Local flavor was featured in Thursday’s action at the NCAA track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon. Emily Grove of Pontiac, now at the University of South Dakota, tied for 15th in the pole vault, clearing 13′ 1 1/2″ before missing all three attempts at 13′ 7 1/4″. The mark earns her second team All-America honors. Vanderbilt’s Sarah Bell, a Central Catholic High School graduate, tied for eighth in the pole vault.
The big basketball weekend in Pontiac has arrived as the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Games will be played this weekend at Pontiac Township High School. Practices are this afternoon with the banquet scheduled for tonight. All four games will be played on Saturday, with Class 1A-2A girls leading off at noon featuring Rachel Dawson of Dwight and Rachael Quaritsch of Flanagan-Cornell, followed by 3A-4A girls at 2 p.m. with Raven Hughes of U-High, 1A-2A boys at 4 p.m. featuring Tyler McCormick of Ridgeview and Justin Fox of Dwight, and concluding with the 3A-4A boys game at 6 p.m.
Illinois men’s basketball will visit Wake Forest as part of the Big Ten-Atlantic Coast Conference Challenge. The dates and time has yet to be announced.
The CornBelters have won three straight with last night’s 8-3 triumph in Joliet. The CornBelters road trip continues tonight in Schaumburg. The Belters return home Thursday to begin a seven-game homestand.
The Cardinals are in a swoon, dropping yesterday’s matinee at Cincinnati 5-2 to go 0-7 on the road trip. The Cardinals return to Busch Stadium tonight to begin a weekend series with Phillies. Jeremy Hellickson is on the mound for the guests while Michael Wacha starts for the Cards in a match-up of right-handers.
The Rockies scored all of their runs in the second inning in a 4-1 victory over the Cubs. Jon Lester lost at Wrigley Field for the first time in almost 13 months. The teams rematch in a 1:20 matinee in Chicago with German Marquez on the bump for Colorado against the Cubs’ Mike Montgomery.
The White Sox rallied late but lost at Tampa Bay 7-5. The Sox road trip continues tonight in Cleveland with Miguel Gonzalez taking the ball against the Indians’ Corey Kluber.
Major League Baseball is now investigating a domestic violence claim against Cubs shortstop Addison Russell. He says the claim is “false and hurtful” and declined further comment.
Second baseman Kolten Wong homered in his rehab appearance in Peoria and is expected to rejoin the Cardinals tonight. Former Illinois State Redbird Paul DeJong had replaced Wong on the roster.
The Pittsburgh Penguins hammered the Nashville Predators 6-0 to take a 3-2 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals. Game 6 is Sunday in Nashville.
The NBA Finals could end tonight as the Golden State Warriors hold a 3-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers going into tonight’s Game 4.
