HIGH SCHOOLS

HOCKEY: The Travis Roy Award winner will be announced in a virtual ceremony on Sunday, the Class A Hockey Coaches Association announced in a letter to players and parents.

The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place on March 15 at the Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch but was postponed to Sunday at the same venue because of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision has since been made to hold it virtually.

“It has been crazy times as we navigate the unknown and look towards a healthy future. We wanted to thank all of you for your patience,” the coaches association said in a letter to players and their families. “As we do go virtual, we hope this goes as smoothly as possible, but most important we honor the hard work and sacrifice these young men have put into the game of hockey over the years.” 

The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Sunday and will take place via a Zoom meeting. In addition to announcing the winner of the 25th Travis Roy Award, which is presented to the outstanding Class A senior boys’ hockey player, the first- and second-team all-state selections and other awards will be handed out.

The four finalists for the Travis Roy Award, each of whom will give speeches as part of the ceremony, are Scarborough forward Dawson Gendreau, South Portland/Freeport/Waynflete goalie Liam McGibbon, Lewiston forward Ryan Pomerleau and Thornton Academy forward Sawyer Wirsing.

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The ceremony will be streamed on the Lewiston Sun Journal’s website.

COLLEGES

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: The University of Maine women’s basketball team will participate in the 2020 Hall of Fame Women’s Challenge on Nov. 28-29 in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The Black Bears will take on Mississippi State on Nov. 28 before playing either UConn or Quinnipiac on Sunday.

“We are so excited to be a part of this prestigious event,” UMaine Coach Amy Vachon said. “Being in a tournament with UConn, Mississippi State and Quinnipiac is an honor and an opportunity our program is looking forward to this fall.”

The Black Bears finished 18-14 overall and 12-4 in the America East Conference in 2019-20. They were scheduled to face Stony Brook in the conference championship game on March 13 before it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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MEN’S BASKETBALL: Maryland signed forward Galin Smith, who appeared in 94 games over the past three seasons at Alabama.

The 6-foot-9 Smith has one year of eligibility remaining, effective immediately.

Smith had 20 starts with the Crimson Tide and shot 56 percent from the floor.

• The Big Ten Conference approved hardship waiver petitions for Iowa basketball players Jordan Bohannon and Jack Nunge, giving each an extra year of eligibility.

Bohannon, a 6-foot-1 guard, averaged 8.8 points and 3.3 assists in 10 games before undergoing season-ending surgery on his left hip in December. He had the same procedure on his right hip last May. The Marion, Iowa, native holds the Iowa record with 284 career 3-pointers made and enters his final season as a Hawkeye with career totals of 1,310 points, 504, assists, 250 rebounds and 82 steals.

Nunge, a 6-foot-11 forward, started five games as a sophomore last season before tearing the ACL in his right knee.

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OLYMPICS

MERCHANDISE: Five official Olympic merchandise shops in Tokyo will close by early June with business hindered by the coronavirus pandemic and the games being postponed until next year, organizers said Tuesday.

It’s not clear if they will reopen.

Tokyo spokesman Masa Takaya said in an online news conference that a sixth store in Osaka would also be downsized by early June. Tokyo organizers said 89 stores were operating around Japan at the end of April.

SOCCER

DOPING: Ukraine forward Artem Biesiedin has been banned from soccer for one year in a doping case, UEFA said Tuesday.

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The ban ends on Dec. 19, leaving Biesiedin clear to play at the postponed European Championship in June 2021.

The 24-year-old Biesiedin scored in the last game of Ukraine’s qualifying group in November — a 2-2 draw at Serbia.

Less than two weeks later, Biesiedin tested positive for a banned stimulant while playing for Dynamo Kyiv after a Europa League game against Malmo, UEFA said.

HOCKEY

NHL: Arizona Coyotes president and CEO Ahron Cohen is no longer with the organization, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement has been made. No other details were provided.

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Cohen has been with the Coyotes since being hired in 2015 as chief operating officer and chief legal officer by previous owner Andrew Barroway. Cohen was named president and CEO in 2017 after Steve Patterson stepped back to serve as a consultant and adviser after a year on the job.

Alex Meruelo purchased a 95% stake in the team less than a year ago and signed General Manager John Chayka to a long-term contract extension early in the 2019-20 season.

The Coyotes were still in contention for a Western Conference playoff spot when the NHL season was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cohen practiced as a corporate attorney in Phoenix before joining the Coyotes.

HORSE RACING

KENTUCKY DERBY PREP: Churchill Downs released a preliminary list of races that could be used as an extension of the Road to the Kentucky Derby prep schedule, pending agreement by the host tracks.

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The 146th Derby was rescheduled for Sept. 5 from its traditional spot on the first Saturday in May because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Preakness and Belmont – the other legs of the Triple Crown – have yet to be rescheduled. If they are run before the Derby, points to the top four finishers would be worth 150-60-30-15.

The lone prep race in May will be the $150,000 Matt Winn on May 23 at Churchill Downs. The top four finishers will receive points of 50-20-10-5. That’s an increase from the previously announced points of 10-4-2-1.

Other preps have been added on a regional basis, and once the New York Racing Association finalizes its stakes schedule, more preps could be added to the series. The point values for each race will be subject to readjustment based on their proximity to all Triple Crown races.

BASKETBALL

WNBA: On the day they were supposed to hold a parade to mark their 2019 WNBA championship, the Washington Mystics have revealed plans for what the team is billing as a “virtual celebration.”

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The Mystics originally planned to take to the streets of the nation’s capital on Tuesday, but that was scrapped because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Also set aside was a banner-raising ceremony scheduled for the home opener against the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday.

It’s not known when the season will begin.

So Saturday will feature online festivities.

Those will include messages from Mayor Muriel Bowser, Mystics owner Ted Leonsis and coach Mike Thibault, an appearance by player Natasha Cloud, and the first episode of a documentary about the championship run.

GYMNASTICS

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USA GYMNASTICS: USA Gymnastics will not hold any top-tier events the rest of this year.

The organization announced it is scrapping the U.S. Classic and the national championships because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization had initially hoped to reschedule the events for later in 2020 after Tokyo Olympics were pushed back to the summer of 2021.

USA Gymnastics president Li Li Leung called the decision “in the best interest” of the gymnastics community after receiving guidance from health experts and consulting with coaches and athletes.

GOLF

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will host the 2030 PGA Championship.

Southern Hills was originally awarded a record fifth PGA Championship in June 2017, but the year had not been determined.

Southern Hills also will host the 2021 Senior PGA Championship. The course has hosted seven major championships, beginning with the 1958 U.S. Open. Tiger Woods won the PGA Championship there in 2007.

 


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