KATY, Texas – The 2019 Southland Conference Basketball Tournament tips off Wednesday at 5 p.m. CT at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas.The tournament opens up with No. 5 seed Lamar taking on No. 8 Houston Baptist in a matchup of Gulf Coast foes, followed by No. 6 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and No. 7 Central Arkansas at 7:30 p.m. to conclude the first round of competition.No. 4 New Orleans awaits the winner between the Cardinals and Huskies while No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana will face the victor of the Islanders and Bears. Thursday’s matchups are set for 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively.No. 1 Sam Houston State and No. 2 Abilene Christian earned the league’s double-byes and will start their campaigns Friday in the semifinals.The first two rounds and semifinal contests will stream on ESPN+, available on ESPN.com/watch and ESPN apps. The championship will air live Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2. The radio broadcast of the title game will be on SportsRadio 610 KILT in Houston.No. 1 Sam Houston State – 21-10 (16-2 SLC) – First Game: Friday vs. Winner Game 3, 5 p.m. It’s been nearly two-and-a-half weeks since the Bearkats wrapped up a share of the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed, overcoming a six-point overtime deficit to outlast Houston Baptist 119-113 after two extra periods. Led by Southland Conference Player of the Year Cameron Delaney, Newcomer of the Year Kai Mitchell and third-team all-conference pick Josh Delaney, Sam Houston State looks to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. In conference games, the Bearkats paced the league in three-point field-goal percentage (.397) and Cameron Delaney drained a Southland-best 49.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.No. 2 Abilene Christian – 25-6 (14-4 SLC) – First Game: Friday vs. Winner Game 4, 7:30 p.m.The Wildcats prepare to make their Southland Conference Tournament debut after one of the finest regular seasons in program history. In his eighth season at the helm, Southland Coach of the Year Joe Golding led Abilene Christian to program records in wins (25) and conference wins (14) and the first 20-win season at the Division I level. Boasting one of the most intimidating defenses in the league, the Wildcats held conference opponents to a Southland-low 64 points per game and kept opposing squads below 60 points on seven occasions. Jaylen Franklin, a third-team all-conference selection, appears on the league’s all-defensive squad.No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana – 16-15 (12-6 SLC) – First Game: Thursday vs. Winner Game 2, 7:30 p.m.After starting conference play 0-3, Southeastern Louisiana went 12-3 over the final two months of the season to storm from last place to the No. 3 seed. First-Team All-Southland honorees and seniors Marlain Veal and Moses Greenwood continue to etch their names in the Lions’ record book as they both placed in the top-five in scoring, combining for just over 35 points per game in league contests. Veal, a back-to-back all-defensive team member, averaged 1.6 steals per game and helped Southeastern Louisiana average the second-fewest points allowed in the conference (66.2) in Southland games. Greenwood is the only student-athlete to finish in the top-five in points (18.1) and rebounds (7.4) per game in league contests.No. 4 New Orleans – 17-12 (12-6 SLC) – First Game: Thursday vs. Winner Game 1, 5 p.m.The last to earn a first-round bye, the Privateers dominated in Lakefront Arena with a 7-2 mark on their home court. Southland Conference Freshman of the Year Gerrale Gates started 28 of the Privateers’ 29 games and averaged 8.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. After third-team all-league pick Ezekiel Charles went out with an injury, his numbers jumped to 9.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. On the defensive side, New Orleans held conference opponents to a 30.6 percent mark from long-range, the second-lowest figure in the conference. No. 5 Lamar – 19-12 (12-6 SLC) – First Game: Wednesday vs. No. 8 Houston Baptist, 5 p.m.One of the hottest teams entering the tournament, the Cardinals are flying high, having won eight straight and 10 of their last 11. Lamar’s streak includes a pair of wins each over defending tournament champion Stephen F. Austin and rival McNeese, a 35-point takedown of first-round opponent Houston Baptist and, most notably, a victory over previously undefeated Sam Houston State. Along with Southeastern Louisiana, the Cardinals were one of two Southland programs to finish the regular season with a player in the top-five in points and rebounds per game in conference games. First-team all-league selection Nick Garth averaged the fourth-most points per game (17.2), while second-team honoree Josh Nzeakor snagged 7.3 rebounds per game.No. 6 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – 14-17 (9-9 SLC) – First Game: Wednesday vs. No. 7 Central Arkansas, 7:30 p.m.After losing four out of five games left the Islanders’ tournament chances bleak, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi rattled off three wins to close out the season to grab the No. 6 seed in this year’s bracket. Kareem South, a third-team all-conference pick, poured in 15.9 points per game in Southland contests, including 21 in the regular-season finale to leapfrog Houston Baptist. The Islanders’ lockdown defense limited conference foes to a 41.6 percent mark from the field with nearly a one-percent advantage over the No. 2 team.No. 7 Central Arkansas – 13-18 (8-10 SLC) – First Game: Wednesday vs. No. 6 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 7:30 p.m.Similarly to A&M-Corpus Christi, the Bears used a late run to sneak into the tournament, toppling defending tournament champion Stephen F. Austin by 22 and edging regular-season champion Sam Houston State and rival Northwestern State to punch their ticket to Katy. Sophomore Hayden Koval, a two-time all-defensive selection, was a force in the paint with a league-high 51 blocks to go with 12.7 point and six boards a game. Senior Thatch Unruh provided the spark on the other side of the court, averaging 17.2 points per game over the final nine games, including a pair of 30-point performances.No. 8 Houston Baptist – 12-17 (8-10 SLC) – First Game: Wednesday vs. No. 5 Lamar, 5 p.m.Though the Huskies closed the season on a 7-4 stretch, they needed Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State losses to ensure they’d be making the 30-minute trek to Katy. Second-Team All-Southland Ian DuBose piloted Houston Baptist on offense with top-10 figures in points (16.9) and rebounds (6.3) per game and field-goal percentage (.486) in conference games, while Braxton Bonds’ league-best 2.6 steals per game in Southland games earned the senior all-defense team honors. read more

AUSTIN, Texas – Student-athletes from seven Southland schools have made their way to the 2019 Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas, set to take place Wednesday through Saturday June 5-8. The conference will be represented by 12 individual competitors and a pair of relay teams. All events will be held at Mike A. Myers Stadium.Stephen F. Austin leads the way with seven competitors, six of which will challenge for a national title on the women’s side. The Ladyjacks will be represented in the 4×400-meter relay by Imani Nave, Aaliyah Teel, Daijia Carr and Cayla Burch after the team clinched a berth with a 3:35.23 performance and a 10th place finish in the NCAA West Preliminary Meet in Sacramento, Calif. (May 25). The SFA relay team will hit the track in heat one of the preliminary race Thursday evening, slated for 10:18 p.m. CT.Fellow Ladyjacks teammates Madison Pecot and Nastassja Campbell also punched their tickets at the West Preliminary meet in the pole vault event after clearing the bar at 4.32m (14-02.0 feet). Pecot and Campbell are set to test their mettle in the finals portion beginning Thursday at 7:30 p.m.Branson Ellis, the lone Lumberjack men’s competitor, is looking for a national title in the pole vault event. Ellis, a freshman, qualified for the national meet with an eighth-place finish at the West Preliminary meet following a 5.36m (17-07.0 feet) vault.Sam Houston State will send a pair of individual competitors in Chris Jefferson and Clayton Fritsch, along with its men’s 4x100m relay team. Jefferson qualified for the 100m dash after a 15th-place, 10.34 finish in the west preliminaries in Sacramento. The Bearkats’ senior sprinter is making his third-straight appearance at the NCAA Championships in a pair of events. Competing alongside Jefferson and Fritsch will be the 4x100m relay team of A.J. Tisdale, Jo’Vaughn Martin, Eric Callaway and Bryan Henderson. The relay squad took ninth place at the West Preliminary Championships with a time of 39.76, earning the No. 21 seed at the national meet.Clayton Fritsch rounds out the Bearkats’ competitors and will look to contest for a national championship in the pole vault event. Fritsch concluded his performance at the West Preliminary Meet tied for first place after clearing the bar at 5.36m (17-07 feet). The sophomore is making his second appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships after capping his freshman pole-vaulting campaign with a 19th place finish at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships.Abilene Christian will send a pair of throwers to the NCAA Championships in seniors Kayla Melgar and Annina Brandenburg. The Wildcats’ duo became the first ACU female competitors to represent the university at a NCAA Division I Championships since high jumper Mazel Thomas appeared in 1989. Melgar will take part in the shot put after cementing a program record 16.8m (55-01.5 feet) heave in her first of three attempts for an eighth-place finish at the West Preliminary Championships. Brandenburg also claimed a program record at the west preliminaries with a 56.86m (186-02.0 feet) toss in the discus throw event, where she finished sixth overall. Melgar will contend for the shot put title as the No. 12 seed in Austin, while Brandenburg will enters the meet as the No. 10 seed in the discus throw.Northwestern State will also send a pair of women’s field competitors to the NCAA Championships as Reagan Darbonne and Jasmyn Steels will represent the Lady Demons. Darbonne secured her spot with a 10th-place finish at the East Preliminary Championships (May 24). The Northwestern State pole vaulter cleared the bar at the east regional meet with a 4.17m (13-08.25 feet) leap that stands as a personal best and an NSU school record. Steels stitched together a performance to be remembered in the long jump at the east regional meet, logging a second-place, 6.22m (20-05.0 feet) leap on her third and final attempt. The Northwestern State junior long jumper will look to claim her second national long jump title of the year after taking gold at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships (March 8).Incarnate Word’s Sarea Alexander will be the lone Cardinal representing her school at the NCAA Championships as the senior jumper secured a spot in the long jump with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA West Regional Championships. Alexander registered a 6.21m (20-04.5 feet) leap in order to become the first-ever UIW competitor at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.Houston Baptist’s Denim Rogers will represent his university in the two-day decathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Rogers secured a spot at the national meet with his score of 7,504 at the Bryan Clay Multis in Azusa, Calif. (April 17-18). His qualifying mark stands as the 13th best among the 24 qualifying competitors. Rogers’ appearance at the national meet solidifies him as the first Husky to qualify for the national meet since the program was reinstated in 2008.Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Sashane Hanson qualified for the high jump as the lone Islanders’ competitor after finishing fourth overall at the West Regional Championships. Hanson cleared the bar with a 1.80m (5-10.75 feet) leap to cement her position in the NCAA Championships. The senior is set to begin her high jump competition beginning Saturday at 5 p.m.Action kicks off at the 2019 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships Wednesday at 12 p.m. CT with the decathlon. Day one will consist of 21 events (10 prelims, 11 finals).Fans looking to keep up with all three days of competition can follow live coverage on ESPN, ESPNU or ESPN3. For a full list of events and broadcast channels, click here.A full schedule of events can be found here. read more

Santa Anita Park And Golden Gate Fields To Close Stable Entry Gates To Out-Of-State PersonnelARCADIA, Calif. (March 19, 2020)–With the utmost regard for the safety and well-being of essential personnel and the horses they care for, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields announced today the immediate closure of the stable entry gates to outside personnel at their racing and training venues in California, including San Luis Rey Downs. The stable entry gate closure will not extend to horses as current scientific evidence suggests that horses cannot develop COVID-19 and therefore present no danger of transmission to other horses or people.This added measure has been put in place as part of the company’s continuing efforts to limit exposure for essential personnel and to maintain compliance with the most up-to-date guidance from local and international health and governmental authorities on COVID-19.The closure of the stable entry gates means that no new accompanying personnel, including jockeys, trainers or grooms, will be allowed onto the grounds with horses who ship from outside of California into Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields or San Luis Rey Downs.  Horses are only allowed to ship to trainers that currently have a barn at one of the three locations. To protect the perimeter, the horses will be met and transferred to the secure barn area in the care of personnel who are already on-site.All horses will be cared for by essential personnel who are operating under stringent measures for protection prohibiting non-essential contact and interaction to maintain the most current requirements on social distancing.On March 12, The Stronach Group closed all of its racing venues and simulcast centers to the public and enforced strict measures at all facilities including, among numerous other protective measures, restricting access to essential horsemen and personnel, daily health monitoring and temperature testing for all attendees, strict social distance requirements for jockeys and participants and significantly enhanced sanitization across the facilities.The Stronach Group will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation vigilantly and will remain in full compliance with all government and local health orders. read more

According to rabbitohs.com.au, Farah will “continue to train and is not in any danger of missing any football in 2017.”He has knocked back the option of surgery in order to be right for the start of the NRL season in March.Any operation on the muscle usually leaves the player sidelined for at least three months.The NSW State of Origin hooker’s Friday night showdown with the Tigers and former coach Jason Taylor is one of the highlights of the opening round, on March 3 at ANZ Stadium.Farah left the club after being dropped at the end of last season, the culmination of a 12-month feud between he and Taylor.The 32-year-old – originally on contract until the end of 2017 – was given permission to look elsewhere late in the 2015 season.Despite threats to spend the year in reserve grade, he rejected the option and stayed at the Tigers in 2016.However he was banished to the bench in Round 14 and didn’t play first grade again after the Origin period.Farah signed with Souths in September on a two-year deal, and is expected to be their first-choice hooker after they released Cameron McInnes to St George Illawarra. read more