Sports – Page 493 – North Platte Post Archive

Former Husker Pleads Guilty in Drug, Weapons Case

Posted on July 15, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A former Nebraska football player has pleaded guilty to federal gun and drug charges.

26-year-old Benjamin Martin made the pleas Monday at a hearing in Lincoln.

Authorities say a passer-by found Martin slumped over in his car in a Lincoln parking lot on Dec. 20. When officers awoke Martin, he opened his car door and rifle rounds spilled into the parking lot. Officers say they found a rifle, more than $48,500 in cash and methamphetamine in the car and later found more meth in a storage unit rented in Martin’s name.

Martin began playing defensive tackle for the Huskers in 2007, but his college career ended later when he was given a medical hardship scholarship.

Bill Seeks to Disclose Finances of College Sports

Posted on July 15, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two congressmen have introduced a bill to require the NCAA, schools, conferences as well as the College Football Playoff to reveal how much money is flowing through college sports.

The Standardization of Collegiate Oversight of Revenues and Expenditures (SCORE) Act would require the NCAA to make public a standardized financial report for itself and release similar information for schools that already report the data to the NCAA. It also would affect conferences and any entity hosting a postseason competition.

U.S. Rep. David Price, a North Carolina Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Tom Petri, a Wisconsin Republican, introduced the bill. In a statement Tuesday, Price said it would allow “for the first apples-to-apples comparison” of revenues and spending throughout college sports.

NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn did not immediately return an email Tuesday.

Selig Says Rose Could Play All-Star Role in 2015

Posted on July 15, 2014

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Pete Rose may have a role to play in next year’s All-Star game in Cincinnati despite his lifetime ban from baseball.

The career hits leader generally is not allowed in any areas of major league ballparks not open to fans. The former Reds star was on the field in Cincinnati last September for the unveiling of a bronze sculpture honoring Hall of Fame teammate Joe Morgan.

The Reds host the 2015 All-Star game on July 14, and Commissioner Bud Selig left open the possibility Rose could play a part in the ceremonies.

Hours before the All-Star game on Tuesday, Selig said the Reds are likely to discuss Rose’s participation in the event next summer.

Rose agreed to the lifetime ban in 1989 following an investigation by Major League Baseball that concluded he bet on the Reds to win while managing the team.

Signed Lou Gehrig Glove Sells for $287,500

Posted on July 15, 2014

GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) — An autographed baseball glove that Lou Gehrig gave to a Connecticut man when he was a boy has sold for $287,500.

Officials with Hunt Auctions said the glove sold Tuesday at auction in Minneapolis. They didn’t disclose the name of the buyer.

Howard Henderson, a 92-year-old Greenwich (GREN’-ich) resident, says the New York Yankees slugger gave him the glove in the mid-1930s. It’s signed: “To Howard. I hope you have much luck with this glove as I did. Lou Gehrig.”

Gehrig and his wife were friends with Henderson’s father, Ray, a songwriter. Gehrig visited the family’s Bronxville, New York, home.

US Concussion Expert: World Cup Sets Bad Example

Posted on July 15, 2014

BOSTON (AP) — Concussion expert Chris Nowinski says World Cup organizers missed a chance to use the tournament as a “bully pulpit” to teach soccer fans and young players around the globe about the dangers of head injuries.

Several times in the event players sustained obvious concussions but continued to play — a practice doctors agree can put them at risk of severe brain damage. In the final, Germany midfielder Christoph Kramer continued playing after colliding with Argentina defender Ezequiel Garay. Kramer later had to be helped off the field and said he couldn’t remember much from the collision.

Nowinski says he doesn’t just worry about the top professionals who are injured in the world championship. He’s also concerned about the millions who are watching who might think it’s OK to keep playing after a concussion.

Players May Consider Tobacco Ban Discussion in ’16

Posted on July 15, 2014

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Major League Baseball players say they may consider whether to discuss a possible ban on chewing tobacco when they negotiate their next labor contract in two years. For now, they hope individuals decide on their own to stop dipping.

Players’ union head Tony Clark said Monday that several of his members have quit cold turkey following the death of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn on June 16 from oral cancer.

While the use of smokeless tobacco was banned for players with minor league contacts in 1993, it is permitted for players with major league deals. The labor agreement covering 2012-16 says players may not carry tobacco packages and tins in their back pockets when fans are permitted in ballparks, and they may not use tobacco during pregame and postgame interviews and at team functions.

Bell Named to Biletnikoff Watch List

Posted on July 15, 2014

Nebraska senior receiver Kenny Bell was named to the watch list for the 2014 Biletnikoff Award on Tuesday. The award annually recognizes the outstanding receiver in college football.

The 6-1, 185-pound Bell was named to the Biletnikoff watch list for the second straight season. Bell enters his final season at Nebraska on the verge of becoming the most prolific receiver in school history.

Bell ranks fifth on Nebraska’s career receptions list with 134 catches, leaving him 32 catches behind the NU record of 166 receptions by Nate Swift. Bell is third in school history with 1,901 career receiving yards, leaving him 578 yards from Johnny Rodgers’ school record in that category.

Bell has 15 career touchdown receptions heading into 2014, including four touchdown catches in 2013. He has shown a knack for the big play throughout his career with each of his last 13 touchdown catches covering at least 20 yards.

Bell has led Nebraska in receptions each of his first three seasons, the first player to accomplish that at Nebraska since Matt Davison from 1998 to 2000. This fall, Bell could be the first player to lead the Huskers in catches for four straight years. Bell finished his junior season with a team-high 52 receptions for 577 yards and earned honorable-mention all-conference honors.

Bell is one of 55 receivers on the watch list, including five players from the Big Ten Conference. The Biletnikoff Award is sponsored by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, and is named for College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff who starred at Florida State and with the Oakland Raiders.

Ten semifinalists for the award will be chosen on Nov. 17, with three finalists announced on Nov. 24. The winner will be announced on Dec. 11 as part of the ESPN College Football Awards Show.

Dawson County Raceway Results – July 13

Posted on July 15, 2014

The racers that compete at Dawson County Raceway went way beyond the expectations of the fans in the stands in presenting an encore-racing program that rivaled the fireworks shows displayed on the Independence Day holiday on Sunday evening in Lexington, Nebraska.

Lightning up the night with their stellar efforts that resulted in trips to the winners circle were IMCA hotshoes: Colton Osborn, Brandon Clough, Casey Werkmeister, Kyle Bond and Grand National veteran Josh Leonard on Sunday.

Grabbing the lead at the halfway point, the Cozad cruiser Colton Osborn was able to power his way to the IMCA Modified Feature victory. Osborn snared the lead on the 11th circuit and never looked back after starting in the fifth row. Close behind Colton was brother Cale Osborn in second place overall, after he started in the fourth row and had a strong final five laps to earn runner-up accolades. Making the long-haul from Lincoln was worth it, as Mike Densberger was among the leaders throughout the feature and his efforts to avoid incidents resulted in a third place finish. Densberger along with Chuck Stryker of Eddyville were the earlier in the evening heat race winners.

Doing his best to trump the field, Gibbon’s Josh Leonard swept the checkered flags in the Grand National races that he competed in on Sunday. In the Feature, Leonard went to the cushion and was on a rail like a runaway freight train, as he refused to lose and drove away for the victory. Jarred Hackler of Hastings started in the third row, but was quickly in contention for a podium finish and his efforts paid off with a runner-up finish. Veteran wheelman Robbie Leonard was third overall in the Feature after winning his initial heat race earlier in the evening.

Breaking through to the top of the podium in the IMCA Northern Sport Modified division with his first Feature win of 2014 at Dawson County Raceway was Brandon Clough of Wallace. Clough has been a mainstay inside the top five and flirted with winning but it was his night this time around as he scored the win from his front row starting position. Continuing his hot streak on ovals in Southwest Nebraska, Jamey Kennicutt of Gothenburg was the runner-up as he was able to drive to the podium from his fourth row starting position during the early laps to avoid accidents deep in the field. Making a late charge from his fourth row starting position, the Ageless Wonder, Denny Egge of Kearney was third overall with a strong final five laps. Clough and Kennicutt were the heat race winners in the division.

No stranger to the winners circle, Casey Werkmeister recovered quite nicely from a setback earlier in the weekend where he blew up a motor to finished with back-to-back feature wins in the IMCA Stock Car division in North Platte on Saturday and Lexington on Sunday. Werkmeister darted to the front on the fifth lap, after getting a great start to be among the leaders just prior to the fifth circuit. Making a late charge and challenging for the lead in the waning laps was Cozad’s Colton Osborn, who was forced to settle for runner-up honors. Leading the initial four laps of the feature was Jeff Whiting of Gothenburg, who was able to stay up on the wheel and pedal his way to a third place finish. Whiting and Werkmeister were the heat race winners in the Stock Car division.

Doing their best to put on the best show possible for the fans in the stands, fan favorites Dillon Thompson and Kyle Bond put on a whale of show along with Tiffany Bittner, as the trio ran away and hid from the rest of the field of IMCA Hobby Stocks on Sunday. Bond of Gibbon was able to drive his way to the point on the second circuit and never look back to claim the victory. Close behind with many challenges for the lead was Thompson of Campbell, who crossed the finish line in second place overall. Having to come from deep, as a result of getting stuck in traffic, Norfolk’s Tiffany Bittner closed the gap in the waning laps with fast lap times to finish third overall.

(Unofficial Results)

–IMCA Modified Feature: 1. 50c-Colton Osborn; 2. 6c-Cale Osborn; 3. 81-Mike Densberger; 4. 7a-Steve Aitken; 5. 34jw-Cole Hodges; 6. XII-Jay Steffens; 7. 2-Jeremy Herbst; 8. 1c-Cole Egge; 9. 30x-Micah Veleba; 10. 19-Chuck Stryker.

Heat Race Winners: 81-Mike Densberger; 19-Chuck Stryker.

–Grand National Late Model Feature: 1. 85-Josh Leonard; 2. 3h-Jarred Hackler; 3. 85x-Robbie Leonard; 4. 51-Les Siebert; 5. 23-Tom Kubicka; 6. 55-Jake Neighbors; 7. 5s-Dylan Schmer; 8. 83-Denton Duncan; 9. 88-Brandon Leonard; 10. 28-Kevin Safranek.

Heat Race Winners: 85-Josh Leonard; 85x-Robbie Leonard.

–IMCA Northern Sport Modified Feature: 1. 20b-Brandon Clough; 2,. 15k-Jamey Kennicutt; 3. 1x-Denny Egge; 4. 0hp-Bryan Herrick; 5. 12j-Kerry Jones; 6. 15r-Robbie Kosmacek; 7. 33-Chad Young; 8. 8c-Corey Cruzan; 9. 68-Craig Howard; 10. 67-Terry Fletcher.

Heat Race Winners: 15k-Jamey Kennicutt; 20b-Brandon Clough.

–IMCA Stock Car Feature: 1. 24w-Casey Werkmeister; 2. 50c-Colton Osborn; 3. 16w-Jeff Whiting; 4. 35jw-Casey Woken; 5. 19-Dana Morgan; 6. 45-Mikey Dancer; 7. 24-Bob Chalupa; 8. 29e-Brendan Eilts; 9. 99k-David Easterday; 10. 00-Sara Klein.

Heat Race Winners: 24w-Casey Werkmeister; 16w-Jeff Whiting.

–IMCA Hobby Stock Feature: 1. 0-Kyle Bond; 2. 11-Dillon Thompson; 3. 95b-Tiffany Bittner; 4. R89-Nate Refior; 5. 26-Ryan Gardine; 6. 85-Robert Leonard; 7. 2c-Zach Canas; 8. 5-Chuck Ledbetter; 9. 53e-Tyler Easterday; 10. 2x-Travis Kernick.

Heat Race Winners: 0-Kyle Bond; 11-Dillon Thompson.

Cespedes Wins Again, Beating Frazier in HR Derby

Posted on July 14, 2014

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Oakland’s Yoenis Cespedes became the first repeat winner of the All-Star home run derby in 15 years, powering his way past Cincinnati’s Todd Frazier by a whopping 9-1 in the final round Monday night.

Ken Griffey Jr. took the title in 1998 and 1999.

With a serious, determined look on his face the whole time, Cespedes finished with 28 homers. That was four fewer than last year, when he beat Washington’s Bryce Harper 9-8 in the final round.

Cespedes saved his best for last, a 452-foot blast to the third deck above left field that officially measured as the longest of the night.

Emmert Paid $1.7 Million as NCAA Revenues Increase

Posted on July 14, 2014

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — NCAA President Mark Emmert received $1.707 million in compensation in 2012-13, a year in which the governing body turned a $32 million profit.

The figures come from the NCAA’s latest tax returns, which were released Monday.

Jim Isch, the NCAA’s chief operating officer, and top legal counsel Donald Remy also topped the $500,000 mark. Isch received $1.013 million in total compensation. Remy, who is listed as an executive vice president, was third at $619,663.

During that fiscal year, the NCAA generated $874 million in revenue — a 4 percentage-point increase over 2011-12 — and had $842 million in expenses, a 6.4 percentage-point increase over the previous fiscal year.

The tax documents also show a record $546 million was distributed to member schools in 2012-13.