UMaine men’s basketball team adds recruit
The University of Maine men’s basketball team added a seventh recruit to its roster with the announced signing on Friday of forward Stephane Ingo of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, via Gould Academy in Bethel.
Ingo averaged 10 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks per contest at Gould last winter while shooting 50 percent from the field. He earned All-NEPSAC Class AA honorable mention recognition.
“Stephane is a very athletic, long post with tremendous upside,” said UMaine coach Richard Barron in a news release. “He is a great weak-side defender who blocks shots and rebounds. Steph has an emerging offensive game that includes great pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop actions as well as an excellent shooting touch.”
The eligibility of all student-athletes is contingent upon admission to the University of Maine and compliance with all NCAA rules, including registration with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Sample collector tipped off Kenyan star about doping test
A drug-testing officer has admitted he gave Kenyan runner Asbel Kiprop advance warning of a supposedly unannounced out-of-competition doping test, a clear violation of protocol that renews doubts about the reliability of anti-doping in the East African powerhouse of distance running.
Track and field’s anti-doping unit described the officer’s actions as “extremely disappointing” and said the IAAF’s disciplinary tribunal will determine whether the tip-off rendered the test invalid. If so, the 1,500-meter Olympic champion from 2008 could escape sanction for the banned blood-boosting hormone EPO found in his urine sample.
Out-of-competition tests are supposed to be a surprise, to maximize the chances of catching cheats unaware and to leave them no time to flush banned substances out of their system. The IAAF has previously acknowledged that because of difficulties in getting samples to labs quickly from remote regions where elite athletes train, the rules have been regularly bent in Kenya when collecting blood, with athletes told in advance of tests for the IAAF biological passport program.
But the IAAF insisted athletes in Kenya get no advance notice for all other doping tests, including the collection of urine samples, that don’t have to reach labs so quickly.
Kiprop said not only was he tipped off the day before the Nov. 27 test, but the doping control officer also asked him for money while collecting the sample. Kiprop said he wired funds to the man’s mobile phone while he and another doping control officer were still in his house in Iten, Kenya. Kiprop did not say how much he supposedly paid and he has yet to make public any electronic receipts.
Morrison, Odorizzi visit Farquhar, encouraged by recovery
CHICAGO — Minnesota Twins players Logan Morrison and Jake Odorizzi weren’t sure what to expect when they visited former teammate and current Chicago White Sox reliever Danny Farquhar at the hospital Friday.
Considering Farquhar is two weeks removed from a ruptured aneurysm and recovering from brain surgery, they were encouraged by what they saw.
“I was really, really blown away, impressed, surprised by how well he’s doing,” Morrison said. “Walking around, talking, doing great.”
The visit at Rush University Medical Center lasted several hours. Farquhar was in good spirits and even gave his friends some grief about Chicago’s 6-5 win over Minnesota on Thursday.
Odorizzi said Farquhar stood from a couch and hugged him when he entered the room.
“Everything out of that situation couldn’t have unfolded better from what we saw today,” Odorizzi said. “It was the normal Farquhar with just a scar on his head. You take the scar away, he’s the same guy he’s always been, so pretty miraculous turnaround considering it’s been two weeks.”
Both players said Farquhar is eager to return and wasn’t thrilled the White Sox transferred him to the 60-day disabled list last week.
Morrison said he told Farquhar to “take the summer and relax,” but “that ain’t him.”
“He loves to play the game,” Morrison said. “He loves to pitch. If he’s able to, he’ll be the guy who does it for sure. Nothing’s going to stop him from doing that, so I think if he’s able to get off the mound and throw again it would be awesome for him to break my bat for sure and get me out.”
The trio played together in Tampa Bay from 2016 until Farquhar got traded to Chicago last July. Farquhar and Morrison were also teammates in Seattle from 2014-15.
A married father of three, Farquhar collapsed in the dugout with a brain hemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm during a home game against Houston on April 20. He had surgery the following day.
“He’s in really good hands, happy for the way things are going,” Morrison said. “Obviously it’s a terrible thing to happen. But for him, (wife) Lexie and his kids, it’s pretty amazing to see where he’s at right now and I think they’re really encouraged by it.”