Mt. Pleasant
Mount Pleasant Middle School is hosting a Back to School 3 vs. 3 Basketball Tournament coming up on August 20th. The tournament is open to 3rd through 8th graders. The cost to enter is $60 per team and registration is due by August 15th. With questions, you can contact Ronnie Ashton at reash10@yahoo.com.
Winfield Mt. Union
Winfield Mt. Union will be hosting a meet the players event for this Thursday, August 18th. The event is scheduled from 5 to 8 pm, with player introductions of the Fall Sports Teams taking place at 7 pm on the football field.
New London Tigers
The New London Tigers football season kicks off this Friday, August 19th as they look to defend their home turf against the visiting Moravia Mohawks. KILJ will have the call from New London.
Brittney Griner’s Defense Team Files Appeal
Phoenix Mercury’s star center, Brittney Griner, appealed her 9-year Russian prison sentence. Griner was playing for a Russian professional team when she was arrested after Moscow’s airport found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage.
Griner’s lawyer, Maria Blagovolina, stated that the average sentence in similar cases was about 5 years, with a third of them granted parole. Griner admitted she had the canisters in her luggage but had no criminal intent and had done so on accident. Her defense team presented that the cannabis had been prescribed to treat pain.
Discussions for a swap between the two countries have been ongoing.
Alex Bregman Delivers
The Houston Astros hosted members of the Uvalde community for their game on Sunday against the Oakland Athletics. The team chartered 500 family members and friends of the victims of the May 24th mass shooting at Robb Elementary School to Sunday’s game for “Uvalde Strong Day.”
A little girl requested Jose Altuve to hit the home run, but it was Alex Bregman who came through with the 2-run home run in the bottom of the first. The Astros won 6 to 3 over the Athletics.
Bregman expressed his gratitude after the game, “It was great … just to have them here to be able to watch an Astros win.” The team also had fundraising efforts throughout the game, with all the proceeds going to help those affected by the shooting.
Today in Sports History
1970 – Mrs. Pat Palinkas became the first woman to ‘play’ in a pro football game when she held the ball for the Orlando, FL, Panthers.
1984 – Pete Rose returned to become player and manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He had been away from his hometown for six years. Rose had been in Philadelphia and Montreal.
1993 – Nolan Ryan got his 324th and final victory. The Texas Rangers beat the Indians 4-1.
1997 – The Los Angeles Dodgers retired Tommy Lasorda’s #2.