July 21, 2012|Sports Digest
Et cetera
Serena to miss Kastles match before London
Serena Williams will not play her scheduled match with the Washington Kastles on Sunday and will be replaced by her sister, Venus Williams, when the team hosts the Kansas City Explorers. According to a news release, Williams withdrew from the match to further rest her back as she prepares for the Summer Olympics. Venus will fly to London after Sunday's match to join her sister as they go for a third gold medal in women's doubles. Serena will also represent the U.S. in singles competition. She has never won an Olympic singles title and is considered the favorite after beating Agnieszka Radwanska to win her fifth Wimbledon earlier this month.
—Matt Breen, The Washington Post
More tennis: American Brian Baker will play in the Citi Open singles qualifying draw starting next Saturday in Washington after reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon; Baker has climbed to a career-high No. 79 world ranking. The draw also includes fellow Americans Jesse Levine and Michael Russell. Canadian Eugenie Bouchard, the Wimbledon juniors champion, and Italian Camila Giorgi, who reached the fourth round of the main draw, have accepted wild cards into the women's singles draw. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. For information, go to citiopentennis.com.
Major League Soccer: Robbie Russell, D.C. United's starting right back, will miss at least a month after tearing tissue in the bottom of his left foot. Russell, who has started 16 of 19 MLS regular-season matches, was injured Sunday. Second-year player Chris Korb will start in his place.
—Steven Goff, The Washington Post
Men's over-30 soccer: Baltimore-based Christos FC advanced to the Over-30 United States Adult Soccer Association national final with a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Surf in Chicago. Giuliano Celenza (Archbiship Curley, UMBC) and Tony Tamanini (Curley, Villa Julie) each had a goal. Christos will play Kickers SC from Florida in Sunday's championship.
—Todd Karpovich
More men's soccer: The Craig Willinger Fund announced that Christopher Link of Bel Air is its summer 2012 honoree. The 10-year-old and his father will travel to New York to see Chelsea play Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday at Yankee Stadium in New York. The fund, formed in 2009, seeks to improve the lives of children and young adults stricken with cancer by providing opportunities to experience world-class soccer domestically and abroad. The fund is seeking applications from candidates ages 10 to 25. For guidelines, go to cwfund.org/application.html.
Field hockey: Six members of the national champion Maryland team were named to USA Field Hockey's junior national teams. Juniors Ali McEvoy and Jill Witmer and sophomores Maxine Fluharty and Katie Gerzabek were all named to the under-21 squad. Incoming freshmen Anna Dessoye and Alyssa Parker (Glenelg) made the under-19 team. Selections were made after completion of junior national camp last week in Amherst, Mass.
Girls basketball: The Central Maryland Attitude 7th Black National Team, including players from Howard, Carroll and Frederick counties, finished second in the Division 2 Classic Tournament at the Amateur Athletic Union seventh-grade nationals this week in Cincinnati.
Women's lacrosse: Midfielder Kristen Carr (Mercy) was named Player of the Match for Team USA in a 21-4 victory over Canada in the North American Challenge Cup last Saturday in Oshawa, Ontario. Carr, a Delaware assistant coach, had a team-high five ground balls and forced four turnovers.
Women's college volleyball: Ashley Preston was named coach by Coppin State. Last season, she led Spelman to a 9-16 record, establishing a school record for wins in a season. She was an assistant at Loyola and Morgan State.
College football: Maryland senior defensive lineman Joe Vellano was named to the watch list for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
College administration: Towson named Carroll County native Megan Bradshaw assistant director of athletics media relations. She will serve as managing editor of TowsonTigers.com and be the primary contact for the men's lacrosse and women's soccer teams.
—From Sun staff and news services
