<h4>Return to Seattle a hit for Griffey: </h4>
Fans at Safeco Field cheer the Seattle Mariners' Ken Griffey Jr. as he gets his first at-bat since returning to the Mariners in a game against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday in Seattle. Griffey singled.
The nation’s top high school high jumper, a pair of local athletes and the younger brother of a present Arizona All-American candidate highlight the University of Arizona track and field’s recruiting class.
Arizona will sign a total of 15 male and female athletes Wednesday.
Included is Nick Russ of Vista Murrieta (Calif.) High School, who has the highest jump in the country among high school athletes this year at 7 feet, 2 1/4 inches.
Edgar Rivera-Morales of Agua Prieta, Son., has a high jump of 7-1 1/4 in addition to a triple jump of 48 feet.
He is the brother of Luis Rivera-Morales, a UA junior who leads his team in the long jump and triple jump this season.
Local products are Donovan Grant of Mountain View High School and Melanie McGrath of Catalina.
Grant won this year’s Willie Williams Classic triple jump title at 44-6 1/2. His 23-6 1/4 mark won the 2008 Region 5A-II Arizona state long jump title.
McGrath has personal bests of 11 minutes, 41 seconds in the 3,200 meters, 5:04 in the 1,600 and 2:19 in the 800.
UA women’s tennis
The Arizona women’s doubles team of senior Danielle Steinberg and freshman Sarah Landsman has earned a No. 63 national ranking in the Campbell’s/ITA tennis poll this week.
Steinberg is ranked No. 92 in singles, Landsman is No. 111, freshman Natasha Marks is No. 109 and the doubles team of Marks and junior Claire Rietsch is No. 75.
Citizen Staff Report
Pima baseball
The Pima Community College baseball team swept visiting Mesa Community College on Tuesday afternoon, winning 4-1 and 14-4.
Marc Damon (Tucson High) won the opener for the Aztecs, while Kody Johnson (Cienega) hit a two-run homer.
Richie Sandoval (Amphi) won the second game. Justin Zumwalde (Sabino) was 4 for 5 and drove in six runs.
Pima (29-18-1) visits Arizona Western at noon Saturday.
Citizen Staff Report
Pima softball
The Aztecs split a doubleheader with host Central Arizona College on Tuesday, losing 9-5 and winning 4-0.
Jordan Trujillo (Sierra Vista Buena) improved to 16-6 on the year with the win in the second game. She struck out nine in going the distance.
Kaity Ingram (Catalina Foothills) was 4 for 4 with a run and RBI in the win.
No. 10 Pima hosts No. 2 Yavapai for a doubleheader at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Citizen Staff Report
Duke hoopster to G.B.?
DURHAM, N.C. – Now this would be quite the Lambeau leap.
A Duke spokesman said Tuesday that former point guard Greg Paulus recently worked out for the Green Bay Packers in advance of the NFL draft.
Spokesman Art Chase said Paulus threw with Blue Devils receiver Eron Riley during a workout last week on campus.
Paulus was a star high school quarterback in Syracuse, N.Y., but he hasn’t taken a snap since he was a senior in 2004 and focused on basketball at Duke.
The 6-foot-1 Paulus started at point guard for three seasons before coming off the bench this year and helping the Blue Devils reach the regional semifinals for the first time since 2006.
The draft is April 25-26.
Packers spokeswoman Sarah Quick said the team does not comment on player workouts heading into the draft.
The Associated Press
Obama wants World Cup
NEW YORK – President Obama wrote a letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter supporting the American bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
“As a child, I played soccer on a dirt road in Jakarta, and the game brought the children of my neighborhood together,” Obama said, according to excerpts released Tuesday by the U.S. Soccer Federation.
“As a father, I saw that same spirit of unity alive on the fields and sidelines of my own daughters’ soccer games in Chicago.”
FIFA’s executive committee will decide the hosts for both tournaments in December 2010. The United States hosted the World Cup for the first time in 1994, and the 52 games drew records for total attendance (3.59 million) and average (68,991).
“Soccer is truly the world’s sport, and the World Cup promotes camaraderie and friendly competition across the globe,” Obama wrote. “That is why this bid is about much more than a game.
“It is about the United States of America inviting the world to gather all across our great country in celebration of our common hopes and dreams.”
England and Spain, which submitted a joint bid with Portugal, are considered the favorites to host in 2018, with the U.S. seen as a favorite for 2022.
Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and Russia also are bidding, with Netherlands-Belgium submitting a joint bid. Qatar and South Korea applied for 2022 only.
The Associated Press
Bowlen likes trade
DENVER – Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said that he’s pleased with the trade that sent Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears and that both sides got what they wanted.
“We’re happy with where we’re at,” Bowlen told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. “I’m happy for Jay. I think he’s going to a good organization.”
The Broncos dealt Cutler and a fifth-round draft pick to the Bears on April 2 for quarterback Kyle Orton, two first-round draft picks and a third-rounder, ending a six-week feud that began when Cutler decided he didn’t want to play for new coach Josh McDaniels. “He didn’t want to be in Denver. He made that clear,” Bowlen said. “He’s going on with his career, and we’re going on with our team.”
The Associated Press
NUMBER OF THE DAY
13.9
Rebounds per game by Orlando’s Dwight Howard, the most in the NBA this season. Other leaders:
Troy Murphy, Indiana 11.8
David Lee, New York 11.7
Tim Duncan, San Antonio 10.6
Emeka Okafor 10.2
Yao Ming, Houston 9.9
QUOTABLE:
'This is bigger than basketball and bigger than athletics. '
MODESTO A. MAIDIQUE,
Florida International University president, on hiring Isiah Thomas (left) as head basketball coach.
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ON THIS DATE
1937: The Detroit Red Wings beat the New York Rangers 3-0 to take the Stanley Cup in the fifth and final game.
1984: Ben Crenshaw wins the Masters by two strokes over Tom Watson.
1993: Sparky Anderson earns his 2,000th victory as a manager when the Detroit Tigers rally to beat the Oakland Athletics 3-2.
2000: Cal Ripken becomes the 24th player to reach 3,000 hits when he lines a clean single to center off Twins reliever Hector Carrasco.
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SPORTS SOUND-OFF
Hill will be good fit for Arizona
• This is great news! Coach Miller and his staff so far have done a wonderful job in supporting and continuing the great UA tradition. Hopefully Nic Wise will see this and decide to stay. We need his leadership to lead us into the tourney again next year.
AZCAT01
• Great job, Solomon. Arizona is a great fit and I can’t wait to see you on the court. Now let’s get back to recruiting . . . and I think we might be able to make a run in the tournament, especially if Wise stays.
OVEGA23
Re: UA football
• Well, Stoops is looking healthy, looks like he lost a bit of weight. We Tucsonans are going to be spoiled over the next few years – exciting winning teams in football and now Miller will save basketball – that is going to be sweet.
DPARIZEK