Area Sports Briefs: Former LC star Hayes helps USA win gold

Published 12:00 am Monday, August 14, 2017

From staff  and wire eports

LONDON – The Team USA women’s 4×400  team was in such a class by itself at the IAAF World Championships that anchor leg Phyllis Francis looked like she was racing the camera vehicle instead of the rest of the field.

Former Livingstone star Quanera Hayes ran the first leg for the USA team.

Jamaica had a slight lead when Hayes handed off to Allyson Felix, but Felix  quickly took command. Then Jamaica’s second leg, Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby, pulled up with an injury on the curve and Felix extended her lead.

Hayes,  Felix, Shakima Wimbley and Francis won by the largest margin of victory in world championships history – male or female – to capture the first Team USA gold medal in the event since 2011.  The United States won silver medals in 2013 and 2015.

Team USA finished with a time of 3:19.02 and was followed by Great Britain in 3:25.00 and Poland in 3:25.41. That translated to a distance of about 50 meters.

Team USA posted the fastest time in the world this year.

Legion baseball

Randolph County lost to Arkansas, 5-0, on Sunday in the World Series in Shelby.

Arkansas (2-1) got the top seed from the pool, but Randolph (2-1) also advanced from pool play to the semifinals.

Randolph already had clinched a berth in the semifinals before the game started, and that probably factored into Randolph’s use of its pitching staff.

Randolph takes on Nebraska (3-0) tonight at 7:30 p.m on ESPNU, while Arkansas takes on Nevada at 3 p.m.

Nevada went 1-2 in pool play but was the pool runner-up  through tiebreakers.

Intimidators drop 2

Max Duval threw a  shutout as the Intimidators fell, 3-0, to the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader.

  Duval struck out nine in the seven-inning game and   became the first pitcher to throw a complete-game one-hitter against Kannapolis since August 16, 2010.

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Greensboro scored three times in the 10th to beat Kannapolis, 4-1, in the nightcap.

Rowan Little League

Rowan Little League fall baseball and softball registrations are at Godley’s Garden Center  through Sept. 2.

Parents can also register online anytime at http://www.rowanlittleleague.com.  Contact Jeff Bernhardt at 704-326-5255 for more information.