The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 11

THE PANTAGRAPH Flying high Redb'mh fjrtliitfj rcaclp lo host I Mlep (rack iicd Coming Wednesday TUESDAY, May 11,2004 Bryan Bloodworth, Sports editor (309) 246 e-mail: sportspantagraph.com MIDSTATE CONFERENCE TRACK AND FIELD MEET Get set for pro hockey ECHL approves Bloomington as newest member -1 1 111 i lV 1 V. 1 PANTAGRAPH STAFF 4 -re RIDC7 JEW ill 'J RIDGEVjEV inn -re dgev ew DGEVIEW -Sr Ma fi r-- b.a v. ill 1 1 a X. ft 1 11 1 I I i 1 1 i I 4, 'P -y, PRINCETON, N.J. Bloomington became the East Coast Hockey League's newest member Monday.

The ECHL officially relocated the membership of. the Ontario, team after the ECHL Board of Governor's mid-season meeting. The team, owned by Bloomington Partners, is scheduled to begin play in the ECHL for the 2005-06 season. "The ECHL is excited to welcome Bloomington into, the ECHL," said ECHL Commissioner Brian McKenna in a statement issued Monday. "We are confident that the combination of strong ownership, experienced management, a great facility and the support of hockey fans in the Bloomington-Normal market will prove to be an enormous success in the ECHL." The Bloomington City Council last month approved a manage s.

a i. A ...1 The PantagraphLORI ANN COOK Flanagan High School's Tiffany Leonard, second from left, sped to victory in the 100-meter hurdles at Monday's Midstate Conference Girls Track Meet at Colfax. Hqworth roys elge Flanagan ment contract with Bloomington Partners to operate the city's proposed $35.2 million arena for 10 years. As part of the management agree Mike Nelson fit J. The PantagraphLORI ANN COOK Luke Carr of El Paso High School displayed his winning form in the high jump at Monday's Midstate Conference Track Meet in Colfax.

Carr set a meet record with a leap of 6 feet, 6 inches. Falcons turn tables, power past Hornets to claim girls crown By Douglas Hamm dhammdipantagraph.com COLFAX Heyworth High School boys track coach Tom Wells did some quick figuring with four events remaining in Monday's windswept Mid-state Conference Meet. "There were five teams within four or five points of one another," Wells said. After Heyworth received a 1-2 finish from Zach Bowling and Marty Sledge in the run, Wells liked the Hornets' chances. He didn't share those feelings with his athletes.

"After the 1,600 1 thought we were in pretty good shape," Wells said. "At that point you tell the kids we're in it. You act like your behind and everybody has to come through." The Hornets came through in one of the closest team finishes in meet history, edging three-time defending champion Flanagan 84-81 for their first Midstate championship since 1998. Tremont was third with 77 followed by Lexington (73.5), Fieldcrest (63), El Paso (53.5), Tri-Point (50) and Ridgeview (44). There was considerably less drama in the girls team race, as Flanagan downed defending champion Heyworth, 128.5-111.

It was sweet revenge for the Falcons, who finished five points behind Heyworth in last year's team standings. "We have 10 girls, and every one of them came through today," said Flanagan coach Dave Van Weelden. "I'm re- Meet highlights I Tri-Point's Kyle Austin tied the meet records in the 100 (11.0) and 200 (22.7). I Triple winner Luke Carr of Lexington broke the meet record in the high jump with a leap of 6-6. I Ridgeview's Ashley Whitecotton defended her titles in the 100 (13.2), 200 (27.2) and 400 Tremont's Sam Springer smashed the girls meet records in the shot put (41-8V2) and discus (137-0).

I Laura Harnish (800 and Tiffany Leonard (110 and 300 hurdles) and Megan Laughlin (high jump and triple jump) were double winners for Flanagan's girls. did what I wanted to do." Carr said he hadn't discussed the high jump record with his brother, although that will change now. "It probably will be a big deal when I go home and tell him," Carr said. Austin clocked 11.0 in the 100 and 22.7 in the 200 where he edged teammate Sam Malone at the wire. He equaled the 100 record shared by Deer Creek-Mackinaw's Dan Martin (1973) and Tremont's Adam Driggs (2001), and the 200 record held by Martin (1973).

"It was pretty decent considering the weather and the (occasional) rain and all of that," Austin said. "I thought I'd do better in the 200 because I didn't run the 400 today. I think I could have broke the 400 record, too, but we have a big meet (today) at Dwight so I didn't run it." SEE MIDSTATE PAGE B3 ment, Bloomington Partners are required to provide the city with an ECHL hockey team. Along with the membership approval, the ECHL board gave the team the OK to play within 60 miles of another ECHL team, the Peoria Rivermen. "There is already a natural rivalry with the proximity of Peoria, but also because of the history and success Peoria has enjoyed in the ECHL," McKenna said.

The five men who make up Bloomington Partners includes Barry Kemp, principal owner of the hockey team. Kemp is a minority owner of the Phoenix Suns and currently has ownership interest in three ECHL teams. Kemp is a screenwriter with television shows including Taxi, Newhart, and Coach among his credits. Business partners Rick Adams and David LeFevre also have ownership interest in the same ECHL teams as Kemp. Adams is a former ECHL president and LeFevre is the former president of NHL's Tampa Bay Lighting.

Area natives John Butler and Mike Nelson, also from Bloomington Partners, left their jobs with the Peoria Rivermen in February to concentrate on their work in promoting the Bloomington relay team triumphed in 9:08.5. "I had two seniors, and everybody else was a freshman-sophomore," Wells said. "Our young kids pulled thirds and fourths and fifths and did the yeoman's effort. They understand points are important. Don't be disappointed with a fifth place because you're going to pull us some points and keep us close." Carr went 6 feet, 6 inches in the high jump, breaking the old mark of 6-5 set by his brother Chris in 2002.

Carr was also victorious in the 110 hurdles (16.0) and the triple jump (40-7 on his only attempt). "I was hoping to get 6-8 today but it didn't happen," Carr said. "I wanted to do everything as best as I could and jump as high as I could, and I guess I ally happy. The girls were very fired up. They were gunning for it after last year." Individually, Tremont junior Sam Springer swept the girls shot put and discus events with meet-record throws, while Ridgeview's Ashley Whitecotton defended her titles in the 100, 200 and 400.

On the boys side, triple winner Luke Carr of El Paso broke the high jump record, and Tri-Point's Kyle Austin tied meet records in the 100 and 200. Boys Bowling and Sledge posted times of 4 minutes, 56.7 seconds and 5:00.3, respectively, in the 1,600 for Heyworth. Brandon Keller captured the 400 (53.7) for the Hornets, and Heyworth's 3,200 INDIANAPOLIS 500 Retired defending champ still around Bryant's accuser appears in court Wipeout By Steve Herman ASSOCIATED PRESS INDIANAPOLIS Emotion? Plenty Regret? None. Not yet, anyway. Bryant's attorneys want details of her sex life especially in the three days surrounding her June 30 encounter with Bryant admitted as evi Gil de Ferran was trackside "Monday, back at the site of his greatest racing triumph.

This time he wasn't behind the wheel of a race car, though. Instead, he was Kobe Bryant 1 dence to suggest she was injured time defending champion Helio Castroneves in a tight, one-on-one race to the checkered flag. De Ferran won by less than a third of a second, the third-closest finish in the race's storied history. He retired as a driver at the end of the season, yielding his spot with the elite Team Penske to two-time IRL champion Sam Hornish Jr. Castroneves and Hornish are among the favorites heading to this year's race May 30, and de Ferran will be there, too, as a race analyst for ESPN.

"It feels good, mainly because it was my decision to stop driving," de Ferran said. "I thought it was a mature decision I made, and I guess the proof is in the pudding. So far I haven't missed driving. Being here the whole month is going to be the ultimate test, but my predictions are good. I think by someone else.

basketball star vill enter plea ater this week By Jon Sarche ASSOCIATED PRESS EAGLE, Colo. The 19-ear-old woman accusing NBA tar Kobe Bryant of rape lipped into the courthouse hrough a fire exit Monday, ap-iearing in court for only the econd time since the case Pretrial hearings were losed all day, so it was impossi-ile to determine why she made he surprise appearance. The woman's attorney was with ter. The woman was questioned or more than three hours dur-ng a March 24 hearing. Gil de Ferran Associated PressBILL ROSS Moments after completing the fastest lap of the day, Robby Gordon lost control of his car and hit the wall Monday during practice for the Indianapolis 500.

Gordon, who had just turned a lap of 218.446 mph, was not injured. The hearing on the relevance of the sexual history has been going on for days. It resumed Monday, along with arguments on a separate defense motion to introduce evidence about the woman's mental health, two purported suicide attempts last spring and any evidence about alcohol or drug use. SEE BRYANT PAGE B3 waving the green flag to start practice for the Indianapolis 500. "It was funny driving in this morning and thinking, 'Well, it's been about a year he said.

"I must admit, I was a bit touched." In last year's Indy 500, de Ferran beat teammate and two- troneves, who started from the pole last year, was first on the track Monday, his 29th birthday. SEE DE FERRAN PAGE B3 driving is out of my system." Daily practice continues through Friday; Saturday's pole qualifying is the first of three days of time trials. Cas.