The U.S. Olympic Committee has decided to bid for the 2024 Olympics, hoping to bring the Summer Games back to America after a 28-year absence.
The USOC board heard presentations from four candidate cities Tuesday — Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington — and voted to enter a field that already includes Rome and either Hamburg or Berlin, with Paris likely to join.
A decision on which city the U.S. will put forward for a bid is expected next month.
The United States hasn’t hosted a Summer Games since the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
The country’s last two tries have been flops, with New York (2012) and Chicago (2016) each finishing fourth in voting. The USOC chose not to bid for the 2020 Games, which will take place in Tokyo.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Creighton guard James Milliken has been suspended indefinitely for violating team rules.
Coach Greg McDermott announced Tuesday that Milliken would not practice or travel with the Bluejays during the suspension. A statement from the school said a decision on Milliken’s status in the program would be made in January.
Milliken scored a career-high 23 points in a double-overtime win over South Dakota on Dec. 9. He was held out of the first half of Saturday’s overtime loss to Saint Mary’s for showing up late to the morning shoot-around.
Milliken has appeared in all 11 games and averaged 5.7 points and 17 minutes.
Mikaela Foecke (left) receives the Gatorade VB POY trophy from April Ross (right).
Fort Madison, Iowa – In its 30th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Husker signee Mikaela Foecke of Holy Trinity Catholic High School (Fort Madison, Iowa) as its 2014-15 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year. Foecke was surprised with the news at school by silver medalist April Ross, who earned Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year honors in 1999-00.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Foecke as the nation’s best high school volleyball player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Foecke from more than 430,000 high school volleyball players nationwide. Foecke is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.
The 6-foot-3 senior middle blocker led the Crusaders to a 48-4 record and the Class 1A state championship this past season. The state’s returning Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year, Foecke recorded 812 kills, 270 digs, 170 service aces and 95 blocks. A member of the American Family Insurance All-USA Preseason Volleyball First Team, she was also the Iowa Girls Coaches Association co-Player of the Year, captain of the Class 1A All-State Tournament Team and was selected for the Iowa Girls Coaches Association and the Des Moines Register Elite All-State teams. A 2014-15 Under Armour First Team All-America honoree, Foecke started for the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team that won a gold medal at the U-20 NORCECA Continental Championships this past July, and finished her prep career with a state-record 2,813 kills.
Foecke has maintained a 4.10 GPA in the classroom. A member of the student council and an officer in the local 4-H club, she has volunteered on behalf of area food drives, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, youth volleyball programs, city clean-up initiatives and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
“In a state currently top heavy with elite volleyball talent, Foecke has been without peer for at least the past two years,” said John Tawa, Publisher of PrepVolleyball.com. “Though she plays ‘small-school ball,’ she’s a big-time performer, possessing the arm swing and power to dominate anywhere along the net, as well as the agility of a libero in a 6-3 body. Foecke can score against anyone at any time and could be a [collegiate] All-America performer early.”
Foecke will be a freshman for the Huskers next fall.
“Without question, Mikaela is deserving of recognition as the nation’s best high school volleyball player based on her statistics on the field and the impact her accomplishments have had on Holy Trinity Catholic’s success,” said Gatorade Vice President, Brand Marketing Morgan Flatley. “But she is also a shining example to peers and aspiring young athletes of what a leader and a student-athlete should be. She represents everything we hope for in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient.”
For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of former winners, and future announcement dates, visit the Gatorade Player of the Year Web site at https://www.gatorade.com/poy, on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatorade.
Lincoln, Neb.– The Nebraska football team practiced for 90 minutes inside the Hawks Championship Center on Tuesday afternoon in preparation for the Holiday Bowl. Interim Head Coach Barney Cotton spoke to the media after practice.
“Defensively they are probably a little bit sharper than us,” Cotton said. “Offensively we kind of reversed roles, but it was still a good day. It’s just I think we were a little sharper offensively the first three days of last week. We’ll come back tomorrow and do a better job.”
Cotton also said that defensive end Randy Gregory is “fully cleared as of today” for the bowl game. Cotton added that the odd practice times were selected during Finals Week so that “hopefully we could get 90 percent of our guys here this week.”
Cotton also talked about the depth at center and said it was “going well.”
“Paul Thurston, who finished the game up at Iowa, right now would be the leading candidate to start,” Cotton said. “We are also looking at Zach Hannon. We’ve moved Dylan Utter there from the backup left guard spot to also playing center. They are all three getting pretty equal reps right now.”
Offensive Coordinator Tim Beck also spoke to the media and talked about USC’s defense.
“They are pretty good up front, well coached, they run to the ball well and are good athletically in the back end,” Beck said. “They are different defensively than they have been, they are more of an odd team. They have done a nice job and are pretty salty.”
The Holiday Bowl between No. 25 Nebraska and No. 24 USC is set for Saturday, Dec. 27 at 7 p.m. (CT) on ESPN.
Senior Emily Cady claimed Nebraska’s first Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player-of-the-Week award of the season when the conference office announced its weekly honors on Tuesday.
Cady, a 6-2 forward from Seward, Neb., averaged a double-double with 15.5 points and 13.0 rebounds to lead the No. 12 Huskers to wins over Creighton and Bakersfield last week.
In the 60-57 win at Creighton on Thursday, Cady led the Huskers with 18 points, while adding 11 rebounds, two assists and a season-high three blocked shots. Cady hit 8-of-11 shots from the floor, including 2-of-3 three-pointers.
Less than 48 hours later, Cady notched her fifth double-double of the season and 27th of her career with team highs of 13 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in Nebraska’s 54-45 victory over preseason Western Athletic Conference favorite Bakersfield.
Cady improved her season averages to 13.8 points and a team-leading 9.4 rebounds. She has added 3.0 assists per game to help the Huskers open the year with a 9-1 record.
For Cady, who is a three-time All-Big Ten honoree including a second-team selection as a junior in 2013-14, it was her first career Big Ten Player-of-the-Week honor. She claimed a Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award on Jan. 24, 2012, before earning a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2011-12.
Cady is approaching career milestones of 1,200 points, 900 rebounds and 100 blocked shots as the Huskers prepare to close non-conference play against High Point on Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tip-off between the Big Red and the defending Big South champion Panthers is set for 3 p.m., and tickets are available now at Huskers.com.
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has announced the 32 players eligible for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
Among the nominees are Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, Dallas running back DeMarco Murray, San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers, Kansas City linebacker Tamba Hali and Carolina linebacker Thomas Davis, who was a finalist last year.
Named for the late Hall of Fame running back, the award recognizes a player’s community service and performance on the field.
Each team nominates a player, and the NFL Foundation donates $1,000 to a charity of his choice. The three finalists will receive an additional $5,000 contribution. They will be announced next month.
The winner will receive a $20,000 donation in his name to his favorite charity. The announcement will be made during the NFL Honors show Jan. 31, the night before the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.
Kendrys Morales with the Los Angeles Angels in 2012
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have finalized a $17 million, two-year deal with veteran slugger Kendrys Morales.
Morales gives the Royals a new designated hitter after Billy Butler agreed to a free agent deal with Oakland. Kansas City will hope last season was an aberration for Morales, who hit .218 with eight homers and 42 RBIs in 98 games with the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners.
Two years ago, Morales hit .277 with 23 homers for Seattle.
The 31-year-old Morales will get $6.5 million next year and $9 million in 2016. The deal includes an $11 million mutual option for 2017 with a $1.5 million buyout.
Morales can make an additional $750,000 in performance bonuses in each of the first two seasons based on plate appearances.
DENVER (AP) — Infielder Daniel Descalso had agreed to a $3.6 million, two-year contract with the Colorado Rockies.
The 28-year-old has seen action all over the infield since being selected by St. Louis in the third round of the 2007 amateur draft. He’s played 200 games at third base, along with 174 more at second. He’s also slid over to shortstop (114 games) and filled in at first (nine games).
Descalso hit .242 with 10 RBIs in 104 games last season with the Cardinals and was a member of their 2011 World Series championship team. He will have salaries of $1.5 million next year and $2.1 million in 2016.
Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich believes Descalso’s “versatile skill set, his experience level and his veteran leadership will be great additions to our Major League process.”
Descalso can earn up to $500,000 annually in performance bonuses based on plate appearances under Tuesday’s deal: $50,000 for 250, $100,000 for 300, $150,000 for 350 and $200,000 for 400.
Lincoln – Nebraska senior I-back Ameer Abdullah and junior defensive end Randy Gregory were each named Associated Press All-Americans on Tuesday, as Abdullah was a second-team pick and Gregory was a third-team selection.
The honor was Abdullah’s fourth over the last week, after also being named a second-team running back honoree by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, CBS Sports.com and Scout.com.
Gregory was tabbed as a third-team All-American after earning first-team All-Big Ten honors each of the past two seasons. An impressive feat considering Gregory missed nearly four games in 2014.
A senior from Homewood, Ala., Abdullah rushed for 1,523 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2014, including four 200-yard rushing games. Abdullah also became Nebraska’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards, while ranking second on the school’s career rushing yardage list.
Abdullah was one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award, and has also received All-Big Ten honors for the past three seasons. Abdullah was a third-team AP All-American in 2013.
One of the most feared pass rushers in the Big Ten, Gregory had 50 total tackles, including seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss, while adding a team-high 16 quarterback hurries. He also blocked two field goals, broke up three passes and had an interception. Gregory is the first two-time all-conference honoree on the defensive line at Nebraska since Ndamukong Suh in 2008 and 2009.
The U.S. Olympic Committee has decided to bid for the 2024 Olympics, hoping to bring the Summer Games back to America after a 28-year absence.
