AP-NW–1st SportsMinute,311
Here is the latest Washington, Oregon and Alaska sports news from
The Associated Press
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) – Hector Noesi was used mainly out of the
bullpen during his time with the Yankees but figures prominently in
the Seattle Mariners’ plans for its starting rotation. Noesi will
be given the opportunity during spring training to catch on as the
third or fourth starter. Noesi, acquired by the Mariners in the
trade that sent starter Michael Pineda to the Yankees, threw his
first bullpen session of the spring in Peoria, Ariz., yesterday.
Mariners manager Eric Wedge was pleased with what he saw.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The Pac-12 has started construction on the
studios for its new television network. The conference held a
groundbreaking in San Francisco on Monday that featured a handful
of former great Pac-12 athletes using sledgehammers and
screwdrivers. Commissioner Larry Scott called this a
“groundbreaking” moment and exciting time for the conference. The
Pac-12 network is scheduled to launch in mid-August. It will
include one national network, six regional networks and a digital
network.
AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. (AP) – Unheralded teenage middleweight
Claressa Shields upset top-ranked Olympic hopeful Franchon Crews
last night in the first U.S. team trials for women’s boxing.
Top-ranked lightweight Queen Underwood overcame serious jitters in
front of her home-state crowd, winning her first bout in a small
ballroom at a resort-casino just outside Spokane. The
double-elimination trials feature eight fighters in each of the
three weight classes of the first Olympic women’s boxing tourney.
AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. (AP) – A debate is brewing among amateur
female boxers, the international sports community and amateur
boxing’s governing body over a wardrobe question: should women who
enter the ring wear skirts? The International Amateur Boxing
Association recently encouraged women to wear skirts in
competitions, but a spokesman says it never intended to ‘force’
skirt wearing. Much of the international sports community reacted
with outrage at the mere suggestion women wear skirts.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-02-14-12 0530EST