Sports – Page 711 – North Platte Post Archive

Chacin Leads Rockies over Padres, 14-2

Posted on August 13, 2013

DENVER (AP) — Jhoulys Chacin pitched eight solid innings and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, leading the Colorado Rockies past the San Diego Padres, 14-2 on a rainy Monday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

D.J. LeMahieu had three hits, including a homer, a double and two RBIs in a game that included a 63-minute weather delay. Dexter Fowler went 3 for 4 with a double and four RBIs, Wilin Rosario added three RBIs and Nolan Arenado had four hits and an RBI as the Rockies put up a season high in runs.

Chacin (11-6) worked out of first-inning trouble by inducing Yonder Alonso to ground into a double play with runners at first and third and one out.

Edinson Volquez (8-10) allowed eight runs on nine hits in 4 1-3 innings.

Man Dies After Fall from Turner Field Upper Deck

Posted on August 13, 2013August 13, 2013

ATLANTA (AP) — Police say a man who fell more than 60 feet from an upper-level platform at Atlanta’s Turner Field onto a parking lot during a baseball game has died.

Atlanta police spokesman John Chafee confirmed the death of the unidentified man late Monday.

He said the man fell before 9 p.m. during Monday night’s game between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

Chafee said witnesses described the fall as accidental. He was not sure whether wet conditions contributed to the fall.

Heavy rains had led to a nearly two-hour delay of the game, which was scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m.

Davis Returns, Leads Royals over Marlins, 6-2

Posted on August 12, 2013

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Wade Davis came off the family emergency leave list and pitched six solid innings, Billy Butler homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Miami Marlins 6-2 on Monday night.

The Royals won for the 17th time in 20 games, while the Marlins are 1-8 in their past nine.

Davis had not pitched since Aug. 2, returning to Florida to be with his family after the death of his stepbrother on Aug. 3.

Davis (6-9) allowed two runs and six hits while striking out three and walking two.

Marlins starter Tom Koehler (3-8) held the Royals hitless until two out in the fourth, when they pieced together four straight hits.

Little League to Introduce Drug Education Program

Posted on August 12, 2013

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Little League Baseball plans to introduce an educational program for coaches and volunteers intended to raise awareness about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.

Working with the Taylor Hooton Foundation, Little League hopes to have an online program ready for next season. Little League had been speaking with the foundation for more than a year about a program, well before Major League Baseball’s recent suspensions of more than a dozen players.

The suspensions Aug. 5 came less than two weeks before the start of the Little League World Series on Thursday.

The Hooton Foundation is named after a high school pitcher who committed suicide in 2003. Doctors attributed Taylor Hooton’s behavior to depression caused after he stopped using PEDs.

Nebraska Aide Beck Goes Easy on Yelling After Surgery

Posted on August 12, 2013

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck is going easy on the yelling in practice. That’s because he’s in the second month of his recovery from surgery to alleviate sleep apnea. His jaw was broken in four places and reset to improve his breathing.

The operation and the soft diet he’s been on in the seven weeks since have caused him to lose 15 pounds. Getting through long days of meetings and practices has been a challenge.

Beck said he can raise his voice a little. He jokes that when he really needs to let players know he’s not happy, he throws his practice script on the ground to get the point across.

Royals Activate 2B Getz from Disabled List

Posted on August 12, 2013

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have activated Chris Getz from the 15-day disabled list and put him in the starting lineup at second base.

Getz was set to play Monday night in the series opener against the Miami Marlins.

Getz has been out since July 28 with a sprained left knee. He hit .300 in five rehab games with Triple-A Omaha. Getz hit .209 with one home run and 14 RBIs in 53 games for Kansas City before the injury.

The Royals also put infielder Jamey Carroll on the roster after acquiring him in a trade Sunday with the Minnesota Twins.

Kansas City optioned left-handed pitcher Will Smith and infielder Irving Falu to Omaha. Falu was with the big league club for one game and did not play.

Nebraska 10th, Creighton 25th in Volleyball Poll

Posted on August 12, 2013

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Two of the state of Nebraska’s three Division I volleyball teams are in the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason rankings. Nebraska is No. 10 and Creighton is No. 25.

The Cornhuskers are one of seven Big Ten teams in the ratings released Monday. Nebraska is coming off a 26-7 season that ended in the NCAA regional finals. Morgan Broekhuis and Meghan Haggerty are top returning players.

Creighton is in the preseason poll for the first time and is the only ranked Big East team. The Bluejays were 29-4 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Top returning players are Melanie Jereb, Leah McNary and Kelli Browning.

Texas is No. 1, followed by Penn State, Stanford, Southern California and Washington.

Colquitt Now Highest-Paid Punter in Family, NFL

Posted on August 12, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Britton Colquitt spent close to an hour with his wife and their 1-year-old son in one of the corporate tents at the Denver Broncos headquarters following practice Monday.

The NFL’s new highest-paid punter swears he wasn’t being a snob. He just didn’t realize he was keeping a throng of media members waiting for him at the podium.

It’s not every day that punters get this kind of attention — or make this kind of money.

Colquitt became the league’s highest-paid punter when he signed his three-year, $11.7 million extension upon arriving to work Monday.

The deal included a $3 million signing bonus that, when added to this year’s $1.275 million salary, also makes him the NFL’s highest-compensated punter in 2013.

Dawson County Raceway Results August 11

Posted on August 12, 2013August 12, 2013

The race nights are dwindling down on the 2013 season at Dawson County Raceway and Sunday evening was very evident, as racers were scratching the itch of picking up the most points possible in the IMCA divisions to circle the oval in Lexington, Nebraska along with the visiting Grand National Late Models.

Cashing in on the opportunity of making a trip to the winners circle and maxing out on available points to be scored was Jeremy Frenier, Mike Nichols, Chad Dolan, Tiffany Bittner and David Dembowski along with late model hotshot Robert Leonard.

Working flawlessly through traffic was the formula for success for Robert Leonard of Gibbon, Nebraska as he stayed within striking distance of early leader Jarred Hackler of Hastings from the drop of the green flag. Leonard would work his way into the lead with just under 10 laps remaining to drive away with the victory in the Grand National Late Model division. Putting together a rally in the waning laps to earn runner-up honors was Merna veteran wheelman Kevin Safranek. No stranger to Dawson County Raceway, Josh Leonard of Gibbon finished strong to the tune of a third place finish. Les Siebert of York, the Cash Dash winner and early leader Hackler capped off the top five with fourth and fifth place finishes.

Wasting no time to get to the front, Jeremy Frenier of Fort Morgan, Colorado grabbed the lead on the fifth circuit and never looked back, despite the hungry challengers that were on his back bumper numerous times through the feature. Frenier claimed the victory in the IMCA Modified division on Sunday. Making a valiant effort to drive past Frenier was Cozad, Nebraska hotshoe Colton Osborn, who was forced to settle with runner-up accolades. Osborn started in the seventh row. Leading the initial laps of the contest was third place finisher Charley Brown of Maxwell, Nebraska.

Continuing to find his way to the winners circle was Chad Dolan of Gibbon in the IMCA Northern Sport Modified division.
Dolan led the final six laps to claim the checkered flag. Bryan Herrick avoided being collected in the big accident near the halfway point and was able to drive his way to runner-up honors. Earning a podium finish for his efforts was Dean Wilkinson of Oakdale, Nebraska in third place overall. North Platte’s Dillon Schulz was the early leader until the restart at the conclusion of lap 13 during the feature event that collected Schulz and many others in a turn one incident.

Reaching an elite milestone, Harlan, Iowa veteran wheelman Mike Nichols drove his way to the point on the third lap and would not be denied in notching his 300th IMCA Stock Car Feature victory. The victory did not come easy for Nichols, as he was challenged throughout the course of the feature by Maywood, Nebraska’s Casey Werkmeister who would cross the finish line in second place overall. Kyle Werkmeister of Maywood was third overall with a stellar drive from his fourth row starting position.

For the second consecutive week it was Tiffany Bittner of Norfolk, Nebraska’s world and the rest of the IMCA Hobby Stock contenders were in her rear view mirror in the final laps. Bittner won her heat race in fine fashion and would snare the lead in the feature after snaring the lead on then final two laps to claim the victory. Looking to challenge for the top spot was fourth row starter Anthony Martin of Wilcox, Nebraska. Martin was rocketing around the oval but his efforts for the lead ran out of laps, as he earned second place accolades. Trying his best to hold his hotrod on the cushion was Dillon Thompson of Campbell, Nebraska and his efforts would be rewarded with a show position finish in the feature.

Leading the laps that mattered the most was Grand Island’s David Dembowski in the IMCA Sport Compacts feature, as he drove to the front on the white flag lap and held ship to conquer the checkered flag. Crossing the stripe in second place after leading the first 10 laps was Zach Olmstead of Overton, Nebraska. Developing great consistency on the Lexington oval, David Earhart was rewarded for his efforts with third place accolades.

Racing action will returning to the fast-paced 3/8th mile oval on the Dawson County Fairgrounds with a Fan Appreciation Night as well as the five IMCA divisions will compete for top season honors during the Championship Night of racing on Sunday, gates open at 5 p.m. with the first green flag scheduled to drop at 6:30 p.m.Unofficial Results:
–Grand National Late Models: 1. 1-Robert Leonard; 2. 28-Kevin Safranek; 3. 85j-Josh Leonard; 4. 51-Les Siebert; 5. 00-Jarred Hackler; 6. 3-Andy Gregg; 7. 55-Jake Neighbors; 8. 88-Brandon Leonard; 9. 13t-Tyler Andreasen; 10. 52-Dean Wilkinson.
–Heat 1: 1. 51-Les Siebert; 2. 28-Kevin Safranek; 3. 88-Brandon Leonard.
–Heat 2: 1. 00-Jarred Hackler; 2. 3-Andy Gregg; 3. 55-Jake Neighbors.
–IMCA Modified Feature: 1. 17j-Jeremy Frenier; 2. 50c-Colton Osborn; 3. 4c-Charley Brown; 4. xii-Jay Steffens; 5. 2-Jeremy Herbst; 6. 4p-Dave Pedersen; 7. 34jw-Casey Woken; 8. 19-Chuck Stryker; 9. 1xjr-Cody Blessing; 10. 6c-Cale Osborn.
–Heat 1: 1. 7a-Steve Aitken; 2. 4p-Dave Pedersen; 3. xii-Jay Steffens.
–Heat 2: 1. 4c-Charley Brown; 2. 17j-Jeremy Frenier; 3. 19-Chuck Stryker.
–IMCA Northern Sport Modified Feature: 1. 87d-Chad Dolan; 2. 0-Bryan Herrick; 3. 52-Dean Wilkinson; 4. 1x-Denny Egge; 5. 8c-Corey Cruzan; 6. 1-Paul Donovan; 7. 72h-Jim Hagan; 8. 79s-James Stewart; 9. 7-Vince Leibert; 10. 20-Hunter Cantrall.
–Heat 1: 1. 87d-Chad Dolan; 2. 15k-Jamey Kennicutt; 3. 13-Terry Dressel.
–Heat 2: 1. 55d-Dillon Schulz; 2. 0-Bryan Herrick; 3. 7-Vince Leibert.
–IMCA Stock Car Feature: 1. 63-Mike Nichols; 2. 24w-Casey Werkmeister; 3. 42w-Kyle Werkmeister; 4. 11k-Kyle Clough; 5. 25-Jared Brooks; 6. 16w-Jeff Whiting; 7. 72-Robert Walker; 8. 31-Darin Racek; 9. 99-David Easterday; 10. 57-Dan Stoll.
–Heat 1: 1. 24w-Casey Werkmeister; 2. 29e-Brendan Eilts; 3. 24-Bob Chalupa.
–Heat 2: 1. 42w-Kyle Werkmeister; 2. 99-David Easterday; 3. 11k-Kyle Clough.
–IMCA Hobby Stock Feature: 1. 95b-Tiffany Bittner; 2. 9a-Anthony Martin; 3. 11-Dillon Thompson; 4. 52-Jason Wilkinson; 5. 44-Caleb Hetrick; 6. 26x-Russ Speck; 7. 30pk-Ethan Kenney; 8. 7t-Tyson Canas; 9. 72b-Jacob Hagan; 10. 5-Chuck Ledbetter.
–Heat 1: 1. 52-Jason Wilkinson; 2. 9a-Anthony Martin; 3. 5-Chuck Ledbetter.
–Heat 2: 1. 95b-Tiffany Bittner; 2. 0-Kyle Bond; 3. 26x-Russ Speck.
–IMCA Sport Compact Feature: 1. 52-David Dembowski; 2. 98z-Zach Olmstead; 3. 22e-David Earhart; 3. 3-Charlie Blowers; 4. 85-Justin Smallcomb; 5. 29e-Justin Schmidt; 6. 67-Alex Fletcher; 7. 12s-Dalton Smith.
–Heat: 12. 1. 98z-Zach Olmstead; 2. 52-David Dembowski; 3. 12s-Dalton Smith.

526 cutline: Reaching elite status, Mike Nichols of Harlan, Iowa won his 300th career IMCA Stock Car victory at Dawson County Raceway in Lexington, Nebraska on Sunday evening.

NU VB: Huskers Ranked 10th in AVCA Preseason Poll

Posted on August 12, 2013

Lincoln- The Nebraska volleyball team will enter the 2013 season ranked 10^th in the AVCA Coaches Poll, which was released Monday afternoon. The Huskers (962 points) were one of seven Big Ten teams to earn a spot in the top 25, joining No. 2 Penn State, No. 6 Minnesota, No. 7 Michigan, No. 14 Michigan State, No. 16 Purdue and No. 23 Ohio State.

The Huskers return AVCA honorable-mention All-Americans Morgan Broekhuis and Meghan Haggerty in 2013, as well as adding All-Americans Kelsey Robinson and Mary Pollmiller to the roster. During the 2012 season, Nebraska finished with a 26-7 record and made a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the 31^st time, ending its season in the NCAA Regional final.

The rest of the preseason top 10 was rounded out by No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Penn State, No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 Southern California, No. 5 Washington, No. 6 Minnesota, No. 7 Michigan, No. 8 Oregon and No. 9 Florida.

Nebraska and Stanford have been the two most consistent teams in the AVCA’s 447 all-time polls, as each has been ranked in every poll dating back to 1982. Nebraska’s 85 weeks at the No. 1 spot still tops the list, while Penn State sits second at 73 weeks. When it comes to being ranked in the top 10, the Huskers lead Stanford 410-397.

During the non-conference season, the Huskers are set to meet three top-25 teams, as Nebraska will take on No. 22 Dayton on Friday, Sept. 13 at the Devaney Center. The Huskers will also face No. 15 Iowa State on Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Devaney Center. Nebraska will close the non-conference schedule against top-ranked and defending national champion Texas, in Austin, Texas on Sunday, Sept. 22.

Fans will have their first opportunity to see the Huskers at the Red/White Scrimmage at the newly-renovated Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available online at Huskers.com or by calling 1-800-8BIGRED.