Times wires
Monday, June 6, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY — Krista Donnenwirth hit two of Arizona State's four homers and drove in four runs, Kaylyn Castillo and Annie Lockwood had three RBIs apiece and the Sun Devils routed Florida 14-4 on Monday night in the opening game of the Women's College World Series final.

The Sun Devils (59-6) scored six with two outs in the second and built a big enough lead to have the game stopped by mercy rule if it wasn't played in the championship series.

Donnenwirth made it 7-0 with her three-run shot to finish the second-inning surge then went back-to-back with Lockwood in the fifth as the lead bulged to 14.

Florida (56-12) got late home runs from Kelsey Bruder, Cheyenne Coyle and Michelle Moultrie to avoid the most lopsided loss ever in the championship round.

Dallas Escobedo won the first matchup ever between freshmen pitchers in the final. UF started Hannah Rogers.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is at 8 tonight (ESPN2), with Game 3, if necessary, at 8 Wednesday.

FSU baseball routs Tide, will host super region

TALLAHASSEE — Scott Sitz pitched four scoreless innings and Florida State beat Alabama 11-1 to clinch the NCAA Tallahassee Region and advance to host a super region for the fourth straight year.

The game was completed after being halted in the sixth inning Sunday night because of rain and lightning with the Seminoles leading 8-1.

When the game resumed, Sitz took over and posted his first save of the season. FSU (45-17) will next face Texas A&M or Arizona, whose Monday night College Station Region game was rained out and rescheduled for 1:30 today.

The eight best-of-three super regions are Friday through Monday; winners advance to the World Series that begins June 18 in Omaha, Neb.

Sunday night, Mike McGee allowed two hits through five innings before Taylor Dugas homered to lead off the sixth for the Tide (35-28). The game was halted shortly thereafter.

McGee hit three doubles, Jayce Boyd homered and doubled, and region MVP James Ramsey had three of FSU's season-high 19 hits.

"I don't know when I've spent a night in 32 years in which I was as anxious because of the fear of losing an 8-1 lead," FSU coach Mike Martin said. "Thankfully, the players didn't know anything about it.''

Other region highlights: In Austin, host Texas used six pitchers to beat Kent State 5-0 and advance to a super region matchup. The Longhorns (47-16) will host Arizona State. … In Columbia, closer Matt Price got the final eight outs and host South Carolina beat Stetson 8-2 to advance to a super region. The Gamecocks (48-14) will host UConn, which won 14-1 at Clemson to win its region. The Huskies (45-18-1) were led by third baseman Ryan Fuller, who went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and five RBIs. … Late Sunday in Fullerton, Calif., Ben Clowe hit two two-run homers and Stanford (35-20) beat Illinois 14-2 to advance to a super region matchup at UNC.

Times wires
Monday, June 6, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY — Krista Donnenwirth hit two of Arizona State's four homers and drove in four runs, and the Sun Devils routed Florida 14-4 on Monday night in the opening game of the Women's College World Series final.

The Gators gave credit to Arizona State but lashed out at home plate umpire Chris Drumm, accusing her of inconsistent balls and strikes and a blown call in the first inning.

"I'm looking forward to playing ASU without her behind the plate," Kelsey Bruder said. "I'm going to try to be as nice as possible, but I hope that whoever appoints her re-evaluates her abilities.

"I'm not making any excuses. ASU absolutely kicked our butts and they deserved to win, but it was really hard adjusting to the inconsistent calls."

In the first, Drumm called UF's Tiffany DeFelice back to the box after she was hit on the forearm by a pitch. DeFelice flied out, and the Gators ended up stranding a runner at third.

"I don't know if bone sounds like bat, but it hit me square in the arm," DeFelice said.

"I don't think I have to defend her. I think she called the game as she saw it," NCAA director of championships Sharon Cessna said.

The Sun Devils (59-6) scored six with two outs in the second.

Florida (56-12) got late home runs from Bruder, Cheyenne Coyle and Michelle Moultrie to avoid the most lopsided loss ever in the championship round.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is at 8 tonight (ESPN2), with Game 3, if necessary, at 8 Wednesday.

FSU baseball routs Tide, will host super region

TALLAHASSEE — Scott Sitz pitched four scoreless innings and Florida State beat Alabama 11-1 to clinch the NCAA Tallahassee Region and advance to host a super region for the fourth straight year.

The game was completed after being halted in the sixth inning Sunday night because of rain and lightning with the Seminoles leading 8-1.

When the game resumed, Sitz took over. FSU (45-17) will face Texas A&M or Arizona, whose Monday night College Station Region game was rained out and rescheduled for 1:30 today.

The eight best-of-three super regions are Friday through Monday; winners advance to the World Series that begins June 18 in Omaha, Neb.

Other region highlights: In Austin, host Texas used six pitchers to beat Kent State 5-0 and advance to a super region matchup. The Longhorns (47-16) will host Arizona State. … In Columbia, closer Matt Price got the final eight outs and host South Carolina beat Stetson 8-2 to advance to a super region. The Gamecocks (48-14) will host UConn, which won 14-1 at Clemson to win its region. The Huskies (45-18-1) were led by third baseman Ryan Fuller, who went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and five RBIs. … In Fort Worth, Texas, Dallas Baptist (42-18) scored eight in the first inning and beat Oral Roberts 11-9 to advance to its first super region. … Late Sunday in Fullerton, Calif., Stanford (35-20) beat Illinois 14-2 to advance to a super region matchup at North Carolina.

Times staff
Monday, June 6, 2011

Rays draft picks

Pick Player Pos. School Ht./Wt.

1/24 Taylor Guerrieri RHP Spring Valley HS6-3/180 (Columbia, S.C.)

1/31 Mikie Mahtook OF Louisiana State 6-1/192

1/32 Jake Hager SS Sierra Vista HS6-1/180 (Las Vegas)

1s/38 Brandon Martin SS Santiago HS5-11/160 (Corona, Calif.)

1s/41 Tyler Goeddel 3B Saint Francis HS6-4/170 (Mountain View, Calif.)

1s/42 Jeff Ames RHP Lower Columbia6-4/225 (Wash.) JC

1s/52 Blake Snell LHP Shorewood HS6-4/180 (Shoreline, Wash.)

1s/56 Kes Carter OF Western Kentucky 6-2/205

1s/59 Grayson Garvin LHP Vanderbilt 6-6/220

1s/60 James Harris OF Oakland6-2/195 Technical HS

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Monday, June 6, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG

In baseball, you have to be quick. You have to be sharp. You have to think on your feet.

And those are just the requirements of the general manager.

Ah, poor Andrew Friedman. It was Monday night, the night of Friedman's annual IQ test (the major-league draft), and suddenly, Friedman was surrounded by decisions. He would make a pick, and here would come another one, and another after that, and another after that. It was late in the evening, and just like that, Friedman was playing in the lightning round from Password.

A pitcher from South Carolina. An outfielder from Louisiana. A shortstop. Another shortstop. A third baseman. A second pitcher. A third pitcher. Another outfielder. A fourth pitcher. Another outfielder.

Whew.

On and on it went, quicker than hiccups, as repetitive as popcorn, as rapid as drumbeats. Through the first round and sandwich picks, it was as if Friedman were picking in a three-man Rotisserie League. Once the 24th pick of the first round arrived, it seemed as if it was always Friedman's turn at bat.

"Controlled chaos," Friedman called it. All things considered, he seemed to enjoy the whirling, frenetic ride. After all, he will probably never have another draft night with 10 out of 60 picks.

"It was a lot of fun," Friedman said. "Our scouts did such a good job, they allowed it to be fun."

Also, it was as breathless, and it was relentless, and for a while, it seemed endless. Ah, but was it good?

Who knows?

At this point, not even Friedman and his scouting staff can be sure. That's the thing about the MLB draft. It's like throwing darts through a tornado. A lot of darts improve the odds, but that still doesn't guarantee a thing.

So was Friedman a genius? Or just very, very busy?

Did the Rays restock their minors? Or did the Rays just make a lot of noise?

Are the Rays better off today? And how many tomorrows will it be until we know?

I don't know about you, but I say we all get together in five years to decide.

That's how long it will be until anyone can tell how the Rays did Monday night, you know. For all of their picks, for all the potential, for all of the signing bonuses ahead, it will be sometime about 2016 before anyone knows how good this draft was for them. Oh, a player or two will trickle through before that, but to judge the haul, you'll have to wait.

Think about that: By 2016, we will know if the Rays are going to get a new stadium, and where, and whether Evan Longoria will play in it. By 2016, David Price will be in his 30s, and Joe Maddon will be in his 60s, and Don Zimmer will be in his 80s (still). The world will spin around quite a bit before we know about Taylor Guerrieri, Mikie Mahtook and the rest of the orchestra who became Rays players on Monday night.

Was Guerrieri really one of the top two high school pitchers in the draft? Were those who graded Mahtook as a top 15 pick accurate? Was Jake Hager a reach or a slice of insight?

It bears repeating just how important a night such as this was for the Rays. They needed to do better than the odds suggest. They had to be smarter than most. Given their budget, the Rays are always going to have to survive by their wits, by drafting and developing their talent.

If this were the NFL, or the NBA or the NHL, you would begin to feel the impact of the draft in the next season or two. This is the downside of the baseball draft. (The upside? No Mel Kiper.)

How smooth will the ride be for the Rays' new employees? Some will rise, and some will fall, and some will get hurt, and some will develop and some will not. If the Rays are fortunate, a precious few of them will make an impact in the big leagues someday.

All of which leads us back to the image of Friedman, spinning around in his chair, trying to come up with 10 correct answers. Let's face it: Friedman has had a lot of smart moments in his years with the Rays.

How smart was he Monday?

Check back in 2016. Maybe 2017. If Friedman had a keeper of a night, eventually it will show on the scoreboard.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Monday, June 6, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — LSU centerfielder Mikie Mahtook already does things the Rays way.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder uses his speed and athleticism to swipe bases and take away hits in the outfield.

One of the most productive players in college baseball, the 31st overall pick Monday by Tampa Bay also could rise quickly to the major leagues.

Mahtook hit .383 with 14 homers and 56 RBIs this season and led the Southeastern Conference with 29 stolen bases.

"It's not a secret that we value guys who can do everything," said Andrew Friedman, the Rays executive vice president of baseball operations. "We put a premium on defense, we put premium on guys who can run the bases and obviously what they bring offensively and we feel like he's got a very well-rounded game that will fit in with the style that we like to play."

There was never any doubt that the Lafayette, La., native would go to LSU; the only question was which sport he would choose. His late father Mike and uncle Robbie played football for the Tigers. Scouts noticed Mahtook early, and he was drafted in the 39th round in 2008 by the Florida Marlins.

"It's kind of weird," Mahtook said. "I grew up in a football family, so I'm the first baseball player to come out of here. Everybody has been real supportive and I've been fortunate to be around athletes my whole life and to be able to continue the Mahtook legacy at LSU was huge for me."

Mahtook contributed as a freshman to the Tigers' national championship team in 2009.

It's no accident the Rays focused on the middle of the diamond on Monday. They drafted two shortstops, three outfielders, a third baseman and four pitchers.

"We definitely put a premium on up the middle guys and there's a really nice balance," Friedman said. "We have a lot of players that we feel like have a chance to be really good major-league players that can impact a game. That's our goal. That's the way we approach the draft.

HAGER READY TO BEGIN: Shortstop Jake Hager, the 32nd overall pick by the Rays, said he plans to forgo a scholarship to Arizona State to begin his pro career.

Hager, a 6-1, 180-pound Las Vegas Sierra Vista High School star, hit .547 with 11 HRs and 57 RBIs this season and committed to the Sun Devils. But he said he started to get plenty of interest from Tampa Bay's scouts.

"I had a feeling that Tampa was going to take me," Hager said. "They scouted me pretty hard, there were a lot of phone calls, they were on me pretty much every week and I just had a very good feeling. Their scouting directors and everyone has been to my games."

Hager says he believes he will play shortstop at the pro level but also has the ability to play second or third base.

"I'm ready to play pro ball," Hager said. "I've been ready to play pro ball. I'm very excited about the opportunity to pursue my dream. College is great, Arizona State is great. I love them. I'm ready to move on and pursue my dream and play pro baseball."

HOPING FOR PRICE TWICE?: You can't blame the Rays for going back to the well. With the 59th overall pick, they took a left-handed pitcher from Vanderbilt, Grayson Garvin. Considering David Price's success, he has some big cleats to fill. "Hope we have as good of luck as we did with the other one, right?" Rays scouting director R.J. Harrison said. Garvin (6-6, 225) went 13-1 with a 2.37 earned run average and was named SEC pitcher of the year. "He's been a very good pitcher, we've seen a lot of him over the years," Harrison said.

AROUND THE MAJORS: The Pirates took hard-throwing UCLA right-hander Gerrit Cole with the No. 1 overall pick. The Mariners selected Danny Hultzen, a left-handed pitcher from Virginia, with the No. 2 choice.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, June 6, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Considering how unique and unprecedented the Rays' first day of the draft was going to be Monday night, it was only fitting they tried something new in their preparations.

Long-time scouting director R.J. Harrison said that, for the first time, executives and scouts performed a mock draft Sunday, trying to predict how their record 10 picks in the first 60 selections would go. The idea, sparked by minor-league director of operations Mitch Lukevics, had an "upside" scenario and "doomsday" one.

And after Monday's haul, which included four pitchers and six position players, the Rays were excited how it turned out.

"I don't think we did as well in any of those mock drafts as we did (Monday), to be honest with you," Harrison said.

A big reason was their first pick, right-hander Taylor Guerrieri (Spring Valley High, S.C.), who was rated 10th overall by Baseball America but fell to them at No. 24. One American League scout told Baseball America that Guerrieri had "the best high school arm I've ever seen." MLB Network analyst John Hart, a former Indians general manager, called the South Carolina commitment "a big future front-of-the-rotation starter."

While reported makeup and maturity issues led Guerrieri to drop in the draft, Harrison said that was "a lot of misinformation" and "overstated," and that the Rays were "tickled" to have the 6-foot-3, 195-pound senior with a power arm.

"We felt very fortunate to get a guy with that kind of future," Harrison said.

The Rays covered a lot of ground with their first-day picks, focusing on the middle of the diamond. They selected LSU centerfielder Mikie Mahtook (No. 31), an athletic player with power, and high school shortstop Jake Hager (No. 32).

Hager wasn't the only shortstop the Rays selected, with Brandon Martin (Santiago High, Corona, Calif.) taken at No. 38. Martin could be a hard sign as an Oregon State commitment, but according to Baseball America, he's a "live athlete with intriguing bat speed and the ability to make highlight-reel plays at short."

"There's a really nice balance," Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said. "We have a lot of players that we feel like have a chance to be really good major-league players that can impact a game."

Tampa Bay stocked up on pitchers, with right-hander Jeff Ames (Lower Columbia College) at No. 42, left-hander Blake Snell (Shorewood High in Washington) at No. 52 and another Vanderbilt 6-6 left-hander, Grayson Garvin, at No. 59.

But Guerrieri was the most touted of Monday's group. As a senior, he went 6-1 with a 1.10 ERA, including three complete games, striking out 72 in 51 innings.

Guerrieri spent three high school seasons at North Augusta High before transferring to Spring Valley. North Augusta assistant coach Victor Radcliff Jr. said it was because Guerrieri's parents wanted him closer to South Carolina, where he was committed, and that there were "no hard feelings."

Radcliff acknowledged there may be some maturity issues. But he also said Guerrieri's passion for baseball will shine through, he has a good support system and he's the type of player who raises teammates' level of play.

"Ever since he was a freshman, he always wanted the ball in big situations," Radcliff said. "He's a special athlete."

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.

Times wires
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Tigers 13, Rangers 7

ARLINGTON, Texas — Brennan Boesch had two of the Tigers' four home runs while setting career highs with five hits and five RBIs, and Max Scherzer pitched just long enough for his first win in nearly a month. Scherzer hadn't won since May 9 at Toronto, when the right-hander won his sixth consecutive decision to open the season.

Times wires
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Royals 3, Blue Jays 2

11 innings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Eric Hosmer hit a game-ending single in the 11th inning to help the Royals snap a four-game losing streak. Hosmer had a hand in all of Kansas City's runs with two RBIs and a run scored. Joakim Soria, who lost his closer's role May 30, pitched two hitless innings.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

A staple of the summer racing circuit, the Sunsets at Pier 60 5K is a four-part racing series in Clearwater that challenges runners to battle the sweltering heat and humidity of the summer months on one of the area's most picturesque courses.

On Friday, Russell Snyder of St. Petersburg captured the championship in the first Sunsets at Pier 60 5K race. Snyder, 22, crossed the finish line in 16:28 to win by 23 seconds. The race had 279 finishers.

Placing second was Karsen Callahan, 34 of St. Petersburg. Brian Benjamin, 22 of Kenneth City, was third in 17:34.

Lisa Williams was the women's champion, clocking in at 20:41. Williams, 32 of Largo, won by 14 seconds.

Lisa Taylor, 36 of Clearwater, was second.

Donna Nesslar, 48 of Largo, placed third in 21:08.

A number of county runners placed first in their age group. They were: (F11-12) Julia Siegel, Tarpon Springs, 24:27; (M13-14) Parker Lewis, Largo, 22:33; (F13-14) Bobbi LaBrant, Largo, 22:18; (M15-19) Cameron Wheeler, St. Petersburg, 17:52; (F15-19) Kacy Seynders, Palm Harbor, 21:26; (F20-24) Ashley Hoover, Clearwater, 26:55; (F30-34) Whit Lasseter, Palm Harbor, 23:14; (F35-39) Lara Kondor, Seminole, 27:01; (M40-44) Howard Feingold, Clearwater, 19:20; (M45-49) Keith Sawayda, Clearwater, 18:23; (M50-54) Ward Edwards, Largo, 22:04; (F50-54) Carol Bancroft, Safety Harbor, 23:10; (M55-59) Ron Murawsky, Clearwater, 21:02; (M60-64) Albert Wieringa, St. Petersburg, 21:30; (F60-64) Carole Torreano, Largo, 34:26; (M65-69) Duncan Cameron, Palm Harbor, 22:45; (F65-69) Millie Hamilton, Redington Beach, 29:49; (M70-74) Jim Callan, Palm Harbor, 29:29; (70-74) Terri Sullivan, Tarpon Springs, 38:09; (M75 and over) Jack Gough, Clearwater, 34:05.

SPRING INTO SUMMER 5K: St. Petersburg's Ali Crabb was the women's champion at Saturday's Spring into Summer 5K in Tampa.

Crabb, 21 of St. Petersburg, faced little challenge from the rest of the women's field, crossing the finish line in 17:35 to win by more than a minute.

Carol Glasscock, 44 of St. Pete Beach, earned a spot in the top three, placing third in 19:59. Glasscock was also the women's master's champion.

Age group winners from Pinellas County were: (M9 and under) Luke Williams, Safety Harbor, 26:12; (M10-14) Hunter McCann, Treasure Island, 18:14; (M20-24) Ryan Tanner, Clearwater, 20:59; (M55-59) Steve Byrne, St. Petersburg, 20:55; (M70-74) Joe Burgasser, St. Petersburg, 20:33.

The race had 333 finishers.

AQUATERRA CLEARWATER: A pair of local athletes claimed age group championships at the inaugural AquaTerra Clearwater on Saturday.

Brian Behring, 18 of Redington Shores, covered the 10K race (2,000-meter swim, 8,000-meter run) in one hour, 14 minutes to win the men's 15- to 19-year-old age group.

Parker Hanson, 46 of St. Petersburg, was the top finisher in the men's 45-49 group after clocking in at 1:11:47.

Adam Phillips, 30 of Clearwater, was first in his age group in the 5K race (1,000-meter swim, 4,000-meter run). Phillips won the men's 30-34 division in 39:32.

Stephanie Kurtz, 36 of St. Petersburg, claimed first in the women's 35-39 division, completing the race in 40:48.

Dawn Clark, 46 of St. Petersburg, was also an age group winner, taking the women's 45-49 division in 43:39.

YTS AT FISHHAWK RANCH: The Youth Triathlon Series at FishHawk Ranch offered local youngsters the opportunity to compete in a scaled-down triathlon with more manageable distances.

Earning wins in their age group were: (M8) Mac Lastinger, St. Petersburg, 13:44; (F9) Olivia Donovan, Clearwater, 14:13; (M9 elite) Coleman Inglima, Clearwater, 33:36; (F13) Zaya Pelusi, Clearwater, 25:40; (F11 elite) Annabella Mowry, Dunedin, 39:23; (F13 elite) Summer Kanstoroom, St. Petersburg, 31:11; (F14 elite) Nicole Nesto, St. Pete Beach, 37:16; (M14 elite) Scott Kremser, Largo, 32:32; (Adult super sprint – women) Christine Hanlon, St. Petersburg, 31:18; (Adult super sprint – men) Amory Ifill, St. Petersburg, 29:51.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: The sixth annual Morton Plant Mease triathlon on Sunday, June 26, in Clearwater is expecting approximately 1,000 participants, and volunteers are needed for a variety of activities, including athlete check-in, body marking, water station, course marshal and finish line.

Individuals interested in volunteering at the Morton Plant Mease Triathlon can sign up at mpmtriathlon.org before June 20. Volunteers receive a race T-shirt and access to the hospitality tent.

Bryan Burns can be reached at bburns@sptimes.com.

Times wires
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Rockies 3, Padres 0

SAN DIEGO — Clayton Mortensen and five relievers combined to help the Rockies to their 10th shutout, tops in the majors. Colorado has won eight of the past 10 at Petco Park. Huston Street pitched a perfect ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances. Losing pitcher Clayton Richard struck out a season-high eight.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Bill Moloney, the pitching coach for the Tampa Bay Rays' Double-A affiliate in Montgomery, Ala., was shot in the thigh Monday night during an apparent mugging at his apartment complex.

Moloney was shot in the thigh around 11:30 p.m. after Montgomery's game with the Mississippi Braves, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. He also suffered facial injuries, Biscuits manager Billy Gardner said.

The Biscuits released this statement on Tuesday: "The Biscuits are saddened to hear about the unfortunate incident regarding pitching coach, Bill Moloney, last night. Moloney is at home resting and beginning his recovery. We ask that the Montgomery community keep Bill in their thoughts."

Moloney, 56, is in his second season with the Biscuits, and his fifth in the Rays organization.

According to the Advertiser, police said two unknown people approached Moloney, produced a handgun and demanded property. He was struck with the handgun and shot once in the upper thigh before the two subjects fled, said Sgt. Donna Mackey, a police spokeswoman.

The investigation is continuing, and no further information was available by Tuesday morning, Mackey said.

Moloney and other Montgomery coaches live in the same apartment complex in east Montgomery.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

GAINESVILLE — Florida freshman Cory McGee's interest in running began with her efforts to spend more time with her father and older sister Shannon. The longer the 8-year-old could hang on their 4-mile beach runs, the more time she could spend with them.

Her love for the sport came as she ran through some of the most exotic places in the world — including the pyramids in Egypt, the Black Forest in Germany and along the ancient roads of Sparta.

Her middle distance running as an eighth-grader competing in varsity competition fueled her desire to succeed in the sport, and has continued throughout her first season with the Gators.

The 18-year-old won the SEC Indoor title in the mile and was named the SEC Freshman of the Year. When the Gators begin competition in the NCAA Outdoor Championships Wednesday, McGee has high hopes to be in the running for a national title. Not bad for a kid who didn't realize until age 13 that this running thing might really be her calling.

"When I was living outside of the United States, I didn't realize then that my running might lead to a college scholarship or maybe to the Olympics," said McGee, the daughter of Jim McGee, a former UF football player. "Living in Athens, Greece and seeing the possibilities of maybe going to the Olympics one day, that definitely inspired me a little bit. And then running in so many amazing places with my dad, that definitely sparked my interest."

Jim McGee is a retired FBI agent whose job took his family to exotic locales. While a student at an American school in Greece, the cross country and track seasons consisted of one meet per season against students at area schools. She competed in a cross county meet in Cairo, a race on the Delta of the Nile and another near the Pyramids. She won them all.

But it was a long run with her dad on the famed steps of Santorini that McGee experienced her first real thrill of victory.

"Santorini is one of the more famous Islands in Greece and there's a set of stairs that goes all the way up the side of the island," McGee said. "It's a volcano actually, the island itself, and it's a few hundred steps. It's just mules out there. My dad and I decided to run that one day and on the way back I finally beat him going up the stairs. It was the first time — it took a good five years for me to finally beat him. People talk about the runner's high, I think that was the first time I experienced it. It was exciting."

It is those kinds of experiences, UF cross country and distance coach Todd Morgan says, that have helped her have success so quickly in the SEC.

"Her maturity is beyond her years," Morgan said. "All the moving around and that stuff has gotten her to where she is now. And not only does she have that, but she has the athletic ability to back it up, which is great."

When McGee and her family returned to the U.S. shortly after the 2004 Olympics, she wanted to run competitively but there was no formal cross country team at Pass Christian High School. She entered the state meet as an independent and finished second. Then she formed the school's first cross-country team by recruiting her older sister and three other friends to meet the state-required five members.

But Hurricane Katrina changed everything. Her family's home in Pass Christian, Miss. — a beach front community between New Orleans and Mobile — was severely damaged. Her grandparents' home was destroyed, and her family relocated to New Mexico temporarily where she missed several months of school.

"I did a lot of running, and there were some interesting ones," she said. "I saw a few coyotes while running. That was another adventure."

Morgan discovered McGee at a meet in North Carolina and continued to monitor her throughout her high school career. He was determined to bring her to Florida.

"I wouldn't have recruited her as hard as I did if I didn't think she was going to be a great runner," Morgan said. "She's exceeded what I thought she would do this year. And I'm even more impressed with her now than before she came. She's really made an impact for us not only on the track, but she's a great leader and a tremendous team player.

McGee hopes to bring her freshman year to a close with a strong finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

"It was exciting to be in the finals at the NCAA's (indoor championship), but nobody wants to finish 10th," she said. "But I think I'm running my best right now. After regionals, I definitely felt good. So I think that things have been set out pretty well throughout the year and coach has done a great job getting us ready to perform at NCAA's when the time is right. I'm excited to see what can happen."

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Canucks at Bruins: 8 p.m. on Versus. Game 4 in a series that seems to gets nastier by the minute.

Inside NASCAR: 9 p.m. on Showtime. A look back at last week's race in Kansas and ahead to this week's race in the Poconos.

Sports Connection: 11 p.m. on BHSN (Ch. 47). Interviews with Indy 500 winner and St. Pete resident Dan Wheldon and Bucs player representative to the union Jeff Faine.

By Jackie Otto, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

What's hot: Tarpon and pompano are here in numbers, from upper Tampa Bay to Egmont Key and all along our beaches. Pompano are biting Doc's Goofy Jigs or Silly Willy Jigs at the Howard Frankland, Gandy and Tierra Verde bridges. Bunces, Pass-a-Grille, Blind's and Dunedin passes are holding good numbers of pompano and tarpon. Pompano will hit on any moving tide, whereas next week's full moon tides will have the tarpon going off the wall to eat any crab placed in their path.

Techniques: Pompano jigging is easy and fun, casting upcurrent and jigging the 3/8- or ½-ounce jig on the bottom. When jigging at the bridges, a straight up-and-down jigging motion near the pilings is best, and when in the passes a longer cast jigging toward you is best. Tackle can be light; pompano do not have teeth, so 20-pound leader is enough and 10- to 15-pound gear (rod and reel) is plenty. Tarpon fishing will require heavier tackle. Be at ready while in the passes; you never know when a pod will be right next to your boat.

Tips: While pompano fishing, have a crab net near; the outgoing tide will have many small blue crabs or pass crabs floating by. Hook up a crab and keep it at ready to cast at passing tarpon, or gather enough crabs when your creel is full of pompano and you'll be ready to hit the beach for tarpon.

Jackie Otto can be reached at Betts Fishing Center (727) 518-7637 or jackieotto@msn.com.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Times wires
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Indians 1, Twins 0

CLEVELAND — Carlos Carrasco took a shutout into the ninth, and the Indians pushed across an unearned run to avoid their first eight-game losing streak ever at Progressive Field. Cleveland, which opened the season 14-2 at home, has not lost eight in a row at home since June 8-21 at old Cleveland Stadium. The Twins had a five-game winning streak snapped despite Francisco Liriano coming off the disabled list and matching Carrasco for five innings.

Times wires
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Terrelle Pryor's career at Ohio State came to an abrupt and scandal-ridden end.

The quarterback announced through his attorney Tuesday that he would not play for the Buckeyes this season. He had already been suspended for the first five games for breaking NCAA rules by accepting improper benefits from the owner of a tattoo parlor.

"In the best interests of my teammates, I've made the decision to forgo my senior year of football at The Ohio State University," Pryor said in a statement issued by Columbus lawyer Larry James.

Pryor, who likely will make himself available for an NFL supplemental draft, is not considered a ready-for-the-NFL quarterback. He might better project as a receiver.

Pryor's announcement comes eight days after coach Jim Tressel was forced to resign for knowing about players' improper benefits but not telling his superiors.

Pryor came to Ohio State on March 19, 2008, from Jeannette, Pa., as the most acclaimed high school quarterback prospect in the country. He was 3-0 against archrival Michigan, led victories in the Rose and Sugar bowls, was 31-4 as a starter, rushed for a school-record for a quarterback 2,164 yards and passed for 6,177 yards.

But there were other moments that kept him from becoming a fan favorite.

After Wisconsin beat the Buckeyes in October, their only loss last season, Pryor said Ohio State could beat the Badgers nine out of 10 times.

He has called former Ohio State quarterback and current ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit "a fake Buckeye" for questioning Pryor's emotional sideline behavior.

The Buckeyes' most experienced quarterback is fifth-year senior Joe Bauserman, with Kenny Guiton, Taylor Graham and talented freshman Braxton Miller also competing.

Times wires
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Pirates 8, D'backs 5

PITTSBURGH — Lyle Overbay hit a three-run double to cap a five-run eighth, and the Pirates rallied. The Diamondbacks were in position to win their seventh straight road game after Daniel Hudson allowed one earned run through seven innings, but Daniel Hernandez did not retire any of the six batters he faced in the eighth.

Times wires
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Orioles 4, Athletics 0

BALTIMORE — J.J. Hardy, Luke Scott and Adam Jones homered, Chris Jakubauskas pitched five shutout innings and the Orioles handed the Athletics their season-worst eighth straight loss. Baltimore will try to complete a three-game sweep tonight. The Orioles had lost eight straight series to Oakland since July 2007. The A's skid is their longest since an eight-game slide from Sept. 27, 2009, to April 5, 2010.

Times wires
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

BOSTON — Two players made two bad decisions in an instant, something that happens fairly often in the NHL. Boston's Nathan Horton watched his pass an instant too long, and Vancouver's Aaron Rome checked him an instant too late.

Both players' seasons ended in that instant during Monday's Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final. Horton dropped to the ice, apparently unconscious on his back with his eyes open and his gloved right hand reaching up frighteningly into empty space. Rome was ejected.

Horton, a right wing who scored in Boston's 1-0 victory over the Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final, is out for the series with a severe concussion. Rome, a defenseman, received a four-game suspension — the longest in Cup final history — beginning with tonight's pivotal Game 4.

Mike Murphy, the NHL's senior vice president of hockey operations, said the hit would have been legal if it hadn't been late. But, "I thought it was a late hit," Murphy said.

Rome, who took a serious hit from behind by San Jose's Jamie McGinn during the West final, issued a statement Tuesday through the team.

"I try to play this game honestly and with integrity," he said. "As someone who has experienced this type of injury, I am well aware of its serious nature and have no desire for another player to experience it."

While Horton was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston rallied to win 8-1, cutting Vancouver's series lead to 2-1. Coach Claude Julien said Horton stayed overnight for observation and left Tuesday morning.

Milan Lucic, Horton's fellow wing on Boston's top line, said he had communicated with Horton by text message.

"He's feeling good, feeling a lot better," said Lucic, who turned 23 on Tuesday. "He sent me a birthday wish, so it's good he remembered my birthday after a concussion."

Hockey cultivates and even condones violence — fighting is still allowed, after all — yet still struggles to agree on standards of control.

"Only people who have been on the ice can understand how fast it is, and how quick the decision-making process has to be," said Vancouver defenseman Keith Ballard, who's likely to step into Rome's spot. "You feel like there's no way you can do the right thing sometimes."

As Monday's score got out of hand, the game degenerated into a long brawl, with nine misconduct penalties and 118 penalty minutes in the third period alone.

"The times we play the best are when there's been a lot of emotion in a very physical game," Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference said. "(That's) what our sport is all about — finding that line, playing hard. … A hit like (Rome's) doesn't mean the guy is a bad guy or anything. They are split-second decisions, but they're split-second decisions that obviously can affect lives."

While the Bruins agreed it seemed a bit indelicate to credit Horton's injury for improving their play, that's what happened. As for the Canucks, they brushed aside their collapse as an anomaly and decried the severity of Rome's suspension.

"We don't think he should have been suspended," NHL scoring champion Daniel Sedin said. "We're thinking of Romer right now. … It should be a rallying cry for us, too."

TRADE: The Coyotes sent the negotiating rights of free-agent goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to the Flyers for forward Matt Clackson, a third-round draft pick in 2012 and future considerations.