ESU opens track season at Robinson Pentathlon
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Saturday, December 13, 2008
ESU opens track
season at Robinson Pentathlon
Brooke Kent provisionalled in two events and Jennifer Robinson hit one provisional mark as the Emporia State track and field team opened the 2008-09 season at the Carol Robinson Winter Pentathlon in Manhattan.
Kent finished third in the women’s pentathlon with an NCAA Division II provisional qualifying mark of 3,291 points. The All-American had a provisional qualifier in the long jump of 18-01.50 (5.52m) in the five event competition.
Robinson placed sixth overall and had a provisional mark of 5-06.50 (1.69m) in the high jump.
A pair of freshmen for ESU, Justine Davenport and Kaylea Goff, placed 10th and 11th in their first collegiate multi-event competition.
For the ESU men, freshman Tony Granillo placed sixth and junior Cole Davis was seventh in their first competitions of the year. The pentathlon is not a championship event for the men at the NCAA National meet so there is no provisional mark to meet.
The rest of the Hornet team will begin the season today at the KSU Allcomers Meet in Manhattan.
German and Royals agree at $1.2 million
Infielder Esteban German agreed Friday night to a $1.2 million, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, who allowed center fielder Joey Gathright and left-handed pitcher John Bale to become free agents.
German hit .245 with no homers and 22 RBIs in 216 at-bats last season. In addition to his base salary, he can earn $100,000 in performance bonuses: $50,000 each for 350 and 400 plate appearances.
Gathright played in 105 games for the Royals last season, batting .254 with 41 runs and 71 hits and driving in 22 runs. A .263 career hitter, he came to Kansas City in 2006 from Tampa Bay.
Bale was 0-3 with a 4.39 ERA in 2008, appearing in just 13 games while struggling with injuries — one of them self-inflicted. While on the disabled list in May with shoulder tightness, Bale broke his pitching hand by punching a hotel room door while the Royals were in Cleveland. He apologized to Kansas City fans, but the reason for his anger remained a mystery.
The six-season veteran came to the Royals in 2007 after stints with Cincinnati, Baltimore and Toronto.
Infielder Jason Smith, who played briefly for Kansas City last season, and right-handed pitcher Jairo Cuevas also became free agents after not getting contracts Friday.