GARY, Ind. (AP) - Kent State is heading to the super regionals for the first time in school history - but not without some controversy.
Evan Campbell blasted a disputed three-run homer in the eighth inning of Kent State's 3-2 victory over Kentucky. The ball cleared the right-field wall of the U.S. Steel Yard, but not a yellow line above a chain link fence that sits atop the wall.
Video shot by a Lexington TV station clearly showed the ball didn't clear the chain link fence, and assistant crew chief Travis Katzenmeier said after the game that the ball wouldn't be ruled a home run "if it didn't hit anything beyond the fence." The ball hit the chain link fence, fell to the top of the concrete wall and then bounced back into the field of play.
The umpires didn't discuss the play after first-base umpire Ken Durham signaled the home run, and Kentucky coach Gary Henderson didn't argue the call at the time. But Henderson began his postgame press conference by asking Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart: "What can I say about the umpires?"
"I didn't have a clear vision, but my thought was that he couldn't miss it," Henderson said. "My initial thought was that he couldn't have missed three calls. The law of averages is staggering for that to happen. I should've been up there (talking to the umpires)."
Henderson was clearly frustrated by two calls from Durham earlier in the game that involved close plays at first base, both of which went against the Wildcats.
The victory extended Kent State's winning streak to 20 games, the longest active streak in the NCAA, but the controversy overshadowed the anticipated rematch from Friday night's 21-inning affair as well as the Golden Flashes' first NCAA regional title in school history.
The Golden Flashes (44-17) reached the Austin Regional final last season, but lost two consecutive games to Texas.
The feeling on Sunday night was in stark contrast to what Kent State experienced last season.
"This goes down as the biggest win in Kent State history," coach Scott Stricklin said. "We're taking the next step and it's what we talked about 365 days ago after we lost in Austin. We've exceeded our expectations. It's an unbelievable feeling. I can't describe how proud I am."
Campbell's home run was the first in more than 64 innings at the Steel Yard and it was the first big offensive play in a game that was surprisingly dominated by starting pitching. Both teams were cautious throughout the weekend with their pitchers after playing the 21-inning marathon Friday night, but starters Tyler Skulina (Kent State) and Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky) didn't allow a run through their first seven innings of work.
Kentucky reliever Alex Phillips entered the game after the Golden Flashes got two on in the eighth inning and Campbell blasted the first pitch he saw to the top of the right-field wall.
"I didn't think it was gone when I first hit it," Campbell said. "There were other balls that were hit further than that during this tournament that didn't go out. I saw it bounce, but I didn't see where it went."
Kentucky right fielder Cameron Flynn watched the ball sail over his head and went to make a play on the ball when it came back onto the field.
"I thought it hit the guard rail and came back," Flynn said. "I turned around to get the ball and the umpire called a home run. It bounced back, below the yellow line."
The Wildcats (45-18) rallied to add two runs in the eighth inning, but fell short in their bid to continue the winningest season in program history.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Source: www.msnbc.msn.com
Kent racehorse Stone of Folca becomes world’s fastest - Kent News
Stone of Folca
Chris Murphy
Monday, June 4, 2012
1:17 PM
Horse trained by Maidstone’s John Best romps to victory at Epsom Derby Day
A Kent racehorse has become the world’s fastest over five furlongs - with the Queen looking on as she kicked off her Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
The incredible performance of Stone of Folca, from the original name of Folkestone, saw him take the world record over that distance in front of the Queen.
He is trained by John Best at Detling near Maidstone, who could not be happier, as the horse’s value has just soared.
Anyone with around £400,000 to spare and fancies owning an animal with more horse power than any other can get in touch.
Stone of Folca is owned by people holding 120 shares, which were originally bought for £555 each.
But then the horse won the Investec Specialist Bank Dash during the Epsom Derby Day meeting on Saturday in front of the monarch.
He was a 50-1 long shot, ridden by Luke Morris, but it left the rest of the 20-strong field in his wake win in a time of 53.69 seconds. That is 0.09 seconds faster than Indigenous did 52 years ago using a handheld stopwatch which was wildly inaccurate, especially when hundredths of seconds count.
The £46,000 prize money is now paid out to the shareholders at around £380 per share, almost paying the owners back in one race.
Mr Best said: “We do sell horses from here when they run well so we make a profit. I would say this horse is now worth something between £300,000 and £400,000. Many go to Hong Kong.”
The Epsom course is slightly downhill, so the record is unlikely to be broken at any other track, and Stone of Folca just happened to be on his best form that day.
Mr Best said: “He is four this year. He was a fine two-year-old, then had last year whichg wasn’t too great, and now this.
“And he did it from stall two. At Epsom no one wins from under stall nine out of the 20 or so. A high stall number is vital to win. So if Stone of Folca had one of the higher stalls, he would have shattered all the records.
“I’ve always known he was quick but sometimes he can be very hard to handle. This time though every thing went like a dream.
“I believe not only was it the first time the race has been won from a stall lower than nine, but also the fastest time recorded electronically for any five furlong race. We will almost certainly take our chances at Royal Ascot, in June although that will be a huge step up.”
Source: www.kentnews.co.uk
London 2012 Olympics: weather won't dampen British spirits but Locog could learn from Jubilee success - Daily Telegraph Blogs
Out in force: regardless of the dreary weather the Brits were smiling
If the magical festivities of the Queens Diamond Jubilee proved beyond doubt – and how could we have had any such doubts? – it is that Britons, deep down are happy people.
The London Olympics and Paralympics have always been a portent for a month of non-stop good times, but with this summer-long party having started in the most majestic of ways the Olympic concerns of transport, security and crowding are but just an annoying sideshow.
For while the economies of countries around Britain are tanking, the weather is bitterly cold, uninspiringly grey and sodden, the stiff backbone of the British character is shining at its brightest.
Who would have thought that the dismal weather actually enhanced the weekend celebrations?
The fear of Olympic organisers is for a fortnight of dreary conditions not unlike Sunday. Yet the Queen's steely resolve to stand and acknowledge the heaving riverbank masses of red, white and blue despite the damp elevated the river spectacle way beyond it being a simple I-have-to-be-there-moment with strangers cuddling close to keep warm.
Commentators have talked about crowds 20-deep along the Thames on Sunday, but I rode my bike the length of the parade on the south side and 50-deep was the norm. From my vantage point, underneath the Millennium Bridge where artists were painting the modern-day Canaletto panorama, there was British sparkling wine in plastic cups, crisps and chocolate (in the shape of the Union Jack) shared around, and a subtle shuffle of order when the pageant started so that the little ones could get a better view.
Tens of thousands of spectators then weaved their way back to the railway stations. A queue of colourful umbrellas 700-yards long – presumably with people underneath sheltering from the driving rain outside of Waterloo – transformed this drab part of the city in to an eclectic party scene. Even so, taking the bicycle turned out to be an inspired choice.
Railway chiefs will have noted the failures of the trains to cope with the thousands of passengers turned away at Birmingham and other major cities and the chaos at tube stations like Westminster and Vauxhall.
Seemingly the crowd – officially 1.2 million – was much bigger than organisers expected. But we have seen throughout the Olympic torch relay that everyone across the country wants to get outside and engage with their community.
This is the summer of wearing funny hats and getting to know neighbours (the things you learn at a street party: mine is that a neighbour is a member of a popular boy band).
Yet some of the pageant spectators were perturbed by the sight of police carrying assault weapons along the river, others were frustrated by the crowd control officers more concerned with getting their packed lunched and sliver of a vantage point, rather than assisting those that were struggling especially families with young children.
With the Olympics security force now above 42,000 (military, Met Police, G4S staff and Locog security volunteers) Games planners can learn much from the river pageant.
More carriages on the trains, more toilets, more entertainment near critical transport hubs to turn a wait into a more relaxed time should be top of the list.
Organisers will have also seen that the good-natured crowds will put up with nearly anything if the mood of those in uniform is happy and relaxed and there appears to be some semblance of progress. Keep Calm and Smile On.
Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk
To London, to look at the Queen - deccanchronicle.com
The past weekend belonged to one city — London. The British capital was a cornucopia of lights, colours and celebrations. Queen Elizabeth II celebrates six decades of her reign and there was no dearth of young Indians who managed to be a part of the celebrations which began on Saturday and will end today.
For freelance photographer Aakash Rao, who is on assignment in London, it was one of the most spectacular sights he has ever seen. “I landed here last week for work and wanted to watch Coldplay perform. My friends told me that the weekend was going to be a blast and it truly was. Localites have been out on the streets since Saturday, partying and making merry. The culture of Britain has really come through over the weekend and I’m glad I got to be part of this event.”
Amrita Vijay, a PhD student, whose BBM status read ‘Jubilee Weekend, party time!’ had a wonderful time at the Thames Pageant. “I went for the Thames river pageant. Seeing 1,000 different ships was an awesome experience like never before. I even waved the British flag! I must say that the Queen is very cute,” she says adding, “It was really crowded. There were easily over a million people there.”
It was a treat for the eyes as the entire city wore a festive look. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this was the largest flotilla of boats ever! Thousand boats made their way across Thames as the city watched on in pride and wonder. Jewellery designer Jhanvi S lives in Birmingham but drove down to London for the big event. “I saw the Queen! She waved at me!” she says in excitement adding, “The weather was a bit of a spoilsport but nothing mattered when the Royal Family stepped out in a show of solidarity to the Queen.”
For the ones who wanted to make a style statement, this was the perfect opportunity. There were scores of women who made creative use of the Union Jack, by donning the blues, reds and whites on them as skirts, dresses, maxis, hats, scarves and more. Apart from the fashion accessories, there were several souvenirs available all over London.
Stars like Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Jessie J entertained the 86-year-old monarch as the city enjoyed the concerts. “I have always wanted to watch Paul McCartney live and I had gooseflesh when he came onstage. I sang along to all my favourite Beatles tracks with my friends who have come down from different parts of UK to watch this extravaganza,” says Sushant VS, a management student at Westminster University.
Source: www.deccanchronicle.com
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