SPORTS BRIEFS 03.25.10

+Local pairs place at World Championships
United States National Figure Skating Champions and Olympians Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett posted a season best free skate at the 2010 ISU Figure Skating World Championships March 24 in Torino, Italy, placing eighth with a score of 172.47.

Denney and Barrett improved upon their ninth-place finish from a year ago. Training partners and fellow Olympians Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig finished in ninth place with a score of 165.96. The two local pairs teams, who train at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex, were the only representatives the U.S. sent to Torino.

Denney and Barrett placed 13th,and Evora and Ladwig placed 10th in last month’s Winter Olympics.

+ U13 girls advance to President’s Cup
The Braden River Soccer Club U13 girls team defeated St. Pete Everton 2-1 March 20 and the Lee County Strikers 2-0 March 21 to capture the Region C Championship.
With the win, the girls will play Miami-Dade Pinecrest in the semifinals of the President’s Cup at 9 a.m., April 10 in Auburndale.

+ Suncoast Storm hosts first tourney
The Suncoast Storm, the travel ball team for the Miss Manatee Softball League, hosted its first tournament March 27-28 with nearly 30 teams from across the state competing in 8U, 12U and 14U divisions.
The Suncoast Storm 12U team won its division, recording four shutouts and outscoring its opponents 57-2. Pitchers Ali Yawn and Logan Newton dominated their opponents — both recorded two no-hitters.