Aktuelles » ammates, Baker said. We wish Pap the

EUGENE, Ore. -- Just 18 years old, Vashti Cunningham is the reigning world indoor high jump champion. Trying to qualify for her first Olympics in the opening round of the U.S. track and field trials Friday afternoon, she was so focused on her jumps that she did not distract herself by talking to competitors inside the Hayward Field track.Not that there wasnt someone competing there alongside Cunningham who could provide strong advice for her future career.Amy Acuff first competed at the track trials at age 16 in 1992 before the Barcelona Games. She did not qualify at those trials, but she made the next five U.S. Olympic teams, competing in Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing and London. Despite being a month shy of her 41st birthday, having two children and a number of health issues this year, she was fighting for her sixth Olympics in Rio.Unfortunately, Acuff failed to advance to the high jump finals, missing her final three attempts at 1.84 meters (6 feet, one-half inch). With mixed emotions, she walked away from the high jump, and her career.I feel closure, Acuff said. I guess I felt like, Oh well, I tried my best and thats all you can hope for. I am officially retired from track and field. I said that before, but its for real now.Meanwhile, Cunningham qualified for Sundays finals, along with American record-holder and three-time Olympian Chaunte Lowe. The daughter of former NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham, Vashti is considered the favorite by many, though she says she doesnt consider herself that way. There are people who have done amazing things before me, she said. Im just one of the jumpers.Acuff said not to count out Lowe as the favorite, either, though she is definitely impressed by Cunningham.Vashti looks great, Acuff said. I had never seen her jump before. She just looks so natural and elastic. Im sure shell have a great career.Asked for what advice she has to pass to Cunningham and others, Acuff said: Just take care of your bodies. There are so many great jumpers littered on the side of the freeway to the Olympics. Mainly ankles. A lot of people are just done by their late 20s due to injuries, so you have to be really smart about your training and very open to looking at it and being realistic about what you can handle.So how was Acuff able to jump so high for so long?I think because I just love it, she said. At the core of it, I just love the art of jumping. My biggest hope was to come here and have that perfect timing and beautiful jump. Thats the funnest part.Despite having never medaled in her five Olympic competitions (she came closest with a fourth-place finish at the 2004 Games in Athens), she definitely has a symbolic Olympic torch to pass on to Cunningham, perhaps one that will help the younger jumper compete all the way to the 2036 Games.I think that for Amy going into this meet, and her willpower is just amazing. Shes mentally stronger than a lot of other people, to come and fight and jump and do what she loves. I respect her a lot for that, Cunningham said. After the years shes competed, the fact she still has the fight to come back and compete again is amazing and I hope that Im like that when Im older.Given how well Cunningham is jumping at such a young age -- she won indoor worlds with a leap of 1.95 meters -- she could definitely win a medal, perhaps gold. Not that she says she feels any pressure in that respect.There is not as much pressure as there is on people who have been here before, Cunningham said. I think Ive done well at the beginning of the season. ? Im trying to win [Sundays final]. Get first place and go into the Olympics with that confidence.Yadier Molina . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Custom Cardinals T-shirts .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/custom-gussie-busch-jersey-large-331q.html . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. Dexter Fowler .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. Lou Brock . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style.Struggling reliever Jonathan Papelbon has requested and received his release from the Washington Nationals, general manager Mike Rizzo announced Saturday.The Nationals made a corresponding roster move by recalling Reynaldo Lopez, who is scheduled to start Saturday nights game against the Atlanta Braves.There wasnt a real fit anymore, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. Didnt know where to use him.Papelbon is a free agent and can sign with any team. The Nationals are responsible for the remainder of his $11 million salary this year.In 37 appearances this season, Papelbon is 2-4 with a 4.37 ERA and 19 saves in 22 opportunities. His most recent blown save came on July 26, when he entered the game with a 6-4 ninth-inning lead but failed to retire any of the five batters he faced, and Washington lost 7-6 to the Cleveland Indians.Four days later, on July 30, the Nationals acquired All-Star Mark Melancon from the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the two weeks since the trade, Papelbon has made just two appearances, both in low-leverage situations. Meanwhile, Melancon has pitched in five games and allowed one hit over five scoreless innings while converting both of his save chances.The release ends Papelbons tumultuous tenure in D.C. A six-time All-Star closer, the right-hander was acquired July 28, 2015, in a controversial trade with the Philadelphia Phillies. Before the deal, Washington reliever Drew Storen had been one of the best closers in baseball, and the Nationals were in first place. After the trade, Storen and the entire Washington bullpen struggled, and the team finished seven games behind the Mets in the National League East.One week before the end of the 2015 season, Papelbon attempted to choke teammate and eventual NL MVP Bryce Harper?during an altercation in the dugout, when the two players got into an argument after Harper didnt run out a pop fly. For his actions, Papelbon was suspended seven games -- three by the league aand four by the Nationals -- which effectively ended his season.ddddddddddddDuring the offseason, the Nationals tried to trade Papelbon but had trouble finding takers for the veteran hurler.Baker called Papelbon a professional in response to the demotion. Teammates pushed back against any notion of the recent situation or last seasons incident with Harper causing locker room issues.Hes not a distraction whatsoever, ace Max Scherzer said. He comes in to play every single day, he works his absolute tail off, and he competes on the mound for us.All that stuff, last year ... just a media circus. We were 100 percent behind him. We understood all his intentions. He was great for our team. He was great for everybody in this clubhouse. To sit here and say hes a bad teammate or anything like that, its garbage to me.Papelbon has posted career worsts in ERA, WHIP (1.46) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.21) this season.He was a great teammate. He was popular with his teammates, Baker said. We wish Pap the best, and he wished us the best. He wanted us to win [the World Series]. Those were his parting words.A 12-year veteran, Papelbon has a career record of 41-36 with a 2.44 ERA. His 368 career saves are the ninth most all-time and third among active hurlers. A former fourth-round pick of the Red Sox in 2003, he spent the first seven years of his big league career in Boston and helped the Red Sox win the 2007 World Series.Asked if the Red Sox were interested in bringing Papelbon back, manager John Farrell said Saturday: We havent had any discussions on Jonathan.But?Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the team would be interested: It just happened, but I would say its worth looking into.ESPNs Scott Lauber, ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '