USTA selects Marcinkowska to national team

By Staff Reports

The United States Tennis Association selected Renata Marcinkowska of Rock Hill for the 2008 United States Women's Young Cup team for women 40 and over.

Marcinkowska will compete in the World Team Championships in Antalya, Turkey, October 12-18. The Cup is for international tennis team competition for women ages 40 and older.

Marcinkowska's teammates include Mary Dailey from Delray Beach, Fla., Robin Keener from Melbourne, Fla., and Anna Zimmerman from Indianapolis, Ind.

Marcinkowska will be playing on the Young Cup team for the second time. She was ranked No. 1 in the nation in women's 40s singles. Marcinkowska graduated from Oklahoma State University and is currently an independent tennis consultant.

• COLLEGE BASKETBALL -- UNC Asheville's Kenny George, the 7-foot-7 center who helped the Bulldogs claim a share of the Big South Conference title last season, has undergone foot surgery and will be delayed in his return to school and to basketball.

In an announcement on the UNCA Web site, coach Eddie Biedenbach said George participated in a camp in Las Vegas a few weeks ago and "felt discomfort in his right foot." George returned home to Chicago and doctors discovered an infection in which required immediate surgery.

The announcement did not indicate when George, a second-team all- conference pick, would be able to return.

• BOXING -- Dashawn Street, a 10-year-old with the Rock Hill Boxing Club, won the 72-pound division in competition in Eutawville the past weekend.

Street defeated Justin Daniel of Summerville.

Demetrius Williams, 13, dropped his bout in the 133-pound division to Jason Baxley of Hilda.

The Rock Hill Boxing Club took nine competitors to the event, but was unable to match the other fighters by weight, age and experience.

• LOCAL GOLF -- Mike Granger of Fort Mill scored a hole in one at Springfield Golf Club on Saturday, hitting a 3-iron at the 209-yard, par-3 eighth hole.

He played with Steve Spoon, Hugh Bell and Jackson Windell.

Bob Pitzer of Fort Mill scored a hole in one at Springfield Golf Club on Monday, hitting a 4-iron at the 184-yard, par-3 fourth hole.

He played with Tom Ray, Pervis Anderson and Loy Arrington.

Sam Quinn hit his first hole in one at Crowder's Mountain Country Club. He turned in the ace on the fifth hole, a 110-yard par-3, using a pitching wedge.

Quinn's shot was witnessed by Ronnie Costner, Tim Kale and Smitty Ballard.

• COLLEGE FOOTBALL -- The Southeastern Conference has signed a 15-year deal with ESPN reportedly worth more than $2 billion to televise sporting events, including football and men's and women's basketball.

The agreement announced Monday is the longest ESPN has ever signed and matches the length of the powerhouse league's deal with CBS earlier in August.

"This agreement makes the SEC the most widely distributed conference in the country," said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. He declined to disclose financial terms.

The deal begins with the 2009-10 season and ends the league's look into starting a network to carry its sporting events.

• Tennessee starting defensive back Brett Vinson and defensive tackle Donald Langley have been suspended for the season opener at UCLA on Monday.

Vinson, a sophomore, started 10 games last season at left cornerback. Langley is a redshirt freshman.

• MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL -- Five more players, including four in the Dominican Summer League, were suspended for testing positive for banned performance-enhancers under baseball's minor league drug program.

The suspended Dominican Summer League players included Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Rafael Aybar, Florida Marlins pitcher Alfredo Buret, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Julio Sanchez and Minnesota Twins outfielder Eliel Sierra, all penalized after testing positive for a metabolite of Boldenone.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Juan Castillo, assigned to the rookie league Gulf Coast League, tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol.

A total of 34 minor leaguers have received 50-game bans since July 25, including 26 from the Dominican Summer League and four from the Venezuelan Summer League.