Pepperdine leads Bulldogs at Red Halverson Invitational
MINICO — Tim Pepperdine won the 112 pound title to lead Sandpoint to a sixth place team finish at the 24-team 2008 Red Halverson Invitational at Minico High School on Saturday. Pepperdine is the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the state at 112 pounds, regardless of classification.
The Minico tournament is traditionally a good barometer for the Bulldogs, as many of the top 4A wrestlers in the state are on hand, as well as some powerful 5A teams from the Boise area. Garret Belgarde (103), Sid Winter (135) and Paul Marienau (160) each finished fourth to round out the Bulldog placers.
Sandpoint is at Post Falls tonight at 6 p.m. in an Inland Empire League dual.
TEAM SCORES
1. Blackfoot, 238; 2. Idaho Falls, 189.5; 3. Pocatello, 169; 4. Minico, 149.5; 5. Twin Falls, 109; 6. Sandpoint, 107.5; 7. (tie) Nampa and Highland, 103.5; 9. (tie) Jerome and Kuna, 96; 11. Meridian, 77; 12. Centennial, 74; 13. Eagle, 71.5; 14. Snake River, 69; 15. Madison, 67; 16. (tie) Bonneville and Borah, 61; 18. Preston, 57.5; 19. Burley, 56; 20. Rigby, 48; 21. Buhl, 46; 22. Kimberly, 23; 23. Timberline, 22.5; 24. Mountain View, 0.
? Gonzaga runs away nice Portland
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -David Pendergraft and Josh Heytvelt combined for 27 first-half points Monday night and Gonzaga never trailed after the opening minutes of a 79-41 victory over Portland.
Austin Daye's 19 points and 13 rebounds led the Bulldogs (16-5 overall, 5-0 West Coast Conference), who had the game in hand after Pendergraft scored 14 of his 15 points in the opening half. Sherrard Watson had 11 points for the Pilots (7-14, 1-4), who have lost nine in a row to Gonzaga.
? M's closing in on trade for Baltimore's Erik Bedard
BALTIMORE — Erik Bedard is still a member of the Baltimore Orioles, although there are signs the left-hander might soon be headed to the Seattle Mariners.
In an effort to rebuild an organization that has endured 10 straight losing seasons, Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has been actively seeking to trade Bedard for prospects. He appears close to working out a deal with the Mariners, but insisted Monday that a trade was not necessarily imminent.
"There really is no change. We are still having discussions, but we don't have an agreement," MacPhail said.
MacPhail said he didn't expect that to change "over the next few days," but added, "anything can happen."
The Mariners have asked center fielder Adam Jones to leave his Venezuelan Winter League team and return to the United States. Jones, one of Seattle's top prospects, is supposedly the main player targeted by Baltimore in the trade.
The Seattle Times reported that Jones was returning to take a physical in Baltimore. Mariners spokesman Tim Hevly confirmed that Jones was asked to return, but did not give a reason for the request.
Bedard went 13-5 last season with a 3.16 ERA and 221 strikeouts, third in the AL. He is currently scheduled for an arbitration hearing next month; the 28-year-old is asking for $8 million next season and Baltimore countered at $6 million.