Page 18 - aruba-today-20180428

A18 SPORTS
Saturday 28 april 2018
Simpson shatters U.S. mark in 2-mile at Drake Relays

By LUKE MEREDITH my progression from indoor was second followed by
AP Sports Writer to outdoor is going fine.” Scott Houston, this year’s
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — POWER RANGER? U.S. indoor champion. “At
Native Iowan Jenny Simp- Inika McPherson finished least it was sunny and blus-
son broke the U.S. record in second to Cunningham tery. It really helped the
the two-mile race to high- while dressed as a Power guys get down the runway
light Friday’s session of the Ranger from the “Mighty because we had a mas-
Drake Relays. Morphin Power Rangers” sive wind at our backs,”
Simpson shattered the T.V. series. McPherson ac- Kendricks said. “Sometimes
American mark in the knowledged that the mask I have to go abroad to find
somewhat obscure event made it tough to breathe that super high-level com-
by finishing in 9 minutes, and see the bar, but she still petition. I don’t have to go
16.78 seconds. The re- cleared 6-3.25. far at all. I’m still in my own
cord had been set in 2014 “This is what I tell kids. I was time zone and I’m really
by Shannon Rowbury at like ‘Hey. You can’t be thankful for it.”
9:20.25. the same person you are 96 YEARS YOUNG
Simpson’s time was the at home when you’re like Ninety-six-year-old Cincin-
eighth fastest ever record- being (very) cool. You’ve nati native Mike Fremont
ed in the two-mile, a race got to be your alter ego.” won over the crowd when
she teamed up with meet McPherson said. he competed in the men’s
director Blake Bolden to CRUSING KENDRICKS masters 800 earlier Friday.
bring to Drake in an effort Kendricks, the bronze med- Fremont was lapped by the
to give fans a marquee alist at the Rio Olympics, other 31 runners in the field
race on Friday, since most Jenny Simpson celebrates as she wins the women’s special missed just once in seven twice but he persisted, fin-
of Drake’s elite events two-mile run at the Drake Relays athletics meet, Friday, April 27, vaults in cruising to his win. ishing in 6:46.68. Eric Potter
scheduled for Saturday. 2018, in Des Moines, Iowa. South Dakota’s Chris Nilsen won the event in 2:01.89.q
With a near-packed house Associated Press
cheering her on, Simpson 4.25 inches.
clinched the mark with a American Sam Kendricks
final lap of 63.1 seconds. set a meet record in the Rafael Nadal reaches
Simpson, who was born in pole vault, posting a 19-1.5
Webster City, improved to on a warm and windy night Barcelona Open semifinals
11-0 in Drake Relays events. at Drake Stadium.
“The record was hard. It CUNNINGHAM’S STRONG
was really windy, and I START
was out there on my own. I Cunningham, 20, finished needed to save three set
talked to my coach about with the second-best jump points to close out the
how I was really putting my- in the world so far in 2018, match for his 17th straight
self in a vulnerable position though that comes with victory on the surface.
by going out hard and be- the caveat that it’s still very The top-ranked Spaniard
ing alone with all the wind. early in the outdoor season. has won 42 consecutive
But I really wanted to do it Still, Cunningham will likely sets on clay.
for the fans, even though be favored to win again “It was a good start for me,
the conditions weren’t per- at Drake in June when the a quick one, but then in
fect,” Simpson said. USA Outdoor meet comes the second set everything
Vashti Cunningham of the to Des Moines. “I think I’m changed,” said Nadal,
U.S. won the women’s elite where I want to be,” Cun- who had to come back
high jump, clearing 6 feet, ningham said. “I feel like from a break down. “I feel
a little bit luck today to
be through in straight sets
again.” The 140th-ranked
Klizan had eliminated No-
vak Djokovic in the second
Paradise in the Caribbean round.
Nadal will next face Da-
vid Goffin, who defeated
Spaniard Roberto Bautista
Agut 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2. The
10th-ranked Belgian Goffin
had to come back from a
set down in all of his three
victories in Barcelona.
In the other semifinal, Pab-
lo Carreno Busta of Spain
Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball to Martin Klizan of Slovakia — who defeated second-
during the Barcelona Open Tennis Tournament in Barcelona, seeded Grigor Dimitrov of
Spain, Friday, April 27, 2018. Bulgaria 6-3, 7-6 (4) — will
Associated Press play against Stefanos Tsitsi-
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) clay and reach the Bar- pas, the 63rd-ranked Greek
— Rafael Nadal defeated celona Open semifinals on who got past third-seeded
SALES OFFICE +297 2801005 info@leventaruba.com Martin Klizan 6-0, 7-5 to ex- Friday. Dominic Thiem of Austria
MOBILE +297 5927275 www.leventaruba.com tend his winning streak on Nadal started well but 6-3, 6-2.q