graduate and current Springfield resident said the International Associations of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and United States Track & Field are doing more harm than good with their current logo rules. Symmonds believes these systems are the largest problem with the sport today.

"What I'd like to see is the policy changed so that athletes are permissible to have multiple sponsors displayed on their skin, displayed on the back of their jerseys," said Symmonds. "Just change the rules to permit more corporate dollars to flow into the sport."

Symmonds at first voiced his strong opinions on the logo policy compulsory by the IAAF and USATF in a blog post on flotrack.org on Oct. 3.

"As it is now meet sponsors work through the IAAF and USATF," said Symmonds. "The governing bodies take their share and let what's left trickle down to the athletes in the form of prize money. I appreciate that these governing bodies need to take a cut in order to keep operating, but it's gone beyond that. It's gotten to the point where people are taking benefit of the athletes and taking much more than their share of the pie."

Symmonds feels that allow athletes to display more finance logos mean more income for the athletes. The current IAAF policy state:

IAAF Advertising Regulations:

3.1.1.2 Any other Advertising on or by or otherwise related with an Athlete is prohibited, including but not incomplete to body painting, tattoos, jewelery, hair dying, hair shaving, the use of any flags, banners, T-shirts, hats and any other form of display of Advertising.

3.1.1.3 No advertising or display of Sponsors of the Athletes in the form of "an Athlete x sponsored by company y" or similar may be display or appear on the Athletes or or else in the Competition Site.

So who's really behind this policy? The IAAF - or the shoe companies that may not want other corporations advertise with their athletes at events?

"Let's say I'm sponsored by company X, and company X gives me my uniform, they might not want other logos obscure their apparel," said USATF spokesperson Jill Geer. "So, there’s not just the international rule, but also there are each individual apparel manufacturer as well."

"There are all sorts of sponsors for IAAF," said 2011 USA men's World Championship team coach Vin Lananna. "So, I don't recognize if just the shoe companies alone would have the juice to be able to stop or stop something that made intellect for the athletes."

"To a sure extent I imagine the clothing manufacturer enjoys having their logo as the only one on a jersey, but even their logos, Nike's swoosh for example, has extreme limits of where it can be placed and how it can be displayed. These limits come from USATF and IAAF and they're absurd as well."

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USATF launch U.S. Open at Madison Square Garden; Lagat takings to Garden for men's mile

USATF launch U.S. Open at Madison Square Garden; Lagat takings to Garden for men's mile

Track & Field will come back to the country's premier sports and activity venue for the 99th year on Saturday, January 28, when the U.S. Open Track & Field at Madison Square Garden kicks off USA Track & Field's 2012 pass Championship Series, USATF announce Thursday.

Garden legend Bernard Lagat will headline in the men's mile in a USA Track & Field meet that promise to glass case the best of the sport's practice in a sleek in-stadium and put out appearance. The U.S. Open will be the first track meet to be detained in The Garden following the conclusion of the first phase of the building's historic, top-to-bottom, three-year Transformation, and will be the first major specialized meet in the United States as the 2012 Olympic Year gets under way.

"Madison Square Garden feel like home to me, and I am so happy to be coming back in 2012," said Lagat, a 2-time Olympic medalist and the American record holder who has won eight 1-mile races in the Garden. "I can't think of a better place to kick off the Olympic year. I look onward to seeing the New York track fans who have support me for so many years, many new fans in the new Garden."

The U.S. Open will be transmit on ESPN from 7-9 p.m. Eastern on January 29 and is part of USATF's most aggressive TV schedule in years.

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Kendra Schaaf Named district Athlete of the Year

Kendra Schaaf Named district Athlete of the Year

NEW ORLEANS, La. - The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announce Wednesday that Carolina senior Kendra Schaaf is the 2011 Southeast county Female Athlete of the Year. The honors were nominated on by Division I cross country coaches.

Schaaf won both the ACC Championships and NCAA Southeast Regional Championships entity titles. Schaaf, who won the ACC get together by 25 seconds two weeks ago, conquered the NCAA Regional field as well as she won by more than 14 seconds and led the women's team to a third-place come to an end.

Schaaf, next to with sophomore Jake Hurysz, will vie at the NCAA Championships Monday, Nov. 21, in Terre Haute, Ind.

The men's race will begin at about 12:08 p.m. ET; follow by the women's race at around 12:58 p.m. A live webcast of the championships will be show from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET on NCAA.com. Highlights from the championships will be integrated as part of the CBS NCAA Fall Seasonal Show planned to air on Saturday, December 18, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET on CBS HD.

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Calhoun and Tabor collect FCA Honors

Calhoun and Tabor collect FCA Honors

FORT WORTH, Texas – TCU’s Jordan Calhoun and Cameron Tabor garnered Bob Lilly - Athlete of the Year honors by the better Fort Worth Chapter of the partnership of Christian Athletes.

Calhoun and Tabor were accessible their award at the FCA “Share the Victory” feast at the Fort Worth Hilton on Nov. 11. J.C. Watts, a former US Congressman and starting quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, was the major speaker at the banquet.

Calhoun, a Norman, Okla. native, netted a team-high seven goals, while dishing out a pair of assist in 2011. She is the program’s all-time most important in career goals (36) and points (85). The senior onward tallied three game-winning scores this season, putting away Toledo, Hofstra and Northwestern State. Calhoun received all-conference acceptance for the third time in four years, claim first-team recognition in 2008 and 2010.

Tabor enjoys a winning sophomore campaign in 2011, breaking the TCU benchmarks in the weight throw and hammer throw. The Norman, Okla., native twisted in a personal-best discus mark of 175-4 feet to maintain the event at the Bobby Lane Invitational. Tabor also claimed the shot put title at the Texas A&M Reveille and the hammer throw top at the Horned Frog Invitational. He entered to the NCAA West preliminary in the shot put.

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