In whirlwind fashion, Johns Hopkins celebrated four Centennial Conference championships in one thrilling four-hour period on Sunday, May 2. Three of the squads now have national titles in their crosshairs.

The baseball team continued its banner season with a 13-6 win over Haverford in the championship game of the Centennial Conference Tournament, held on the Homewood campus.

The victory cemented the fourth straight conference title for the Blue Jays, who are currently ranked No. 1 in the American Baseball Coaches Association and D3Baseball.com polls. They also earned the Centennial Conference’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament, which will start May 19.

The team had a 38-3 record going into the weekend’s season-ending doubleheader versus Salisbury and went a perfect 21-0 against Centennial Conference opponents. The Blue Jays’ current winning streak of 31 games is the second longest in school history. The 2004 team won 33 consecutive games.

While the baseball team is a perennial powerhouse, the women’s track team is building a new tradition of excellence.

In the 2010 Centennial Conference Women’s Track Championships, held in Swarthmore, Pa., Haverford College sought its fifth straight outdoor title and 10th straight overall track championship—indoor and outdoor combined. The underdog Johns Hopkins squad would have something to say about that.

The Blue Jays secured their first conference title in school history as they edged Haverford 190-185 in the final team standings. Johns Hopkins held off the heavily favored Haverford team, which roared back from a huge deficit.

The big moment came in the 5,000-meter run, the second-to-last event. Down by eight points, the Johns Hopkins trio of senior Laura Paulsen, freshman Liz Provost and sophomore Cecilia Furlong had to face off against Haverford’s Emily Lipman, the reigning conference cross-country champion. The JHU runners grabbed three of the top five spots in the event, with Paulsen taking first with a time of 17:58.30.

The team next needed to finish no worse than eighth in the nine-team field in the 4×400. The foursome of freshmen Amelia Vallenilla and Leah Sibener, sophomore Stephanie Chung and junior Anita Mikkilineni clocked in at 4:03 to place sixth and secure the title.

Paulsen was named the meet’s Outstanding Track Performer after claiming her third individual title of the weekend with a first-place finish in the 1,500-meter run.

The title caps a storybook year for the track and cross-country teams under head coach Bobby Van Allen. The team claimed the Centennial Conference women’s cross country title in the fall and finished second at the CC Indoor Championships in the winter.

The tennis teams served up more celebrations.

The Johns Hopkins women’s team blanked visiting Swarthmore 5-0 in the title match of the 2010 Centennial Conference Championship to win its fourth straight title. The feat is one shy of the record five consecutive titles held by both Franklin & Marshall and Swarthmore.

In singles action, freshman Candace Wu quickly pushed Hopkins’ lead in the match to 4-0 with a 6-0, 6-1 win. Freshman Nandita Krishnan then closed out the match with a 6-0, 6-0 win over her opponent. With the match already decided, the remaining rematches were halted. The Blue Jays are now 3-1 all-time in the Centennial Conference Tournament against the Garnet, including a 3-0 record in the title match.

With the win, Hopkins earns the Centennial Conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament and will learn its postseason fate today with the announcement of the NCAA bracket.

The magical day was capped off by the men’s tennis team, which bested visiting Swarthmore 6-0 in the Centennial Conference finals to win its fourth straight trophy and fifth in the last six years. The Blue Jays improved to 20-5 on the year, a new single season wins record.

Hopkins swept the doubles matches to take a 3-0 lead on the hot and humid day in Baltimore. Sophomore Warren Elgort and junior Ryan Rauck gave the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead with an 8-4 win. Senior David Maldow and junior Andrew Wang then defeated their opponents 9-7. Sophomore Jacob Barnaby and junior Casey Blythe closed out doubles play with an 8-6 win.

In singles play, Maldow dropped just three games in a 6-1, 6-2 win to push Hopkins’ lead to 4-0. Elgort and freshman Andy Hersh then claimed simultaneous wins to clinch the match. Hersh tied Wang and Blythe for most singles wins by a freshman in school history. The victory for Maldow, the winningest player in program history, was the 80th of his career.

The men also earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Tom Calder, director of Athletics, said that he was able to witness firsthand three out of the four trophies, bopping from the baseball diamond to the tennis courts.

“And I was in constant contact with the track coach. We were texting each other, and then I got the good news from him that we won,” Calder said. “I was also able to watch the women’s lacrosse team beat [No. 17–ranked] Ohio State on Homewood Field that same Sunday. It was a really, really good weekend.”

Calder, who has been at the university for 21 years, called the day a rarity.

“Four titles in four hours is special,” he said. “I’ll take four titles in one season.”

Could Florida's Tim Tebow join former Ohio State great Archie Griffin as the only players to win multiple Heisman Trophies? The Gators’ dual-threat quarterback is the betting favorite on betED.com’s odds for the 2008 Heisman.

Here is a look at betED.com’s favorites and a breakdown of their chances of hoisting college football’s most prestigious award.

Tim Tebow, Florida QB – 250: In 2007, he was a one-man wrecking crew for the Gators, passing for 3,286 yards and 32 touchdowns and rushing for 895 yards and 25 more scores. Tebow’s top three receivers return, including star Percy Harvin. So every 2008 Heisman Trophy Prediction list must start with the reigning winner. But Tebow wore down a bit last year, and Urban Meyer has said he doesn’t want his bruising lefty to run the ball as much this year and thus save him from punishment. So with Chris Rainey, Emmanuel Moody and even Harvin getting plenty of carries, there’s no way Tebow’s 2008 numbers will match last season’s, even though the Gators are likely a better team. Make or break game: 10/11 vs. LSU.

Chase Daniel, Missouri QB – 400: Daniel finished fourth in last year’s voting, and four other players who have finished fourth in Heisman voting have won it the next year, with the last being USC’s Charles White in 1978. The reigning Big 12 offensive player of the year could get a major campaign boost if he somehow leads the Tigers to a BCS title game. He will need to get people to forget last season’s Big 12 title game performance against Oklahoma. Make or break game: 10/18 at Texas.

Chris Wells, Ohio State RB – 400: Could a Buckeye win the Heisman Trophy for the second time in three years? Wells could certainly surpass 2,000 yards on the ground this season as the loaded Buckeyes beat up on the weak Big Ten. However, Ohio State’s bowl failures recently could sway voters against “Beanie.” If Wells goes off on USC in that mega-matchup on Sept. 13, then watch out. But if the Buckeyes lay another big-game egg, it will be hard for Wells to recover. Make or break game: 9/13 at USC.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia RB – 500: Moreno was brilliant as a freshman, but will Heisman voters award this trophy to a sophomore for the second straight year after having never done it previously? In addition, Moreno will have to compete for votes on his own team with quarterback Matthew Stafford. Surprisingly, no SEC running back has won the Heisman since a certain Bo in 1985. These odds are too high. Make or break game: 10/25 at LSU.

Matthew Stafford, Georgia QB – 800: Georgia is a running team, and Stafford’s not even the most hyped, or best, player on his own offense (see above). Hard to believe no Bulldog has won the Heisman since Herschel Walker. One won’t this year either. Make or break game: 9/20 at Arizona State.

LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh RB – 800: You could argue McCoy was better than Georgia’s Moreno in their freshman seasons last year. But Pitt is way off the national radar, and while it may be improved this year the Heisman voters won’t give the award to a player on a middling team not named Notre Dame. Make or break game: 10/2 at South Florida.

Percy Harvin, Florida WR – 800: It would seem Florida would have too many weapons for Harvin to get enough touches to put up monster numbers. This is a decent price for a sleeper who is as electrifying as any player in the country. But Harvin can’t stay healthy for a full season, and he is coming heel surgery in the offseason. If he can stay healthy, this is a good value bet. Make or break game: 9/20 at Tennessee.

Graham Harrell, Texas Tech QB – 800: This guy will put up better numbers than any quarterback in the country, but that’s part of the problem: Most think Harrell is just a product of Mike Leach’s system. In addition, Michael Crabtree could steal Harrell’s thunder. Make or break game: 11/1 vs. Texas.

Pat White, West Virginia QB – 800: Of the 2008 Heisman Trophy Predictions, I left the best price on betED.com’s board for last. White is the best running quarterback in the country, and he won’t have to share the spotlight with Steve Slaton any longer. Noel Devine is another story. If the Mountaineers can run the table they become the story of the year in the wake of Rich Rodriguez bolting the program for Michigan. And no one would benefit more from that publicity than White. In addition, the Mountaineers say they will throw downfield a bit more this season, so that will help White’s typically average passing stats. Make or break game: 10/23 vs. Auburn.

Originally Written by Matt Severance, www.oddsandnews.com

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby won the Hart Trophy as the National Hockey League’s Most Valuable Player tonight, capping a sophomore season in which he became the youngest scoring champion in major pro sports history and sparked one of the NHL’s most dramatic team turnarounds.

Crosby, who earlier this month was named the youngest team captain in League history, received 91 of 143 first-place votes for 1,225 points in voting by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks, who tallied 25 first-place votes and 801 points, was runner-up.

At 19 years, 10 months, Crosby is the second-youngest Hart Trophy winner in the history of the award, which was introduced in 1924. Wayne Gretzky was 19 years, 5 months old in 1979-80 when he captured the first of eight consecutive Hart Trophies with the Edmonton Oilers.

Crosby finished the regular season with 36 goals and 84 assists for 120 points, winning the Art Ross Trophy as League scoring champion. He took the permanent scoring lead with a career-high six-point night against Philadelphia Dec. 13 and never went more than three consecutive games without a point afterward. The Penguins were 41-10-9 in games when Crosby recorded a point, 6-13-0 when he did not and 0-1-2 when he was out of the lineup.

The Penguins finished the season with a 47-24-11 record for 105 points, qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2001 and recording a 47-point improvement over 2005-06. Only three clubs in NHL history have posted a bigger gain, most recently the Winnipeg Jets’ 48-point surge from 1980-81 to 1981-82.

Other honorees included Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. Malkin launched his NHL career in memorable fashion, becoming the first player in 89 years to score goals in each of his first six NHL games. Before Malkin, only three players in NHL history had scored at least one goal in each of their first six (or more) games and all did so in 1917-18, the League’s inaugural season. The 20-year-old went on to lead all rookies in goals (33), power-play goals (16), assists (52) and points (85).

Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings joined an elite group by capturing the Norris Trophy as the League’s outstanding defenseman for the fifth time. Lidstrom becomes the fourth defenseman in League history with as many as five Norris Trophy wins, joining Hockey Hall of Fame members Bobby Orr (eight), Doug Harvey (seven) and Ray Bourque (five). Lidstrom, who earned his fifth Norris in the past six seasons, tied for the League lead among defensemen in plus-minus with a +40 rating, ranked third among all players in ice time per game (27:29) and was fifth among defensemen in scoring with 62 points (13 goals, 49 assists).

Lidstrom’s teammate, Pavel Datsyuk, won his second consecutive Lady Byng Trophy for combining sportsmanship with a high standard of play. Datsyuk led the Red Wings in scoring for the second consecutive season, matching a career high with 87 points (27 goals, 60 assists). His plus-36 rating ranked second on the club and seventh in the League overall.

Another repeat winner was Carolina Hurricanes captain Rod Brind’Amour, who won the Frank Selke Trophy as the League’s outstanding defensive forward. Brind’Amour ranked second among all NHL centers with a 59.2% face-off winning percentage and ranked third among League forwards in average ice time per game (23:19).

The New Jersey Devils’ Martin Brodeur claimed the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender for the third time in the past four seasons following a record-breaking campaign. Brodeur won an unprecedented 48 games, surpassing Bernie Parent’s mark of 47 in 1973-74, led the NHL in shutouts (12), ranked third in goals-against average (2.18) and third in save percentage (.922).

Alain Vigneault of the Vancouver Canucks won his first Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach, edging last year’s winner, Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres, by eight points (134-126). In his first year behind the Vancouver bench, Vigneault guided the Canucks to a franchise record-breaking season. They improved their wins record to 49 from a previous high of 46 and recorded the highest points total in club history with 105.

Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu accepted the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership and humanitarian contributions to his community. Koivu’s exemplary support of cancer treatment and research — and, more particularly, his personal demonstration of courage as a cancer survivor — is a source of inspiration and pride to his teammates as well as the many thousands of patients and their families who benefit from his generosity.

Boston Bruins center Phil Kessel received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Diagnosed with testicular cancer in early December, the 19-year-od Kessel played a Dec. 9 game against New Jersey, knowing he would be admitted to the hospital for surgery on Dec. 12. He missed only 12 games before returning to Boston’s lineup.

Four players who received the NHL’s statistic-based trophies June 2 in Ottawa also were acknowledged at the NHL Awards Show this evening: Crosby (Art Ross Trophy), Tampa Bay Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier (Maurice Richard Trophy as goal-scoring leader) and the Minnesota Wild’s Niklas Backstrom and Manny Fernandez (William Jennings Trophy as goaltenders on the club allowing the fewest goals).

The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) cast ballots for the Hart, Norris, Selke, Lady Byng and Calder Trophies. The PHWA also voted on the Masterton Trophy. The 30 NHL General Managers voted on the Vezina Trophy. The NHL Broadcasters’ Association (NHLBA) submitted votes for the Jack Adams Award, and a special panel of representatives from the PHWA and NHLBA chose the King Clancy winner. Voting for these awards was conducted at the conclusion of the regular season.

Balloting results were tabulated by the accounting firm Ernst & Young, with the exception of the Masterton and King Clancy trophies. The results for these awards were tabulated by the PHWA and the National Hockey League, respectively.

Orginally Written by http://penguins.nhl.com

Winning the Heisman Trophy does not guarantee a college football player a long and successful pro career, although every football player would love the bronze statue displayed on their mantle. Even if they do not have a successful career, they could use it like O.J. did as collateral to help pay off civil penalties.

In college football the Heisman Trophy is awarded usually to a quarterback or running back that is playing for a BCS contender. That is why most college football standouts have no chance of being awarded the Heisman Trophy. You can blame this on the American media hype machine.

USC’s John David Booty and Louisville’s Brian Brohm are two quarterbacks with the best chance at winning the Heisman Trophy in 2007. This season both of these quarterbacks lead their teams and have BCS Bowl aspirations. The winner of this race should have the edge for the Heisman Trophy.

West Virginia and Rutgers will give Brohm and the Cardinals a tough fight in the Big East this year. In last year’s Orange Bowl game and with 311 yards against Wake Forest showed that Brian Brohm has a great arm and that he is capable of making things happen. Last season Brohm missed two football games which affected his numbers, and if he starts to miss games this year his Heisman opportunity could disappear.

If you play quarterback at USC it makes you a Heisman contender by default it seems, although Booty is the real deal. In the Rose Bowl last year Booty’s immense skill shined with 391 yards and four touchdowns as they defeated Michigan. If Booty could post some big numbers with far fewer offensive weapons around him, he could get more Heisman votes, and if he gets his team back to the BSC Bowl this year, he could become the fourth player at USC in the last six years to win the Heisman Trophy.

If a quarterback does not win the Heisman, it is a running back that usually walks away with the trophy. Darren McFadden of Arkansas and Steve Slaton of West Virginia are this year’s biggest college standouts in the backfield.

Last year McFadden was the runner-up to Troy Smith, and that makes him the Heisman contender by default. Although, McFadden will have to exceed his numbers this year if he has any chance to win the Heisman Trophy. McFadden with his size, speed and power has the talent to do it this season.

Slaton who has blazing speed and a never-quit attitude, might be the best running back in college football today, and who fights hard for every yard that he obtains. This determination and drive showed up last year as he rushed for an incredible seven yards per carry. If Slaton can repeat these numbers, he should be able to help take West Virginia to the top of the Big East and earn himself valuable Heisman Trophy consideration.

Originally Written By James Murray, Amazines.com

After-shot care makes for better trophy

Unlike most of the hunting shows — in which outdoor celebrities seem to add one or two trophy whitetails to their collection every time you turn on the television — the chances of taking a wall hanger come few and far between for most of us. This is why it’s so important to be prepared when you finally get your chance at the buck of a lifetime.

While many of us are more than equipped to head into the woods in pursuit of big whitetails, having a game plan for the after-shot care is also very important. Craig Debord of 9 Toes Taxidermy in Clarksdale, Mo., and I spoke about this important aspect of the hunt, and he’s provided a little guidance on this issue.

Damage to your whitetail hide is costly to repair, according to Debord, and some types of damage cannot be fixed. While every taxidermist might have a slightly different method of caping a hide, Debord recommended contacting yours prior to hunting to get instructions on their preferred methods.

He gave the following general instructions that most taxidermist use for caping out a whitetail for a shoulder mount (Remove and place in hunting pack for future reference):

1) With a sharp knife slit the hide circling the body behind the shoulder at approximately the mid-way point of the rib cage behind the front and back legs.

2) Slit the skin around the legs just above the knee joint.

3) Make an additional slit down the back of the leg joining the initial cut around the body between the legs.

4) Peel or carefully cut the skin forward up to the ears and jaws exposing the head/neck junction being careful not to damage the cape.

5) Cut into the neck approximately three inches down from this junction. Circle the neck cutting down the spinal column. After this cut is complete, grasp the antler bases and twist the head off the neck.

6) This should allow the hide to be rolled up and inward and placed in a freezer until being transported to the taxidermist.

These cuts should allow ample hide for your taxidermist to work with in mounting. Remember, the taxidermist can cut off excess hide but he can’t add what he doesn’t have.

Note: When field dressing a trophy to be mounted, don’t cut into the brisket (chest) or neck area. If blood gets on the hide to be mounted, wash it off with snow or water as soon as possible. Also, avoid dragging the deer out of the woods with a rope. Place it on a deer cart, four-wheeler, or sled. The rope, rocks, or a broken branch can easily damage the fur or puncture the hide. If you need to drag it out with a rope, attach the rope to the base of the antlers and drag your trophy very carefully.

While freezing your mount will ensure bacteria will not ruin your trophy, Debord also warns hunters to not leave their trophies in a freezer for extended periods of time as freezer burns can also damage the hides.

For the majority of us, harvesting a beautiful whitetail that is worthy of a shoulder mount is an experience not often repeated in a lifetime. After working so hard to take such a trophy you owe it to yourself to be prepared when the moment finally arrives.

Originally written by Jeff Leonard

Trophy news from Wichita Falls, TX

Forty years of memories can overwhelm a guy — especially when they rush back all at once.

When Walter Lee, 49, answered the phone in his Fort Walton Beach, Fla., home Thursday, he couldn’t believe his ears.

His grandfather’s beloved racing trophy — the one Lee was promised as a child — had finally been recovered.

“For the last 40 years, I have wondered whatever happened to that trophy,” Lee said. “It was the only thing I had left from my grandpa.”

Lee’s grandfather, Johnny Lee, won the large racing trophy in 1924 at the Texas-Oklahoma Fair.

It disappeared for decades. Then, a few years ago, Paul White found the silver-plated racing trophy in his Houston home.

He almost trashed it.

Luckily, White recognized the value in the 1942 relic before tossing it in the dumpster. He decided to find out where it belonged.

White contacted Camron Ward of the Wichita Falls Founders’ Lions Club, sponsor of the Texas-Oklahoma Fair, to see if a rightful owner could be found.

The Times Record News published a story on the trophy Tuesday, and within days the mystery was solved.

According to the Sept. 30, 1924, edition of the Wichita Daily Times, Johnny Lee drove a Dodge Special to victory with the fastest mile time — 1 minute, 6.5 seconds — a half-second faster than the record.

Julie Coley, genealogist and TRN research consultant, worked for several days trying to locate someone from the Lee family, so the relic could be returned.

It wasn’t an easy search.

After poring over death records, old newspapers, genealogy Web sites and old appraisal listings, her hunt ended with Walter.

She made the call.

“He was really unsure at first,” Coley said. “When I mentioned the trophy, he was so excited. He remembered actually holding it as a child.”

Lee’s father passed away when he was 3 years old, severing connections to that side of his family, so he never got to meet his racing legend of a grandfather.

“I’ve seen pictures of him, heard stories,” Lee said. “He raced the circuit and made lots of money.”

As a child, Lee listened earnestly to stories of his grandpa — one in particular still stands out.

Grandpa was a rounder and a rebel, Lee said.

“When my uncles were young, my grandpa decided he was going to drive up on the railroad tracks,” Lee said. “He let the air out of the tires. They got pretty nervous when a train started coming.”

The train chugged along, headed straight for the Model A, and Johnny Lee jumped it off the tracks.

“They remembered it all their lives,” Lee said.

Not only was he a racer, and a bit of a daredevil, but also an ace mechanic.

“He liked experimenting and inventing stuff,” Lee said. “But I believe he always raced.”

Along with hearing the stories, Lee looked through photo albums stored in his uncle’s old Army footlocker from World War II, along with the 1924 Texas-Oklahoma Fair racing trophy.

When his uncles died, the footlocker was given away.

Lee was devastated at losing his grandpa’s things and dedicated a lot of time trying to locate them. He finally gave up in 1980.

“It was so long ago,” Lee said. “I was just hitting dead-ends.”

With the help of Coley, the grateful descendant finally found his lost treasure.

“I think what’s kind of neat about it is his uncle had promised this to him,” Ward said. “I guess it was meant to be.”

Lee was able to recall what the trophy looked like to a tee, Ward said.

The trophy will be on display, along with articles showcasing Johnny Lee, at the 2008 Texas-Oklahoma Fair from Sept. 16-20. After that, it will be sent back to Lee.

“The memories themselves are worth it, but I would definitely like to see it again,” Lee said. “It has brought back a lot of memories, good memories.”

Trophy News from ESPN

Kobe Bryant recently said he would rather win an Olympic gold medal than the NBA championship. Was he merely saying what was politically correct before the Olympics? Did he say it only because it sounds better than “I would rather win an Olympic gold medal than lose the NBA championship”? Or does an Olympic gold medal really mean more to him than a professional championship?

Only Kobe knows for sure but what about you? What sporting trophy means the most to you? Of all the things you could win in sports, which would you choose? A Super Bowl ring? The Masters green jacket? The Heisman Trophy? The Cy Young Award? A World Series? A Final Four? There are dozens upon dozens of championships and awards to win, but which would you most want to claim?

Here are a few quick caveats on my rankings:

The form of the award matters. Trophies top plaques, and the bigger the better. After all, you want the damn thing to look impressive in your trophy case.

Names count, too. Awards named in honor of a person (such as the Cy Young) just resonate more than those that, while prestigious, are named something boring and generic like the “MVP award.”

Durability counts. Generally, the longer the award has been around, the more it means.

Originally Written by Jim Caple for ESPN