Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Sports digest
Going backward gets him ahead
The Enquirer and wire reports
Miami University grad Brian Godsey dreamed of setting a world record, but he never imagined he'd have to run backward for the title.
Godsey, 23, ran 800 meters backward in 2:50.45 at George L. Rider Track in Oxford, beating the record held by Italy's Stefano Morselli, in 1995 (his time was 2:57.39). Godsey will submit his official time and the race video to the Book of Alternative Records. "It's surprisingly like a forward race, except you don't have to worry about other people," Godsey said. Godsey, a track and cross country runner at Miami from 1999-2003, last ran an 800 forward as a Lakota East junior in 1:59.
Shannon Russell
Bucks-Bearcats on ESPN schedule
The University of Cincinnati's 2004 season opener at Ohio State Sept. 4 will be televised nationally by ESPN. Kickoff has been set for noon.
NKU sports ranked No. 10 in Div. II
The Northern Kentucky University athletic program was ranked No. 10 overall in NCAA Division II in the United States Sports Academy Director's Cup standings. It's the best ranking for NKU, up from a previous high of No. 20 in 2002. Grand Valley State (Mich.) finished first in Division II. Other winners were Stanford in Division I; Williams (Mass.) in Division III and Simon Fraser (B.C.) in NAIA.
MIAMI: Junior first baseman Mike Ferris (Colerain) and junior catcher John Slone (St. Xavier) were two of 13 players named to the All-Mideast first team by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Ferris became the second-highest drafted RedHawk in history when the St. Louis Cardinals selected him with their 60th overall pick in the second round of the major-league draft. Slone was drafted in the 15th round by Pittsburgh.
• Senior forward Mike Kompon is the first RedHawks hockey player to earn Academic All-America honors. The College Sports Information Directors of America named Kompon to the at-large third team.
CINCINNATI STATE: Freshman Mike Auterson (Milford) has been named second-team National Junior College Athletic Association Division III All-American after finishing tied for 10th in the national tournament.
LOUISVILLE: David Padgett, a 6-foot-11 center who unexpectedly left Kansas after one season, is transferring to U of L. Padgett started 19 games for the Jayhawks in 2003-04, averaging 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. He shot 53.1 percent from the field and blocked a team-high 43 shots, the second-most ever by a Kansas freshman.
UK FOOTBALL: Linebacker Brad Booker and wide receiver Maurice Marchman have returned, but cornerback Andre Jones will not be enrolled for the fall semester, coach Rich Brooks said.
OHIO STATE: The woman whose lawsuit led to the firing of basketball coach Jim O'Brien received threatening phone calls and had her tires slashed, according to her attorney, Jeffrey Lucas.
Kathleen Salyers sued two OSU boosters last year, testifying in an April deposition that she never received the $1,000 per month plus expenses she had been promised for housing Boban Savovic, a player on the Final Four team in 1998-99.
Salyers sued Savovic's sponsors, Dan and Kim Roslovic, seeking $510,000 in expenses and damages.
Tennis
CORIA WINS: French Open runner-up Guillermo Coria picked up his first win on grass this season, beating Karol Beck 6-3, 6-3 in the Ordina Open. Coria signed up for two Wimbledon tuneups in a bid to improve on his past showings at the All England Club: first-round losses in 2001 and last year.
DOKIC LOSES: Former Wimbledon semifinalist Jelena Dokic struggled again Tuesday, losing to Slovenia's Tina Pisnik 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the Eastbourne grass-court tournament.
RUSEDSKI ADVANCES: Defending champion Greg Rusedski and top-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan won first-round matches at the Nottingham Open grass-court tournament.
Golf
