Ledecky swims fastest time in 1,500 this year
Katie Ledecky won the 1,500-meter freestyle at the Pro Swim Series meet in Mission Viejo with the world’s fastest time this year.
She touched in 15 minutes, 40.55 seconds in the outdoor pool on Sunday. Ashley Twichell finished second in 16:06.68.
Ledecky’s time was 17 seconds quicker than the second-fastest swimmer this year, Simona Quadarella, who swam 15:57.03 at the recent Italian Olympic trials. Ledecky set the world record of 15:20.48 in 2018.
Ledecky’s 800 split would have won the individual event in Mission Viejo and would have been the world’s fastest this year as well. Her final time in the 1,500 would have been good enough to place third in the men’s event, won by Jordan Wilimovsky in 15:10.44.
Ledecky finished second in the 100 free in 54.22 seconds. Abbey Weitzeil won in 53.68.
The women’s 1,500 will be an Olympic event for the first time at the Tokyo Games.
George takes reins at Tennessee State
Tennessee State is naming Eddie George its new head football coach, multiple sources reported.
George will replace Ron Reed, who had been with the Tigers since 2010 and compiled a 60-69 record.
Reed’s departure is expected to be announced today, with George scheduled to be introduced Tuesday, sources told ESPN.com.
George starred at running back for the Tennessee Titans from 1996 to 2003, and the Tigers hope he will bring a much-needed spark to the program. The school is taking a path similar to the one taken by Jackson State, which hired NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders to take over its program in September. Jackson State is 4-3 in Sanders’ first season as its coach.
Like Sanders, George doesn’t have extensive coaching experience. Since retiring from the NFL in 2004, George has stayed connected to Nashville while also becoming an actor, with performances on Broadway and in film.
George has been a mentor for various Titans players, especially Derrick Henry, who credits a heart-to-heart conversation with George as a contributing factor to his breakout season in 2018. The Tigers hope having a big name like George will help recruiting and bring more attention to the university. The coaching staff already includes former NFL cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
• How about this for perfection by North Texas softball pitcher Hope Trautwein — 21 batters faced, 21 strikeouts?
Trautwein threw the perfect game Sunday, striking out all 21 Arkansas-Pine Bluff batters she faced in a 3-0 road victory.
It was the first perfect game in North Texas history, and is believed to be the first perfect seven-inning game in NCAA Division I history with every out being a strikeout.
NCAA records list two other pitchers with 21 strikeouts in a seven-inning game, but neither of those were perfect games.
• Texas Tech junior guard
Mac McClung intends to go through the NBA draft process while the team’s leading scorer from last season also has his name in the NCAA transfer portal.
The Georgetown transfer’s decision is the latest in the potential exodus of key players since coach Chris Beard took the job at Texas. Texas Tech assistant Mark Adams was promoted to take Beard’s place.
McClung and fellow junior guard Kyler Edwards are in the transfer portal. Sophomore Terrence Shannon Jr. plans to explore the NBA draft without hiring an agent, making him eligible to return to Texas Tech.
McClung led the Red Raiders in scoring in his only season, finishing eighth in the Big 12 at 15.5 points per game. He was fourth in conference games at 17.0 points per game. McClung spent the previous two seasons at Georgetown.
Italian Sonego takes title on home ground
Lorenzo Sonego became the first Italian for 15 years to capture an ATP tour clay-court title on home soil after fighting back to beat Laslo Djere of Serbia and win the Sardegna Open in Cagliari, Sardinia.
Third-seeded Sonego had to dig deep in the second set before prevailing 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in a final lasting just more thanthree hours.
• Veronika Kudermetova of Russia won her first WTA title, coming up strong on the big points to beat Danka Kovinic 6-4, 6-2 at the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, S.C.
Kudermetova, 23, did not drop a set in six matches on the way to the championship at the season’s first clay-court tournament — a feat last accomplished here by Serena Williams in 2012.
World championships resume in Calgary
The curling world championship playoffs resumed with players wearing masks after taking a day off due to a positive COVID-19 test inside the Calgary bubble.
The World Curling Federation first announced three positive, asymptomatic results during exit testing on Friday from teams that had not advanced to the playoffs. Saturday’s matches were postponed for further testing, and one player on a playoff team also tested positive and was initially ruled out of the competition.
But the federation said that it consulted with Canadian health officials and decided to allow the player to compete. In a statement issued on Sunday before resuming play with a tripleheader, the WCF said the player tested positive on Friday had a follow-up test that was negative on Saturday.
“The player ... had previously received a full vaccination — two doses — in his home country prior to the beginning of the championship,” the WCF said.
“The facts surrounding this specific individual were argued to be strong enough for a re-evaluation of the earlier decision, after it was determined that it would put his teammates and opponents at a very minimal risk by participating in Sunday’s playoff games.”
Switzerland defeated the United States 7-6 in a qualification game to advance to the semifinals vs. Sweden.
The Americans and Canadians also earned a berth in the 2022 Olympics.