LITTLE ROCK — HORSE RACING Oaklawn cancels training Training is expected to resume today at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs after it was canceled Tuesday because of a frozen racing surface.
David Longinotti, Oaklawn’s assistant general manager/racing, said Tuesday’s cancellation was unrelated to surface washout following heavy rain Saturday.
The washouts forced Oaklawn to cancel live racing Saturday and Sunday, but the surface has been repaired, Longinotti said.
Live racing resumes at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
- Robert Yates BASEBALL Travelers get hitting coach The Los Angeles Angels announced Tuesday that Ernie Young will be the Arkansas Travelers’ hitting coach this season, rounding out the 2013 onfield coaching staff.
Young, 43, spent four seasons as a Class A manager in the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox organizations. He spent the past two seasons managing Class A West Michigan in the Tigers organization to a 142-137 combined record.
His 17-year playing career included eight seasons with the Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians and Tigers. He batted .225 with 27 home runs in the majors and hit .281 in the minor leagues with 319 home runs.
Young joins pitching coach Mike Hampton on the staff of first-year Manager Tim Bogar.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Bryant end orally commits to ATU Bryant defensive end Tim Kelly has orally committed to Arkansas Tech, Bryant Coach Paul Calley said.
Kelly, 6-2, 225 pounds, had 58 tackles, including 26 unassisted, and 7 sacks last fall.
North Little Rock All-Arkansas safety Gary Vines has been offered scholarships by Henderson State, Southern Arkansas and Arkansas Tech, North Little Rock Coach Brad Bolding said.
Bolding said All-Arkansas defensive lineman Javian Williams has been offered a scholarship by Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, as has defensive lineman Kenny Howard, who missed much of last season with a knee injury.
- Robert Yates BASKETBALL John Brown, Philander Smith ranked The John Brown men’s basketball team is ranked No. 10 in the latest NAIA Top 25 coaches poll released Tuesday. Philander Smith is ranked No. 22, making its first appearance in the poll this year.
John Brown (15-3, 4-0 Sooner Athletic Conference) has won four consecutive games, which has included victories over three ranked teams. Philander Smith (13-4, 4-0 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) has won nine consecutive games, including a 96-95 double-overtime victory over Talladega (Ala.) College on Monday.
Williams Baptist falls in Missouri Cheyenne Childers scored 13 points in Williams Baptist’s 59-48 loss to William Woods in Fulton, Mo.
Tieara Burks added 11 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals and Shayna Garrett had 11 points for Williams Baptist (9-8, 2-3 American Midwest Conference).
SWIMMING AND DIVING Razorbacks garner two SEC weekly honors Arkansas’ Kesha Naylor and Anna Mayfield were named SEC Diver of the Week and Freshmen of the Week, respectively.
Naylor set a pool record on the 3-meter, recording a 355.75 to take firstplace against Penn State. On the 1-meter board, Naylor scored a season-best 310.90 for a sweep on the springboards.
Mayfield recorded two event victories during the meet. She placed first in the 200 freestyle in 1:49.35. In the 200 backstroke she grabbed an important second-place finish with a time of 1:58.40. The freshman swam a 50.28 split on the second leg of the 400 freestyle relay as the Razorbacks finished first to take the meet win. Mayfield teamed up with fellow freshmen Nina Drolc and Maddie Monroe and sophomore Susanna White to clock a 3:21.63, the second-best time in school history.
TENNIS Arkansas women add three Arkansas women’s coach Michael Hegarty announced the signing of three players for the 2013 spring season.
Flavia Araujo, Segou Jonker, and Brittany Huxley will join the Razorbacks as freshmen.
Araujo comes to Arkansas from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She was rated among the best junior players in all of South America, and has already attained a world ranking with the WTA. Huxley enters Arkansas from Grafton, Australia. Huxley achieved a top 100 women’s national ranking at the age of 15 and also represented Australia in international competition. Jonker comes from Fayetteville from Krimpen, Netherlands. She was ranked as high as No. 1 in the junior rankings of Netherlands before coming to Arkansas for her collegiate career.
Sports, Pages 19 on 01/16/2013