Bunyan Invitational pace set Friday at Bangor Raceway
BANGOR, Maine — A $22,500 purse will be up for grabs on Friday at Bangor Raceway when the historic track hosts the 23rd Paul Bunyan Invitational. The field for the pace as the fastest ever compiled in Maine.
The favorite is Givenupdreaming, a 5-year-old that recently won a race at Plainridge Park Casino in Plainfield, Massachusetts, in 1 minute, 49.6 seconds.
Other entries include Bet You, with a season-best time of 1:51.2, Escape the News (1:49.1), Northern Companion (1:51.4), Race Me Villa (1:51.3 in 2015), Canadian horse YS Lotus (1:49.3 in 2015) and last year’s champion, A Sweet Ride (track-record 1:52.3).
Post time for Friday’s races, which also feature Maine Standardbred Breeders events, is 6 p.m. The Paul Bunyan Invitational should start at about 8:15.
UM-Presque Isle names volleyball coach
Jonathon Bowman has been named the new head volleyball coach at the University of Maine-Presque Isle.
Bowman was with the United States Youth Volleyball League in Long Beach, California was also affiliated with Junior Olympic Volleyball in Newport Beach for 10 years.
He has been on the coaching staffs at the University of Wyoming, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, and Holy Cross. He was also the head coach at Daemen College in New York in 2005.
“We need two things to get our program moving forward,” Athletic Director Mike Holmes said, “someone with intricate knowledge of the game and the energy to get out and recruit players to be here. Jonathon will give us a tremendous coach in both of those areas.”
In addition to coaching volleyball at UMPI, Bowman he will serve as an instructor in the physical education department, and work in residence life.
Browns’ Gordon seeks reinstatement
Suspended Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell met this week regarding Gordon’s reinstatement from his indefinite drug ban.
The meeting was first reported by the NFL Network and confirmed by ESPN, which also said a decision is unlikely before the season starts. Gordon is eligible to apply again for reinstatement on Aug. 1.
He petitioned for reinstatement on April 12 but was denied for allegedly failing a league-administered drug test. Gordon tested positive for marijuana, and that both the A and B samples were also diluted, which means he may have tried to cover up using pot, according to multiple reports.
He was suspended for two games in 2013, 10 games in 2014 and the entire 2015 season. Gordon, 25, led the league with 1,646 receiving yards in 2013, when he played 14 games.
Surgery considered last resort for Kershaw
Surgery remains a last-ditch option for Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who was shut down after he experienced a recurrence of soreness in his back last weekend.
Kershaw has not pitched since June 26 because of a herniated disk. Manager Dave Roberts said before Wednesday’s game that the Dodgers are hoping to avoid surgery.
Kershaw tossed a simulated game Saturday at Dodger Stadium, but after 60 pitches his back was sore and the Dodgers’ medical staff told him to cease baseball activity.
The 28-year-old Kershaw has an 11-2 record with a National League-leading 1.79 ERA this season. His 121 innings pitched, 145 strikeouts, 0.727 WHIP and 0.7 walks per nine innings also lead the league.