Former women’s national team coach Gray arrested
A former USA Gymnastics women’s national team coach was arrested in Las Vegas and charged with 14 counts of lewdness with a child under 14, according to Clark County inmate records and two people familiar with the case.
Terry Gray, who also coached at high-profile gyms in Southern California and Ohio, was arrested late Friday night, nine months after he was suspended from the sport for two years by the U.S. Center for Safesport for sexual misconduct with a minor.
Gray, 52, continued to coach young female gymnasts at SCEGA Gymnastics in Temecula during a more than year-long investigation by the U.S. Center for Safesport until his suspension last October.
Gray’s continued coaching presence at SCEGA sparked Congressional outrage in 2018.
Gray’s arrest stems from alleged incidents at Brown’s Gymnastics, a Las Vegas club with history of producing U.S. national team members and NCAA Division I gymnasts. There are at least three alleged victims, according to a person familiar with the case. Brown coaches and employees have been cooperating with law enforcement, according to a person familiar with the investigation.
The alleged incidents took place in 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2013, according an arrest document. Gray coached in Las Vegas between 2009 and 2015, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. He was in custody in Las Vegas Saturday and is scheduled to make a court appearance Monday morning. — Scott M. Reid
MLB
YANKEES’ CHAPMAN TESTS POSITIVE >> New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman became the latest high-profile player to test positive for the coronavirus, his diagnosis announced hours after the Houston Astros canceled another practice due to virus concerns.
In New York, manager Aaron Boone said Chapman wouldn’t “be here for the foreseeable future.” Boone said the left-handed reliever “overall was doing well” despite experiencing mild symptoms.
The Yankees are scheduled to start the virus-delayed season on July 23 at the World Series champion Washington Nationals. The AL champ Yankees already were missing star infielder DJ Lemahieu and right-hander Luis Cessa, who both tested positive last week and are still isolating at home.
Boone wouldn’t say whether Chapman had been at Yankee Stadium since throwing a bullpen session on Tuesday. He said the team had gone through contact tracing protocols, and no other players or personnel would be forced to isolate because of Chapman’s positive test.
Also testing positive was Kansas City backup catcher Cam Gallagher. Gallagher, who said he is asymptomatic, participated in an intrasquad game on Friday night before receiving his positive test results on Saturday.
CESPEDES SHOULD BE READY >> The delay of the season due to the pandemic gave Yoenis Céspedes time to recover from injuries and the Mets slugger said he’ll be ready for the first game.
The 34-year-old slugger has struggled with a string of injuries to his feet and legs that have kept him out of the lineup for almost two years. He could be a good candidate to be the team’s DH with the National League using it this season.
The two-time All-star missed last season and most of 2018. He had surgery on both heels and then broke his right ankle in a nasty fall at his Florida ranch.
DESHIELDS WORKS OUT >> Cleveland outfielder Delino Deshields Jr. worked out for the first time since his COVID-19 diagnosis. Deshields, who had mild symptoms, had been in Cleveland for a few days but wasn’t cleared until testing negative twice.
NBA
JAMES WON’T WEAR SOCIAL JUSTICE MESSAGE >> Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James said Saturday that he won’t wear a social justice message on the back of his jersey when the NBA season resumes.
James explained why he passed when he spoke with reporters on a video conference call.
“I don’t need to have something on the back of my jersey for people to understand my mission or know what I’m about and what I’m here to do,” James said. LEONARD IN QUARANTINE PROTOCOL >> Kawhi Leonard has arrived in Florida and is serving his quarantine protocol, Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers said.
Leonard was excused from making the trip with the team earlier in the week to attend to a family matter.
Rivers said every player is healthy, “knock on wood.”
Golf
MUIRFIELD VILLAGE FINAL GROUP A LOOK AT FUTURE >> Justin Thomas kept another clean card at Muirfield Village and had a 6-under 66 to turn a three-shot deficit into a two-shot lead in the Workday Charity Open in Dublin, Ohio.
Thomas first had to run off a string of birdies to stay within range of Collin Morikawa. And when Morikawa began to fade with three bogeys in a four-hole stretch around the turn, Thomas converted on the par 5s and played wisely on the short par-4 14th for another birdie to hold off Viktor Hovland.
The final group is a glimpse of golf’s next generation. Thomas is the proven star, already a major champion and former world No. 1 at age 27 as he goes after his third victory this season and the 13th victory of his career.
Hovland and Morikawa, the former Cal standout, had just left college at this time last year.
Hovland, the former U.S. Amateur champion from Norway, had eight birdies in his round of 66 and was two shots behind. Morikawa had to birdie the 18th for a 72. FISH LEADS CELEBRITY TOURNAMENT >> Former tennis player Mardy Fish birdied the final five holes in a record-breaking round to take a three-point lead over former Buffalo defensive tackle Kyle Williams in the American Century Championship in Stateline, Nev.
The $600,000 purse and additional money are being donated to organizations supporting COVID-19 relief efforts, the Equal Justice Initiative and Lake Tahoe regional non-profits.
Fish, who has 55 points, had an event-record 37-point round under the modified Stableford scoring system and a course-record 9-under 63.
Warriors star Stephen Curry was 11th with 30 points.
Motorsports
DIXON EARNS INDYCAR WIN IN FRONT OF FANS >> Winning an Indycar race is nothing new for Scott Dixon, particularly this year.
But getting to celebrate as fans cheered him on for the first time all year made his victory at Road America particularly sweet.
“To see fans and hear fans cheering again was definitely a lot of fun,” the 39-year-old New Zealander said after winning the opening race of a weekend doubleheader in Elkhart Lake, Wis.
This marked the third Indycar event of this pandemic-delayed season — Dixon has won all three of them — and the first to admit fans. Spectators hadn’t been permitted for Dixon’s previous victories in Fort Worth and Indianapolis.
Those fans got the opportunity to watch Dixon’s most improbable triumph of the year.
Dixon was a season-low ninth in qualifying and well off the lead pack for the first half of the race, but he took the lead for good shortly after a caution flag and beat Will Power by 2.5386 seconds. They were followed in order by Alex Palou, Ryan Hunterreay and Colton Herta. CREED WINS SHORTENED TRUCKS RACE >> Sheldon Creed won the NASCAR Trucks Series race at Kentucky Speedway when rain washed out the final stage.
The 22-year-old won for the first time in 37 series starts, taking the second stage just before the thunderstorm hit the Sparta, Ky., track.