Bombing suspect ex-Gloves boxer
SALT LAKE CITY — The Boston Marathon bombing suspect who was killed traveled to Salt Lake City in 2009 to compete in the national Golden Gloves boxing tournament. Records show Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, competed as a heavyweight in the prestigious amateur competition and was eliminated the first night. Tsarnaev, who had been known to the FBI as Suspect No. 1, was killed overnight Thursday during a getaway attempt, officials said. Friday, thousands of officers were swarming the streets in and around Boston, hunting for — and eventually capturing — Tsarnaev’s younger brother, Dzhokhar, 19. Tom Lee, president of the South Boston Boxing Club where the older Tsarnaev trained, described him as a gifted athlete who “moved like a gazelle” and used to do handstands and walk around the gym on his hands. After the Golden Gloves loss, Tsarnaev started training at Lee’s club to prepare for a regional competition in Massachusetts. Tsarnaev was allowed to compete but not advance in the tournament because he wasn’t a U.S. citizen, according to Lee, who said Tsarnaev shouldn’t have been allowed to compete at the national Golden Gloves in Utah 2009 for the same reason. Lee said he last saw Tsarnaev about a year ago when he popped into the gym for a light workout. He was shocked when one of his boxers texted him Friday morning to tell him Tsarnaev was a bombing suspect. “I thought it was a joke,” he said.
PRO BASKETBALL NEW YORK — A recommendation on the Sacramento Kings’ sale and possible move to Seattle could be issued as soon as next week and a final decision made early next month, ending a process NBA commissioner David Stern called the most “wrenching” of his career. The committee reviewing the bids by a Seattle group that has an agreement to buy the franchise and a Sacramento contingent that wants to keep it in California’s capital city is expected to meet late next week and make its recommendation. A vote by the full NBA Board of Governors could then take place as soon as the week of May 6, with Stern indicating the owners will first decide on whether they would be willing to approve relocation. Stern also said the Sacramento bid is “in the ballpark” financially with the deal from a Seattle group headed by Chris Hansen, though the Maloof family disputed that in a letter to the advisory and finance committee.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced Notre Dame’s league football opponents for the 2014-16 seasons. The Fighting Irish are playing five ACC teams per season as part of their football partnership with the league and will face each team at least once during the first three years of the agreement. They will play home games against new member Louisville, North Carolina and Wake Forest in 2014 and will visit Florida State and Syracuse. Notre Dame will visit Clemson, Pittsburgh and Virginia in 2015 and host Boston College and Georgia Tech. The following year the Irish will be home against Duke, Miami and Virginia Tech and will visit North Carolina State and Syracuse.
ATLANTA — Backup quarterbacks Justin Thomas and Tim Byerly led the Gold squad to a 22-10 win Friday night over starting quarterback Vad Lee’s White squad in Georgia Tech’s spring game in front of about 5,000 frigid fans in Bobby Dodd Stadium. All three quarterbacks ran well, and struggled to pass in a scrimmage dominated by defenses — especially the Gold’s collection of starters. Several starters on both sides of the ball did not play because of injuries or because they’re mending from surgeries.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
KNOXVILLE — Bobby Wahl pitched a complete- game three-hitter as 17th-ranked Ole Miss beat Tennessee 5-0 Friday night in the first game of a threegame SEC baseball series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Wahl struck out eight and improved to 8- 0. Vincent Jackson and A.J. Simcox got the Vols’ only hits, Jackson with a double and a single.