Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year: Sam Crouser
Standout thrower named nation’s best from more than one half million prep boys track & field athletes
In its 25th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, announced Sam Crouser of Gresham High School (Gresham, Ore.) as its 2009-10 Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
By claiming the 221st National Player of the Year trophy to be awarded in the program’s 25-year history, Crouser joins the late Art Skipper Jr. (1987-88, Sandy), an NCAA champion javelin thrower, and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love (2006-07, Lake Oswego) as the only high school athletes from the state of Oregon to earn Gatorade National Player of the Year recognition in any sport.
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 Crouser as the nation’s best high school boys track & field athlete. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Crouser from more than one half million high school track & field athletes nationwide. Crouser is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special afternoon ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July. Read more
Strikeforce-M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum Weigh-ins
Live Weigh-in Coverage starts TOMORROW at 8:00 p.m. ET, Kicking Off a Full Night of MMA Action
HDNet’s “Inside MMA” will provide exclusive LIVE coverage of the weigh-ins for “STRIKEFORCE-M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum,” tomorrow night, Friday, June 25 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Kenny Rice and “The Voice” Michael Schiavello will be joined by an all-star panel of MMA luminaries who will help break down the card and set the stage for the big event! And, Ron Kruck talks to the participants as the excitement of weigh-in Friday unfolds.
Fighters stepping onto the scale during the LIVE broadcast will include Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, Jan Finney, Cung Le, Scott Smith, Josh Thomson, and Pat Healy.
“It’s great to take ‘Inside MMA’ on the road – and straight to the fans,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. “This Friday, watch the weigh-ins followed by two specials that solidify Fedor’s place in MMA history.” Read more
HSBC Bank USA Brings Authentic Wimbledon Experience to New York City June 21-25
Week of Complimentary Activities at Rockefeller Center to Include Live Wimbledon Screenings, Public Tennis on Manhattan’s Only Grass Court and More Champions Jim Courier and Monica Seles to Play with Fans at June 21 Kickoff Event
HSBC, “The world’s local bank” and official Banking partner of Wimbledon, will launch their third-annual initiative to bring the tournament to life for tennis fans in New York. “HSBC presents Wimbledon 2010 at Rockefeller Center” will feature a week of complimentary activities from June 21-25, including live screenings at the HSBC outdoor viewing area and the opportunity to play tennis on Manhattan’s only grass court.
At the June 21 kickoff event on Day One of Wimbledon, former world No. 1 ranked players Monica Seles and Jim Courier will play with select fans on the authentic grass court. The event will take place at noon at the HSBC outdoor Rockefeller Center venue (between 50th/ 51st Streets and 5th/6th Avenues), with former French Open doubles champion Luke Jensen serving as emcee.
“As the world’s local bank, HSBC strives to bring notable international events like Wimbledon to customers in our local markets,” said Ashley Parker, Executive Vice President and Regional President, HSBC Bank USA. “For this year’s Wimbledon program, we’re creating an even more innovative and interactive experience for tennis aficionados in New York City.” Read more
A Magnificent Victory for Esimit Europa 2 Yacht at Giraglia Race
Esimit Europa 2 (www.esimit.com) has taken line honours in the Giraglia Race after it majestically crossed the finish line in San Remo at 11:05 in the morning. Owner Igor Simcic and his European crew onboard the 100-foot canting keel maxi yacht completed the 241 nautical mile course in just over 23 hours.
The fleet of 220 yachts left the Bay of St Tropez at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday in a south-east breeze of 8-10 knots. As the afternoon went on and the wind speed increased to 20 knots, Esimit Europa 2 pulled ahead swiftly, leaving Shockwave (NZL), Container (GER) and Alegre (GBR) behind. However, during the night the wind speed dropped and with only 3-5 knots of breeze this morning it made for a slow arrival into San Remo.
As the first yacht to round the famous Giraglia ‘rock’ off the tip of Corsica on the evening of June 16 at 10:25 p.m. CET, Esimit Europa 2, sponsored by Gazprom, will also collect the Beppe Croce trophy at the award ceremony on Saturday, 19 June in San Remo.
“It was an amazing race. The crew did an excellent job, particularly given that this was our first offshore regatta. I am so proud of them and of our main sponsor, Gazprom, who believe in this amazing project. This is a victory for all of us and for all European citizens,” said the yacht owner Igor Simcic. “We’ll have a full team debrief today and celebrate our victory. We have learned a great deal from this event and will now shift our focus to the next regatta,” he added. Read more
SIRIUS XM Radio to Carry Live Broadcast Coverage of U.S. Open Golf Championship
ESPN’s hole-by-hole coverage airs June 17-20 from Pebble Beach Listeners nationwide will have access to live on-course play-by-play on ESPN Radio, SIRIUS channel 120 and XM channel 140
SIRIUS XM Radio announced that it will offer ESPN Radio’s live play-by-play coverage of the U.S. Open Golf Championship, running Thursday, June 17, through Sunday, June 20, at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in California, on SIRIUS channel 120 and XM channel 140.
The U.S. Open Championship is considered by many to be the most difficult and complete test in golf with its length and high rough putting a premium on both distance and accuracy. Pebble Beach has hosted the U.S. Open four previous times, most recently in 2000, when it was won in remarkable fashion by Tiger Woods who finished at 12 under par and an incredible 15 shots better than the runners up.
Live play-by-play will air Thursday and Friday (1:00-7:00 pm ET), Saturday (5:00-11:00 pm/conclusion ET), and Sunday (3:00-9:00 pm/conclusion ET) on ESPN Radio, SIRIUS channel 120 and XM channel 140. Read more