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Sports
Colton Cowser
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — At Sutter Health Park, the most obvious sign this is a minor league park is the grass berm in right field, where families bring blankets to watch what is now Major League Baseball. And, beyond that berm stand multiple trees, including one mighty oak. Within that oak, a squirrel or bird […]

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — At Sutter Health Park, the most obvious sign this is a minor league park is the grass berm in right field, where families bring blankets to watch what is now Major League Baseball. And, beyond that berm stand multiple trees, including one mighty oak.
Within that oak, a squirrel or bird may have had to take evasive maneuvers for safety as a baseball shot through its resting place.
In the sixth inning of the Orioles’ 7-4 win against the Athletics on Saturday night, the home run from Colton Cowser left mouths agape. It traveled 455 feet — the longest hit of his career — and sent fans scrambling on the berm either for cover or after the loose baseball that gave Baltimore a lead it wouldn’t lose.
“I just heard the snap of the bat, and then somebody goes, ‘Ooohhh,’” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “I looked up, and it went over the trees. I don’t think I’m amazed by it because we’ve kind of seen something similar before, but my goodness, he’ll probably tell you all about it.”
Cowser was humble.
“It felt great,” he said. “It’s one of those things that, when the swing’s feeling good and timing’s there, you don’t really feel when you make contact, and that was one of those ones.”
Since Cowser’s return from the 60-day injured list for a fractured thumb, he has proved how large an absence he really was. Cowser has a hit in all five games, including a double and two homers — and the latest hit came in loud fashion, an impossible-to-miss rocket into the trees that flipped the game in the Orioles’ favor.
The Orioles have won 10 of their last 13 games, and when asked what has led to the upturn in results, Ramón Laureano pointed to the returns of players from injury. More are to come back soon, but he and Cowser helped the Orioles produce more than five runs in a nine-inning game for the first time since May 17.
“When you’re talking about 10-plus guys on the IL, and now, little by little, they’re coming back, if you understand that, you know that things will turn around,” said Laureano, who finished with three hits and three RBIs in his second game back from injury. “That’s what we’re seeing right now.”
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Baltimore (26-37) had to climb back from an early deficit after a poor start from right-hander Charlie Morton. The Orioles did so with a bullpen that posted zeroes — as it has the entire road trip, with 18 shutout innings in five games — along with key hits from Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and other stars.
Cowser’s was the most prominent, however, and it immediately followed a vital defensive play between Henderson and catcher Maverick Handley to end the fifth inning.

With two outs in the fifth, left-hander Keegan Akin entered with a runner on first base to face Lawrence Butler. The Athletics outfielder lashed the first pitch he saw into the left-field corner, and as it rattled around, JJ Bleday attempted to score from first.
He was rounding third by the time Henderson received the ball as the cutoff man in shallow left field. His throw home one-hopped the plate, and when Handley caught it, the sliding Bleday struck him and knocked him backward. But he held on for the third out, maintaining the level score.
The momentum from that run-saving play turned into Cowser’s homer, and it continued with another run that inning via a throwing error. Then Laureano, who blasted a two-run home run off right-hander Luis Severino in the fourth, added an RBI single in the seventh.
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For that run to score, third base coach Buck Britton decided to send Henderson from second. The risk paid off when Henderson evaded the tag at the plate with a head-first dive.
“When Buck sent him, he’s probably five steps from the third base bag there when he sent him, and the guy actually made an accurate throw, and he put it right there, and Gunnar outran the ball and made an incredible slide,” Mansolino said.
Mansolino, the third base coach prior to being elevated to interim manager, said the rules that disallow catchers from blocking the plate give runners an incentive to dive headfirst into home.

“In the old day, you would never tell a baserunner to go in headfirst because the catcher would drop a leg on them and break a finger, break a neck,” Mansolino said. “But nowadays they can’t to that, so the headfirst slide is an advantage for the guys that use it.”
The decision from Mansolino to withdraw Morton after just 2 1/3 innings may have saved this from becoming a blowout. Morton wasn’t helped in the first inning, when Dylan Carlson misread Butler’s fly ball to left and it landed for a double. Jacob Wilson then knocked an RBI single as the Athletics (25-41) tied the score two batters into the bottom of the first.
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But Morton did himself no favors. He suffered a regression to the issues that plagued him earlier this season, before two improved performances offered a glimmer of hope that the 41-year-old veteran could turn his season around.
Morton allowed four runs in that first inning, coming on two walks and three singles after Wilson’s knock. He called it a “sloppy” outing because of the lack of command.
It immediately elevated his pitch count, and although he didn’t allow a run in the second, he finished that frame with 68 pitches. The walk and hit batter with one out in the third forced Mansolino out of the dugout to replace Morton with right-hander Matt Bowman, who stranded the pair of runners and completed two additional scoreless frames.
The shutdown innings followed from there, just as they have all road trip. And it concluded with right-hander Félix Bautista’s save. Morton called the bullpen performance “admirable,” and it wasn’t just because of Saturday’s display. The relievers have done it for much of the season.
“The fact that I don’t hear anyone complaining about they’re tired, they’re gassed, they don’t want to pitch, they’re not available,” Morton said. “Everybody’s up and everybody’s willing to go out there and pitch. On a night like tonight when I go out there and throw two innings, and then they pick me up, it’s just huge.”
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But the lasting impact of a bounce-back victory may be on whichever animal calls an oak tree home in right field, because that ball from Cowser came in hot.
This article has been updated.
Sports
The World Aquatics Championships start Friday, but swimming fans have to wait
This is an excerpt from The Buzzer, which is CBC Sports’ daily email newsletter. Stay up to speed on what’s happening in sports by subscribing here. In a little over two weeks, Canadian swimming superstar Summer McIntosh will take to the pool at the world championships in Singapore, where she’ll try to match a Michael Phelps […]

This is an excerpt from The Buzzer, which is CBC Sports’ daily email newsletter. Stay up to speed on what’s happening in sports by subscribing here.
In a little over two weeks, Canadian swimming superstar Summer McIntosh will take to the pool at the world championships in Singapore, where she’ll try to match a Michael Phelps record by winning five individual gold medals.
The 18-year-old triple Olympic champion will be joined by around two dozen other Canadian swimmers, including three-time backstroke world champ Kylie Masse, who won her fifth career Olympic medal last summer; 20-year-old Ilya Kharun, who captured a pair of men’s butterfly bronze in Paris; and 21-year-old Josh Liendo, who took silver in the 100m butterfly. The international headliners are France’s Leon Marchand, who won four Olympic golds last year, and nine-time Olympic champ Katie Ledecky, who will take on McIntosh in the 400m and 800m freestyle events as she looks to add to her 21 career world titles.
The world aquatics championships Singapore 2025 begin July 11th and run through August 3rd, and you can stream it all live on CBC Gem. The Ready Room host, Brittany MacLean Campbell breaks down the sports, besides swimming that you won’t want to miss when the championships begin.
So, that’ll be fun. But we’ll have to be patient as pool swimming is the last sport to get going at the World Aquatics Championships, which open tomorrow in Singapore. The program includes water polo, open-water swimming, artistic swimming, diving and high diving before McIntosh and company hit the water on the night of July 26 in Canadian time zones.
Here’s a glance at where Canada stands in the other sports:
Water polo (July 11-24): Despite placing eighth at both the world championships and the Olympics last year, the Canadian women’s team will not be competing after deciding to sit out last fall’s Pan American championships, which served as a qualifier for the worlds. The Canadian men’s team did not make it to the Paris Olympics, but they got into this year’s worlds by placing second to Brazil at the Pan Ams. Canada opens against the United States on Friday night and will also face host Singapore and the Brazilians in the group stage.
Open-water swimming (July 15-20): Canada’s lone Olympic qualifier in the two marathon swim events was Emma Finlin, who finished 23rd out of 24 in the women’s 10K. The world championships also include a 5K and a 3K “knockout sprint” for both men and women, plus a mixed 4×1,500m relay.
The 18-year-old swimmer from Toronto is looking to win medals in five events at this summer’s world aquatics championships in Singapore. The world championships get underway on July 11 on cbcsports.ca and CBC Gem.
Artistic swimming (July 18-25): Last year in Doha, Jacqueline Simoneau won the women’s solo free event to become Canada’s first world-championship winner since 1991 in the sport formerly known as synchronized swimming. She also took silver in the solo technical before placing ninth in the duet at the Paris Olympics with Audrey Lamothe (there are no solo events on the Olympic program). Simoneau is now coaching and pursuing her medical degree, but Lamothe has had some solid results on the World Cup circuit both individually and with new duet partner Ximena Ortiz Montano. Lamothe also helped Canada to a sixth-place finish in the Olympic team event.
High diving (July 24-27): Whereas regular divers jump from either a 3m springboard or a 10m platform, these daredevils take the plunge from 27m (for men) or 20m (women). Canada’s three entries include Molly Carlson, who’s won two consecutive silvers at the worlds.
Diving (July 26-Aug. 3): Canada failed to win a medal at last year’s world championships, but Rylan Wiens and Nathan Zsombor-Murray took bronze in the Olympic men’s 10m synchronized event for the country’s only diving medal in Paris. The duo also took bronze together at the 2022 worlds.
How to watch:
You can stream live action from the World Aquatics Championships on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem, starting with the Canadian men’s water polo team’s opening match against the U.S. on Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET. The CBC TV network will have additional coverage on weekends. See the full streaming and broadcast schedules for details.
For more on the worlds, watch this quick primer with CBC Sports’ Brittany MacLean Campbell.
Sports
Cal gets $26M gift for men’s aquatics; protesters smash windows downtown
The Spieker Aquatics Center serves as the home pool for all four of Cal’s aquatics programs — men’s and women’s swimming & diving and men’s and women’s water polo. Credit: Cal Athletics Heads up: We sometimes link to sites that limit access to non-subscribers. UC Berkeley has received a $26 million gift to endow the […]


Heads up: We sometimes link to sites that limit access to non-subscribers.
- UC Berkeley has received a $26 million gift to endow the university’s men’s aquatic programs, the largest gift in Cal Athletics history. (Local News Matters)
- A girl sitting on a chair eating a hardboiled egg sparked Nacio Jan Brown’s photo series documenting Telegraph Avenue in the late 1960s and early 1970s. (Flashbak)
- Windows were smashed at the Berkeley Marine Corps Recruiting Center and the downtown Citibank branch, apparently by a group of pro-Palestinian protesters, with four people arrested. (Berkeley Scanner)
- How UC Berkeley scholars are helping Bay Area communities prepare for wildfire season. (Berkeley News)
- Cal and UCLA are each claiming they’re No. 1 after U.S. News & World Report ratings. (LA Times)
- RealPage fended off Berkeley’s rent-setting algorithm ban. How will other cities fare? (SF Standard)
- Register your neighborhood for National Night Out. (City of Berkeley)
- UC Berkeley international students and prospective students are in limbo as the U.S. Department of State resumes visa interviews with a stringent new social media screening policy. (Daily Cal)
- Meet the volunteer ham radio enthusiasts who helped watch for fireworks and other wildfire hazards in the Berkeley Hills on the Fourth of July (Berkeley Scanner)
Sports
Senior Spotlight Featuring Kendall Jackson
Story Links WASHINGTON (July 10, 2025) – Howard University Department of Athletics rolls on with another senior spotlight series, sitting down with four-time All-NEC selection Kendall Jackson (Pearland, Texas), who was interviewed by rising sophomore legal communications major Tanbrance Berry. Q: What is your favorite course while attending Howard? […]

WASHINGTON (July 10, 2025) – Howard University Department of Athletics rolls on with another senior spotlight series, sitting down with four-time All-NEC selection Kendall Jackson (Pearland, Texas), who was interviewed by rising sophomore legal communications major Tanbrance Berry.
Q: What is your favorite course while attending Howard?
A: My first year at Pebble Beach. It was a paradise. I was not only able to interact with all the Howard administration, our donors and sponsors, but also with Stephen Curry (NBA Champion). After winning the 2022 NBA Finals, he could have been anywhere in the world, but he made sure to come out and visit us.
Q: What are your plans post-grad?
A: My goal is to play on the LPGA Tour. Initially, I thought you had to immediately declare pro after graduation. But unlike football or basketball, there is no “draft” for professional golf. You have to make it out of Q school, so that is what I am focusing on right now.
Q: What has been your biggest contributor to your accolades?
A: The tournaments Coach Sam Puryear (Howard Director of Golf) has us compete. For example, I have had the opportunity to compete in the Jackson T. Stephens Cup all four years, and I am the only player, male or female, HBCU or PWI, to do so. The better the tournaments you play in, the better you get. So, being able to play with the best of the best has definitely been a contribution.
Also, the support from my coaches, Callaway, Under Armour and the Curry brand.
Q: What advice would you give a young black golfer thinking about attending Howard to play at the collegiate level?
A: My advice would be to give yourself grace because that is one thing I am still working on. I got stuck in my own way and did not allow myself to be like, “Hey, Kendall, look at what you’ve accomplished the last four years, not just what you’re doing this season.” All golfers are flawed for being perfectionists or being too hard on themselves, so give yourself grace, be patient, learn and grow from adversity takes time.
Q: How did you balance life being a student-athlete?
A: There is no balance (lol). When I think of balance, it is a perfectly even scale and that is not the case. There is going to be times that assignment is going to get turned in late and other times where I am not going to make that practice. So, just making sure you are not prioritizing too much over the other.
Before the season, you need to make sure you are communicating with your professors ahead of time because life moves on without you in college. If you miss school, they are not going to wait for you to come back. This past season, I missed eight Mondays in a row but I communicated with my professors. I still graduated on time, Magna Cum Laude. So, just make sure you are being patient, giving yourself grace and not prioritizing one over the other because you are both (student and athlete) and you want to succeed at both.
Q: What is your favorite golf memory?
A: After the NEC (Northeast Conference) Championship my junior year, Coach P had told me, “KJ, when we get back, I’m going to need you to take like four days off.” If your coach is saying you need to take some days off to recoup, then you are in a rough patch. The last event of that year, the 2024 PGA Works Collegiate Championship, I told myself I was going to relax and just have fun. I got off to a great start on day one, solid finish day two and won the tournament on the very last put. Unfortunately, we lost as a team, but my teammates were still there to support my win. They poured Gatorade on me and everybody was just celebrating. Curry even reached out to me later that night, congratulating me, which was so surreal.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to highlight?
A: Our docuseries, “Why Not US: Howard Golf,” is on Hulu and ESPN+. Being a part of that, especially as a sophomore, and being able to watch it back junior year, was so amazing. Telling the genesis of Howard Golf and our individual stories was incredible. We were even able to have a couple of bloopers and deleted scenes.
Q: How does it feel to be a part of an HBCU program making history in golf?
A: It feels good to help change the narrative and show that Howard University golf is here to stay and that HBCU golf is excelling.
About Jackson
- Personal:
- Hometown: Pearland, Texas
- Major: Leisure Studies
- Academic Achievements at Howard:
- NEC Spring Academic Honor Roll
- Athletics Achievements at Howard:
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.
Sports
Men’s Water Polo Releases 2025 Schedule
The Princeton Men’s Water Polo Team, four-time Northeast Water Polo Conference champions, has revealed its 2025 schedule. Head coach Dustin Litvak highlighted the goal to continue the team’s success despite losing ten players from the Class of 2025. The Tigers are set to face top college teams and international professional clubs in a challenging early […]

The Princeton Men’s Water Polo Team, four-time Northeast Water Polo Conference champions, has revealed its 2025 schedule. Head coach Dustin Litvak highlighted the goal to continue the team’s success despite losing ten players from the Class of 2025. The Tigers are set to face top college teams and international professional clubs in a challenging early season exhibition series. The season kicks off on September 3 with an exhibition against FTC, a Hungarian team, and features prominent matchups including the Princeton Invitational and season finales against rivals Brown and Harvard.
By the Numbers
- First game against FTC on September 3, 2025.
- Six teams to compete in the Princeton Invitational from September 5-7.
- Regular season finale against Brown on November 8, 2025.
State of Play
- Increased competition with NAIA teams and international clubs included in the schedule.
- Focus on player development and team cohesion following significant roster changes.
What’s Next
The Tigers aim to qualify for the NCAA tournament and vie for a National Championship. The team will focus on building chemistry and overcoming early-season challenges to strengthen their postseason chances.
Bottom Line
Princeton Men’s Water Polo is gearing up for a demanding schedule, tested by elite competition and aiming to maintain its championship legacy while developing new talent for future success.
Sports
This Day in Track & Field History, July 9, Rafer Johnson regains Decathlon WR (1960), by Walt Murphy
Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com) This Day in Track & Field–July 9 1912–Much has been written about the problems the U.S. men have had in the 4×100 relay in international competition, so it seems fitting that things didn’t go well the first time the event was held at the Stockholm Olympics. An American lineup of […]

Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com)
This Day in Track & Field–July 9
1912–Much has been written about the problems the U.S. men have had in the 4×100 relay in international competition, so it seems fitting that things didn’t go well the first time the event was held at the Stockholm Olympics. An American lineup of Ira Courtney, Frank Belote, Clement Wilson, and Carl Cooke won its semi-final race in 42.2 to smash the World Record, but the team was disqualified for a passing violation. Great Britain won the final in 42.4, while Germany, which finished a close 2nd in the same time, was also disqualified for a passing violation. Germany had set the first IAAF-approved World Record of 42.3 in its semi-final the previous day (7-8).
Gaining some revenge for his loss in the “regular” Javelin (7-6), Finland’s Juho Saaristo won the “both hands” version with a combined distance of 358-11 (109.42). His best throw of 200-1 (61.00) was better than Eric Lemming’s winning distance a few days earlier. Lemming finished 4th in this event.
Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1912_Summer_Olympics
1948—Barney Ewell (10.33) beat Mel Patton (10.45) to win the 100-meters on the first day of the U.S. Olympic Trials, which were held at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Hurdles specialist Harrison “Bones” Dillard (10.50) edged Ed Conwell (10.53) to gain the 3rd spot on the U.S. team.
The significance of Dillard’s performance took on added importance the next day after he failed to make the team in the 110-hurdles in one of the biggest surprises in Olympic Trials history. Dillard went on to win the gold medal in the 100, the “wrong event”. at the London Olympics later in the year.
Willie Steele won the Long Jump (26-2 [7.97} and went on to win Olympic gold in London.
(Followup on July 10)
Results/Notes: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/1948.pdf
1949–Future Hall-of-Famer Fortune Gordien set the first of his four World Records in the Discus with his throw of 185-3 (56.46) in Lisbon, Portugal.
Gordien, a 3-time Olympian (and 2-time medalist: bronze-’48, silver-’56), was a 3-time NCAA Champion while at the University of Minnesota (1946-1948) and led the Gophers to the 1948 NCAA team title (he was also 2nd in the Shot Put that year). He was also a 6-time U.S. Champion in the Discus (1947-50, 1953-1954).
Acting Career: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0329899/
Hall of Fame Bio(1979): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/fortune-gordien
1960–A year after suffering a back injury in a car accident, Rafer Johnson regained the World Record in the Decathlon from the Soviet Union’s Vasiliy Kuznetsov by scoring 8,683 points at the U.S. Championships in Eugene, Oregon (also served as the U.S. Olympic Trials). Johnson went on to win the gold medal at the Rome Olympics later in the year (Kuzentsov won the bronze medal).
Johnson’s Marks
100 10.6
LJ 7.55/24-9 1/4
SP 15.85/52-0
HJ 1.78/5-10
400 48.6
110h 14.5
DT 51.97/170-6
PV 3.97/13-1/4
JT 71.10/233-3
1500 5:09.9
Johnson and Kuznetsov had traded the World Record back and forth since 1955
1950 scoring tables 1984 scoring tables
7985 Johnson 1955 7608
8014 Kuznetsov 1958 7653
8302 Johnson 1958 7789
8357 Kuznetsov 1959 7839
8683 Johnson 1960 7981
Hall of Fame Bio(Charter Member-1974): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/rafer-johnson
https://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016405.html
1960–Wilma Rudolph tied the American Record of 11.5 in the 100m and set a new American Record of 22.9 in the 200 at the U.S. Championships in Corpus Christi, Texas. Rudolph secured her status as a legend in the sport by winning three gold medals at the Rome Olympics later in the year(100,200,4×100).
Hall of Fame Bio(1974-Charter Member): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/wilma-rudolph
Bio Video: http://www.biography.com/people/wilma-rudolph-9466552
https://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016444.html
1972–Steve Prefontaine ran 13:22.8 on the final day of competition at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene to break his own American Record of 13:29.6 that he set in April. Also making the team were George Young (13:29.4) and Len Hilton (13:40.2).
18-year old Dwight Stones won the High Jump (7-3 [2.21]) to become the youngest member of the U.S. team. Joining Stones on the trip to Munich would be Ron Jourdan and Chris Dunn, both of whom also cleared 7-3. World Record holder Pat Matzdorf finished 5th. Stones would win the first of his two Olympic bronze medals in Munich.
Wayne Collett won the 400-meters in 44.1, the fastest ever run at low altitude, beating John Smith (44.3) and Vince Matthews (44.9). Finishing 4th was World Record holder Lee Evans, the 1968 Olympic gold medalist.
Matthews and Collett would finish 1-2 in Munich, with Smith pulling up in the final with an injury.
Thomas Hill and Willie Davenport finished 1-2 in the 110-Meter Hurdles (13.5w for both), with favored Rod Milburn barely grabbing the 3rd spot on the team over Charles Rich, Jerry Wilson, and Tommie Lee White (all 4 ran 13.6w). Milburn would win the gold medal in Munich, with Hill taking the bronze.
The Marathon went through the streets of Eugene before finishing inside Hayward Field, and Frank Shorter and Kenny Moore crossed the finish line together (2:15:57.8) to take the first two spots on the team, while Jeff Galloway (2:20:29.2), who had already qualified for the team in the 10,000, allowed 6’-6” Jack Bacheler (2:20.29.2) to slip by him to take the 3rd berth on the team (Shorter, Bacheler, and Galloway were teammates on the Florida Track Club).
Shorter, of course, won Olympic gold in Munich while Moore, who finished 4th, made a great contribution to the sport with his long tenure as a writer for Sports Illustrated.
Many veteran fans who were at the meet still claim it was the best U.S. Olympic Trials ever.
Results/Notes: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/1972.pdf
Sports Illustrated Vault: https://vault.si.com/vault/1972/07/17/the-high-and-the-mighty
Shorter Remembers: http://www.runnersworld.com/olympic-trials/frank-shorter-talks-about-the-marathon-trials
Mike Fanelli’s Report: https://trackandfieldnews.com/tracktown-usas-first-trials-turns-50/
Footnote: To counter the “Go Pre” fervor that had gripped Eugene during the Trials, a group of fun-loving conspirators, Pre fans all, unveiled their “Stop Pre” shirts right before the start of the 5000-Meters (Gerry Lindgren had worn one while warming up before the race!). While many fans were upset by the sacrilegious gesture, Pre got the joke and actually wore one of the shirts during his warmdown after the race! 50 years later, copies of the shirt are being sold online and in stores! (Google “Stop Pre” for more images)
1980–With no Olympics to look forward to, thanks to the U.S. boycott, Mac Wilkins, the 1976 gold medalist, took some consolation in moving his American Record in the Discus up to 232-10 (70.98) in Helsinki, Finland. Despite not competing at the Moscow Olympics, Wilkins was still ranked #1 in the world by Track & Field News.
Hall of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/mac-wilkins
T&F News Rankings: http://trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/rankings
1982–Mary Decker (Slaney) ran 4:18.08 for the Mile in Paris to better her own 2-week old American Record of 4:21.46. She would later improve the record to 4:16.71 in 1985.
Hall of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/mary-slaney-decker
1986–Canada’s Ben Johnson (9.95) won the 100-meters at the inaugural Goodwill Games in Moscow, beating Nigeria’s Chidi Imoh (10.04) and Carl Lewis (10.06).
Medalists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1986_Goodwill_Games
2004—Meb Keflezighi (27:36.49), who had already made the U.S. team in the Marathon in February, qualified in a 2nd event after winning the 10,000-meters on the opening day of the U.S. Olympic Trials (July 9-18) in Sacramento, California. Also making the team for Athens was Abdi Abdirahman (27:55.00) and Dan Browne (28:07.47), who had also made the team in the Marathon. “Meb” would win the silver medal in the Marathon in Athens.
Results/Notes: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2004.pdf
2011—Since his recent success has been in the Shot Put, it’s easy to forget that Ryan Crouser used to be pretty good in the Discus. It was on this day that the recent Barlow H.S.(OR) grad threw the prep platter (1.62kg/3.58lb) 237-6 (72.40) at the Super Open meet in Portland, Oregon, to set the current U.S. High School Record.
He continued to throw the Discus in college, earning 3 All-American honors while competing as a Texas Longhorn, but hasn’t competed in the event since 2016. He has a best of 209-8 (63.90).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R79Jn9l3ypQ
2016—41-year old Bernard Lagat (13:35.50) surprised even himself by winning a tactical 5000-meters at the U.S. Trials in Eugene to qualify for his 5th Olympic team. Hassan Mead (13:35.70) was 2nd and Paul Chelimo (13:35.92), who would go on to win the silver medal at the Rio Olympics, edged Eric Jenkins (13:35.98) for the 3rd spot on the team.
Lagat could hardly contain his joy as he celebrated in front of an adoring Hayward Field crowd. He had originally hoped to make the U.S. team in the 10,000-meters on July 1, but had to drop out of the race. Some thought that might be his last appearance on the track before turning his attention to the roads, but Lagat obviously felt differently.
“Last year at (the) Prefontaine Classic I was sick and so I did not finish the race and I was really ashamed of it. The other day in the 10K I did not finish the race and I felt the same thing I did at the Prefontaine Classic. But I said I am not going to end running in Eugene that way. This is a track town and I can’t really leave that image on everybody. So this is the image I wanted to leave and I was super excited when I won the race tonight.”
When asked to explain his success at his advanced age (for a runner), Lagat said after the race, “I train with young guys and I don’t believe that I’m old. If you believe that you’re old, you’re going to run like an old man. They push me every single day and at the end of the day, they tell me, ‘Man you make us really feel bad.’ Because I don’t give up. I train hard with them. What you saw today is exactly what we do in Tucson.”
The Men’s 200-meters provided a glimpse of the past, present and future in the event. Veteran Justin Gatlin, who had already qualified for his 3rd Olympic team with his earlier win in the 100-meters, won the quick final over LaShawn Merritt (19.75-19.79), with Ameer Webb (2000) clinching the 3rd place on the team.
Finishing 4-5 were recent high school graduates Noah Lyles, who set a U.S. prep record of 20.09, and Michael Norman, who moved to =3rd on the All-Time H.S. list with his time of 20.14.
Those two are now among the best sprinters in the world. Lyles is the 3-time reigning World Champion at 200-meters and American Record holdeer (and won the gold medal in the 100-meters at the 2024 Olympics), while Norman, who spent two years competing for USC, set a Collegiate Record of 43.61 for 400-meters at the 2018 NCAA Championships after setting an unofficial World Record of 44.52 at the NCAA Indoor Championships. And he won the 400 at the 2022 World Championships.
Former Florida teammates Will Claye (57-11 [17.65]) and Christian Taylor (57-1/4 [17.39]) finished 1-2 in the Men’s Triple Jump, with Chris Benard (56-5 ¾ [17.21]) edging another former Gator, Omar Craddock (56-3 ¾[17.16]), to grab the 3rd spot on the team. The first two positions would be reversed at he Rio Olympics, with Taylor winning gold and Claye the silver.
Making the team was sweet redemption for Claye, who had finished 3rd in the Long Jump earlier in the Trials, but his legal best during the season was 1 centimeter short of the Olympic qualifying standard.
Said Claye, “The long jump situation was definitely an emotional roller coaster. I felt that for a day or two and it definitely put me in a bad place, in all honesty. And it took my family and my friends and all the prayers and text messages and my coach and my agent; they all spoke to me and just tried to clear my mind a bit. I just sat in my room and I couldn’t believe it. I just missed the standard by 1 cm.”
Oregon’s own Devon Allen (13.03), the recent NCAA winner here at Hayward Field, thrilled Duck fans again with a clear win in the 110-meter hurdles. The battle for the next two Olympic berths was brutal, with Ronnie Ash (13.21) and Jeff Porter (13.21) earning the trip to Rio over World Record holder Aries Merritt (13.22) and 2011 World Champion Jason Richardson (13.28). Merritt, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, missed out on being a 3-time Olympian by a mere .03s, having finished .02s out of 3rd place at the 2004 Trials.
Texas A&M’s Maggie Malone was another NCAA Champion returning to Hayward Field, winning the Women’s Javelin with a throw of (199-7 [60.84]). Also making the team were American Record holder Kara Winger (189-11 [57.90]/her 3rd team), and 4th-placer Brittany Borman (185-8 [56.60]), who made her 2nd team. Runnerup Hannah Carson (190-11 [58.19]) didn’t have an Olympic qualifier. Also returning to the Olympics would be Malone and Winger.
Results/Notes: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2016.pdf
Men’s 5000-Last Lap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNUEO-kjZe4
https://www.si.com/olympics/2016/07/09/bernard-lagat-us-olympic-trials-win-5000-meters-results-video
www.letsrun.com/news/2016/07/41-year-old-bernard-lagat-wins-crazy-mens-5000-2016-us-olympic-trials-mens-5000-african-born-runners-go-1-2-3/
U.S. Olympic Trials History (Through 2021)
https://trackandfieldnews.com/usa-olympic-trials-history/
U.S. Championships History: https://trackandfieldnews.com/u-s-national-championships-history/
Past U.S. Champions: https://www.flipsnack.com/USATF/usatf-outdoor-champions/full-view.html
2020—In one of the many improvised events that took place during the Covid-shortened 2020 season, the Weltklasse-Zurich Inspiration Games saw athletes competing against each other virtually in different cities around the world.
(Zurich, Bradenton-Florida, Walnut-California, Lisbon, Karlsruhe-Germany, Aubiere-France, Papendal-Netherlands, Karlstad-Sweden)
The athletes appeared on split screens, as engineers did their best to synch up the footage to make it appear as if the athletes were actually riunning against each other. A technical challenge for sure, but fans welcomed the effort during these strange times.
Sprinters faced strong headwinds in California and Florida.
Allyson Felix (16.82), running at Mt.SAC, “won” the women’s 150 over Shaunae Miller-Uibo (17.52), who was in Bradenton,FL. Watching Felix from the sidelines was her young daughter Camryn, who wore a t-shirt that read “Future Olympian”!
Viewers gasped when Noah Lyles crossed the finish line in the 200m in Florida and the clock flashed 18.91 (corrected to 18.90), well under Usain Bolt’s World Record of 19.19. To his credit, Steve Cram, who shared announcing duties with Colin Jackson, immediately exclaimed upon seeing the time, “That cannot be right!”. And, of course, he was right—Lyles’ blocks had been set 15-meters short of where they should have been!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VctqSI-27Zs
W150: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK4QazZvl0M
M200: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBKZFOsTCQY
Born On This Day*
Maurica Carlucci-Powell 45 (1980) Director of T&F and X-Country at the University of Washington. Husband Andy
is the Head Coach, focusing on daily operations
Couple previously coached at Oregon for 13 years. Massachusetts natives competed for Stanford before
embarking on a coaching career.
http://gohuskies.com/news/2018/6/18/track-field-maurica-andy-powell-take-over-uw-track-program.aspx
Kara Goucher 47 (1978) Silver medalist in the 10,000-meters at the 2007 World Championships
2-time U.S. Olympian—2008 (5000-8th,10,000-8th), 2012 (Marathon-10th)
2-time NCAA Champion-Colorado (2000-3000,5000)
PBs:4:05.14 (’06),4:33.19i (’09),8:34.99 (’07), 14:55.02 (’07), 30:55.16, 66:57 (’07/#4 A-T U.S./all
conditions), 2:24:52)
Currently a member of NBC’s broadcast team
Podcast: Nobody Asked Us With Des (Linden) and Kara https://www.youtube.com/@nobodyaskedus
Recently diagnosed with Runner’s Dystonia. She addresses the condition and her TV career in this podcast:
https://aliontherunblog.com/2022/06/09/525-kara-goucher/
https://www.outsideonline.com/2398643/kara-goucher-leadville
Married to Adam Goucher (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Goucher)
Author: The Longest Race
https://www.amazon.com/Longest-Race-Inside-Deception-Running/dp/1982179147
http://www.karagoucher.com/
http://www.denverpost.com/2017/04/04/kara-goucher-anti-doping-whistle-blower/
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara_Goucher
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karagoucher/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karagoucher?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Gulnara Samitova-Galkina-Russia 47 (1978) 2008 Olympic gold medalist—Steeplechase
Bronze medalist at the 2009 World Championships
Also the bronze medalist in the 1500-meters at the 2004 World Indoor Championships
Set 3 World Records in the Steeplechase—9:08.33 (2003), 9:01.49 (2004), 8:58.81 (2008/Olympic final)
Other global placings
OG-2004 (5000-6th), 2008 (5000-11th), 2012 (SC-DNF)
WC-2007 (SC-7th)
PBs: 2:00.29 (2009), 4:01.29 (2004), 4:20.23 (2007), 5:31.03 (2007), 8:41.72i (2004), 14:33.13 (2008),
8:58.81 (2008/#14 All-Time)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulnara_Samitova-Galkina
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/russia/gulnara-galkina-14299161
https://worldathletics.org/news/news/world-record-obliterates-memories-of-osaka-fo
WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3000_metres_steeplechase_world_record_progression
Derek Mills 53 (1972) 1996 Olympic gold medalist—4×400; 1995 World Champion—4×400
3-time NCAA Champion (Georgia Tech)—400m (‘94/’91-7th, ’92-3rd,’93-3rd); 4×400 (’92-43.9r,’94-45.1r,’93-
44.0r-3rd); PBs: 45.59i (’95), 44.13 (’95). 2:59.95 (’92)
Wife is former LSU All-American Heather Van Norman…stepson is NFL star Odell Beckham, Jr.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Mills
1992 4×400: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sLHhD5IAWs
NCAA History: trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/archivemenu/13-lists/1028-a-history-of-the-ncaa-championships
Pauline Davis—Bahamas 59 (1966) One of the original “Golden Girls” from the Bahamas
2000 Olympic gold medalist—200,4×100 (1996-Silver,4×100); 4-time Olympian
1999 World Champion—4×100; Silver medalist in the 400 at the 1995 World Championships
1989 NCAA Champion—400m (Alabama); 17-time All-American
Other NCAA Placings: 100 (’86-3rd, ’87-5th,’88-2nd); 200 (’86-3rd,’87-4th,’88-2nd,’89-3rd); 4×100 (’87-3rd);
4×400 (’86-2nd, ’89-8th); Indoors:55 (’86-3rd,’87-5th, ’88-2nd,’89-2nd); 200(’88-1st, ’89-2nd)
PBs: 10.97 (2000),22.38 (2000),49.28 (1996), 41.92 (National Record)
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Davis-Thompson
Belated Gold: http://www.espn.com/olympics/trackandfield/news/story?id=5277604
http://www.bahamasolympiccommittee.org/_m1722/Olympians/Pauline-Davis-Thompson-
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/64988
Deceased
Ben Eastman 91 (1911-Oct.6, 2002) 1932 Olympic silver medalist—400m
1934 U.S. Champion-800m
2-time IC4A Champion-880y (Stanford/1931,1932)
Former World Record holder: 500m, 600y, 800m, 880y, Mile Relay
Inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 2006
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78359
https://www.9news.com/article/news/olympian-blazin-ben-eastman-91-dies-of-pneumonia/73-345496729
https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/ben-eastman
https://gostanford.com/honors/stanford-athletics-hall-of-fame/ben-eastman/200
https://www.ebay.com/itm/361986089387
Sim Iness 65 (1930-May 23,1996) 1952 Olympic gold medalist—Discus
2-time NCAA Champion (USC/1952,1953/2nd-1950)
Set a World Record of 190-0 (57.93) in the 1953 NCAA Final.
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78589
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sim_Iness
http://siminess.com/
Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHv24HzRBto
O.J. Simpson 76 (1947-April 10, 2024) 1967 NCAA Champion (USC)—440y-relay—Set a WR of 38.6 (100y-6th)
(Earl McCullouch, Fred Kuller, O.J. Simpson, Lennox Miller)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._J._Simpson
http://articles.latimes.com/1987-06-17/sports/sp-4512_1_years-ago-today
https://www.si.com/vault/1967/06/26/610079/smoking-performance-at-a-nosmoke-affair
Sports
Chris Viamonte becomes Mount Union baseball’s second Gold Glove winner
Mount Union senior third baseman Chris Viamonte has been named to the 2025 American Baseball Coaches Association-Rawlings NCAA Division III Gold Glove Team. Viamonte became the second Purple Raiders player in team history to earn a Gold Glove. He also earned one as a sophomore at Baldwin Wallace. Viamonte had a .964 fielding percentage with […]

Mount Union senior third baseman Chris Viamonte has been named to the 2025 American Baseball Coaches Association-Rawlings NCAA Division III Gold Glove Team.
Viamonte became the second Purple Raiders player in team history to earn a Gold Glove. He also earned one as a sophomore at Baldwin Wallace.
Viamonte had a .964 fielding percentage with 24 putouts and 83 assists. He also turned five double plays.
Jaired Lehman, Alex Stegman named Mount Union baseball All-Americans
Mount Union’s Jaired Lehman and Alex Stegman were third-team selections on the American Baseball Coaches Association-Rawlings NCAA Division III All-America Team.
Lehman hit .376 with six home runs, 16 doubles, 47 RBIs and a .645 slugging percentage. As a pitcher, he was 4-1 with a 2.52 ERA and 35 strikeouts.
Stegman led the Ohio Athletic Conference with 67 hits. He batted .372 with four homers, five triples, 12 doubles, 46 runs scored and a .561 slugging percentage.
It was the first time the Purple Raiders had at least two players selected to the All-America team.
Katie Clark becomes first Mount Union women’s lacrosse All-American
Mount Union’s Katie Cark was an honorable mention selection on the USA Lacrosse All-America team, becoming the first Purple Raider to earn All-America honors on any list.
A three-time Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Clark led Mount Union with 44 goals and 76 assists for 120 points during the 2025 season. She ranks No. 1 in program history with 226 goals, 233 assists and 459 points.
Mary Mason, Tyler Echeverry named Mount Union Clyde A. Lamb Award recipients
All-America distance runner Mary Mason and All-America running back Tyler Echeverry were named Mount Union’s Clyde A. Lamb Award selections for the 2024-25 school year.
The Clyde A. Lamb Award is presented annually to 10 male and 10 female athletes from each of the Ohio Athletic Conference schools. Criteria for the award includes at least two years of participation in an OAC-sponsored sport, senior status, a minimum GPA of 3.0 and sportsmanlike conduct in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete and his or her institution.
Mason, an exercise science major with a minor in chemistry and biology, has a 4.0 GPA. She is a five-time All-OAC Academic and two-time academic all-region selection. She set six schools records, won 11 conference titles and earned five All-America honors. She also received the NCAA Elite 90 Award at the 2025 NCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Echeverry earned 2024 All-America honors from D3football.com, the American Football Coaches Association and Associated Press. He was named the 2024 D3football.com All-Region 4 Offensive Player of the Year and the OAC Co-Bob Packard Offensive Back of the Year. He rushed for 1,761 yards and 30 touchdowns.
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