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Texas High Schooler Wins State Track and Field Championship by Herself

The world abounds these days with versatile, young athletes. Some of them play multiple (nine) positions in one sport, and others just win state high school track championships. By themselves.

That's right. Bonnie Richardson, of Rochelle High School in Texas, won the state 1-A track and field championship all by her lonesome. She was the only athlete from her high school that qualified to appear, and she straight up rolled the competition. In fact, her feat was so amazing, she shocked herself.

'This totally blows me away,' the freckle-faced Richardson said while holding the trophy with a gold medal draped on her neck. 'This is amazing. I had no idea it was even possible.'

Richardson's title march began with field events on Friday when she won the high jump (5 feet, 5 inches), placed second in the long jump (18-7) and was third in the discus (121-0).

On Saturday, she won the 200 meters in 25.03 seconds and nearly pulled off a huge upset in the 100 before finishing second (12.19) to defending champion Kendra Coleman of Santa Anna. Richardson, a junior, earned a total of 42 team points to edge team runner-up Chilton (36).

The only thing that might top her story is the manner in which she trained; Rochelle apparently does not even have a track on campus, requiring her to either "watch for potholes" or to travel 10 miles. And, according to the AP, she also plays tennis and basketball. And football, if her parents would let her. In other words, Richardson laughs at Dan and Dave.

Rest of Duke Lacrosse Team Announces Suit Against University and City of Durham


In Washington today, the remaining members of the Duke Lacrosse team who were not originally prosecuted for rape by the city of Durham, North Carolina announced that they were filing suit against both the University and the city for the emotional distress they suffered over the course of the case.

In all, more than three dozen current and former students will take part in the lawsuit that was filed today in Federal court in North Carolina. Pictured above is Steve Henkelman, father of former Duke lacrosse player Erik Henkelman, speaking his piece about the suit today at the National Press Club.

Previously, the three former students who were falsely accused of the crime, Dave Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann, filed suit separately against former Durham prosecutor Mike Nifong, the city and the University. They reached a settlement with Duke in June while the other cases are still pending.

12-Year-Old Olympic Hopeful Crushed to Death by Horse


Awful, awful story. Shannon Bloomfield, a 12-year-old with aspirations to compete in the 2012 Olympics, died in a horse-riding accident in the UK yesterday.

From the Telegraph:

Shannon Bloomfield, 12, was taking part in an indoor jumping event when her mount fell on top of her.

She had almost completed the course when her horse, Poppy, failed to negotiate the penultimate fence.

It fell awkwardly, trapping the young rider, as horrified spectators looked on. Shannon was pronounced dead at hospital.

Bloomfield was described as "sports-mad" by her parents. The youngster competed in tetrathlons, an event which combines running, shooting, horse-riding and swimming.

This horrific accident will undoubtedly stir up arguments over children and their role in competitive, high-risk sports. Feel free to sound off with your take, below.

Trailer for 'Cornhole: The Movie'



Cornhole: The Movie is ready for it's jump into the big time. The movie, made last year in the Cincinnati area, has pieced together a trailer. (Click here to watch the trailer).

The one great thing is that the producers do use the double-entendre for laughs. In the movie, the television coverage of the cornhole tournament is on the Alternative Sports Station ... or A.S.S.

And, yes, it really is a game and they really made a movie about it.

China to Cut Traffic in Half for Beijing Games

As noted previously on Fanhouse, the horrible smog conditions in Beijing are a huge concern for Olympic athletes participating in the games as well as spectators traveling from all around the world to enjoy the action in person. One of the solutions that the Chinese plan to implement during the games is to reduce traffic in the city by half.
[The Beijing News] said the city's vehicle fleet was expected to reach 3.3 million by August, meaning that roughly 1.65 million cars and trucks would be pulled off roads every day. The city will dedicate special lanes to Olympic traffic and increase public transportation with new shuttle buses to accommodate visitors and local residents, the article said.

Beijing officials have not yet publicly announced Olympic contingency measures, but the newspaper said the traffic plan had been completed.
One might think a little smog couldn't be all that harmful but some Olympic teams are taking extra precautions in order to keep their athletes as safe and healthy as possible. While some teams are planning to show up to the games as close to their events as possible, other teams are planning on training outside of the city where the air is less harsh.

Bjoern Einar Romoeren Crashes at World Cup of Ski Jumping

Ski jumping is a sport that never really took off in the United States (I think the only ski jumper I can name is Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards), but it does on occasion produce some fantastic, agony-of-defeat-style wipe outs.

Norway's Bjoern Einar Romoeren crashed at the World Cup of ski jumping over the weekend. The event took place in rainy conditions in Val di Fiemme, Italy, and Romoeren's crash was precipitated by one of his skis getting caught in slush. After the crash, the rest of the event was canceled. Romoeren was not seriously hurt.

Small Child Kills Large Bear; Davy Crockett Smiles From Heavenly Perch



If you've been listening to Stephen Colbert for the past, oh, two years, you'd know one inalienable truth about our sweet country: Bears are a menace. They are killing machines, bent on the destruction of the human race and -- even worse -- American values. What, then, are we to do to combat this scourge?

Rely on the five-year-olds, that's what:
A 5-year-old Arkansas County boy killed a black bear Sunday weighing more than 400 pounds. [...]

"He came in about 40 to 50 yards," Mike Merritt said of the black bear, "and when he got in the open, I whistled at him and he stopped and I said, 'Shoot Tre.'"

Tre confirmed his grandfather's account.

"I was up in the stand and I seen the bear," Tre Merritt said. "It came from the thicket and it was beside the road and I shot it."

Questions, and answers, about this story:

Q. So, why did you drop Davy Crockett in the headline?

A. Because this kid is the 10th great-grandson of Davy Crockett, who supposedly killed a bear when he was three.

Q. Why was a five-year-old wielding a rifle? That seems dangerous.

A. Good question! I was wondering that myself. (Great minds, etc.) Apparently the child was using a "youth rifle." A youth rifle capable of downing a 400-pound bear, but a "youth rifle" nonetheless. Not sure how what is unsafe for a gigantic bear could be possibly be seen as safe in the hands of a five-year-old child, but that's not the point here, is it?

Q. OK, so what's the point?

A. Something is seriously wrong with Arkansas.

[Related video here.]

Little League World Series Highlight Catch

This was a pretty awesome catch to win a Little League World Series game for Walpole, Mass.:

But I must object to the sportscaster who calls the Little League World Series "The purest form of the game." Has he never heard of Danny Almonte?

Aaron Durley, One Year Removed From the LLWS, Weighs in at 6'10", 280 Pounds


I just made a pit stop at the local hamburger joint to grab a bite, and the Little League World Series was on the teevees. Saudi Arabia was playing Canada, which probably isn't the marquee matchup of the tournament, but former Saudi first baseman Aaron Durley is a story unto himself. (Just so ya know: apparently, the Saudi team is comprised mostly of "the children of foreign petroleum workers, many from the United States.")

Anyway, Durley, who's making his third appearance who wrapped up his eligibility at Williamsport in 2006, is currently 6'10", 280 pounds. And he's 14 years old. In 2005, he was 6'4", last year he grew 6'8", 256 pounds, and now, two inches and 24 pounds later, he's bigger than Charlotte Bobcats forward Sean May.

Unsurprisingly, Durley also plays basketball, and according to ESPN's Gary Thorne, he dunked for the first time this year. Who knows how big Durley will be, but according to the YouTubage (after the jump), compared to a 13-year-old Shaq Fu, Durley's two inches taller, and his 2006 shoe size, 19, is three sizes bigger.

Is Michael Vick Better or Worse Than Your Average Hunter?

Now that Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has been indicted on dog fighting charges, the question has arisen on where the line should be drawn. If dog fighting is cruel and inhumane, what about horse racing? How about bull fighting? And what about hunting?

Jackie Chiles of The Airing of Grievances took little time in sharing his feelings, and while well-thought-out, I respectfully disagree with his stance that hunting is just as brutal.

There are always going to be people who proclaim that the killing of an innocent animal is a horrible and despicable act, but there is a vast difference between hunting for food and fighting dogs for money. And before someone throws out the "what about those who hunt for sport" card, allow me to remind you that hunters rarely waste anything or kill more than they can eat.

Forget the overall outcome these animals face for a moment and take a look at the fish and game laws in the United States. Dog fighting is illegal; plain and simple. Hunting, on the other hand, while regulated, is not illegal. And why is that? Because raising dogs to kill each other is disgusting, whereas killing a deer for venison is delicious.