The Daily Sentinel from Grand Junction, Colorado • 12

SPORTS NASCAR CRACKING DOWN ON DRIVER CRITICISM, PAGE 6B THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TIM TEBOW IS READY TO START taking hits, but that happen until the Broncos start their preseason games. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS RIAR GEER IS ONE OF FIVE tight ends on the roster, all of whom are trying to replace Tony Scheffl production. READY TO RIDE Tebow starts practicing, wait to get hit By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS pass-catching abilities drawing praise By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Fears overcome WILLIAM The Daily Sentinel LOGAN MORRIS TAKES A BREATH during the breaststroke portion of the 400-meter individual medley on Friday during the Colorado Long Course State Championships at El Pomar Natatorium. Morris placed sixth in the IM, but won a state title in the 100 breaststroke. Morris conquers aversion to water to win state swim title By ALLEN GEMAEHLICH Allen.Gemaehlich@gjsentinel.com Logan Morris remembers being ed of the water.

not anymore. The Montrose 15-year-old is a Colorado state champion. Morris, who swims for the Delta Club team, won the girls 18-under 100-meter breaststroke in one minute, 17.61 seconds Friday night at the Colorado Long Course State Championships at El Pomar Natatorium on the campus of Mesa State College. The state meet continues today. waited so long to do Morris said.

felt so much better than (Friday) morning. I knew this was it. I was so nervous before, but all my nerves were Morris was so excited, she cried and hugged a new friend, former Delta Club swimmer Karoline Fry. was Fry said. was so worried, but there was nothing to worry Morris also placed sixth in the 400 individual medley in 5:41.48.

Both feats were amazing, considering she dreaded taking swimming lessons. I was 5 years old, I was ed of the Morris said. been taking swimming lessons and my mom was like, need to try out for the swim remember her telling me it was OK if I held on to the (edge). really glad she did that right Still, it took a while before Morris felt comfortable. really like it as I got she said.

I was 11 or 12 it was really fun. Now, I nitely want to do it through Morris ed for sectionals and nationals last year and for sectionals again this year in the 100 breaststroke. She placed 16th at sectionals last year. The Grand Junction Carlos Matthews win a state title, but had a personal best swim in the 400 individual medley. The 15-year-old took ninth place with a time of 5:19.53.

saw my friends and family toward the end and you know what, I was like, is state. going to swim my Matthews said. family and teammates motivated me so goal for the 400 IM was 5:30. Matthews ed for the nals in the 100 but place in the top eight. helped me get out there a little Matthews said.

back, I got out there (ahead) a little more then my breast. The free, I just went all Charlie Mechling of Sorpis (Glenwood Springs) placed fourth in the girls 11-12 200 individual medley (2:43.42) and seventh in the 400 freestyle Michael Barnosky took eighth in the boys 18-under 100 breaststroke in 1:14.76. Eighth is more than enough THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IAN STEWART CELEBRATES after hitting a two-run home run Friday in the eighth inning, part of a 12-run onslaught in the 17-2 win. The Rockies set a major league record with 11 straight hits in the eighth. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DENVER Leading 5-2, the Colorado Rockies were looking for an insurance run with two outs in the eighth Friday night.

Fourteen batters later they were comfortably ahead. Carlos Gonzalez, Ian Stewart and Dexter Fowler homered and Colorado used a record-setting 12-run eighth inning to rout the Chicago Cubs 17-2. never seen an inning like Cubs manager Lou Pini- ella said. had two outs and two strikes on a hitter and they score 12 runs. never seen an inning like Gonzalez had four hits, two in the eighth when the Rockies set a major league record with 11 straight hits in the inning.

The Rockies had 13 hits in the inning, a franchise record. Fowler and Stewart both hit two-run home runs in the eighth as the Rockies piled up a club-high 12 extra base hits in the game. was pretty impressive. There was really nothing ukey to Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. ball that got hit was barreled up and hit about as hard as like to see a baseball be The Rockies batted around twice in the inning against relievers Sean Marshall, Andrew Cashner and Brian Schlitter.

Troy Tulowitzki had two doubles and three RBI, Clint Barmes and Melvin Mora also had two hits and Brad Hawpe and Chris Iannetta reached base twice in the inning. Every batter got at least one hit in the eighth. was as dumbfounding for us as it was to the people who watched the said Marshall, who gave up ve runs in the inning. hate to be on the receiving end. I think going to happen It was a welcome explosion for a Colorado offense that has struggled of late.

In the past four games of their losing streak that reached nine Wednesday, the Rockies scored 11 combined runs or one less than they did in the eighth inning Friday. crazy. All the offense coming together when been slumping is a Fowler said. Jeff Francis (4-3) had his second straight quality start in picking up just his second win since June 13. He gave up two runs on four hits, struck out ve and walked one in six innings.

The Cubs have lost three straight and four of ve. getting our lumps Piniella said. been giving up runs in See RIDE page 6B See PRAISE page 6B ENGLEWOOD Tim Tebow is ready for the shots, both on the football eld and in the locker room. The two-time national champion from Florida practiced with other rookies Friday in advance of the start of the Denver training camp and said he wait for the hard hits. Tebow, the 25th pick in the NFL draft, is fresh off putting his signature on two contracts, one of them a ve-year deal to play for the Broncos and the other a multiyear deal to serve as a pitchman for Jockey underwear.

Beyond the usual rookie ritual of carrying shoulder pads and maybe grabbing them a cup of coffee or a sandwich, Tebow knows be catching a good amount of grief for his endorsement of the tighty whities. few people have said a few things to me about Tebow said with a hearty chuckle. Coach McDaniels was the rst one to say something to me. But, you know, sure get some (more) of it, but all in good So, what did Josh McDaniels tell his prized pupil? told him they passed on me for McDaniels cracked. turned it Tebow said he was relieved to have a contract in hand so he could nally practice with the Broncos, who were still negotiating Friday with their other rst- round draft pick, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.

Tebow said it felt good to work up a sweat again during the one-hour workout at Dove Valley but what he was really looking forward to was getting hit again. Although don the red no-contact jersey along with starter Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn when camp starts Sunday, Tebow will get a taste of NFL hitting early on because the coaches are eager to see if they can have him run the ball like he did in college. ENGLEWOOD Broncos tight end Marquez Branson is generating a lot of buzz for a practice squad player. His coach has bragged about him, his teammates have raved about him. With the Broncos in search of another pass- catching tight end to replace Tony er, whom they traded to Detroit in the off- season, Branson might very well be the solution.

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels certainly believes so. see him last year, but we have very high expectations and high hopes for McDaniels said. Branson arrived in Denver last season as a college free agent out of Central Arkansas and spent the whole year on the practice squad. Frustrating? nitely. Watching road games from the comfort of his couch the way he envisioned helping the team.

But he used his time on the practice squad to Twelve-run 8th powers Rockies past Cubs in rout THE DAILY SENTINEL 4B SATURDAY JULY 31, 2010.