WICHITA, Kan. -&nbsp;Wichita State and Saint Louis are set to meet in the 2024 Hall of Fame Classic, it was announced by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Monday morning.

The Hall of Fame Classic will showcase a college basketball doubleheader with four tradition-rich programs on November 22 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. The matchups will pit Iowa against Utah State and Wichita State vs. Saint Louis, with specific game times and broadcast assignments to be announced soon.

The Shockers and Billikens will square off for the second straight season after the two met in Myrtle Beach last season. Wichita State finished the 2023 Myrtle Beach Invitational with a resounding 88-69 win over Saint Louis.

Saint Louis holds a 41-24 all-time lead in the series between the two schools, but Wichita State has won six straight. This will be just the second meeting on a neutral court between the former conference rivals.

Tickets for the event will go on sale Sept. 10 via the T-Mobile Center box office and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.t-mobilecenter.com/">t-mobilecenter.com</a>.

The 2024 Hall of Fame Classic will mark the event's 24th&nbsp;year of operation in Kansas City, and its first to be structured as a neutral-site doubleheader. The Hall of Fame Classic is managed by the NABC.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722882170491.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;WICHITA, Kan. -&nbsp;Wichita State and Saint Louis are set to meet in the 2024 Hall of Fame Classic, it was announced by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Monday morning.The Hall of Fame Classic will showcase a college basketball doubleheader with four tradition-rich programs on November 22 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. The matchups will pit Iowa against Utah State and Wichita State vs. Saint Louis, with specific game times and broadcast assignments to be announced soon.The Shockers and Billikens will square off for the second straight season after the two met in Myrtle Beach last season. Wichita State finished the 2023 Myrtle Beach Invitational with a resounding 88-69 win over Saint Louis.Saint Louis holds a 41-24 all-time lead in the series between the two schools, but Wichita State has won six straight. This will be just the second meeting on a neutral court between the former conference rivals.Tickets for the event will go on sale Sept. 10 via the T-Mobile Center box office and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.t-mobilecenter.com/">t-mobilecenter.com</a>.The 2024 Hall of Fame Classic will mark the event's 24th&nbsp;year of operation in Kansas City, and its first to be structured as a neutral-site doubleheader. The Hall of Fame Classic is managed by the NABC.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 MBB: Wichita State-Saint Louis to meet in 2024 Hall of Fame Classic

&nbsp;NEW YORK — College football is upon us, as the 2024 season kicks off this month. With that being said, the preseason poll for the US LBM Coaches Poll was released Monday.

Both Kansas State and Kansas were represented in the poll.

1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Oregon 4. Texas 5. Alabama 6. Ole Miss 7. Notre Dame 8. Michigan 9. Penn State 10. Florida State 11. Missouri 12. LSU 13. Utah 14. Clemson 15. Tennessee 16. Oklahoma 17. Kansas State 18. Oklahoma 19. Miami (FL) 20. Texas A&amp;M 21. Arizona 22. North Carolina State 23. USC 24. Kansas 25. Iowa

Washington 123;&nbsp;Louisville 95;&nbsp;Virginia Tech 64;&nbsp;SMU 47;&nbsp;Memphis 44;&nbsp;Boise State 30;&nbsp;Auburn 25;&nbsp;West Virginia 22;&nbsp;Wisconsin 17;&nbsp;Liberty 15;&nbsp;Iowa State 15;&nbsp;Kentucky 12;&nbsp;Florida 11;&nbsp;South Carolina 10;&nbsp;North Carolina 6;&nbsp;UNLV 5;&nbsp;Maryland 5;&nbsp;UCF 4;&nbsp;Texas Tech 4;&nbsp;UTSA 3;&nbsp;Tulane 2;&nbsp;Texas State 2;&nbsp;Nebraska 2;&nbsp;Colorado 2;&nbsp;Appalachian State 2;&nbsp;Troy 1;&nbsp;Syracuse 1;&nbsp;Miami (OH) 1;&nbsp;James Madison 1;&nbsp;Air Force 1;

The US LBM Board of Coaches for the 2024 season: Tim Albin, Ohio; Major Applewhite, South Alabama; Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina; Mike Bloomgren, Rice; David Braun, Northwestern; Jeff Brohm, Louisville; Fran Brown, Syracuse; Neal Brown, West Virginia; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Jamey Chadwell, Liberty; Bob Chesney, James Madison; Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan; Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech; Spencer Danielson, Boise State; Ryan Day, Ohio State; Kalen DeBoer, Alabama; Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State; Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri; Mike Elko, Texas A&amp;M; Tony Elliott, Virginia; Jedd Fisch, Washington; James Franklin, Penn State; Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame; Willie Fritz, Houston; Alex Golesh, South Florida; Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky; Mike Houston, East Carolina; Butch Jones, Arkansas State; Brent Key, Georgia Tech; GJ Kinne, Texas State; Chris Klieman, Kansas State; Dan Lanning, Oregon; Rhett Lashlee, SMU; Clark Lea, Vanderbilt; Lance Leipold, Kansas; Pete Lembo, Buffalo; Sean Lewis, San Diego State; Mike Locksley, Maryland; Mike MacIntyre, Florida International; Gus Malzahn, Central Florida; Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio); Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee; Joey McGuire, Texas Tech; Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico; Jeff Monken, Army; Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh; Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State; Barry Odom, UNLV; Gerad Parker, Troy; Brent Pry, Virginia Tech; Kirby Smart, Georgia; Mark Stoops, Kentucky; Jon Sumrall, Tulane; Lance Taylor, Western Michigan; Jeff Traylor, Texas-San Antonio.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722882039672.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy US LBM Coaches Poll" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy US LBM Coaches Poll</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;NEW YORK — College football is upon us, as the 2024 season kicks off this month. With that being said, the preseason poll for the US LBM Coaches Poll was released Monday.Both Kansas State and Kansas were represented in the poll.1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Oregon 4. Texas 5. Alabama 6. Ole Miss 7. Notre Dame 8. Michigan 9. Penn State 10. Florida State 11. Missouri 12. LSU 13. Utah 14. Clemson 15. Tennessee 16. Oklahoma 17. Kansas State 18. Oklahoma 19. Miami (FL) 20. Texas A&amp;M 21. Arizona 22. North Carolina State 23. USC 24. Kansas 25. Iowa<h2>Others Receiving Votes</h2>Washington 123;&nbsp;Louisville 95;&nbsp;Virginia Tech 64;&nbsp;SMU 47;&nbsp;Memphis 44;&nbsp;Boise State 30;&nbsp;Auburn 25;&nbsp;West Virginia 22;&nbsp;Wisconsin 17;&nbsp;Liberty 15;&nbsp;Iowa State 15;&nbsp;Kentucky 12;&nbsp;Florida 11;&nbsp;South Carolina 10;&nbsp;North Carolina 6;&nbsp;UNLV 5;&nbsp;Maryland 5;&nbsp;UCF 4;&nbsp;Texas Tech 4;&nbsp;UTSA 3;&nbsp;Tulane 2;&nbsp;Texas State 2;&nbsp;Nebraska 2;&nbsp;Colorado 2;&nbsp;Appalachian State 2;&nbsp;Troy 1;&nbsp;Syracuse 1;&nbsp;Miami (OH) 1;&nbsp;James Madison 1;&nbsp;Air Force 1;<h2>List Of Voters</h2>The US LBM Board of Coaches for the 2024 season: Tim Albin, Ohio; Major Applewhite, South Alabama; Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina; Mike Bloomgren, Rice; David Braun, Northwestern; Jeff Brohm, Louisville; Fran Brown, Syracuse; Neal Brown, West Virginia; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Jamey Chadwell, Liberty; Bob Chesney, James Madison; Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan; Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech; Spencer Danielson, Boise State; Ryan Day, Ohio State; Kalen DeBoer, Alabama; Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State; Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri; Mike Elko, Texas A&amp;M; Tony Elliott, Virginia; Jedd Fisch, Washington; James Franklin, Penn State; Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame; Willie Fritz, Houston; Alex Golesh, South Florida; Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky; Mike Houston, East Carolina; Butch Jones, Arkansas State; Brent Key, Georgia Tech; GJ Kinne, Texas State; Chris Klieman, Kansas State; Dan Lanning, Oregon; Rhett Lashlee, SMU; Clark Lea, Vanderbilt; Lance Leipold, Kansas; Pete Lembo, Buffalo; Sean Lewis, San Diego State; Mike Locksley, Maryland; Mike MacIntyre, Florida International; Gus Malzahn, Central Florida; Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio); Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee; Joey McGuire, Texas Tech; Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico; Jeff Monken, Army; Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh; Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State; Barry Odom, UNLV; Gerad Parker, Troy; Brent Pry, Virginia Tech; Kirby Smart, Georgia; Mark Stoops, Kentucky; Jon Sumrall, Tulane; Lance Taylor, Western Michigan; Jeff Traylor, Texas-San Antonio.

🏈 K-State and KU both ranked in preseason coaches poll

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-d3937ca2c3e089fe7505720e619d5682">rebuilt statue of Jackie Robinson in bronze</a>&nbsp;will be welcomed home Monday by Little League players and former Major League Baseball All-Stars, just over six months after the original was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-beea370b17079ad30092affe6aaea3c1">destroyed by thieves</a>.

The original sculpture of the baseball icon resting a bat on his shoulder was cut off at its ankles in January, leaving only Robinson’s cleats behind at McAdams Park in Wichita, Kansas.

An identical statue will return to the park, where about 600 children play in the urban youth baseball league called League 42, which was founded in 2013 and named after Robinson’s uniform number with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Playing for the Dodgers,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robinson">Robinson</a>&nbsp;broke Major League Baseball’s racial barrier in 1947.

The community is expected to be joined Monday by representatives of Major League Baseball and former players, including All-Stars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cc-sabathia-honored-in-final-season-at-all-star-game-4ea19a107e184950b05465ce92ae738a">CC Sabathia</a>&nbsp;and Dellin Betances, according to League 42 posts on social media.

The nonprofit was met with an outpouring of support and hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations after news of the stolen statue shocked the community and spread across the country. Bob Lutz, League 42 executive director, said this year that the donations helped fund the replacement statue, as well as improvements to the plaza where it stands, the nonprofit’s facilities and its programming.

The rebuilt statue is identical to the original because the mold was still viable. Dedicated in 2021, it was created by artist John Parsons, a friend of Lutz, before he died in 2022.

Firefighters found burned remnants of the original statue five days&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-45c08bbbd29322c05e6136a67f687459">after</a>&nbsp;it disappeared. One man&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-arrest-f70fcf6fbc51c275bf6d0e1ac3a75815">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;and will spend about 15 years in prison, although most of that time is related to a burglary that happened a few days after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-beea370b17079ad30092affe6aaea3c1">statue heist.</a>

Ricky Alderete was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-stolen-wichita-league-42-12a991dd637e54c8ee474ff1aa7bc914">sentenced Friday</a>&nbsp;to 18 months and ordered to pay $41,500 restitution for stealing the statue, an act he said stemmed from his addiction to fentanyl.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-cleats-brooklyn-dodgers-df1a8c2350877eb7fc3dbf55087d1688">lonely cleats</a>&nbsp;of the original found a new home at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, this year.

Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for generations of Black American ballplayers. He is not only a sports legend, but also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-entertainment-sports-los-angeles-baseball-d73b75a6965310bfd087c165e93dc0c6">a civil rights icon</a>. Robinson died in 1972.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722865363280.jpeg" alt="Nate Ford, left, and Jeff Herndon apply finishing touches to a statue of baseball hall-of-famer and civil rights pioneer Jackie Robinson in Loveland, Colo., on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle via AP)" />
 <figcaption>Nate Ford, left, and Jeff Herndon apply finishing touches to a statue of baseball hall-of-famer and civil rights pioneer Jackie Robinson in Loveland, Colo., on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-d3937ca2c3e089fe7505720e619d5682">rebuilt statue of Jackie Robinson in bronze</a>&nbsp;will be welcomed home Monday by Little League players and former Major League Baseball All-Stars, just over six months after the original was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-beea370b17079ad30092affe6aaea3c1">destroyed by thieves</a>.The original sculpture of the baseball icon resting a bat on his shoulder was cut off at its ankles in January, leaving only Robinson’s cleats behind at McAdams Park in Wichita, Kansas.An identical statue will return to the park, where about 600 children play in the urban youth baseball league called League 42, which was founded in 2013 and named after Robinson’s uniform number with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Playing for the Dodgers,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robinson">Robinson</a>&nbsp;broke Major League Baseball’s racial barrier in 1947.The community is expected to be joined Monday by representatives of Major League Baseball and former players, including All-Stars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cc-sabathia-honored-in-final-season-at-all-star-game-4ea19a107e184950b05465ce92ae738a">CC Sabathia</a>&nbsp;and Dellin Betances, according to League 42 posts on social media.The nonprofit was met with an outpouring of support and hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations after news of the stolen statue shocked the community and spread across the country. Bob Lutz, League 42 executive director, said this year that the donations helped fund the replacement statue, as well as improvements to the plaza where it stands, the nonprofit’s facilities and its programming.The rebuilt statue is identical to the original because the mold was still viable. Dedicated in 2021, it was created by artist John Parsons, a friend of Lutz, before he died in 2022.Firefighters found burned remnants of the original statue five days&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-45c08bbbd29322c05e6136a67f687459">after</a>&nbsp;it disappeared. One man&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-arrest-f70fcf6fbc51c275bf6d0e1ac3a75815">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;and will spend about 15 years in prison, although most of that time is related to a burglary that happened a few days after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-beea370b17079ad30092affe6aaea3c1">statue heist.</a>Ricky Alderete was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-stolen-wichita-league-42-12a991dd637e54c8ee474ff1aa7bc914">sentenced Friday</a>&nbsp;to 18 months and ordered to pay $41,500 restitution for stealing the statue, an act he said stemmed from his addiction to fentanyl.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-cleats-brooklyn-dodgers-df1a8c2350877eb7fc3dbf55087d1688">lonely cleats</a>&nbsp;of the original found a new home at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, this year.Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for generations of Black American ballplayers. He is not only a sports legend, but also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-entertainment-sports-los-angeles-baseball-d73b75a6965310bfd087c165e93dc0c6">a civil rights icon</a>. Robinson died in 1972.

Rebuilt Jackie Robinson statue to be unveiled in Wichita tonight

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Major League Baseball announced over the weekend that Bobby Witt Jr. has been named American League Player of the Month for July.

He’s the 12th different Royals player (17th instance) to win American League Player of the Month, and the first since Billy Butler in September 2009. Witt Jr. is the first Royals shortstop to win the honor.

Witt Jr. led the Majors last month in hits (44), runs (26), total bases (75), batting average (.489), on-base percentage (.520) and OPS (1.353), and led the American League in slugging (.833). His 44 hits in July were 10 more than the next closest players, and were the most by a Royal in any month since Johnny Damon had 47 hits in August 2000.

Bobby’s .489 batting average in July was the 2nd-highest in any month in franchise history (min. 50 plate appearances), trailing only George Brett, who hit .494 (42-for-85) in July 1980. Witt Jr. is the first Major League player to record at least 44 hits and a .489 batting average in any month since Lou Gehrig in June 1930.

Witt Jr. recorded a hit in 22 of Kansas City’s 23 games in July, including 13 multi-hit efforts, 8 games with at least 3 hits and a 4-hit game. He recorded 4 consecutive 3-hit games from July 19-22, becoming the first player in Major League history, according to Elias, to do so in a player’s 1st 4 games after the All-Star break. It also matched the 2nd-longest streak in franchise history at any point, trailing only Brett’s run of 6 games with at least 3 hits from May 8-13, 1976.

In a 10-4 win on July 22 vs. Arizona, Witt Jr. doubled, tripled and homered, finishing a single shy of the cycle. Last Monday night in Chicago, Bobby hit his 3rd career grand slam, a go-ahead shot in the 8th inning that propelled Kansas City to an 8-5 win vs. the White Sox.

Witt Jr. was named American League Player of the Week for the period of July 15-21, during which he went 9-for-11 (.818) in the 1st 3 games after the All-Star break. He began that week by finishing as the runner-up in the 2024 Home Run Derby in Arlington, Texas. Bobby hit a derby-high 50 home runs, including 20 homers in the 1st round, then bested José Ramírez, 17-12 to advance to the finals. Witt Jr. hit 13 HR in the final round, and his last batted ball landed at the base of the wall, leaving him 1 shy of matching Teoscar Hernández, who hit 14 HR in the final round to be crowned Home Run Derby champion.

The following night, Witt Jr. made his first All-Star Game appearance, playing the last 4.0 innings at shortstop in the American League’s 5-3 win. He was the fourth Royals shortstop to be selected to the All-Star Game, following Fred Patek (1972, 1976, 1978), Kurt Stillwell (1988) and Alcides Escobar (2015).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721121273932.jpeg" alt="American League's Bobby Witt Jr., of the Kansas City Royals, connects during the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)" />
 <figcaption>American League's Bobby Witt Jr., of the Kansas City Royals, connects during the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Major League Baseball announced over the weekend that Bobby Witt Jr. has been named American League Player of the Month for July.He’s the 12th different Royals player (17th instance) to win American League Player of the Month, and the first since Billy Butler in September 2009. Witt Jr. is the first Royals shortstop to win the honor.Witt Jr. led the Majors last month in hits (44), runs (26), total bases (75), batting average (.489), on-base percentage (.520) and OPS (1.353), and led the American League in slugging (.833). His 44 hits in July were 10 more than the next closest players, and were the most by a Royal in any month since Johnny Damon had 47 hits in August 2000.Bobby’s .489 batting average in July was the 2nd-highest in any month in franchise history (min. 50 plate appearances), trailing only George Brett, who hit .494 (42-for-85) in July 1980. Witt Jr. is the first Major League player to record at least 44 hits and a .489 batting average in any month since Lou Gehrig in June 1930.Witt Jr. recorded a hit in 22 of Kansas City’s 23 games in July, including 13 multi-hit efforts, 8 games with at least 3 hits and a 4-hit game. He recorded 4 consecutive 3-hit games from July 19-22, becoming the first player in Major League history, according to Elias, to do so in a player’s 1st 4 games after the All-Star break. It also matched the 2nd-longest streak in franchise history at any point, trailing only Brett’s run of 6 games with at least 3 hits from May 8-13, 1976.In a 10-4 win on July 22 vs. Arizona, Witt Jr. doubled, tripled and homered, finishing a single shy of the cycle. Last Monday night in Chicago, Bobby hit his 3rd career grand slam, a go-ahead shot in the 8th inning that propelled Kansas City to an 8-5 win vs. the White Sox.Witt Jr. was named American League Player of the Week for the period of July 15-21, during which he went 9-for-11 (.818) in the 1st 3 games after the All-Star break. He began that week by finishing as the runner-up in the 2024 Home Run Derby in Arlington, Texas. Bobby hit a derby-high 50 home runs, including 20 homers in the 1st round, then bested José Ramírez, 17-12 to advance to the finals. Witt Jr. hit 13 HR in the final round, and his last batted ball landed at the base of the wall, leaving him 1 shy of matching Teoscar Hernández, who hit 14 HR in the final round to be crowned Home Run Derby champion.The following night, Witt Jr. made his first All-Star Game appearance, playing the last 4.0 innings at shortstop in the American League’s 5-3 win. He was the fourth Royals shortstop to be selected to the All-Star Game, following Fred Patek (1972, 1976, 1978), Kurt Stillwell (1988) and Alcides Escobar (2015).

⚾ Witt Jr. is AL Player of the Month

WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge came from behind in a 3-2 series finale win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Riverfront Stadium. All three Wichita runs were unanswered in the eighth and ninth innings.

Carter Jensen blooped an RBI single to shallow right-center in the top of the first. The Naturals doubled their advantage on a sacrifice fly to left field by Jack Pineda to start the eighth inning.

Ben Ross&nbsp;worked a one-out single, and the next batter,&nbsp;Luke Keaschall, walked in the home half of the eighth. Then&nbsp;Jake Rucker&nbsp;recorded base hit #100 of the season to left to score Ross from second.&nbsp;Ricardo Olivar&nbsp;connected on a knock that struck off Pineda’s glove and into shallow left field to tie the game as Keaschall crossed the plate.

Aaron Sabato&nbsp;opened the bottom of the ninth with a walk, and a pinch-hitting&nbsp;Tyler Dearden&nbsp;got intentionally walked before Keaschall loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch against Anderson Paulino. Rucker remained patient at the plate and got rewarded first on a walk-off game-winning free pass to complete a 3-2 comeback victory for the Wind Surge.

Jarret Whorff&nbsp;earned his second win in three days in relief, improving to 2-2 with Wichita. He pitched a hitless inning with a walk in the ninth.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722854250959.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy of Wichita Wind Surge" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy of Wichita Wind Surge</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge came from behind in a 3-2 series finale win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Riverfront Stadium. All three Wichita runs were unanswered in the eighth and ninth innings.Carter Jensen blooped an RBI single to shallow right-center in the top of the first. The Naturals doubled their advantage on a sacrifice fly to left field by Jack Pineda to start the eighth inning.Ben Ross&nbsp;worked a one-out single, and the next batter,&nbsp;Luke Keaschall, walked in the home half of the eighth. Then&nbsp;Jake Rucker&nbsp;recorded base hit #100 of the season to left to score Ross from second.&nbsp;Ricardo Olivar&nbsp;connected on a knock that struck off Pineda’s glove and into shallow left field to tie the game as Keaschall crossed the plate.Aaron Sabato&nbsp;opened the bottom of the ninth with a walk, and a pinch-hitting&nbsp;Tyler Dearden&nbsp;got intentionally walked before Keaschall loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch against Anderson Paulino. Rucker remained patient at the plate and got rewarded first on a walk-off game-winning free pass to complete a 3-2 comeback victory for the Wind Surge.Jarret Whorff&nbsp;earned his second win in three days in relief, improving to 2-2 with Wichita. He pitched a hitless inning with a walk in the ninth.

⚾ Wichita Wind Surge snags series finale from Northwest Arkansas

DETROIT (AP) — MJ Melendez hit a pinch-hit three-run homer in the ninth inning to rally the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers. Trailing 2-0 going into the top of the ninth, Hunter Renfroe and Freddy Fermin reached on singles with one out. Adam Frazier nearly hit a pinch-hit homer, but the ball curled foul and he flew out to center field. Melendez then hit a 362-foot blast, his 13th of the season, to give Kansas City the lead. Chris Stratton (4-3) got the win with a scoreless eighth. The Royals’ Hunter Harvey pitched the ninth for his first save.

CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Steele pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning and the Chicago Cubs topped the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 for their fourth win in five games. Mike Tauchman and Miguel Amaya both homered in the sixth and finished with two hits and two runs scored to help the Cubs overcome an early 2-0 deficit. Chicago took three of four from its NL Central rival in a weekend series at Wrigley Field. St. Louis rookie Masyn Winn lofted a two-run homer in the third for the only scoring off Steele. The shortstop’s ninth home run was his third in six games and second of the series. Michael Busch and Cody Bellinger had RBIs as Chicago pulled ahead with two runs in the fifth.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The woeful Chicago White Sox have lost their 20th consecutive game, the majors’ longest skid in 36 years and one short of the American League record, as Chris Flexen was chased early in a 13-7 defeat against the Minnesota Twins. Royce Lewis hit a three-run homer off Flexen in a six-run second inning that gave Minnesota an 8-0 cushion. The White Sox rallied and cut it to 10-7 in the eighth, but couldn’t get any closer and fell to 27-87 this season. Chicago’s franchise-record losing streak is the longest in the big leagues since the Baltimore Orioles dropped 21 games in a row — the AL mark — to begin the 1988 season.

SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Noah Lyles won the Olympic 100 meters by .005 seconds Sunday, waiting some 30 seconds after the finish of an excruciatingly close sprint to find out he’d beaten Kishane Thompson of Jamaica. The word “Photo” popped up on the scoreboard after Lyles and Thompson dashed to the line. Lyles paced the track with his hands draped over his head. Finally, the numbers came up. Lyles won in 9.784 seconds to edge out the Jamaican by five-thousandths of a tick of the clock. America’s Fred Kerley came in third at 9.81 and defending champion Marcell Jacobs finished fifth.

PARIS (AP) — Olympic triathletes plunged into the Seine River as the mixed relay event got underway after organizers said the bacteria levels in the long-polluted Paris waterway were at acceptable levels. Organizers on Sunday night made the decision to hold the event Monday morning with swimming legs in the Seine. The plan to hold the swimming portion of the triathlons and the marathon swimming events in the Seine was an ambitious one. Swimming in the river has, with some exceptions, been off-limits since 1923 because it has been too toxic.

PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic has won his first Olympic gold medal by beating Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in the 2024 Games men's tennis singles final. Sunday's victory makes the 37-year-old from Serbia the oldest man to triumph in the event at the Summer Games since 1908. It also gives Djokovic the last significant accomplishment missing from a resume that includes 24 Grand Slam titles and the most weeks spent at No. 1 in the rankings. The final was a rematch of the Wimbledon final that Alcaraz won. The 21-year-old from Spain was trying to become the youngest man to win an Olympic singles gold medal in tennis.

NANTERRE, France (AP) — The United States closed out Olympic swimming with a wide range of emotions. The Americans set two world records on the final night, winning the gold-medal count over rival Australia and easing the sting of the first loss ever in the men’s 4x100-meter medley relay. Bobby Finke set a new standard in the 1,500 freestyle and the American women closed a thrilling nine days at La Defense Arena with another record in their 4x100 medley relay. China stunningly won the gold in the men’s 4x100 medley relay, ending the American run of dominance that stretched back to the introduction of the event at the 1960 Rome Games.

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France (AP) — Scottie Scheffler is the best player in golf and has an Olympic gold medal to show for it. The world's No. 1 player stormed from behind with a 62 at Le Golf National for a one-shot victory over Tommy Fleetwood. He overcame a six-shot deficit on the back nine and got plenty of help from a shocking collapse by Jon Rahm. The Spaniard lost a four-shot lead and didn't even make the podium. Rahm shot 39 on the back nine. Fleetwood won the silver medal. The bronze went to Hideki Matsuyama of Japan.

PARIS (AP) — French authorities are making broad use of discretionary powers during the 2024 Olympics and their run-up to keep hundreds of people they deem to be potential security threats away from the biggest event modern France has ever organized. Lawyers told The Associated Press that minorities are often among those targeted with orders not to leave their neighborhoods and to report daily to police. Fearing terror attacks, France has massively boosted security. Those now unable to leave the vicinities of their homes include Amine, a bank apprentice and student restricted to his Paris suburb except for daily check-ins at a police station. The France-born 21-year-old has no criminal record and has not been charged with any crime.

PARIS (AP) — American gymnastics star Sunisa Lee's Olympic medal count keeps rising. Lee earned her third medal of the 2024 Paris Games and the sixth of her Olympic career by claiming bronze Sunday in the uneven bars. Lee says the bronze is a vindication of sorts after she took bronze on the same event in Tokyo three years ago despite what she considered a sloppy performance. Lee has one last chance to add to her medal total when she competes in the balance beam final on the final day of gymnastics competition.

NANTERRE, France (AP) — Olympic swimmers spoke out about the Chinese doping scandal that has hung over these Paris Olympics as the events finished. China won the men’s 4x100-meter medley relay in 3 minutes, 27.46 seconds, with two of the four members of the relay team on the list of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive ahead of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. Britain's Adam Peaty says he believes dopers should be out of the sport altogether.

SUNDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal L.A. Dodgers 3 Oakland 2

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Monday, August 5th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Monday, August 5th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — MJ Melendez hit a pinch-hit three-run homer in the ninth inning to rally the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers. Trailing 2-0 going into the top of the ninth, Hunter Renfroe and Freddy Fermin reached on singles with one out. Adam Frazier nearly hit a pinch-hit homer, but the ball curled foul and he flew out to center field. Melendez then hit a 362-foot blast, his 13th of the season, to give Kansas City the lead. Chris Stratton (4-3) got the win with a scoreless eighth. The Royals’ Hunter Harvey pitched the ninth for his first save.CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Steele pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning and the Chicago Cubs topped the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 for their fourth win in five games. Mike Tauchman and Miguel Amaya both homered in the sixth and finished with two hits and two runs scored to help the Cubs overcome an early 2-0 deficit. Chicago took three of four from its NL Central rival in a weekend series at Wrigley Field. St. Louis rookie Masyn Winn lofted a two-run homer in the third for the only scoring off Steele. The shortstop’s ninth home run was his third in six games and second of the series. Michael Busch and Cody Bellinger had RBIs as Chicago pulled ahead with two runs in the fifth.MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The woeful Chicago White Sox have lost their 20th consecutive game, the majors’ longest skid in 36 years and one short of the American League record, as Chris Flexen was chased early in a 13-7 defeat against the Minnesota Twins. Royce Lewis hit a three-run homer off Flexen in a six-run second inning that gave Minnesota an 8-0 cushion. The White Sox rallied and cut it to 10-7 in the eighth, but couldn’t get any closer and fell to 27-87 this season. Chicago’s franchise-record losing streak is the longest in the big leagues since the Baltimore Orioles dropped 21 games in a row — the AL mark — to begin the 1988 season.OLYMPICSSAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Noah Lyles won the Olympic 100 meters by .005 seconds Sunday, waiting some 30 seconds after the finish of an excruciatingly close sprint to find out he’d beaten Kishane Thompson of Jamaica. The word “Photo” popped up on the scoreboard after Lyles and Thompson dashed to the line. Lyles paced the track with his hands draped over his head. Finally, the numbers came up. Lyles won in 9.784 seconds to edge out the Jamaican by five-thousandths of a tick of the clock. America’s Fred Kerley came in third at 9.81 and defending champion Marcell Jacobs finished fifth.PARIS (AP) — Olympic triathletes plunged into the Seine River as the mixed relay event got underway after organizers said the bacteria levels in the long-polluted Paris waterway were at acceptable levels. Organizers on Sunday night made the decision to hold the event Monday morning with swimming legs in the Seine. The plan to hold the swimming portion of the triathlons and the marathon swimming events in the Seine was an ambitious one. Swimming in the river has, with some exceptions, been off-limits since 1923 because it has been too toxic.PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic has won his first Olympic gold medal by beating Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in the 2024 Games men's tennis singles final. Sunday's victory makes the 37-year-old from Serbia the oldest man to triumph in the event at the Summer Games since 1908. It also gives Djokovic the last significant accomplishment missing from a resume that includes 24 Grand Slam titles and the most weeks spent at No. 1 in the rankings. The final was a rematch of the Wimbledon final that Alcaraz won. The 21-year-old from Spain was trying to become the youngest man to win an Olympic singles gold medal in tennis.NANTERRE, France (AP) — The United States closed out Olympic swimming with a wide range of emotions. The Americans set two world records on the final night, winning the gold-medal count over rival Australia and easing the sting of the first loss ever in the men’s 4x100-meter medley relay. Bobby Finke set a new standard in the 1,500 freestyle and the American women closed a thrilling nine days at La Defense Arena with another record in their 4x100 medley relay. China stunningly won the gold in the men’s 4x100 medley relay, ending the American run of dominance that stretched back to the introduction of the event at the 1960 Rome Games.SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France (AP) — Scottie Scheffler is the best player in golf and has an Olympic gold medal to show for it. The world's No. 1 player stormed from behind with a 62 at Le Golf National for a one-shot victory over Tommy Fleetwood. He overcame a six-shot deficit on the back nine and got plenty of help from a shocking collapse by Jon Rahm. The Spaniard lost a four-shot lead and didn't even make the podium. Rahm shot 39 on the back nine. Fleetwood won the silver medal. The bronze went to Hideki Matsuyama of Japan.PARIS (AP) — French authorities are making broad use of discretionary powers during the 2024 Olympics and their run-up to keep hundreds of people they deem to be potential security threats away from the biggest event modern France has ever organized. Lawyers told The Associated Press that minorities are often among those targeted with orders not to leave their neighborhoods and to report daily to police. Fearing terror attacks, France has massively boosted security. Those now unable to leave the vicinities of their homes include Amine, a bank apprentice and student restricted to his Paris suburb except for daily check-ins at a police station. The France-born 21-year-old has no criminal record and has not been charged with any crime.PARIS (AP) — American gymnastics star Sunisa Lee's Olympic medal count keeps rising. Lee earned her third medal of the 2024 Paris Games and the sixth of her Olympic career by claiming bronze Sunday in the uneven bars. Lee says the bronze is a vindication of sorts after she took bronze on the same event in Tokyo three years ago despite what she considered a sloppy performance. Lee has one last chance to add to her medal total when she competes in the balance beam final on the final day of gymnastics competition.NANTERRE, France (AP) — Olympic swimmers spoke out about the Chinese doping scandal that has hung over these Paris Olympics as the events finished. China won the men’s 4x100-meter medley relay in 3 minutes, 27.46 seconds, with two of the four members of the relay team on the list of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive ahead of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. Britain's Adam Peaty says he believes dopers should be out of the sport altogether.SUNDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal L.A. Dodgers 3 Oakland 2Final Philadelphia 6 Seattle 0Final L.A. Angels 3 N.Y. Mets 2AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal Kansas City 3 Detroit 2Final Tampa Bay 1 Houston 0Final Baltimore 9 Cleveland 5Final N.Y. Yankees 4 Toronto 3Final Boston 7 Texas 2Final Minnesota 13 Chicago White Sox 7NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal San Francisco 8 Cincinnati 2Final Washington 4 Milwaukee 3Final Miami 7 Atlanta 0Final Arizona 6 Pittsburgh 5

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Monday

DETROIT (AP) — MJ Melendez hit a pinch-hit three-run homer in the ninth inning to rally the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

Trailing 2-0 going into the top of the ninth, Hunter Renfroe and Freddy Fermin reached on singles with one out. Adam Frazier nearly hit a pinch-hit homer, but the ball curled foul and he flew out to center field.

Melendez then hit a 362-foot blast, his 13th of the season, to give Kansas City the lead.

“I like to be in those situation — it is do or die and that's a lot of fun,” Melendez said. “I'm going to be ready late in games, whether they need me to hit or play defense. I have to stay as locked in as possible, just like I'm in the game.”

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch used lefty Shelby Miller in the ninth, knowing the Royals would be sending up their left-handed hitters.

“I think Shelby had given up eight hits against lefties all year going into that inning,” Hinch said. “They got two, two-strike hits from Renfroe and Fermin, and then a bad splitter to a guy who can hit the ball out of the park.”

Chris Stratton (4-3) got the win with a scoreless eighth. The Royals' Hunter Harvey, who squandered a two-run lead in the ninth inning of a 6-5, 11-inning loss on Saturday, pitched the ninth for his first save.

“We acquired (Harvey) to pitch in high-leverage situations, and that was high leverage,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “There's a reason we gave up good players to get him, so we're not going to run away from one bad outing.”

The Royals have won six of their last seven games.

“We talked a lot about how they got one from us yesterday late, and then we turned around and did that today,” Quatraro said. “That's why you can't get too high or too low, because the same thing will happen to you.”

The Tigers went 2-7 on a nine-game homestand against Minnesota, Cleveland and Kansas City.

The Tigers have two healthy starting pitchers after trading Jack Flaherty, so manager Hinch has relied heavily on his bullpen. On Sunday, he got four scoreless innings from Alex Faedo and Brenan Hanifee before turning the ball over to Brant Hurter for his major league debut.

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead when Zach McKinstry tripled and scored on Gio Urshela's two-out single in the second inning. Matt Vierling made it 2-0 in the fifth, driving in Javier Baez with a sacrifice fly.

Hurter struck out Salvador Perez and Paul DeJong to get out of a jam in the sixth inning, and allowed two hits before leaving after the seventh. Will Vest pitched the eighth, but Miller couldn't finish it.

“Our pitching was awesome,” Hinch said. “Faedo had to battle and Hanifee came in and got the ball on the ground. They stacked the lineup expecting to see Hurter, and he got us once through the order. After that, we had avenues to get it done, so it is a gut-punch to lose.”

Miller (5-7) worked two-thirds of an inning and took the loss.

Royals: Open a three-game home series against the Red Sox on Monday. RHP Brady Singer (8-6, 2.88) is scheduled to start against Boston LHP James Paxton (8-3, 4.52).

Tigers: After an off day Monday, take on the Mariners for three games in Seattle. Detroit's RHP Keider Montero (1-5, 6.18) is scheduled to start Tuesday. Seattle has not named a starter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722821513239.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — MJ Melendez hit a pinch-hit three-run homer in the ninth inning to rally the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.Trailing 2-0 going into the top of the ninth, Hunter Renfroe and Freddy Fermin reached on singles with one out. Adam Frazier nearly hit a pinch-hit homer, but the ball curled foul and he flew out to center field.Melendez then hit a 362-foot blast, his 13th of the season, to give Kansas City the lead.“I like to be in those situation — it is do or die and that's a lot of fun,” Melendez said. “I'm going to be ready late in games, whether they need me to hit or play defense. I have to stay as locked in as possible, just like I'm in the game.”Tigers manager A.J. Hinch used lefty Shelby Miller in the ninth, knowing the Royals would be sending up their left-handed hitters.“I think Shelby had given up eight hits against lefties all year going into that inning,” Hinch said. “They got two, two-strike hits from Renfroe and Fermin, and then a bad splitter to a guy who can hit the ball out of the park.”Chris Stratton (4-3) got the win with a scoreless eighth. The Royals' Hunter Harvey, who squandered a two-run lead in the ninth inning of a 6-5, 11-inning loss on Saturday, pitched the ninth for his first save.“We acquired (Harvey) to pitch in high-leverage situations, and that was high leverage,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “There's a reason we gave up good players to get him, so we're not going to run away from one bad outing.”The Royals have won six of their last seven games.“We talked a lot about how they got one from us yesterday late, and then we turned around and did that today,” Quatraro said. “That's why you can't get too high or too low, because the same thing will happen to you.”The Tigers went 2-7 on a nine-game homestand against Minnesota, Cleveland and Kansas City.The Tigers have two healthy starting pitchers after trading Jack Flaherty, so manager Hinch has relied heavily on his bullpen. On Sunday, he got four scoreless innings from Alex Faedo and Brenan Hanifee before turning the ball over to Brant Hurter for his major league debut.The Tigers took a 1-0 lead when Zach McKinstry tripled and scored on Gio Urshela's two-out single in the second inning. Matt Vierling made it 2-0 in the fifth, driving in Javier Baez with a sacrifice fly.Hurter struck out Salvador Perez and Paul DeJong to get out of a jam in the sixth inning, and allowed two hits before leaving after the seventh. Will Vest pitched the eighth, but Miller couldn't finish it.“Our pitching was awesome,” Hinch said. “Faedo had to battle and Hanifee came in and got the ball on the ground. They stacked the lineup expecting to see Hurter, and he got us once through the order. After that, we had avenues to get it done, so it is a gut-punch to lose.”Miller (5-7) worked two-thirds of an inning and took the loss.UP NEXTRoyals: Open a three-game home series against the Red Sox on Monday. RHP Brady Singer (8-6, 2.88) is scheduled to start against Boston LHP James Paxton (8-3, 4.52).Tigers: After an off day Monday, take on the Mariners for three games in Seattle. Detroit's RHP Keider Montero (1-5, 6.18) is scheduled to start Tuesday. Seattle has not named a starter.

⚾ Royals win Sunday in Detroit

SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Noah Lyles paced on the far end of the track, hands folded over the top of his head, wistfully looking up at a scoreboard that would, sooner or later, flash an answer he’s been seeking over three sweat-soaked years.

Was all that toil since the last Olympics — all the work on the practice track and in the weight room in the name of finding a centimeter here or a millisecond there — really going to be worth all the trouble?

Ten seconds passed, then 20. Then, nearly 30. And then, the answer popped up.

Yes, Lyles is the 100-meter champion at the Paris Olympics. The World’s Fastest Man.

The American showman edged out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson on Sunday by five-thousandths of a second — that’s .005 of one tick of the clock — in a race for the ages.

The final tally in this one: Lyles 9.784 seconds, Thompson 9.789.

The new champion said that before he left for Paris, one of his physio guys ensured him this race would be a squeaker.

“He said, ‘This is how close first and second are going to be,’” Lyles said as he pinched his thumb and his forefinger together so they were almost touching. “I can't believe how right he was.”

For perspective, the blink of an eye takes, on average, .1 second. That was 20 times longer than the gap between first and second.

It was so close, that when the sprinters crossed the line and the word “Photo” popped up next to the names of Lyles, Thompson and five others in the eight-man field, Lyles walked over to the Jamaican and said “I think you got the Olympics dog.”

Thompson, who raced three lanes to the left of Lyles and had no clue where he was on the track, wasn't convinced.

“I was, ‘Wow, I’m not even sure, because it was that close,'" the Jamaican said.

Time would tell. It always does. When Lyles' name came up first, he snatched his name tag off the front of his bib and held it to the sky. Moments later, he shouted at the TV camera: “America, I told you I got this!”

The first four racers were separated by less than .03. The top seven all finished within .09 of each other.

America’s Fred Kerley came in third at 9.81. “That’s probably one of the most beautiful races I’ve been in,” he said.

In the photo finish, Kerley's orange shoe crossed the line before anyone, or anything. But it's the chest breaking the barrier that counts. Lyles' chest crossed first.

This was the closest 1-2 finish in the 100 since at least Moscow in 1980 — or maybe even ever.

Back then, Britain’s Allan Wells narrowly beat Silvio Leonard in an era when the electronic timers didn’t go into the thousandths of a second. The same was true in 1932, when Eddie Tolan won the Olympics’ first ever photo finish.

Lyles conceded that during the excruciating wait, he was pretty sure he had dipped his chest just a tad too soon. Dipping, it turns out, is one of the few things he doesn't work on over and over again at his training track in Florida.

“But I would say I have a decent history with dipping,” he said, recalling races he won in high school and as a junior.

The 9.784 marked a new personal best for Lyles and made him the first American champion in the marquee race at the Olympics since Justin Gatlin in 2004.

Lyles is hoping to go even bigger than that, and maybe take this sport back to a day when it was Carl Lewis and Edwin Moses lighting up the track — a must-see affair, the likes of which Lyles headlined in front of around 80,000 on a warm night at the Stade de France.

The mission started after Lyles settled for a bronze medal in Tokyo in his favorite — and then, only — sprint, the 200. Those COVID-impacted Games were a terrible experience for Lyles. He rededicated himself to bettering his mental health, but also looked for a new mission — the 100 meters and, with it, a chance at track immortality.

The practice was tough for a sprinter never known as a great starter, but he stuck with it. When he won the world championships last year, then backed it up by winning the 200, his goal for Paris was very much in sight.

But when he came into the Olympic final having finished second in both his qualifying races and staring across at one sprinter who had run faster than him this year — Thompson — and another who had beaten him twice this year — Jamaica's Oblique Seville — he knew this would be no coronation.

Thompson added another roadblock when, during the introduction, he let out a primal scream, the likes of which Lyles has been unleashing in some of his biggest races.

“I thought ‘Man, that’s my thing, that's crazy,'" Lyles said.

Lyles galloped and leapt about 20 yards down the track before returning to the starting line, where the runners waited some three minutes for the gun to finally sound.

Now, the question that could be debated for years is: What was the difference in this one?

Could it have been Lyles’ closing speed and that lean into the line that he thought was mistimed?

Was it his ability to stay in reach of everyone among this straight line of sprinters over the first 60 meters — a skill he's been working on in tedious practice after practice since he took on the shorter sprint?

“Everyone in the field came out knowing they could win this race,” Lyles said.

It took 9.784 seconds, then about 30 seconds more, for the scoreboard to flash the name of the man who actually did.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722850303189.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Noah Lyles, of the United States, in lane seven, wins the men's 100-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Noah Lyles, of the United States, in lane seven, wins the men's 100-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)</figcaption>
 </figure>SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Noah Lyles paced on the far end of the track, hands folded over the top of his head, wistfully looking up at a scoreboard that would, sooner or later, flash an answer he’s been seeking over three sweat-soaked years.Was all that toil since the last Olympics — all the work on the practice track and in the weight room in the name of finding a centimeter here or a millisecond there — really going to be worth all the trouble?Ten seconds passed, then 20. Then, nearly 30. And then, the answer popped up.Yes, Lyles is the 100-meter champion at the Paris Olympics. The World’s Fastest Man.Just not by very much.The American showman edged out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson on Sunday by five-thousandths of a second — that’s .005 of one tick of the clock — in a race for the ages.The final tally in this one: Lyles 9.784 seconds, Thompson 9.789.The new champion said that before he left for Paris, one of his physio guys ensured him this race would be a squeaker.“He said, ‘This is how close first and second are going to be,’” Lyles said as he pinched his thumb and his forefinger together so they were almost touching. “I can't believe how right he was.”For perspective, the blink of an eye takes, on average, .1 second. That was 20 times longer than the gap between first and second.It was so close, that when the sprinters crossed the line and the word “Photo” popped up next to the names of Lyles, Thompson and five others in the eight-man field, Lyles walked over to the Jamaican and said “I think you got the Olympics dog.”Thompson, who raced three lanes to the left of Lyles and had no clue where he was on the track, wasn't convinced.“I was, ‘Wow, I’m not even sure, because it was that close,'" the Jamaican said.Time would tell. It always does. When Lyles' name came up first, he snatched his name tag off the front of his bib and held it to the sky. Moments later, he shouted at the TV camera: “America, I told you I got this!”The first four racers were separated by less than .03. The top seven all finished within .09 of each other.America’s Fred Kerley came in third at 9.81. “That’s probably one of the most beautiful races I’ve been in,” he said.In the photo finish, Kerley's orange shoe crossed the line before anyone, or anything. But it's the chest breaking the barrier that counts. Lyles' chest crossed first.This was the closest 1-2 finish in the 100 since at least Moscow in 1980 — or maybe even ever.Back then, Britain’s Allan Wells narrowly beat Silvio Leonard in an era when the electronic timers didn’t go into the thousandths of a second. The same was true in 1932, when Eddie Tolan won the Olympics’ first ever photo finish.Lyles conceded that during the excruciating wait, he was pretty sure he had dipped his chest just a tad too soon. Dipping, it turns out, is one of the few things he doesn't work on over and over again at his training track in Florida.“But I would say I have a decent history with dipping,” he said, recalling races he won in high school and as a junior.The 9.784 marked a new personal best for Lyles and made him the first American champion in the marquee race at the Olympics since Justin Gatlin in 2004.Lyles is hoping to go even bigger than that, and maybe take this sport back to a day when it was Carl Lewis and Edwin Moses lighting up the track — a must-see affair, the likes of which Lyles headlined in front of around 80,000 on a warm night at the Stade de France.The mission started after Lyles settled for a bronze medal in Tokyo in his favorite — and then, only — sprint, the 200. Those COVID-impacted Games were a terrible experience for Lyles. He rededicated himself to bettering his mental health, but also looked for a new mission — the 100 meters and, with it, a chance at track immortality.The practice was tough for a sprinter never known as a great starter, but he stuck with it. When he won the world championships last year, then backed it up by winning the 200, his goal for Paris was very much in sight.But when he came into the Olympic final having finished second in both his qualifying races and staring across at one sprinter who had run faster than him this year — Thompson — and another who had beaten him twice this year — Jamaica's Oblique Seville — he knew this would be no coronation.Thompson added another roadblock when, during the introduction, he let out a primal scream, the likes of which Lyles has been unleashing in some of his biggest races.“I thought ‘Man, that’s my thing, that's crazy,'" Lyles said.Lyles galloped and leapt about 20 yards down the track before returning to the starting line, where the runners waited some three minutes for the gun to finally sound.It was worth the wait.Now, the question that could be debated for years is: What was the difference in this one?Could it have been Lyles’ closing speed and that lean into the line that he thought was mistimed?Was it his ability to stay in reach of everyone among this straight line of sprinters over the first 60 meters — a skill he's been working on in tedious practice after practice since he took on the shorter sprint?The answer: all that and more.“Everyone in the field came out knowing they could win this race,” Lyles said.It took 9.784 seconds, then about 30 seconds more, for the scoreboard to flash the name of the man who actually did.

Noah Lyles wins a historically close Olympic 100-meter sprint

(All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts

8 p.m. USA — Women’s Singles: Gold Final

3:40 a.m. USA — Men’s Pool Play: USA vs. Netherlands (Taped)

11:30 a.m. USA — Men’s, Women’s Semifinals

3 p.m. E! — Men’s &amp; Women’s Bronze Finals

4 p.m. NBC — Men’s &amp; Women’s Gold Finals

10:30 p.m. USA — Men’s &amp; Women’s Bronze Finals (Taped)

10:15 a.m. USA — Slalom: Kayak Cross Finals

11:30 p.m. USA — Women’s Quarterfinal

 4 a.m. E! — Women’s 10m Platform Preliminary

9:05 a.m. E! — Women’s 10m Platform Semifinal

4 p.m. E! — Jumping: Individual Qualifier

1:45 p.m. USA — Women’s Quarterfinals

5:45 a.m. E! — Men’s &amp; Women’s Apparatus Finals (Taped)

9:30 a.m. NBC — Men’s &amp; Women’s Apparatus Finals (Taped)

11:05 a.m. USA — Men’s Combined, Women’s Speed

4 a.m. USA — Heats: Women’s 400m &amp; more

1 p.m. NBC — Finals: W 800m, W 5000m &amp; more

5 p.m. USA — GR 60kg, 130kg &amp; W Freestyle 68kg Eliminations

(All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackoutsMonday, Aug. 5ARTISTIC SWIMMING2 p.m. E! — Team: Technical RoutineBADMINTON 8 p.m. USA — Women’s Singles: Gold Final9:30 p.m. USA — Badminton, ShootingBASKETBALL 3X33:40 a.m. USA — Men’s Pool Play: USA vs. Netherlands (Taped)11:30 a.m. USA — Men’s, Women’s Semifinals3 p.m. E! — Men’s &amp; Women’s Bronze Finals4 p.m. NBC — Men’s &amp; Women’s Gold Finals10:30 p.m. USA — Men’s &amp; Women’s Bronze Finals (Taped)BEACH VOLLEYBALL12:45 a.m. USA — Round of 16 (Taped)7:15 a.m. USA — Round of 1611 a.m. E! — Round of 165 p.m. NBC — Round of 16CANOE &amp; KAYAK10:15 a.m. USA — Slalom: Kayak Cross Finals11:30 p.m. USA — Women’s QuarterfinalCYCLING 9 p.m.USA — Women’s Team SprintDIVING 4 a.m. E! — Women’s 10m Platform Preliminary9:05 a.m. E! — Women’s 10m Platform SemifinalEQUESTRIAN4 p.m. E! — Jumping: Individual QualifierFIELD HOCKEY1:45 p.m. USA — Women’s Quarterfinals11:30 p.m. USA — Women’s QuarterfinalGYMNASTICS5:45 a.m. E! — Men’s &amp; Women’s Apparatus Finals (Taped)9:30 a.m. NBC — Men’s &amp; Women’s Apparatus Finals (Taped)SHOOTING9 a.m. USA — Mixed Team Skeet Final9:30 p.m. USA — Badminton, ShootingSOCCER12 p.m. E! — Men’s Semifinal3:30 p.m. USA — Men’s SemifinalSPORT CLIMBING11:05 a.m. USA — Men’s Combined, Women’s SpeedTRACK &amp; FIELD4 a.m. USA — Heats: Women’s 400m &amp; more1 p.m. NBC — Finals: W 800m, W 5000m &amp; moreTRIATHLON2 a.m. USA — Mixed Relay FinalVOLLEYBALL6 p.m. USA — Men’s QuarterfinalWRESTLING5 p.m. USA — GR 60kg, 130kg &amp; W Freestyle 68kg Eliminations

Olympics on TV for Monday, Aug. 5

The following Big 12 football players have been named to national preseason watch lists for the upcoming 2024 football season. Check back daily through August 14 for updates.  

Maxwell Award (Outstanding Player, July 29)

Mannelly Award (Best FBS Long Snapper, July 29)

Outland Trophy (Top Interior Lineman, July 30)

Bronko Nagurski Trophy (National Defensive Player of the Year, July 30)

The following Big 12 football players have been named to national preseason watch lists for the upcoming 2024 football season. Check back daily through August 14 for updates. Maxwell Award (Outstanding Player, July 29)WR Tetairoa McMillan, ArizonaQB Noah Fifita, ArizonaRB Jarquez Hunter, AuburnQB Dequan Finn, BaylorRB Corey Kiner, CincinnatiRB Devin Neal, Kansas QB Jalon Daniels, Kansas RB DJ Giddens, Kansas StateQB Avery Johnson, Kansas StateRB Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma StateRB Tahj Brooks, Texas TechQB KJ Jefferson, UCFRB RJ Harvey, UCFQB Cameron Rising, UtahQB Garrett Greene, West VirginiaMannelly Award (Best FBS Long Snapper, July 29)Luke Hosford, KansasBrent Matiscik, TCUJT Greep, Utah Austin Brinkman, West VirginiaOutland Trophy (Top Interior Lineman, July 30)C Joe Michalski, Oklahoma StateDT B.J. Green, ColoradoDT Dontay Corleone, CincinnatiDT Junior Tafuna, UtahDT Lee Hunter, UCFOG Luke Kandra, CincinnatiOT Dalton Cooper, Oklahoma StateOT Jonah Savaiinaea, ArizonaOT Wyatt Milum, West VirginiaBronko Nagurski Trophy (National Defensive Player of the Year, July 30)DE Tyler Batty, BYUCB Cobee Bryant, KansasS Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa StateDT Dontay Corleone, CincinnatiCB Tacario Davis, ArizonaS Beau Freyler, Iowa StateDT Lee Hunter, UCFATH Travis Hunter, ColoradoLB Jacob Manu, ArizonaLB Nick Martin, Oklahoma StateLB Collin Oliver, Oklahoma StateDT Junior Tafuna, Utah

Big 12 Football Preseason Awards and Watch Lists

Wednesday, July 31 Kansas Cannons 6, Haysville Aviators 3 Hutchinson Monarchs 15, Liberal Bee Jays 4 Lonestar Baseball Club North 10, GPS Legends 7 8:30pm – Tulsa Sandlot 9, San Diego Stars 0 Game suspended due to weather and will resume at noon on Thursday, 8/1. Thursday, August 1 (Quarterfinals) Kansas Cannons 9, Derby Twins 8 Sandlot Tulsa 9, San Diego Stars 7 Hays Larks 4,Tulsa Sandlot 2 Hutchinson Monarchs 3, Santa Barbara Foresters 2 Lonestar Baseball Club 6, Seattle Studs 2 Friday, August 2 (Semifinals) Hutchinson 7, Kansas Cannons 5 Hays Larks 7, Lonestar Baseball Club 3 Saturday, August 3 (Championship) Hays 7, Hutchinson 3

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722432106395.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Wednesday, July 31 Kansas Cannons 6, Haysville Aviators 3 Hutchinson Monarchs 15, Liberal Bee Jays 4 Lonestar Baseball Club North 10, GPS Legends 7 8:30pm – Tulsa Sandlot 9, San Diego Stars 0 Game suspended due to weather and will resume at noon on Thursday, 8/1. Thursday, August 1 (Quarterfinals) Kansas Cannons 9, Derby Twins 8 Sandlot Tulsa 9, San Diego Stars 7 Hays Larks 4,Tulsa Sandlot 2 Hutchinson Monarchs 3, Santa Barbara Foresters 2 Lonestar Baseball Club 6, Seattle Studs 2 Friday, August 2 (Semifinals) Hutchinson 7, Kansas Cannons 5 Hays Larks 7, Lonestar Baseball Club 3 Saturday, August 3 (Championship) Hays 7, Hutchinson 3

NBC World Series Championship Bracket

Wichita Wind Surge WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge stumbled 4-1 against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Riverfront Stadium. While being within one on the hit column, the Naturals plated all four runs across the first seven innings to seal a series victory.

Luca Tresh pulled an RBI double off the left field wall near the corner in the top of the first. Northwest Arkansas has scored first in all five games this week in the ICT.

Kale Emshoff launched a solo shot, his third of the season, off the scoreboard in left-center three innings later in the fourth to double the Naturals lead to 2-0. Two more would score for the visitors on a Javier Vaz infield single and an error that followed on that same play.

Jorel Ortega&nbsp;powered a solo home run, number eight on the year for him, out to the berm to start the home half of the eighth inning for the Wind Surge.&nbsp;Aaron Sabato&nbsp;reached on a two-out walk in the last of the ninth before a popout in right field ended the game.

Wichita’s&nbsp;Aaron Rozek&nbsp;got pinned with the loss and is now 5-4 on the season in Double-A. Over five and two-thirds innings of work, he surrendered two earned runs on five hits while striking out a season-high eight batters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722773761268.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Wichita Wind Surge" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Wichita Wind Surge</figcaption>
 </figure>Wichita Wind Surge WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge stumbled 4-1 against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Riverfront Stadium. While being within one on the hit column, the Naturals plated all four runs across the first seven innings to seal a series victory.Luca Tresh pulled an RBI double off the left field wall near the corner in the top of the first. Northwest Arkansas has scored first in all five games this week in the ICT.Kale Emshoff launched a solo shot, his third of the season, off the scoreboard in left-center three innings later in the fourth to double the Naturals lead to 2-0. Two more would score for the visitors on a Javier Vaz infield single and an error that followed on that same play.Jorel Ortega&nbsp;powered a solo home run, number eight on the year for him, out to the berm to start the home half of the eighth inning for the Wind Surge.&nbsp;Aaron Sabato&nbsp;reached on a two-out walk in the last of the ninth before a popout in right field ended the game.Wichita’s&nbsp;Aaron Rozek&nbsp;got pinned with the loss and is now 5-4 on the season in Double-A. Over five and two-thirds innings of work, he surrendered two earned runs on five hits while striking out a season-high eight batters.

⚾ Wind Surge lose close game to Naturals

WICHITA – The Hays Larks entered Saturday’s NBC World Series title
game having never won a championship in six prior tries, but they finally broke
through rallying from down three early to beat the defending champion Hutchinson Monarchs 7-3 Saturday at Eck Stadium in Wichita.

After a scoreless first inning, Hutchinson broke onto the
scoreboard first, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second inning for a
3-0 lead. 

But Larks starter Nolan Wilson was able to limit the damage
to just three runs in the inning, stranding two and then he worked out of trouble again
in the fourth before handing the ball to the first of five relievers on the day
for Hays, Aiden Schmidgall.

Schmidgall, Matt Sapakoff, Adrian Najar, Dalton Campbell and
Garrett Hicks combined for 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just two
hits, holding Hutchinson to just three total runs and allowing the Larks to
slowly chip away at the deficit.

Down 3-0 through two innings, the Larks scored a run in the
top of the third inning on a Kaleb Duncan sacrifice fly. Making it 3-1 Hutchinson.

The Larks scored another run in the fifth inning, when Duncan
singled home Trent Baker making it 3-2 Monarchs.

In the eighth inning Wilbert Espinal, who had struggled in
the tournament, broke out of a 5-for-23 slump with his first of two ground-rule
doubles tying the game at three and then the next hitter Tabor Stokes singled home Espinal putting Hays up 4-3.

After a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth for Hutchinson the Larks took
advantage of three straight walks to start the ninth inning and scored a run on
a fielder’s choice and then Espinal doubled in two more putting Hays up 7-3.

Dalton Campbell earned the win, retiring the final out of
the seventh and the first man in the eighth inning.

He then turned the game over the Garrett Hicks who recorded
the five-out save and lifted the Larks to the 7-3 victory on the programs first
NBC World Series title.

Espinal drove in three runs for Hays. He, Baker and Gruell
each collected a pair of hits for the Larks.

Hutchinson ends it's season with a 31-10 season,&nbsp;won the Jayhawk Collegiate Summer League and played well enough in the NBC World Series tournament to play in the Championship game for the second year in a row. The stars just didn't align this year.

Hays won their first Championship ever after having been runner-up six previous times, going 34-8 this season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590175262343.jpeg" alt="Hutch Monarchs logo" />
 <figcaption>Hutch Monarchs logo</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA – The Hays Larks entered Saturday’s NBC World Series title
game having never won a championship in six prior tries, but they finally broke
through rallying from down three early to beat the defending champion Hutchinson Monarchs 7-3 Saturday at Eck Stadium in Wichita.After a scoreless first inning, Hutchinson broke onto the
scoreboard first, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second inning for a
3-0 lead. But Larks starter Nolan Wilson was able to limit the damage
to just three runs in the inning, stranding two and then he worked out of trouble again
in the fourth before handing the ball to the first of five relievers on the day
for Hays, Aiden Schmidgall.Schmidgall, Matt Sapakoff, Adrian Najar, Dalton Campbell and
Garrett Hicks combined for 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just two
hits, holding Hutchinson to just three total runs and allowing the Larks to
slowly chip away at the deficit.Down 3-0 through two innings, the Larks scored a run in the
top of the third inning on a Kaleb Duncan sacrifice fly. Making it 3-1 Hutchinson.The Larks scored another run in the fifth inning, when Duncan
singled home Trent Baker making it 3-2 Monarchs.In the eighth inning Wilbert Espinal, who had struggled in
the tournament, broke out of a 5-for-23 slump with his first of two ground-rule
doubles tying the game at three and then the next hitter Tabor Stokes singled home Espinal putting Hays up 4-3.After a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth for Hutchinson the Larks took
advantage of three straight walks to start the ninth inning and scored a run on
a fielder’s choice and then Espinal doubled in two more putting Hays up 7-3.Dalton Campbell earned the win, retiring the final out of
the seventh and the first man in the eighth inning.He then turned the game over the Garrett Hicks who recorded
the five-out save and lifted the Larks to the 7-3 victory on the programs first
NBC World Series title.Espinal drove in three runs for Hays. He, Baker and Gruell
each collected a pair of hits for the Larks.Hutchinson ends it's season with a 31-10 season,&nbsp;won the Jayhawk Collegiate Summer League and played well enough in the NBC World Series tournament to play in the Championship game for the second year in a row. The stars just didn't align this year.Hays won their first Championship ever after having been runner-up six previous times, going 34-8 this season.

⚾ Hays Larks claim first NBC World Series championship with win over Hutchinson Monarchs

Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan clinches first Olympic medal amid outcry tied to gender misconceptions

VILLEPINTE, France (AP) — Boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan has clinched her first Olympic medal in front of a crowd that chanted her name at the Paris Games. Her win Sunday comes a day after fellow female boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria secured a victory as well following days of online abuse and intense scrutiny about their participation. Lin defeated Svetlana Kamenova Staneva of Bulgaria in a women's 57-kilogram quarterfinal, advancing to the division's semifinal round to ensure she will win at least a bronze medal. Lin and Khelif have been at the center of a clash over gender identity and regulations in sports, as critics have brought up their disqualification from the world championships last year over unspecified eligibility tests.

IOC calls tests that sparked vitriol targeting boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting impossibly flawed

PARIS (AP) — Olympics organizers have again slammed arbitrary testing imposed on boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Tin that led to a storm of vitriol misidentifying the women as transgender or men. International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said Sunday that the testing was "so flawed that it's impossible to engage with it." He vigorously defended Khelif of Algeria and Lin of Taiwan and hammered the now-banned International Boxing Association that claimed the fighters failed unspecified eligibility tests. Adams says the two athletes were "carted off and tested" during the 2023 boxing world championships because "there were suspicions against them."

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif clinches medal at Olympics after outcry fueled by gender misconceptions

VILLEPINTE, France (AP) — Boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria has clinched a medal at the Paris Olympics following days of sharp scrutiny and online abuse as misconceptions about her gender have exploded into a larger clash about identity in sports. Khelif beat Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary in the quarterfinals of the women's 66-kilogram bout Saturday. Khelif will win at least a bronze medal after defeating Hamori for the second victory of her tumultuous second trip to the Olympics. Khelif faced outcry after the banned International Boxing Association claimed Khelif failed an unspecified eligibility test for women's competition last year. She won her opening bout Thursday when opponent Angela Carini of Italy tearfully abandoned the fight after just 46 seconds.

Olympic fans cheer on Imane Khelif during win after she faced days of online abuse

VILLEPINTE, France (AP) — A passionate crowd showered Algerian boxer Imane Khelif with cheers during her fight Saturday at the Paris Olympics following a cascade of backlash over false claims about her gender. A large contingent of Algerian supporters repeatedly chanted "Imane! Imane!" and waved flags throughout the bout Saturday, and they they unleashed some booes as her opponent was introduced. Khelif was the winner, defeating Hamori 5:0 to ensure that she will win at least a bronze medal. Khelif took to the ring amid days of international scrutiny as misconceptions about her gender added to an ongoing clash over gender identity and regulation in sports.

Simone Biles doesn't rule out the 2028 Olympics after winning the gold in vault. 'Never say never'

PARIS (AP) — Simone Biles is getting kind of old for this. Just maybe not too old to keep going. The American gymnastics superstar says "never say never" when it comes to her future. Biles made the comment after earning her third gold medal in Paris, where she won the women's vault final on Saturday. The 27-year-old says the lure of competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Games is tempting. Biles has 10 career Olympic medals, seven of them gold. Rebeca Andrade of Brazil earned silver in vault while American Jade Carey grabbed the bronze three years after tripping during the vault final in Tokyo.

Sha'Carri Richardson's comeback halted by Julien Alfred, who brings 1st Olympic medal to St. Lucia

SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Sha'Carri Richardson's comeback story hit a brick wall Saturday when Julien Alfred romped to the 100-meter title in 10.72 seconds to blow away the field and bring the first-ever Olympic medal to her island country of St. Lucia. Racing one lane to the left of Richardson, and with rain puddling on the purple track in the Stade de France, Alfred got off to a fantastic start and beat Richardson by .15 seconds — about three body lengths. Richardson's training partner, Melissa Jefferson, finished third in 10.92 seconds.

Steve 'Mongo' McMichael, who has ALS, enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame in ceremony at his home

Steve McMichael couldn't make it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, so the ceremony came to him. Battling ALS and bedridden in the advanced stages of the neurological disease, the 66-year-old two-time All-Pro defensive tackle was the second player enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame among seven members of the Class of 2024 on Saturday. McMichael was surrounded by several of his Chicago Bears teammates and his wife, Misty, at his home in Homer Glen, Illinois. Dwight Freeney, Randy Gradishar, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Julius Peppers and Patrick Willis also were inducted into the Hall.

White Sox losing streak reaches 19 as Kepler hits go-ahead, 7th-inning homer in Twins' 6-2 win

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Chicago White Sox extended their team-record losing streak to 19, giving up Max Kepler's tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning that lifted the Minnesota Twins to a 6-2 win. Chicago's losing streak is the longest since Baltimore dropped 19 in a row in August 2021. Kepler, who entered in the fifth inning as a pinch hitter, hit his seventh home run of the season. The drive to right off Touki Toussaint sent the Twins to their 11th win in 12 games against the White Sox this season.

IOC leader says 'hate speech' directed at Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting at Olympics is unacceptable

PARIS (AP) — IOC President Thomas Bach says the "hate speech" directed at two women boxers at the Paris Olympics is "totally unacceptable." Bach says, "We will not take part in a politically motivated … cultural war." Imane Khalif of Algeria and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan have been subjected to days of global scrutiny about their gender. Both boxers were disqualified at the 2023 world championships. That decision was by the Russian-led International Boxing Association is banished from the Olympics. Bach says the boxers "are born as women, who have been raised as women, who have a passport as a woman and have competed for many years as women."

Katie Ledecky swims into history with 800 freestyle victory at the Paris Olympics

NANTERRE, France (AP) — Katie Ledecky has capped another stellar Olympics by becoming only the second swimmer to win the same event at four straight Summer Games, holding off Ariarne Titmus to win the 800-meter freestyle. It was Ledecky's second gold medal in Paris and ninth of her remarkable career, which marked another milestone. She becomes only the sixth Olympian to reach that figure, joining swimmer Mark Spitz, track star Carl Lewis, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi in a tie for second place. The only athlete to win more golds: swimmer Michael Phelps with 23. Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh claimed her third individual gold with a victory in the 200 individual medley. And the U.S. closed the night by setting a world record in the mixed medley relay.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

		San Francisco	at	Cincinnati	12:05 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Sunday, August 4th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Sunday, August 4th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports SummaryBrief at 7:22 a.m. EDTLin Yu-ting of Taiwan clinches first Olympic medal amid outcry tied to gender misconceptionsVILLEPINTE, France (AP) — Boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan has clinched her first Olympic medal in front of a crowd that chanted her name at the Paris Games. Her win Sunday comes a day after fellow female boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria secured a victory as well following days of online abuse and intense scrutiny about their participation. Lin defeated Svetlana Kamenova Staneva of Bulgaria in a women's 57-kilogram quarterfinal, advancing to the division's semifinal round to ensure she will win at least a bronze medal. Lin and Khelif have been at the center of a clash over gender identity and regulations in sports, as critics have brought up their disqualification from the world championships last year over unspecified eligibility tests.IOC calls tests that sparked vitriol targeting boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting impossibly flawedPARIS (AP) — Olympics organizers have again slammed arbitrary testing imposed on boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Tin that led to a storm of vitriol misidentifying the women as transgender or men. International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said Sunday that the testing was "so flawed that it's impossible to engage with it." He vigorously defended Khelif of Algeria and Lin of Taiwan and hammered the now-banned International Boxing Association that claimed the fighters failed unspecified eligibility tests. Adams says the two athletes were "carted off and tested" during the 2023 boxing world championships because "there were suspicions against them."Algerian boxer Imane Khelif clinches medal at Olympics after outcry fueled by gender misconceptionsVILLEPINTE, France (AP) — Boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria has clinched a medal at the Paris Olympics following days of sharp scrutiny and online abuse as misconceptions about her gender have exploded into a larger clash about identity in sports. Khelif beat Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary in the quarterfinals of the women's 66-kilogram bout Saturday. Khelif will win at least a bronze medal after defeating Hamori for the second victory of her tumultuous second trip to the Olympics. Khelif faced outcry after the banned International Boxing Association claimed Khelif failed an unspecified eligibility test for women's competition last year. She won her opening bout Thursday when opponent Angela Carini of Italy tearfully abandoned the fight after just 46 seconds.Olympic fans cheer on Imane Khelif during win after she faced days of online abuseVILLEPINTE, France (AP) — A passionate crowd showered Algerian boxer Imane Khelif with cheers during her fight Saturday at the Paris Olympics following a cascade of backlash over false claims about her gender. A large contingent of Algerian supporters repeatedly chanted "Imane! Imane!" and waved flags throughout the bout Saturday, and they they unleashed some booes as her opponent was introduced. Khelif was the winner, defeating Hamori 5:0 to ensure that she will win at least a bronze medal. Khelif took to the ring amid days of international scrutiny as misconceptions about her gender added to an ongoing clash over gender identity and regulation in sports.Simone Biles doesn't rule out the 2028 Olympics after winning the gold in vault. 'Never say never'PARIS (AP) — Simone Biles is getting kind of old for this. Just maybe not too old to keep going. The American gymnastics superstar says "never say never" when it comes to her future. Biles made the comment after earning her third gold medal in Paris, where she won the women's vault final on Saturday. The 27-year-old says the lure of competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Games is tempting. Biles has 10 career Olympic medals, seven of them gold. Rebeca Andrade of Brazil earned silver in vault while American Jade Carey grabbed the bronze three years after tripping during the vault final in Tokyo.Sha'Carri Richardson's comeback halted by Julien Alfred, who brings 1st Olympic medal to St. LuciaSAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Sha'Carri Richardson's comeback story hit a brick wall Saturday when Julien Alfred romped to the 100-meter title in 10.72 seconds to blow away the field and bring the first-ever Olympic medal to her island country of St. Lucia. Racing one lane to the left of Richardson, and with rain puddling on the purple track in the Stade de France, Alfred got off to a fantastic start and beat Richardson by .15 seconds — about three body lengths. Richardson's training partner, Melissa Jefferson, finished third in 10.92 seconds.Steve 'Mongo' McMichael, who has ALS, enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame in ceremony at his homeSteve McMichael couldn't make it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, so the ceremony came to him. Battling ALS and bedridden in the advanced stages of the neurological disease, the 66-year-old two-time All-Pro defensive tackle was the second player enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame among seven members of the Class of 2024 on Saturday. McMichael was surrounded by several of his Chicago Bears teammates and his wife, Misty, at his home in Homer Glen, Illinois. Dwight Freeney, Randy Gradishar, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Julius Peppers and Patrick Willis also were inducted into the Hall.White Sox losing streak reaches 19 as Kepler hits go-ahead, 7th-inning homer in Twins' 6-2 winMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Chicago White Sox extended their team-record losing streak to 19, giving up Max Kepler's tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning that lifted the Minnesota Twins to a 6-2 win. Chicago's losing streak is the longest since Baltimore dropped 19 in a row in August 2021. Kepler, who entered in the fifth inning as a pinch hitter, hit his seventh home run of the season. The drive to right off Touki Toussaint sent the Twins to their 11th win in 12 games against the White Sox this season.IOC leader says 'hate speech' directed at Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting at Olympics is unacceptablePARIS (AP) — IOC President Thomas Bach says the "hate speech" directed at two women boxers at the Paris Olympics is "totally unacceptable." Bach says, "We will not take part in a politically motivated … cultural war." Imane Khalif of Algeria and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan have been subjected to days of global scrutiny about their gender. Both boxers were disqualified at the 2023 world championships. That decision was by the Russian-led International Boxing Association is banished from the Olympics. Bach says the boxers "are born as women, who have been raised as women, who have a passport as a woman and have competed for many years as women."Katie Ledecky swims into history with 800 freestyle victory at the Paris OlympicsNANTERRE, France (AP) — Katie Ledecky has capped another stellar Olympics by becoming only the second swimmer to win the same event at four straight Summer Games, holding off Ariarne Titmus to win the 800-meter freestyle. It was Ledecky's second gold medal in Paris and ninth of her remarkable career, which marked another milestone. She becomes only the sixth Olympian to reach that figure, joining swimmer Mark Spitz, track star Carl Lewis, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi in a tie for second place. The only athlete to win more golds: swimmer Michael Phelps with 23. Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh claimed her third individual gold with a victory in the 200 individual medley. And the U.S. closed the night by setting a world record in the mixed medley relay.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUEFinal	L.A. Dodgers	10	Oakland	0	Final	L.A. Angels	5	N.Y. Mets	4	Final	Seattle	6	Philadelphia	5	___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	N.Y. Yankees	8	Toronto	3	Final	Detroit	6	Kansas City	5	Final	Minnesota	6	Chicago White Sox	2	Final	Tampa Bay	6	Houston	1	Final	Baltimore	7	Cleveland	4	Final	Texas	7	Boston	4	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	St. Louis	5	Chicago Cubs	4	Final	Washington	6	Milwaukee	4	Final	Pittsburgh	4	Arizona	2	Final	Cincinnati	6	San Francisco	4	Final	Miami	4	Atlanta	3	Final	San Diego	3	Colorado	2	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		L-A Dodgers	at	Oakland	4:07 p.m.			N-Y Mets	at	L-A Angels	4:07 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Seattle	4:10 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Toronto	at	N-Y Yankees	1:35 p.m.			Baltimore	at	Cleveland	1:40 p.m.			Kansas City	at	Detroit	1:40 p.m.			Chi White Sox	at	Minnesota	2:10 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Houston	2:10 p.m.			Boston	at	Texas	2:35 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		San Francisco	at	Cincinnati	12:05 p.m.			Arizona	at	Pittsburgh	1:35 p.m.			Miami	at	Atlanta	1:35 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Washington	1:35 p.m.			Colorado	at	San Diego	4:10 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Chi Cubs	7:10 p.m.

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Sunday

DETROIT (AP) — Wenceel Pérez singled with two out in the 11th inning and the&nbsp;Detroit Tigers&nbsp;rallied three times to beat the&nbsp;Kansas City Royals&nbsp;6-5 on Saturday night.

The Tigers trailed in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings, and ended a five-game losing streak. Kansas City had won five straight.

“Our young guys are trying to grow and survive as major leaguers,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “It’s been a tough week, so I appreciate the fight.”

Parker Meadows&nbsp;led off the 11th with an RBI triple and the Royals intentionally walked Javier Báez.&nbsp;Jake Rogers&nbsp;hit into a double play, but Pérez lined a ball off the wall in right center field off&nbsp;James McArthur&nbsp;(4-5).

“What a game,” said Meadows, who also&nbsp;made a diving catch&nbsp;to rob&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr. of a hit in the 10th inning. “I was just thinking about getting the runner to third, but he left the ball up and I was able to drive it.”

The Royals led 3-1 going into the ninth, but&nbsp;Bligh Madris&nbsp;led off the ninth inning with a home run off&nbsp;Hunter Harvey.&nbsp;Zach McKinstry&nbsp;followed with a pinch-hit double.

McKinstry took third on Meadows' groundout and scored on Báez's double. Báez stole third without a throw, but Pérez grounded out to end the inning.

“We're going to take our chances in the ninth, up 3-1, with Hunter Harvey every time,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “They put some good swings on the ball — you have to give them credit."

The Royals took a 4-3 lead in the 10th on Witt's sacrifice fly off&nbsp;Jason Foley&nbsp;(3-3), but Meadows' catch limited the damage and&nbsp;Justyn-Henry Malloy&nbsp;tied the game with a two-out double.

Witt went 0 for 4 with a walk, ending his 15-game hitting streak

“It went back and forth in extra innings,” Quatraro said. “On the road, you are going to have to score more than one, and we didn’t do that."

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 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — Wenceel Pérez singled with two out in the 11th inning and the&nbsp;Detroit Tigers&nbsp;rallied three times to beat the&nbsp;Kansas City Royals&nbsp;6-5 on Saturday night.The Tigers trailed in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings, and ended a five-game losing streak. Kansas City had won five straight.“Our young guys are trying to grow and survive as major leaguers,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “It’s been a tough week, so I appreciate the fight.”Parker Meadows&nbsp;led off the 11th with an RBI triple and the Royals intentionally walked Javier Báez.&nbsp;Jake Rogers&nbsp;hit into a double play, but Pérez lined a ball off the wall in right center field off&nbsp;James McArthur&nbsp;(4-5).“What a game,” said Meadows, who also&nbsp;made a diving catch&nbsp;to rob&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr. of a hit in the 10th inning. “I was just thinking about getting the runner to third, but he left the ball up and I was able to drive it.”The Royals led 3-1 going into the ninth, but&nbsp;Bligh Madris&nbsp;led off the ninth inning with a home run off&nbsp;Hunter Harvey.&nbsp;Zach McKinstry&nbsp;followed with a pinch-hit double.McKinstry took third on Meadows' groundout and scored on Báez's double. Báez stole third without a throw, but Pérez grounded out to end the inning.“We're going to take our chances in the ninth, up 3-1, with Hunter Harvey every time,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “They put some good swings on the ball — you have to give them credit."The Royals took a 4-3 lead in the 10th on Witt's sacrifice fly off&nbsp;Jason Foley&nbsp;(3-3), but Meadows' catch limited the damage and&nbsp;Justyn-Henry Malloy&nbsp;tied the game with a two-out double.Witt went 0 for 4 with a walk, ending his 15-game hitting streak“It went back and forth in extra innings,” Quatraro said. “On the road, you are going to have to score more than one, and we didn’t do that."Vinnie Pasquatino made it 1-0 in the sixth inning with a long homer off&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/34892/kenta-maeda">Kenta Maeda</a>&nbsp;— his fourth homer in as many games — but Andy Ibáñez tied it with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning.Paul DeJong&nbsp;put the Royals back in front 3-1 with a seventh-inning homer — the 18th homer off Maeda in 80 innings this season.Hinch made an unusual defensive move early in the game. Pérez started the game in left field with&nbsp;Matt Vierling&nbsp;playing right, but they reversed positions for the second.The first pitch was delayed 25 minutes by&nbsp;a ceremony to retire the No. 10 worn by&nbsp;former Tigers manager and 2024 Hall of Fame inductee Jim Leyland.“We're dedicating that one to Jim,” said Hinch, who got behind the plate to catch Leyland's first pitch. “When I went down there, I wasn't sure I was getting up, but it was great to celebrate before the game and after the game.”UP NEXTThe teams finish the four-game series on Sunday afternoon, with Royals RHP&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/32640/michael-wacha">Michael Wacha</a>&nbsp;(8-6, 3.58 ERA) pitching against the Tigers' bullpen.