Outdoor Sports

The Women's College World Series is set. 

James Madison and Oklahoma State punched their tickets to Oklahoma City on Sunday, joining Oklahoma, Alabama, Arizona, Florida State, Georgia and UCLA. 

Below, we'll break down the WCWS schedule and Sunday's Super Regionals results.

WWCS Opening Day Schedule

For the full WCWS schedule, be sure to check out NCAA.com.

James Madison def. Missouri, 7-2

James Madison took a 3-2 lead into the top of the seventh inning, looking to hold off Missouri in Game 3 of their Super Regional Matchup. Four runs later, they had a comfortable enough lead to march to Oklahoma. 

Oh, and the first WCWS berth in school history.

Led by huge performances from Sarah Jubas (two hits, two runs, one RBI) and Logan Newton (three hits, two runs and an RBI)—along with an explosive top of the seventh—James Madison knocked off Missouri, 7-2. 

Odicci Alexander went the distance on the mound, meanwhile, allowing four hits, five walks and two runs while striking out sixth in the complete game win. Jordan Weber (three hits, two runs, one earned run, one walk, four strikeouts) took the loss for Missouri. 

Up next for James Madison is a matchup with the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, which beat Washington 2-0 in their Super Regional series. 

Oklahoma State def. Texas, 2-0

Oklahoma State won the battle of the Big 12, propelled by a key two-run fifth inning. 

RBI singles by Avery Hobson and Chelsea Alexander in that frame were the difference vs. Texas, while Carrie Eberle (four hits, one walk, three strikeouts) threw an absolute gem, pitching a complete-game shutout. 

It was a tough loss for Shea O'Leary, who was excellent in her six innings on the mound, giving up just four hits, two runs and a walk while striking out two. 

Up next for Oklahoma State is a matchup with Georgia. 

At least 21 athletes died while competing in an ultramarathon in China Saturday, according to John Bacon of USA Today.

The Huanghe Shilin Mountain Marathon is a 62-mile race in Baiyin City, Gansu Province, but this year's version saw a dramatic shift in weather in the mountains. There was reportedly hail, freezing rain and gales that unexpectedly hit the runners, who were wearing shorts and T-shirts at the time.

"Participants suffered from physical discomfort and loss of temperature due to the sudden drop in air temperature," Chinese state media reported.

Three-time race winner Liang Jing was among those who died.

The event was halted after multiple competitors posted videos in a group chat requesting help, leading to a search-and-rescue operation with over 1,200 workers. Eight people were hospitalized but in stable condition while 151 participants are accounted for after rescue efforts.

Baiyin City Mayor Zhang Xuchen announced there would be an investigation into the tragedy.

The 50th running of the New York City Marathon will be held on Nov. 7 with a field of 33,000 runners, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). 

The race, which was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will "showcase our great city's strength, inspiration, and determination," race director Ted Metellus said Monday. 

The New York Road Runners association said 54 percent of those who registered for 2020's race before it was canceled will participate this year. 

Last year's registrants were offered either a refund of their sign-up fee or a guaranteed entry in either the 2021, 2022 or 2023 edition of the NYC Marathon.

Per the AP's report, "NYRR's guidelines for the marathon will include social distancing, elimination of touchpoints, enhanced health and safety protocols, and testing and tracing. Runners should be prepared to provide a negative COVID-19 test result or proof of a complete vaccination series before running."

The 2019 edition saw Geoffrey Kamworor win for the second time in the men's race, while Joyciline Jepkosgei won the women's division. The race did hold a virtual event in 2020, with Kevin Quinn and Stephanie Bruce coming out on top. 

Greyhound trainer Angela Helen Turnwald received a four-month suspension and a NZ$3,500 fine after one of her dogs tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine. 

According to Radio New Zealand, Zipping Sarah placed first in a race at Addington Raceway in Christchurch, New Zealand, last November. A post-race urine test was flagged for the two substances.

However, the Judicial Control Authority for Racing was unable to determine when the drugs were given to the dog, and Turnwald wasn't found liable for any "deliberate wrongdoing."

JCA panel chairman Warwick Gendall said Turnwald needed to be punished nonetheless because methamphetamine "poses significant animal welfare issues" and that the level of amphetamine—metabolized methamphetamine—in Zipping Sarah's system was "particularly large."

Will Appelbe, a spokesperson for the animal rights group SAFE, went further and called the usage of methamphetamine in dogs "depraved" and "abhorrent." The organization is calling for the government to stop all greyhound racing while it completes a review of the industry as a whole.

"The government's review is promising, but every day that dogs are raced, the risk of painful injury is high and death is never far away," Appelbe said. "To protect dogs, the Minister should immediately halt racing until the review is complete."

In 2020, the Kentucky Derby was much different than usual. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the race was postponed to early September, and there were no fans in attendance at Churchill Downs. Also, it ended up being the second event on the Triple Crown schedule, as the Belmont Stakes still occurred in June.

Another difference compared to last year's event is that there was no Kentucky Derby Festival, which also meant there was no marathon. The race is typically held one week before the Kentucky Derby, and while the 26.2-mile marathon has only been taking place since 2002, there has been a 13-1-mile "mini" marathon that has been held since 1974.

This year, the event is back, but there will be some changes, considering it's being held during the pandemic. The "mini" marathon is going to take place over four days, beginning on Thursday and running through Sunday. However, the marathon will only be occurring on Saturday.

For those who don't want to run an in-person version of the race, there will also be a virtual format, allowing for more people to safely participate.

Here's everything else you need to know about this year's Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon.

Course Map

Preview

If the course looks a bit different this year, that's because it's been modified to better allow for social distancing. So while the races will keep the same distances, the runners will be traveling around the Louisville area in different ways.

The start and finish line will be at Lynn Family Stadium, which is the case for both the marathon and "mini" marathon.

The start times are also going to be staggered, so there will be fewer runners in each area of the course at a time. Runners' start times were given to them in confirmation emails or can be found on RunSignUp.

While there's not going to be as much course support as in previous years, there will be self-serve water stations and time tracking, as well as support at the start/finish line.

It'll also be required that runners maintain a certain pace as part of the social-distancing protocols for the races. In the marathon, that means they'll need to be on a pace of 15 minutes per mile. And for the "mini" marathon, runners will need to keep a pace of 13 minutes, 45 seconds per mile.

Things will be a bit different, but the events will at least be taking place, unlike in 2020.

"We're just excited to be able to do something," Kentucky Derby Festival spokeswoman Aimee Boyd said, per Sean Baute of WAVE 3 News. "... When we were looking to do the race this year over multiple days, we knew we couldn't close all those downtown streets for four days in a row. This year's course is actually using walking paths and bike lanes, and trying to limit any street closures or impact on folks around those areas."

The marathon isn't the only Kentucky Derby Festival tradition that will be back this year, as there are plenty of other events taking place. A full list of those can be found at the festival's official site.

In past years, there have typically been close to 3,000 participants in the KDF Marathon, with participants coming from all over the United States and other countries. It hasn't been announced how many runners there will be in this year's race, but there should be plenty of people with interest after missing out last year.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced it's agreed to hear a case about whether convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev should have his death penalty sentence reinstated.

Mark Sherman of the Associated Press reported Monday that Tsarnaev, who was found guilty in 2015 on all 30 charges brought against him related to the bombing at the 2013 Boston Marathon that killed three people and injured hundreds more, had the death penalty revoked by an appeals court in July.

Although the appeals court upheld most of the charges against Tsarnev, it ruled the judge in the original case "did not do enough to ensure the jury would not be biased against him" and removed the death sentence.

Even if the Supreme Court votes to reinstate capital punishment against Tsarnaev, who was a student at UMass Dartmouth at the time of the bombings, President Joe Biden would have to schedule execution since it's a federal charge. Biden has argued for an end to the death penalty, per Sherman.

In July, Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson wrote on behalf of the three-judge panel that their ruling didn't mean Tsarnaev had any chance of a return to freedom.

"But make no mistake: Dzhokhar will spend his remaining days locked up in prison, with the only matter remaining being whether he will die by execution," Thompson wrote.

One of Tsarnaev's lawyers, defense attorney Judy Clarke, didn't dispute the fact her client was involved in the attack during the 2015 trial—"It was him," she said during her opening statement—but instead argued he was influenced to commit the act of terror by his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Tamerlan died in 2013 when he was wounded during a gunfight with police and was then run over by his brother in a getaway vehicle.

Clarke urged jurors to "choose life" during closing arguments of the trial's penalty phase rather than sentencing Tsarnaev to death.

"He was not the worst of the worst, and that's what the death penalty is reserved for," she said.

Tsarnaev was sentenced to death in May 2015 before the ruling was overturned on appeal last year.

Boston Marathon legend Dick Hoyt died Wednesday at the age of 80. 

CBS Boston reported the news. 

The Boston Athletic Association issued a statement on Hoyt's death, explaining how inspirational he was to so many as he pushed his son Rick—who was born with spastic quadriplegia and cerebral palsy—in a racing chair while completing 32 Boston Marathons:

"The B.A.A. is tremendously saddened to learn of the passing of Boston Marathon icon Dick Hoyt. Dick personified what it meant to a be a Boston Marathoner, showing determination, passion, and love every Patriots' Day for more than three decades. He was not only a fan-favorite who inspired thousands, but also a loyal friend and father who took pride in spending quality time with his son Rick while running from Hopkinton to Boston.

"As a leader of Team Hoyt, Dick Hoyt and his son Rick quickly became Boston Marathon legends after their first run in 1980. Pushing Rick in a custom racing chair, Dick and Rick completed 32 Boston Marathons together, including a final finish in 2014. The pair's bond and presence throughout the course became synonymous with the Boston Marathon. Team Hoyt's 1,000th race together came at the 2009 Boston Marathon, and in 2015 Dick served as Grand Marshal of the race in recognition of his impact on the event and Para Athlete community.

"Dick Hoyt was one-of-a-kind. We will sincerely miss Dick, and are keeping his many family and friends in our thoughts and prayers."

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh also reacted to the news:

Christina Prignano, Travis Andersen and Katie McInerney of the Boston Globe noted the Hoyts participated in more than 1,000 road races, marathons and triathlons. Dick was named the grand marshal of the Boston Marathon in 2015 and ran his final one in 2014.

Both Dick and Rick Hoyt were recognized with a bronze statue near the Boston Marathon starting line in 2013.

The Boston Marathon has been scheduled for Oct. 11, marking the second year in a row—and the second year in its history—that it will not be held in April. 

The race is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, a Massachusetts state holiday that falls on the third Monday in April. This year's race has been postponed to the fall in hopes that it will allow for an in-person event amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Massachusetts does not allow road races until Phase 4 of its reopening plan, which will not begin until there is the "development of vaccines and/or treatments" against the virus. The state is currently in Phase 3, Step 1.

In 2020, the race was postponed from April to Sept. 14, then canceled altogether for the first time since it began in 1897. There was a virtual marathon instead, and participants were required to complete a marathon in six hours between Sept. 7-14. 

According to Boston Athletic Association's announcement, there will also be a virtual option for this year's race. 

All of the other Abbott World Marathon Majors are also scheduled for the fall, including Berlin (Sept. 26), London (Oct. 3), Chicago (Oct. 10), Tokyo (Oct. 17) and New York City (Nov. 7). 

The 2021 Boston Marathon has been postponed until at least next fall, a six-month delay from its traditional April date. 

An annual staple of the city's Patriot's Day schedule—held on the third Monday in April—the Boston Athletic Association announced its decision to place the marathon on hold on the advice of its COVID-19 Medical and Event Operations Advisory Group as the state continues to battle the pandemic. 

"With fewer than six months until Patriots’ Day and with road races prohibited until Phase 4 of the Massachusetts reopening plan, we are unable to host the Boston Marathon this coming April," BAA CEO Tom Grilk said in a statement. "By shifting our focus to a fall date, we can continue to work with stakeholders to adjust the in-person experience for runners and supporters alike. Prioritizing the safety of participants, volunteers, spectators, and community members, we continue to assess all elements of the race including a potential reduced field size or weekend date."

This is the second time the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the Boston Marathon. The 124th running last year was canceled—then held virtually—as cases soared last spring.  

Organizers are hopeful they can avoid a similar fate in 2021 by delaying the race. A new date is expected to be confirmed by the end of the year. 

"We are optimistic that the Boston Marathon will continue its tradition of celebrating the spirit of community and athletic excellence next fall," Grilk said. "We know there will be many questions and we will look to address them in the coming months ahead."

Capital Sports Institute, which runs the Wichita Youth Football league in Kansas, announced it canceled the remainder of the 2020 season after a 31-year-old man was fatally shot at the Stryker Sports Complex.

The organization made the announcement on its Facebook page Wednesday and pointed to reasons such as constant arguments, littering and the need for a police presence at games, in addition to the shooting: 

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the termination of the 2020 Wichita Youth Football Season. We are feeling incredibly disappointed, saddened, and discouraged as it pertains to this community. This youth football league was developed with a genuine hope to change the culture surrounding youth football in Wichita. To give inner-city children the opportunity to play under the lights on turf fields, with large crowds cheering them on to victory. To allow those children to feel cared for, important, and worthy. To give families a safe, secure environment where their children can learn to play sports. To allow the Wichita youth some time to simply be kids in the midst of a global pandemic. Instead, we were forced as a league to deal with fights, litter, and arguments on a weekly basis, ultimately leading to a permanent W.P.D. presence and heightened security, clean-up crews, and a permanent admission fee needed to pay for those extra costs. As most of you know, tonight during the last game of the evening, a gun was snuck into the premises at Stryker and someone was fatally shot. As a league, we can no longer safely continue with the 2020 season, as it is clearly too dangerous for the children and families of this city. Our pleas and desires to change the culture of youth football in Wichita have consistently fallen on deaf ears. We are sending our hopes and prayers not only to the injured party's family, but also to all the families involved in this league and most importantly, to the children who have lost the great opportunity this year to simply play football.

"It is our genuine hope that as a city, as a people, as a culture, we can and will do better."

Chris Bumbaca of USA Today provided more details, noting the Wichita Police Department said an at-large suspect shot and killed Marquell Nolen with a handgun at Stryker Sports Complex.

Police said the shots were fired following an argument in the stadium's bleachers. Nolan was taken to the hospital, where he eventually died.

The league was for children in grades one through eight.