SPORTS
FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2017
1B
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Wimbledon
Williams back in fi nal match
American
looking for
sixth win at All
England Club
By HOWARD FENDRICH
Associated Press
LONDON — All these
years later, Wimbledon still
brings out the best in Venus
Williams.
With her latest display of
gutsy serving and big hitting,
Williams beat Johanna Konta
6-4, 6-2 on Thursday to reach
her ninth title match at the All
England Club and fi rst since
2009.
At 37, Williams is the
oldest Wimbledon fi nalist
since Martina Navratilova
was the 1994 runner-up at
that age.
Williams also stopped
Konta’s bid to become the
fi rst woman from Britain in
40 years to win the country’s
Grand Slam tournament.
“I couldn’t have asked for
more, but I’ll ask for a little
more. One more win would
be amazing,” Williams said.
“It won’t be a given, but I’m
going to give it my all.”
She will be seeking her
sixth Wimbledon champi-
onship and eighth Grand
Slam singles trophy overall.
Her most recent came in
2008, when she defeated her
younger sister, Serena, for
the title at the All England
Club. A year later, she lost
the fi nal to Serena.
In the time since, Williams
revealed that she was
diagnosed with Sjogren’s
syndrome, which can sap
energy and cause joint pain.
As time went on, there were
questions about whether she
might retire, especially after a
half-dozen fi rst-round losses
Venus
Williams of
the United
States waves
after beat-
ing Britain’s
Johanna
Konta in
their Wom-
en’s Singles
semifi nal
match on
day nine at
the Wimble-
don Tennis
Champion-
ships in Lon-
don Thurs-
day July 13,
2017.
at major tournaments. But
she kept on going, and lately
has returned to winning.
Her resurgence began in
earnest at Wimbledon a year
ago, when she made it to
the semifi nals. Then, at the
Australian Open in January,
Williams reached the fi nal,
where she lost to — yes,
you guessed it — her sister.
Serena is off the tour for the
rest of this year because she
is pregnant.
“I missed her so much
before this match. And I was
like, ‘I just wish she was
Andrew Couldridge/
Pool Photo via AP
See WIMBLEDON/2B
PENDLETON
PENDLETON
Pendleton claims state title
Five
T-Wolves
sign letters
of intent
Baseball players
to continue careers
at 4-year schools
East Oregonian
Contributed photo courtesy of Jeanine Youncs
The Pendleton Little League softball all-stars pose with their championship banner after beating SE Portland 8-2 in the title game on
Thursday in Portland. Pictured left to right are (BACK ROW) coaches Justin Samp, Kelsy Garton, Randy Jenness, (FRONT ROW) Kylee
Sellers, Allison Galloway, Daisy Jenness, Sauren Garton, Jaden Samp, Ellie Samford, Muriel Hoisington, Charlie Mae Franklin, Faith
Broadfoot, Brielle Youncs, Nora Yoshioka.
Softball all-stars beat SE Portland to punch regionals ticket
East Oregonian
PORTLAND — The Pendleton all-stars had
to play a full six innings for the fi rst time this
week at the Oregon Little League Softball State
Tournament, but the outcome was the same as
before as Pendleton beat SE Portland 8-2 in the
championship game on Thursday night.
Although they weren’t able to bring an early
end for SE Portland, a team they beat 12-2 in
the semifi nals on Tuesday, Pendleton gave itself
plenty of cushion to work with by scoring three
runs in each of the fi rst two innings.
Muriel Jones-Hoisington was the fi rst player
to reach base by drawing a one-out walk in the
top of the fi rst inning, and Jaden Samp moved her
into scoring position with a single to right fi eld.
Then Ellie Samford opened the scoring with
an infi eld single, and after SE Portland picked
See LITTLE LEAGUE/2B
Five Blue Mountain Commu-
nity College baseball players
have signed National Letters of
Intent to continue their careers at
four-year institutions, the school
announced Thursday.
T a t e
Spivey, a third
baseman from
Kennewick,
and
pitchers
Chase
Labbe
and
Nathan
Pena, both from
Meridian, Idaho, have all signed
to play at the College of Idaho.
Spivey led the Timberwolves
last season in RBI with 30,
and tied for the team lead with
three home runs. He also led the
team with three triples. Spivey
graduated earlier this spring from
BMCC with his Associate of Arts
Oregon Transfer (AAOT) degree.
He was voted Most Inspirational
Player by his teammates.
Labbe was the lead-off hitter
for both his years as a Timber-
wolf, and led the team in walks
for two seasons in a row, while
also being one of the top defensive
catchers in the Northwest Athletic
Conference(NWAC). Labbe also
See T-WOLVES/2B
College Football
Healthy again, Luton ramps up starting QB bid with Beavers
Mystery illness
caused junior to
lose 30 pounds
By KERRY EGGERS
Portland Tribune
CORVALLIS — The
world turned upside down
for Jake Luton not long after
he arrived at Oregon State for
winter term.
Things
are
right-side up now,
and the junior-col-
lege transfer is
gearing up for the
July 25 start of
training camp for
the Beavers and a
run at the starting
Luton
quarterback job.
All
during
OSU’s “spring practice” —
which actually was held in
the winter from
Feb. 17 to March
18 — Luton was
affl icted by a
mysterious malady
that caused him
to lose 30 pounds
from his 6-7 frame.
Luton
has
gained the weight
back and will enter
camp
weighing
between 235 and 240.
“Everything is fi ne now,”
the junior from Marysville,
Washington, says. “But it
was a scary situation.”
About two weeks before
spring ball began, Luton
began feeling ill.
“I missed two days
of workouts,” he says. “I
thought I’d get better. It went
away for fi ve or six days
and came back. The timing
couldn’t have been any
worse.
“I’d go home and my
girlfriend would have to take
care of me. I’d be on the
bathroom fl oor. My whole
body would shake uncon-
trollably. It went on for four
or fi ve weeks. I don’t know
what it was.”
Neither did doctors, even
after a battery of tests.
“They think it was
something to do with my
esophagus,” Luton says. “At
fi rst, I didn’t think it was a
big deal. I thought the doctor
would take care of it. But it
kept going on and on. They
thought I might have had
food allergies. For a long
time, I was on a strict diet. I
lost almost 30 pounds. By the
end of spring ball I was about
205.”
Even in his weakened
state, Luton completed 13
of 21 passes for 118 yards
and a touchdown in the
See LUTON/2B
Sports shorts
Disgraced soccer exec dies at 72
NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Blazer, the
pioneering American soccer executive who
admissions of corruption set off a global scandal
that ultimately toppled FIFA President Sepp
Blatter, has died. He was 72.
Blazer’s death was announced
Wednesday by his lawyers, Eric
Corngold and Mary Mulligan. At
a November 2013 court hearing
during which Blazer entered guilty
pleas to federal charges, Blazer said
he had rectal cancer, diabetes and
coronary artery disease.
Blazer
With huge girth, charm, wit and
a pet parrot, Blazer cut a large fi gure as he made
deals from an offi ce and apartment in Trump Tower.
The No. 2 offi cial in the governing body of soccer’s
North and Central American and Caribbean region
from 1990-2011 and a member of FIFA’s ruling
executive council from 1997-2013, Blazer was
central to the rise of the sport in the United States.
Knicks, Rockets talking, but
no Anthony deal imminent
“I think we’ve
established ourselves as
the premier conference
in college football.“
— Jimbo Fisher
Florida State football coach at
ACC media days on Thursday.
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York
Knicks and Houston Rockets are still trying to
work out a deal involving Carmelo Anthony,
though it may take some time if
it happens.
The teams continue to talk
about a trade but no deal is
imminent, said a person familiar
with the situation. The person
said Anthony has told the Knicks
he would accept a move to the Rockets but
the teams are still trying to fi nd a trade that
works for both sides. The person spoke to The
Associated Press Thursday on condition of
anonymity because the talks between the teams
remain private.
Anthony has a no-trade clause and would
have to agree to any deal. He has told the
Knicks he would waive it to go to Houston or
Cleveland.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1951 — Citation is the fi rst
horse to win $1 million in a
career by taking the Hollywood
Gold Cup by four lengths in
Inglewood, Calif. Citation
retires after the race with total
earnings of $1,085,760. In 45
starts, Citation ran out of the
money only once.
1986 — Jane Geddes
beats Sally Little in an
18-hole playoff to take the
U.S. Women’s Open cham-
pionship.
2013 — At age 19 Jordan
Spieth becomes the youngest
winner on the PGA Tour in
82 years after a fi ve-hole
playoff at the John Deere
Classic.
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