The Desert Sun from Palm Springs, California • Page C2

THE DEUCE desertsun.com feel like I am on the same wavelength with a lot of these guys. When you talk about: you get really not about the age difference. about remaining JOE MADDON, Chicago Cubs manager SAY WHAT? NEWS DIRECTOR JAMES MEIER (760) 778-4623 OR BOSTON been decades since you could run in the Boston Marathon without qualifying, before limits the field size made entering almost as much as inishing something to aspire to. he course has changed a dozen times or more. Women were officially welcomed in 1972, wheelchairs three years later, and prize money was introduced in 1986, ushering in a professional era that rejuvenated the event and fortified its status as the most prestigious road race.

ut nothing in more than a century has done more to shape how the Boston Marathon is perceived and how it ill look in the future than the twin explosions at the finish line in 2013. And when the field of 30,000 leaves Hopkinton on Monday for the 119th race, the effect of those bombs ill be seen not just in the ever-watchful security but in the way the runners and their supporters have respond ed to the unprecedented attack. think ever going to be just a race said Desiree Linden, who returns this year in search of the American victory she missed by 2 seconds in 2011. so much history here: some of it is good, some of it is bad. When you run Boston, always going to a part of Over the more than a century since the first Boston Marathon in 1897 until Lelisa Desisa won in 2013, the event transformed from a footrace among friends into one of the premier athletic contests.

But not until the bombings that killed three people and wounded 260 did the marathon became a touchstone for the resiliency of a city. Last race became the centerpiece of the recovery, and the calls to take back the finish line were a nswered when Meb Keflezighi became the first American man to win since 1983. marathon gods blessed Meb with that run. It was said Shalane Flanagan, who finished sev- nth last year and hopes to break a 30-year drought in the race. year was extremely special, just being an American.

a run never, ever A daughter of marathon runners, Flanagan grew up i suburban Marblehead with a reverence for the Bost on race. Just to run it was life-changing, she said; to win it would be an honor. it was a race. But at the same time it was beyond a race, because of what was on the Kefle- zighi said this week as he prepared to defend his cathartic 2014 title. We get those people back; it can never be forgotten.

It can never be normal, because go- i ng to think about that moment. But we do what we said the two-time Olympic silver medalist who had written on last race bib the names of those killed. Reminders of the April 15 bombings are still easy to ind two years later. Earlier this month, a federal court jury convicted zhokhar Tsarnaev of all 30 counts in the bombings and the manhunt, in which an MIT police officer was killed. Jurors will soon decide whether he should be sentenced to life in prison or to death.

ayor Marty Walsh declared a day of remembrance and community called Boston On race day, a lready the state holiday of Day, the Boston Red Sox will wear special uniforms with the name on their chest. Security along the route has been increased. More miles of fencing between the runners and the fans. More officers on bicycle. Runners will again pack their belongings in see-through bags.

Spectators will be screened before entering the finish-line bleachers. some ways the plan is even deeper this year than it was last said Kurt Schwartz, the Massachu- etts undersecretary for homeland security. year we built something completely new. We get it 100 percent right, and we figured it out along the BOSTON MARATHON MICHAEL Long-distance runner Meb Keflezighi talks with reporters during a news conference Friday in Boston. Keflezighi last year ecame the first American man to win the Boston Marathon since 1983.

2years after bombs, race looks forward, not back By Jimmy Golen Associated Press SUN ON UE ED 19202122 Logo PURS 7 :30 p.m. TNT, SNPT SPURS 7 :30 p.m. TNT, SNPT Logo at JETS 6p.m. FSNPT at JETS 6:30 p.m. FSN, USA ogo ROCKIES 1:10 p.m.

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S1 Tennis ATP Monte Carlo singles 9 :30 a.m. ennis For TEE TIMES Call 760.200.8988 ON-LINE SPECIALS IndianSpringsGC.com Valid April 17-30, 2015 after 1:30 after 3:00 Includes FREE Lunch Our Greens are a 6:41:30 89 60 45 There IS a LUNCH at the Indian Springs Golf Club 69 55 40 Palm Springs High Ricky Wright med- aled at the Mt. Sac Invitational track meet Saturday. Wright medaled in the seeded triple jump, finishing fifth with a jump of 44 feet, one inch. In the invitational long jump, Wright placed eighth at 21-4.

Track field La Quinta: The Blackhawks medaled in four vents at the Mt. Sac Invitational. La 4x400 relay team of Logan Shirley, Koty Burton, Casey Cruz and Galen Swearingen finished fifth in the open division with a time of 3:24.54 that set a school record. Also medaling for La Quinta were Sandra Flores in the 800 open division (fourth, Chris Toribio in the long jump open division (fourth, 21-4) and Omar Valenzuela in the invite discus (third with personal-best 181-0). In the high jump invitational, Nirie Boglino finished sixth (5-4).

Baseball Rajahs sweep Rancho Mirage: Indio beat Rancho Mirage in a doubleheader, winning 16-2 and 9-6 on Saturday. Juanny Siqueiros led the Rajahs in the opener by going 4 for 5 with a double, triple, four runs scored, four RBIs and two stolen bases. Chris Burciaga was 2 for 4 with three RBIs, Ricardo Torres was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored, Mikey Munoz was 2 for 5 with two runs scored, an RBI, and a stolen base, and Steven Lopez finished 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored. Burciaga also earned the victory, tossing five innings, with four strikeouts, one hit and no runs allowed. I Game 2, Siqueiros went 1for 3 with three RBIs, Isaiah Vela ended 1for 3 with two RBIs and Dominic De La Torre finished 2 for 3 with a double, two runs scored and two stolen bases.

the mound, Steven Lopez picked up the win, hrowing five innings, with five strikeouts, two hits a nd no runs allowed. Indio (14-6, 3-1in DVL) travels to Palm Desert at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. swimming Palm Desert 120, Coachella Valley 47: The A ztecs improved to 3-2 with the victory Thursday. Individual winners for Palm Desert included: Kenny Pineo in the 200 free, Max Horst in the 200 IM, Andrew Park in the 100 fly, Eric Thomas in the 100 free and Noah Thomas in the 100 back.

oah Thomas, Eric Shen, Park and Pineo eamed to win the 200 medley relay. Shen, Thomas, yan Farzaneh and Pineo won the 200 free. Brothers Noah and Eric Thomas, Park and Dristian Cosgrove won the 400 free relay. Palm Desert is off this week before ending the egular season at home against La Quinta on April 3 0. Youth clinic Free baseball clinic: The Kiwanis Club of Palm Springs and the East Coachella Valley Kiwanis lub (Indio) will host the fifth annual and free Youth Baseball Clinic on April 25 from 9 a.m.

to oon at Palm Springs High School. Registration will begin at 8:15 a.m. by the bleachers on the baseball field. Attendees need to bring their glove and favorite bat. The clinic will egin at 9 a.m..

Rudy Law and Derrel Thomas, retired Los Ang eles Dodgers, will conduct the clinic with assistance from the Palm Springs High School baseball and softball teams. For questions contact Tony Lopes at 760-6603101 VALLEY ROUNDUP right leads Palm Springs at Mt. Sac meet NEW Pete Rose is getting back in baseball while he awaits a ruling on his reinstatement request a television analyst. he career hits leader, who agreed to a lifetime ban from the sport 26 years ago, has been hired by Fox as a guest studio analyst. Fox spokesman Dan Bell said Rose will not be in stadium broadcast booths.

Since the ban began, Rose as not been allowed in areas of ballparks not open to fans, except with special approval. Rose hired by Fox Associated Press.