Desisa wins Boston Marathon again
Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia won his second Boston Marathon, two years after he donated the medal from his first victory to the city in memory of the bombing victims.
Kenya’s Caroline Rotich was the women’s champion, outsprinting Mare Dibaba down Boylston Street to win by four seconds.
Desisa didn’t have much time to celebrate when he won in 2013. Hours after he crossed the finish line, two bombs exploded on Boylston Street and turned his victory into an afterthought. As the city mourned the three killed and 260 wounded in the explosions, he returned to Boston to donate the medal.
Now Desisa has a Boston title he can enjoy. “I’m happy for No. 1,” he said. “I am happy to win and for a strong Boston 2013.”
The 25-year-old Ethiopian won the 119th edition of the world’s most prestigious marathon in an unofficial time of 2 hours 9 minutes 17 seconds to beat Yemane Adhane Tsegay by 31 seconds. Kenya’s Wilson Chebet was third, another 34 seconds back.
Dathan Ritzenhein of Rockford, Michigan, was the first American, in seventh. Defending champion Meb Keflezighi of San Diego was one spot behind him a year after he became the first American men’s champion since 1983.
The Philadelphia Eagles signed quarterback Tim Tebow to a one-year contract, giving the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner his first shot in the NFL since the New England Patriots cut him before the 2013 season.
Junior college center Ikenna Okwarabizie signed a national letter of intent with UCLA, the school announced.
Okwarabizie, 6 feet 9 and 250 pounds, visited UCLA over the weekend and tweeted that he would become a Bruin.
Okwarabizie, who was born in Nigeria, has played for three seasons in the United States. He played in high school in Missouri and Iowa before one season at Tyler Junior College in Texas. He averaged 6.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks at Tyler, finishing second on the team in blocked shots (41) and total rebounds (237).
He will be a sophomore next season.
— Zach Helfand
Utah center Jakob Poeltl will bypass the NBA draft and return for his sophomore year. Poeltl started 34 games and averaged 9.1 points as the Utes advanced to the Sweet 16.
Chris Antley, the late jockey who twice won the Kentucky Derby, was elected to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame along with thoroughbreds Lava Man and Xtra Heat and trainer King Leatherbury.
Antley, who died of a drug overdose in 2000, won the Derby in 1991 with Strike the Gold and in 1999 with Charismatic. In a career that spanned from 1983 until his death at 34, Antley won 3,480 races with purse earnings of $92,261,894.
California recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach Pierre Ingram has been placed on administrative leave.
The San Jose Mercury News said Ingram was arrested last week in Oakland as part of prostitution sting.