Famed driver dies

Leonard brought prestige to San Jose, won 6 IndyCar races

Joe Leonard, who brought fame to San Jose as a driver in the 1960s and ‘70s, has died.

Leonard won 27 races in the American Motorcyclist Association and was Grand National champion in 1954, 1956 and 1957 before turning his focus to cars in 1961. He won six IndyCar races and was national champ in 1971 and 1972. He is one of two drivers to win national championships on two and four wheels.

At the 1968 Indianapolis 500, Leonard won the pole with a track record. He was nine laps short of winning the race when his fuel pump broke.

Leonard was 84 when he died April 29 at a San Jose nursing home.

“I hate to hear he’s gone,” A.J. Foyt told the Indianapolis Star, “but damn he was a fighter and a tough SOB. He had a helluva run.”

Rugby

Russell Webb scored 18 points and Sam Cusano added three tries as Cal defeated Arkansas State 43-13 to win the Penn Mutual Varsity Cup National Championship final at Stevens Stadium in Santa Clara. Loosehead prop Kevin Sullivan of the Bears (17-3) was named Man of the Match.

The title, Cal’s second straight and 28th overall in 15s, brings the program’s overall total to 32. Head coach Jack Clark has won 28 championships. The Bears move on to the Olympic 7s for the Collegiate Rugby Championship, set for June 3-4 in Philadelphia.

Track and field

Stanford senior Vanessa Fraser placed ninth in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:25.83 at the Payton Jordan Invitational. Had she not been a redshirt, Fraser’s mark — her best by 15 seconds — would have been tops by a collegian this season.

Fraser, No. 14 in the world, finished No. 2 among U.S. runners behind third-place finisher Lauren Paquette (15:20.48).

Sixteen of the world’s 21 fastest outdoor times this year were recorded in the two women’s 5,000 heats.

Two runners set national records in the 10,000 meters: Luis Fernando Ostos Cruz of Peru (27:53.58) for the men and Meraf Bahta of Sweden (31:13.06) for the women.

Baseball

Denis Karas hit a grand slam and added a two-run homer to keep Cal close, but the Bears fell 11-10 to No. 1 Oregon State. The Bears (21-23, 12-11 Pac-12) scored twice in the eighth to come within one run, but Oregon State (37-4, 203) held on. Cameron Eden and Tanner Dodson each hit solo homers for Cal.

Jake Valdez struck n out six in seven innings of work as Saint Mary scored an 8-1 victory over San Diego.

Softball

Kiana Pancino held No. 7 Washington to one hit to lead Stanford to a 6-0 victory. Pancino (6-5) was perfect through 41⁄3 innings against the Huskies’ (39-11, 12-8 Pac-12) before allowing a double to Taylor Van Zee. The win was the first for the Cardinal (19-28, 2-18 Pac12) against a top-10 opponent since February 2015.

Colette Riggs surrendered n one hit, a fourth-inning single, to win her 10th game of the season as San Jose State beat Utah State 2-1.