Kansas.com: Other Sports

Volunteers drive rodeo

JOANNA CHADWICK — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:38 CDT

About three hours before Pretty Prairie's rodeo, billed as Kansas' Largest Night Rodeo, even began, Mike Hedrick was rushing around the area outside the grandstand. There were only a few people there, as an hour still remained before the gates opened.

Two fire trucks watered down the dirt at the entryway while Steven Dent, a contestant from Mullen, Neb., oiled his gloves while sitting in the shade of a beer stand.

Hedrick, who had just driven in from Hutchinson, stuffed the programs with the day's schedule, which he'd picked up on his way to Pretty Prairie. He then hurried home to change and returned in time to take tickets at the pony rides on the west side of the grandstand.

Certainly a busy time, but it was just another day at the rodeo for Hedrick, a 34-year volunteer.

"I'm under the gun," he said as he walked quickly to a trailer where he could work in relative cool conditions. "I've been in charge of programs for three to four years, so I know the routine. But for the first three days of the rodeo, we don't know the schedule, so we have to get the programs ready (right before the show). It can make it a little hairy getting everything ready by the times the gates open."

FOOTBALL

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:39 CDT

Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing has been named to the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Watch List. The junior is one of 31 QBs listed.

• Quarterback Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens have agreed in principle to a five-year deal that could earn him up to $30 million and includes $8.75 million in guaranteed money. Flacco, the 18th overall pick out of Delaware, will compete for the starting QB job with Troy Smith and Kyle Boller.

• The Minnesota Vikings declined to talk about allegations by the Green Bay Packers that they made inappropriate contact with quarterback Brett Favre. Vikings spokesman Bob Hagan issued a two-sentence statement on Thursday. It said the Vikings "are not commenting on the issue. These types of matters are handled by the league."

BOXING

Welterweight contender Oscar Diaz had surgery for bleeding on the brain and was in a coma after collapsing between rounds of a nationally televised bout Wednesday in San Antonio. The 25-year-old fighter was taking a beating from Delvin Rodriguez when he collapsed on his stool before the 11th round.

BASEBALL

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:38 CDT

• The 10-U Andover Hurricanes won the Hays Invitational June 28-29. Team members are Landon Fry, Zach Stater, Dylan Huber, Darraja Parnell, Alex Elder, Stanton Turley, Dane Pedersen, Hunter Dreiling, Corbin Pospisil, Jacob Leatherman, Tabor Bayles and Blaine Wood. Eric Pedersen and Terry Leatherman are coaches.

• The Westurban Orioles, an 8-U team, won the Firecracker Shootout machine pitch tournament July 5-6 in Oklahoma City. Team members are Cade Koster, Tyler White, Tyler Alverson, Austin Peters, Kasdon Arehart, Jordan Doss, Nolan Schoenhofer, Kale McCracken, Hunter Yahya, Luke Evans, Garrett Luinstra and Dalton Schenker. Kevin McCracken and Erick Schoenhofer are coaches.

• The 8-U Cardinals won the Goddard Mid-Summer Classic June 20-22.

Team members are Caden Bjordahl, Brenton Boone, Grant Buchanan, Kobe Emerson, Nile Jarrell, Cody Jones, Keagan Larson, Cameron McGinley, Andrew Nuessen, Brendan Patterson, Keaton Pfaff, Rhys Tash and Mateo Villegas. Marc Nuessen is their coach.

• The Wichita Diamond Jaxx, a U-11 team, won the NBC Hap Dumont State tournament July 10-13 at South Lakes Sports Complex. Team members are Corrigan Bartlett, Trevor Bauer, Cody Bush, Tanner Cairns, Alex Carro, Will Clark, Jacob Gibson, Lane Inskeep, Brendan Johnson, Josh Norlin, Steven Smoll and Brendan Welch.

HOMETOWN SPORTS

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:43 CDT

Calendar

Space precludes us from running all listings. To see all listings, go to Kansas.com/sports and click on "Other Sports."

Baseball

• Aug. 3: Wolf Pack 12-U Westurban/tournament team tryouts, 1-4 p.m. Call Kelly Norlin, 316-733-5571.

• Deadline Sept. 15: Fall Jamboree tournament for 9-U, 10-U, 11-U and 12-U, Sept. 26-28 at South Lakes Sports Complex. Fee: $200, three-game guarantee. Call Wayne Burns, 913-909-5342.

Darts

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:39 CDT

USA Team Local Qualifier

Men--1. Dan Zimmerman, 18-6; 2. Gary Boisen, 18-6; 3. Chris Martin, 16-8; 4. Duane Clifford, 15-9.

Women--1. Leanna Clifford, 13-5; 2. Christy Zimmerman, 11-7; 3. Sandy Diel, 10-8; 4. Jennifer Holley, 10-8; 5. Shawna Inkelaar, 9-9.

Golf

Derby Junior Tournament

Kansas Amateur results, pairings

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:46 CDT

At Wichita C.C., par 71

Stroke-play qualifying

139 -- Dodge Kemmer, Wichita, 73-66

140 -- Ross Geubelle, Lakin, 72-68

141 -- Mitchell Gregson, Waterloo, Ill., 69-72

Kemmer shoots 66 in bogey-free round

SCOTT PASKE — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:40 CDT

Success can come in different ways during the early rounds of the Kansas Amateur.

There was Dodge Kemmer's method on Wednesday -- the 20-year-old Wichitan shot a bogey-free 66 and earned medalist honors by one shot in stroke-play qualifying.

And there was Drew Carlson's way -- the University of Missouri student from Mission Hills birdied the first playoff hole to edge nine other golfers for the final berth in the match-play bracket.

Kemmer, a Stanford senior, and Carlson will meet at 7:30 a.m. today to start the 64-man, match-play competition at Wichita Country Club. The head-to-head portion of the championship will be conducted the next four days and conclude with Sunday's 36-hole final.

Kemmer, who first played in the state amateur as a 13-year-old, earned the No. 1 seed with a 36-hole total of 3-under-par 139. He edged Kansas State sophomore Ross Geubelle, a Lakin native who shot 68 in the second round and set the early target at 140.

RODEO

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:40 CDT

Maize junior Corey Hutchinson will compete on Kansas' high school rodeo team at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Farmington, N.M. on Sunday through July 26. Hutchinson qualified in bareback riding.

GOLF

Former Wichita State golfer Ryan Spears lost his opening match in the USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship. Japan's Yuki Usami and Shunsuke Sonoda defeated Spears and Nick Bova 138-141at Tokyo Golf Club on Wednesday. The USA won three matches and halved another to take a 7-5 lead. Spears faces Shintaro Kobayashi today.

BASKETBALL

Former Wichita State center Paul Miller scored 10 points and led the Knicks with nine rebounds in an 82-67 loss to the Spurs in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Miller started and made 5 of 7 shots. Former Creighton center Anthony Tolliver scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds off the bench for the Spurs.

SOCCER

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:40 CDT

Leading scorer Abby Wambach was carted off the field with an apparent left leg injury after a violent collision in the first half of the Americans' 1-0 win over Brazil in San Diego. There was still no word of the extent of her injury after the match.

Wambach was on the turf for nearly 6 minutes and appeared to be in pain. Paramedics fitted her left leg with an inflatable brace and carted her off to an ambulance.

NHL will put Wrigley Field on ice

RICK GANO — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:40 CDT

Frosty baseball games have long been a fixture at Wrigley Field, where a stiff wind off Lake Michigan can chill fans, players and managers alike.

Now the Friendly Confines is going on ice. For one day.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks are taking hockey back outdoors when they meet New Year's Day 2009 in the home park of the Chicago Cubs.

It will be the NHL's second Winter Classic. Last season in Buffalo, the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 before a crowd of 71,217. Snow fell during the game and the Pens won on Sidney Crosby's goal in a shootout.

It will mark the third regular-season outdoor game in NHL history. The Edmonton Oilers hosted the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 22, 2003.

Wind invades British Open

DOUG FERGUSON — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:40 CDT

Adam Scott and Justin Rose, friends since they were teenagers and top contenders in this British Open without Tiger Woods, passed each other on the putting green Wednesday and stopped to discuss their final day of preparation.

"Did you play?" Rose said.

"Nine holes," Scott said with a smile, his hand on the bill of his cap to keep it from blowing off. "Not much point today."

That was more than Rose had on his agenda -- four closing holes at Royal Birkdale was all he would need to experience the relentless, 25 mph wind off the Irish Sea. The loop includes the 439-yard 16th, where some players struggled to reach the fairway that is only about 210 yards from the tee. It concludes with the 473-yard 18th, where Geoff Ogilvy hit sand wedge for his second shot.

Throw in the other holes, and a links course known as being the most fair has become a real beast.

Second dope bust overshadows Tour

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:40 CDT

Kurt-Asle Arvesen of Norway won the 11th stage of the Tour de France on Wednesday, a ride largely overshadowed by the second doping bust to mar the race this year.

Cadel Evans of Australia retained the race leader's yellow jersey by finishing in the main pack that included his top rivals for the overall title.

Before the stage began, French police detained Spanish cyclist Moises Duenas Nevado after he tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO following the fourth stage on July 8 in Cholet.

Duenas Nevado, who rides for the Barloworld team and had been 19th overall in the Tour, was immediately suspended by his team and removed from the race.

Police detained Duenas Nevado, who rides for Barloworld and was 19th overall in the Tour, from a hotel in the town of Tarbes, where his team stayed. He remained in custody Wednesday for questioning, notably about where he may have obtained EPO.

PHIL MICKELSON

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:40 CDT

World ranking: 2

Best British Open finish: 2004 (3rd)

Major wins: Masters (2004, 2006), U.S. PGA (2005)

Worldwide victories: 35

Note: Has two European wins to his credit.

Tour riders grab much-needed rest

JAMEY KEATEN — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:39 CDT

Frank Schleck of Luxembourg wants ideas.

The Tour de France resumes today and he's trying to figure out how to erase his one-second deficit to race leader Cadel Evans of Australia.

After 10 stages and more than 46 hours of racing, competitors took a rest day Tuesday after two punishing days in the Pyrenees in which Evans captured the yellow jersey for the first time in his career.

Several rivals wilted up the Tourmalet and Hautacam passes, narrowing the field of likely competitors for cycling's ultimate prize when the three-week race ends in Paris on July 27.

The final shakeout is expected to come in three agonizing stages in the Alps -- each featuring at least one climb that defies classification for difficulty -- and a time trial a day before the Champs-Elysees finish.

Gregson, Wempe share Amateur lead

SCOTT PASKE — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:39 CDT

Wichita Country Club's tall trees, zoysia fairways and rolling layout remind Mitchell Gregson of some of the St. Louis-area courses he plays when he's home in Waterloo, Ill.

Those elements made for a pretty good vibe for the Kansas State golfer during Wednesday's first round of stroke-play qualifying in the 98th Kansas Amateur.

Gregson, a junior, pieced together back-to-back birdies twice on his way to a 2-under-par 69 and a share of the lead with Washburn senior and Topeka native Sam Wempe. Gregson's teammate at K-State, Mission Hills' Jason Schulte, shot a 70 and was the only other golfer to break par on the opening day.

The 133-player field will be cut to 64 for match play after today's round.

Wempe was in the first threesome off the No. 10 tee Tuesday morning and Gregson was four groups behind. The early starters faced lighter winds than the afternoon flight, but solid if not eye-popping scores were posted throughout the day.

Time is now for Garcia

DOUG FERGUSON — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:39 CDT

In betting parlors and inside the ropes, Sergio Garcia has never had better odds of winning a major.

No one has more top 10s in the British Open this decade than Garcia, who has gone into the final round within four shots of the lead six times in the last seven years. He is considered among the best ball-strikers in golf. He is not lacking imagination or creativity for the variety of shots required on links courses.

And it sure doesn't hurt that Tiger Woods isn't around.

"When you don't have the No. 1 player in the world playing here -- and obviously, we know how good he is and how well he's done in the majors -- it gives you a little bit more of a chance," Garcia said Tuesday. "But it doesn't mean that it's yours to win."

The British bookmakers believe otherwise.

Sound of rodeo changes in Pretty Prairie

JOANNA CHADWICK — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:39 CDT

Randy Corley knows that his smooth, deep voice will sound a little off to some spectators when he announces the Pretty Prairie rodeo tonight.

He understands. He's not Hadley Barrett.

Barrett had announced the four-day rodeo since 1966, but decided this year to cut back on his workload. That meant giving up the Pretty Prairie rodeo.

"We are extremely sad that it's come to the point of Hadley's career for him to step back from some rodeos," said Connie Hedrick, a longtime rodeo volunteer. "We knew it was coming. We were hoping it wouldn't be too soon."

Corley understands the absence of the longtime announcer is disappointing.

Honor Roll

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:39 CDT

Derby

Men--Todd Boer 245, Donnie Banning 674. Women--Debbie Love 220, 577. Senior men--Clyde Holman 197, Eddie Poe Jr 514. Senior women--Sachiko Rogers 200, 551. Boys--Blaine Frazier 278, 667. Girls--Lindsay Wise 163, 427.

Northrock

Men--Doug Billings 280, Kevin Fanter 776. Women--Amanda Sharshel 267, Katie Verbil 677. Seniors men--Jim Riggins 236, Conald Ferrel 654. Women--Sandra Ferrel 211, 572.

Rose Bowl

Miss Vicki makes swimming fun for all

JOANNA CHADWICK — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:39 CDT

Vicki Watson's smile, which gently crinkles her nose, is rarely absent when she's teaching swim classes at the South YMCA. Her laugh rings out often as she talks with parents or tickles the feet of infants learning to swim.

Watson, affectionately known as Miss Vicki, has such a bubbly personality that most can't help but smile along.

"We love Miss Vicki," said Christine Jonker, who recently attended one of Watson's classes with her 15-month-old son Joshua. Watson has taught all three of Jonker's sons.

Watson, a 23-year veteran at the YMCA, teaches 33 classes at the South, North and West YMCAs, ranging from infants to water fitness to arthritis classes.

She is routinely requested as a teacher, said James Watson, her son and the South YMCA aquatics director.

Honor Roll

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:39 CDT

Derby

Northrock

Men--Doug Billings 280, Kevin Fanter 776. Women--Amanda Sharshel 267, Katie Verbil 677. Seniors men--Jim Riggins 236, Conald Ferrel 654. Women--Sandra Ferrel 211, 572.

Rose Bowl