Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed has been suspended for the first six games of the 2019 season for a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy.

The violation stems from a 2017 domestic violence case in which Reed was accused of assault. Reed was not charged or arrested. However, the NFL's personal conduct policy allows the league to punish players regardless of legal outcomes.

The Seahawks said in a statement that they have "followed league and law enforcement protocol since the alleged incident in April of 2017."

In a statement posted to Twitter, Reed wrote that he "totally" disagrees with the NFL's ruling but takes responsibility for the situation.

?? I love you 12s pic.twitter.com/QH9YRPRqK0

— jarran reed (@1j_reed) July 22, 2019

He is eligible to take part in practices and play in the preseason. Once the regular season begins, he will be eligible to return to the Seahawks on Monday, Oct. 14, following Seattle's Week 6 game against the Cleveland Browns. He will also miss games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.

Reed's absence will be a major blow to a defensive line that will already be without its top pass-rusher, Frank Clark, who was traded to Kansas City. Reed is coming off a career-best 10.5 sacks and 50 tackles in 2018. Reed's 10.5 sacks were tied for fourth among defensive tackles last season.

A second-round pick out of Alabama in 2016, Reed is eligible for a contract extension, having played the requisite three seasons. His suspension will cost him roughly $394,153, which is six game checks from his $1,116,768 base salary.

The Seahawks signed veteran defensive tackle Al Woods in free agency to start alongside Reed at nose tackle. Poona Ford, who showed promise as an undrafted free agent in 2018, is a candidate to replace Reed at the three-technique spot.

ESPN's Adam Schefter contributed to this report.

Cristiano Ronaldo won't face criminal charges after a woman accused him of raping her at his Palms Casino Resort penthouse suite in 2009.

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said he reviewed a new police investigation and determined that Kathryn Mayorga's claim can't be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

"Therefore, no charges will be forthcoming," Wolfson said in a statement.

@LasVegasDA Declines to Prosecute 10-year-old Sexual Assault Allegation Against Cristiano Ronaldo. @ClarkCountyNV pic.twitter.com/XXdc8D9Plk

— Clark County DA (@LasVegasDA) July 22, 2019

Ronaldo's attorney, Peter Christiansen, was traveling Monday and not immediately available to comment. Christiansen has said Ronaldo and Mayorga had consensual sex in 2009. He denied it was rape.

Attorneys for Mayorga, a former model and schoolteacher, did not immediately respond to telephone, text and email messages.

The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they are victims of sexual assault. Mayorga gave consent through her lawyers to make her name public.

She has a lawsuit pending against Ronaldo in U.S. court in Las Vegas that accused Ronaldo or those working for him of conspiracy, defamation, breach of contract and coercion and fraud. She says they allowed terms of a confidential financial settlement with Mayorga to become public.

Mayorga's attorney, Leslie Mark Stovall, has acknowledged that Mayorga received $375,000 to quiet her following the encounter. He maintained that agreement was made under pressure from "fixers" trying to protect Ronaldo's reputation.

The lawsuit seeks to void the agreement and collect at least $200,000 more from Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, who plays in Italy for the Turin-based soccer club Juventus, is one of the most recognizable and highly paid players in sports.

Mayorga underwent a medical exam to collect DNA evidence shortly after she says Ronaldo assaulted her in June 2009. She spoke again with police for the new investigation, and authorities this year obtained a sample of Ronaldo's DNA through Italian authorities.

Police said the initial investigation was closed in 2009 because Mayorga only identified her attacker as a European soccer player, not by name, and did not say where she claims the rape took place.

The investigation was reopened in last year at the request of her attorneys, shortly before they sued Ronaldo.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Lakers have been awarded the rights to Kostas Antetokounmpo on a waiver claim.

The Lakers announced the move Monday to acquire the 21-year-old brother of 24-year-old Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Kostas Antetokounmpo played in two games last season for Dallas. The Mavericks acquired him in a draft-night trade last summer after Philadelphia chose him with the 60th and final pick. The 6-foot-10 forward played 40 games for the Mavs' G League affiliate last year, when he averaged 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds.

The Mavericks waived him Friday.

Antetokounmpo attended high school in suburban Milwaukee while his brother began his NBA career. He then spent two seasons at the University of Dayton.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's older brother, Thianis, signed with the Bucks this offseason. The 26-year-old joined Milwaukee on a guaranteed two-year, minimum contract after spending the past two seasons with Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League, where he helped the team win two straight league titles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tim Duncan has returned to the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant on coach Gregg Popovich's staff, the team announced Monday.

"It is only fitting, that after I served loyally for 19 years as Tim Duncan's assistant, that he returns the favor," Popovich said in a statement.

Duncan, 43, played his entire 19-year career with the Spurs.

The 6-foot-11 forward was a two-time league MVP and a 15-time All-Star while helping the Spurs win five NBA titles. He retired after the 2015-16 season.

The Spurs also announced that Will Hardy, who first joined the team as a basketball operations intern in 2010, will also be joining the bench as an assistant coach.

Washington Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard will offer guard Bradley Beal a three-year, $111 million maximum contract extension upon the All-Star becoming eligible to sign on Friday, Sheppard told ESPN.

"At the very first moment allowed, we are going to offer Brad the full max extension," Sheppard told ESPN.

Beal, 26, has until Oct. 21 to sign the extension, which would start with the 2021-22 season --- a decision that agent Mark Bartelstein indicates that Beal will need time to consider.

"There are moments in a career where there are big decisions to make, and Brad will work through everything and figure out the right thing to do," Bartelstein told ESPN. "There are nothing but great feelings for Ted [Leonsis], Tommy and Scott [Brooks]. They've treated Brad wonderfully."

The Wizards would also be willing to do a one- or two-year extension, Sheppard said.

If Beal passes on the extension, the Wizards have no plans to engage in trade talks with two years, $55.8 million left on his contract, Sheppard said.

As the franchise's newly promoted GM, Sheppard intends to sell Beal on a reshaped organization under his leadership. Sheppard cited Beal's willingness to wait a year in 2015 to sign his rookie extension to allow the franchise to keep its salary-cap space early in 2016 free agency.

"He's got two years left on his deal, and he's from Missouri and we are going to have to show him," Sheppard told ESPN. "We need to show him that we are about building this the right way, that we aren't going to have character-deficient guys around him. We are going to surround him with guys he wants to play with. He saw that right away in free agency with us bringing back Thomas Bryant."

Beal could be eligible to sign a five-year, $254 million supermax extension next summer if he earns All-NBA status in the coming season. Without the supermax, he's eligible for a four-year, $155 million max extension next year.

Once owner Ted Leonsis finalized Sheppard as the new GM, armed with a new supporting cast of executives and medical staff, Leonsis traveled to Chicago to lay out the organization's new vision to Beal's agent, Bartelstein of Priority Sports.

"I understand that it's a players' league," Leonsis told ESPN. "I do think that today's players are so intelligent, so smart and can smell inauthenticity from far away.

"I think they want owners and GMs, coaches and trainers -- everyone -- on the same page."

Beal averaged a career-best 25.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5 assists a season ago. In four trips to the playoffs in his seven-year NBA career, Beal has averaged 22.7 points in 40 appearances.

Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman left Sunday night's game against the Atlanta Braves with a right foot injury following an infield single in the second inning.

Zimmerman, who missed 53 games with plantar fasciitis in his right foot this season, showed obvious discomfort while running down the line.

"Same foot, same sort of thing,'' Zimmerman said after the Nationals' 7-1 loss.

He is scheduled for an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

Zimmerman, 34, is batting .246 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 33 games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For a second consecutive week, the Dodgers just barely held off the Yankees to cling to the No. 1 spot in our rankings, getting just one more first-place vote. In a Power Rankings vote that saw 22 different teams move up or down this week, everybody might have to look over their shoulders.

The most significant moves came in a shakeup in the top 10, where the Rays slipped out for the first time since Opening Day, replaced by an Indians team that shot up four spots to No. 7 as they start putting heat on the Twins in the suddenly reignited American League Central race. And they're right behind the high-rising A's, who clambered up to No. 6 in our rankings while putting heat on the Astros in the AL West. The Nationals have already made a remarkable in-season comeback to close in on the Braves in the National League East while reaching our top 10, but the Cardinals could be next as they pursue the Cubs in the NL Central.

Beyond that, we saw some big swings in the west, where we find some major gains and losses. The Giants made the single largest advance, rising five slots just in time to make you wonder if they have one last wild-card run in the tank instead of dealing veteran ace Madison Bumgarner. But that gain was matched by the Rockies' decline, whose flagging fortunes were reflected in a five-spot tumble. And the Rangers suffered an even larger drop, falling six rungs as they drift back toward .500.

With all of these races, the question remains: Can everybody be caught, even the Dodgers? We'll have to see.

For Week 15, our panel of voters was composed of Bradford Doolittle, Christina Kahrl, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian and David Schoenfield.

Previous: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2019 record: 67-35
Week 15 ranking: 1

Chris Taylor landed on the injured list because of a fracture in his left forearm that will keep him out four to six weeks. That could open the door for 21-year-old Gavin Lux, who has been tearing the cover off the ball since his promotion to Triple-A (he hit .500 with six home runs his first 14 games). The Dodgers will also be looking to add to their bullpen at the trade deadline, maybe somebody like Shane Greene of the Tigers or, if they want to think big, Felipe Vazquez of the Pirates (who would probably want Lux in return). -- David Schoenfield

2. New York Yankees

2019 record: 64-34
Week 15 ranking: 2

The Yankees make a pitching roster change almost every day, but it's mostly a revolving door with the same group of pitchers. In fact, only the Reds have used fewer pitchers than the Yankees so far. Those guys have also given the Yankees some unheralded work -- Nestor Cortes Jr. and David Hale, for example, are a combined 6-0 with a 3.48 ERA in 67⅓ innings. -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: How DJ LeMahieu became a household name in the Bronx

3. Houston Astros

2019 record: 64-37
Week 15 ranking: 4

The Astros are getting healthy and are gaining momentum. After an injury-riddled pitching staff struggled for a fairly long stretch, this past week Houston gave up eight total runs in four straight wins against divisional opponents. Meanwhile, Yuli Gurriel remains the hottest hitter in baseball; his 60 total bases in July are eight more than any other MLB hitter, and he's slashing .373/.408/.896 during the month. Gurriel won't keep that up, but if he maintains a reasonable amount of mashing, the Astros have a nearly perfect lineup. -- Bradford Doolittle

ICYMI: Should the Astros target Marcus Stroman?

4. Minnesota Twins

2019 record: 60-38
Week 15 ranking: 3

The Twins are a much better team when Byron Buxton is healthy and patrolling center field. They have a sub-.500 record without him, and his outfield aggressiveness landed him on the seven-day concussion list recently. At the plate, the Twins feel as if anything Buxton gives them is enough, and he is hardly a liability, slugging .490. Buxton is also the team's primary base stealer, and he could end up with half the team's total. Bottom line: He is fun to watch and a crucial player. -- Eric Karabell

ICYMI: Why Buxton is the Twins' key player in the second half

5. Atlanta Braves

2019 record: 60-41
Week 15 ranking: 5

With Max Fried on the IL because of a blister problem, Kevin Gausman still on the IL, and Mike Foltynewicz owning a 5.09 ERA in Triple-A, the Braves gave Kyle Wright another shot, and it didn't go well as he gave up seven runs in 2⅔ innings to the Nationals on Thursday. Given some of this uncertainty in the rotation, the pressure to acquire a starter is picking up steam. -- Schoenfield

6. Oakland Athletics

2019 record: 57-43
Week 15 ranking: 8

Since coming off the injured list May 7, Matt Olson has been on a tear for the A's. His .372 wOBA ranks second among AL first basemen during that time (and seventh overall in MLB). And though a pull hitter who often sees defenses shift against him, he's a perfect 5-for-5 on bunt hits, the only player with 20 or more homers and five or more bunt hits. -- Christina Kahrl

7. Cleveland Indians

2019 record: 57-41
Week 15 ranking: 11

Do the Indians still think they need outfield help as the trade deadline approaches? Since June 21, when they cut Leonys Martin and made Oscar Mercado their everyday center fielder flanked by Tyler Naquin in right and a Jake Bauers/Jordan Luplow platoon in left, the Tribe's outfielders rank a collective fifth in MLB for offensive production with a .370 wOBA. And with Jose Ramirez showing signs of life at the plate since the break, with three homers in 10 games, maybe they're ready to let it ride while seeing if they can overtake the Twins. -- Kahrl

ICYMI: Should Tribe let it ride or trade Trevor Bauer?

8. Chicago Cubs

2019 record: 54-45
Week 15 ranking: 10

All along, it figured the Cubs would be the one NL Central team capable of pulling away in the division race. In coming out of the gate after the All-Star break with seven wins in eight games, all at Wrigley Field, Chicago is looking like the front-runner it was supposed to be. But the Cubs' upcoming road trip includes back-to-back series at St. Louis and Milwaukee. We should know after that what kind of race we're going to have. -- Doolittle

ICYMI: Darvish wins at Wrigley for first time with Cubs

9. Washington Nationals

2019 record: 52-46
Week 15 ranking: 9

In Thursday's victory, Stephen Strasburg became the first pitcher since Edwin Jackson in 2010 to homer and get a second hit in the same inning. Strasburg also became the first Nationals pitcher to drive in five runs in a game. Strasburg won a Silver Slugger in 2012 when he hit .277 with a home run, four doubles and seven RBIs, but even after his big game he's hitting just .136 with one home run and six RBIs in 2019. -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: Remember the buzz about the Nats trading Mad Max? Ancient history

10. Boston Red Sox

2019 record: 54-46
Week 15 ranking: 7

Yes, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez haven't been as dominant as last season, and Andrew Benintendi hasn't been as good. Still, the Red Sox are second in MLB in runs per game at 5.66, bracketed by the Yankees and Twins. A big key has obviously been Rafael Devers, who has been scorching hot in July. Remember, he went homerless in 30 games in April and now leads the AL in total bases. -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: Price responds as spat with Eckersley resurfaces

11. Tampa Bay Rays

2019 record: 57-45
Week 15 ranking: 6

Just when it looked as if the Rays had recaptured their early-season prowess, they were erased in a three-game drubbing at Yankee Stadium, getting outscored 19-6 in the process. Then they went out and lost a home series to the White Sox, who had been struggling more than any team in the majors since the break. Wth Kevin Kiermaier heading for an MRI to determine the severity of a sprained thumb, Tampa Bay's season threatens to fly off the rails. -- Doolittle

ICYMI: Ex-Rays prospect pivots to Supreme Court clerk

12. Arizona Diamondbacks

2019 record: 50-50
Week 15 ranking: 13

What are the Diamondbacks going to do at the trade deadline? If general manager Mike Hazen's approach is going to be dictated by where Arizona resides in the standings, the answer to that question remains murky. The past week provided little clarity, as the Snakes alternated resounding wins with punchless losses. The next week might provide more concrete clues: Arizona has three at home against Baltimore, followed by a four-game series at Miami. If they can't rise above mediocrity over the next seven days, this might not be a roster worth adding to. -- Doolittle

ICYMI: Selling starting pitching? Act fast

13. St. Louis Cardinals

2019 record: 51-47
Week 15 ranking: 16

Seven wins in their first 10 games since the break have moved the Cardinals into third place in the NL Central, but only 2½ games behind the first-place Cubs. The next 17 days will be the best test of the team's contender status. After a four-game series at Pittsburgh to begin this week, the team will face three first-place teams: the Astros, Cubs and Dodgers. -- Tristan H. Cockcroft

14. Milwaukee Brewers

2019 record: 53-48
Week 15 ranking: 14

Good teams with shaky bullpens either plug those holes or end up missing the playoffs, or flop once they are there. The Brewers at least had the starting point of having Josh Hader while they searched for additional solutions. Unfortunately, those haven't arrived and the Milwaukee pen has collapsed. The Brewers have given up 48 runs in 59⅓ relief innings in July and rank 27th with a 6.52 ERA during the month. This had better change fast. -- Doolittle

15. Los Angeles Angels

2019 record: 52-49
Week 15 ranking: 18

The first 162 games of Shohei Ohtani as a hitter went better than expected, as he hit .292 with 36 home runs, 101 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. That is terrific offensive output, even for this era. Ohtani, who figures to split future seasons on the mound and at the plate, simply hasn't shown many weaknesses. He hammers right-handed pitching, but his OPS against lefties is above .800. He hits fastballs and off-speed stuff. He runs. Some wonder if Ohtani should be a hitter-only asset, and it is a reasonable notion. -- Karabell

ICYMI: How the Angels honored Skaggs with emotional, historic tribute

16. Philadelphia Phillies

2019 record: 52-48
Week 15 ranking: 15

Rookie outfielder Adam Haseley should get a legitimate chance at regular playing time in center field. Haseley, who hit his first big league home run this past week against the Dodgers, does not project as a big power option, but he makes contact and should hit for average. The Phillies lack depth -- in more than a few areas -- but Haseley, a Virginia product rushed to the majors, could really help them even if he is just league average. If only he could help the bullpen, too. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Why is Bryce Harper's new team behind Bryce Harper's old team?

17. San Francisco Giants

2019 record: 50-50
Week 15 ranking: 22

Since locking in prospect Tyler Beede on May 30, the Giants' rotation has stabilized, ranking sixth in innings and 12th in ERA, big improvements from 26th and 25th beforehand. The other major initial problem unit, the outfield, has been equally remarkable in its turnaround -- since adding Alex Dickerson on June 21, Giants outfielders are second in the majors in isolated slugging (.272), trailing only the Dodgers (.293). -- Kahrl

ICYMI: Will rising Giants be buyers or sellers?

18. Texas Rangers

2019 record: 50-49
Week 15 ranking: 12

Danny Santana batted 32 times in the major leagues for Atlanta last season -- and hit .179 -- and seemed an afterthought pickup by the Rangers this January. Then a funny thing happened. Santana started hitting and continues to do so. Santana has already batted more times in the majors this season in any year since 2014. He is hitting better than .300 and on pace for more than 20 home runs and perhaps 20 steals. Danny Santana? Good for him, good for the Rangers. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Lefty Minor getting sick of trade talk

19. Cincinnati Reds

2019 record: 44-53
Week 15 ranking: 19

The Reds are sinking after seven losses in their first 10 games after the All-Star break, and the team will need a swift turnaround to stay afloat. Injuries -- David Hernandez is on the IL because of a shoulder issue -- absences -- Raisel Iglesias recently missed time while on the paternity list -- and otherwise poor performance by the Reds' bullpen has been a lot of the reason, as the team's 5.17 relief ERA since the break ranks 22nd. -- Cockcroft

20. Pittsburgh Pirates

2019 record: 46-52
Week 15 ranking: 20

The Pirates' bats haven't woken up since the break, and their five home runs as a team during that span ranks last in the majors. Fortunately for the team, its top two healthy starting pitchers have given it a fighting chance, as Chris Archer has delivered back-to-back quality starts to begin his second half, and Joe Musgrove tossed six good innings while tying his season high of eight strikeouts in Saturday's victory. -- Cockcroft

ICYMI: Why Bucs should and shouldn't trade Felipe Vazquez

21. San Diego Padres

2019 record: 47-52
Week 15 ranking: 21

Seeking to inject some life into an offense that had averaged 3.6 runs per game while scoring more than five runs only once in its first 14 games of July, the Padres recalled prospect Luis Urias, who batted .314/.398/.603 with 18 home runs and 49 RBIs in 69 games for Triple-A El Paso between his most recent big league stints. The Padres have gotten a slash line of .233/.308/.377 out of their second basemen this season. -- Cockcroft

22. Colorado Rockies

2019 record: 47-52
Week 15 ranking: 17

Getting swept by the Giants, at the time the NL West's last-place team, at Coors Field added to a miserable month for the Rockies. The team has only three wins in 15 games in July, endured a six-game losing streak during the past week and has gotten an MLB-worst 9.25 ERA from its starters since the break. German Marquez gave up 11 runs in 2⅔ innings to open that series against the Giants, setting the tone for the week. -- Cockcroft

23. New York Mets

2019 record: 45-54
Week 15 ranking: 24

Are we nearing the end of the Noah Syndergaard era as a Met? The big right-hander lowered his ERA to 4.36 against the Giants on Thursday, though he earned a no-decision, and his most recent loss occurred more than two months ago. He really hasn't been the team's biggest problem. Still, the Mets have many needs and the trade deadline is approaching, and Syndergaard, if dealt, would bring back depth and, presumably, youth. Stay tuned: Other Mets are on the block, too. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Thor won't come cheap in any deal

24. Chicago White Sox

2019 record: 44-52
Week 15 ranking: 23

The face-plant the White Sox performed coming out of the break wasn't so much disappointing because it destroyed their fringe wild-card hopes. After all, at least the seven-game skid provides some deadline clarity, and Chicago was merely becoming the team its run differential said it was. But for the ChiSox, it's all about the trajectory. Forget about the playoffs in 2019; it's important for Chicago to recreate the perception of forward momentum heading into the offseason. -- Doolittle

25. Toronto Blue Jays

2019 record: 38-63
Week 15 ranking: 26

Marcus Stroman's seven-inning gem against the Tigers on Friday was the highlight of the Blue Jays' week, though it seemed to be more a showcase for scouts from other teams. With it, Stroman lowered his ERA to what would be a career-best 3.06, and he's now on pace for a career high with 21 quality starts. Here's the problem, though, if Stroman is indeed traded: Excluding him, the Blue Jays' ERA from their starters is a combined 6.24, which would be more than a quarter-run worse than any other team this season. -- Cockcroft

26. Seattle Mariners

2019 record: 40-62
Week 15 ranking: 25

How bad has Seattle's pitching been? Very bad. In the first half, opponents hit .269/.333/.476 off the Mariners. That's not good. In the first five games of the second half heading into the weekend, opponents hit .314/.397/.663 and scored 13, 9, 6, 9 and 10 runs. The offense countered by scoring nine runs total. So much fun in Seattle these days. When does that NHL team start play? -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: Leake loses perfect game in ninth, but blanks Angels

27. Kansas City Royals

2019 record: 37-64
Week 15 ranking: 28

Royals pitching has been anything but good this season, but give closer Ian Kennedy some props. Kennedy entered the season with 289 starts, still among the top 20 for active hurlers, and with nary a save. He has flourished as a closer, giving the team back-end stability, and could surpass 25 saves for the season; the team's save leaders in 2018 had 14. Kennedy in June: 0.96 ERA and eight saves. July has been solid, too. Perhaps the Royals can actually flip Kennedy, 34, before the deadline. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Royals trade C Maldonado to Cubs

28. Miami Marlins

2019 record: 36-61
Week 15 ranking: 27

The improbable saga of rookie Jordan Yamamoto took another twist Sunday. Facing the Dodgers with an unblemished record and having never given up more than two earned runs in his first six MLB starts, he took his first real major-league beating, giving up five earned runs in four innings to suffer his first MLB loss. -- Kahrl

29. Baltimore Orioles

2019 record: 31-67
Week 15 ranking: 30

As ugly as the season has been, the Orioles are 8-9 in their past 17 games, and have held opponents to two runs or fewer in nine of those games. The lack of pitching depth is still telling -- they've lost five of those 17 games by five or more runs -- but they've slowly morphed into a more competitive club. Less helpful is Chris Davis, still only "good" for just a .674 OPS since snapping his season-opening 12-game hitless streak. -- Kahrl

30. Detroit Tigers

2019 record: 30-65
Week 15 ranking: 29

The Tigers' stock to trade from to shore up their rebuilding effort is getting smaller. Matthew Boyd hasn't thrown a quality start in six weeks (posting a 6.62 ERA with 11 homers allowed in 35⅓ innings across six turns) and Jordan Zimmermann has seen his ERA go up by two full runs in July. So they might have just closer Shane Greene and designated hitter-to-be Nicholas Castellanos to work from. -- Kahrl

Will Barnicoat among winners as Osian Perrin breaks Welsh under-17 3000m best

Coverage of the Müller Anniversary Games can be found here, while European U20 Championships reports are here.

SIAB International, Swansea, Wales, July 20

The SIAB International was held at Swansea University Athletics Stadium and hosted by the Welsh Schools’ Athletics Association and Welsh Athletics, Nathan Phillips reports.

In traditional Welsh style, the weather brought a mix of sun, wind and rain to make the event more of a challenge for the athletes. However, this did not stop some of them who broke three championship best performances and one under-17 Welsh record that had stood for over 40 years.

There was a whole host of strong and talented performances throughout the day. The day started with a championship best performance in the girls’ hammer by Scotland’s Kirsty Costello with a throw of 64.07m. Her team-mate Isla Calvert also ran a CBP in the 800m in 2:06.41. Then came England’s turn in the shot with Nana Gyedu throwing a massive 15.64m which beats the old record by over 50cm.

England’s Sam Brereton won gold in the high jump and was close to jumping a CBP but missed out by just 3cm, jumping 2.09m. His team-mate Sophie Ashurst was also just one jump away from a CBP but had to settle for gold in a big jump of 3.76m.

Off the back of his championship best performance set at the Welsh Schools just a few weeks before, Osian Perrin ran in the 3000m determined to win gold. English runner William Barnicoat took it out followed by the Welshman and despite trying twice on the last lap to get the win, Perrin had to settle for silver but his determination to drive all the way helped him break Colin Clarkson’s Welsh record of 8:25.2, setting a new mark of 8:23.64.

Clarkson said: “I live in the United States but I still follow what is going on in athletics in the homelands. I honestly can’t believe that it has taken 40 years to break that record, it’s probably one of the last ones I held! Congratulations to Osian, I hope he goes on to have a successful career.”

The SIAB International is a chance for young talented athletes to compete alongside each other and get their first taste of international and high level competition. Meeting manager Steve Jones said: “It has been a fantastic day of athletics with plenty of young talent on display.”

Full results can be found on the Welsh Athletics website and photos of the event on bowdensphotography.com

Castell Howell International Snowdon Race, Wales, July 20

Over 600 runners raced Wales’ top mountain race, which uses a 10-mile out and back route, starting and finishing in Llanberis and scaling Wales’ highest mountain, Alex Donald reports.

Light rain throughout the morning cleared leaving good conditions for the race which incorporated the fourth round of the 2019 WMRA World Cup.

Andy Douglas had already amassed a lead of around 15 seconds early on the course where the steep road section makes way for the start of the mountain path, with the Scotsman reaching the summit in 40:48, over a minute ahead of Italy’s Martin Dematteis.

The fast descending Inverclyde AC athlete increased his lead on the way back down to the village, posting a time of 64:04, with a margin of two and a half minutes over Dematteis who finished in 66:34. It was one of the fastest times seen at the race and close to Kenny Stuart’s 62:29 course record from 1985.

The Italian’s twin brother Bernard was not far behind in third.

Zak Hanna was the next man home, leading his Ireland team but unable to prevent Scotland winning the team event with Douglas supported by James Espie in fifth and Ewan Brown in seventh. Mark Hopkinson was the first athlete home for hosts Wales in ninth place.

Ireland’s Sarah McCormack has won at Snowdon twice before and the WMRA World Cup leader was unstoppable this time after passing early race leader Hatti Archer of England and battling with Italy’s Elisa Sortini all the way back to the finish.

McCormack’s victory came in 74:49, just 22 seconds ahead of Sortini, with Archer third in 67:17.

England were comfortable victors here as Kelli Roberts and Megan Wilson followed Archer home in fourth and seventh places.

ASICS London 10K, July 21

The 10km event in the UK capital was won by Josh Griffiths and Rebecca Murray with times of 29:47 and 33:46 respectively.

Behind Griffiths, Joshua Grace was second in 29:56 ahead of Dewi Griffiths in 30:12.

Women’s race runner-up was Mhairi Maclennan in 34:01, while Grace Lynch was third in 35:01.

Pan American U20 Championships, Costa Rica, July 19-21

Matthew Boling won the 100m and 200m in personal best times of 10.11 and 20.31 and then formed part of USA teams to set world under-20 records in both the 4x100m (38.62) and 4x400m (2:59.30).

British Miler’s Club Grand Prix, Eltham, July 20

There were 800m A wins for Mari Smith in a 2:01.46 PB and Archie Davis in 1:49.81.

George Mills won the 1500m in 3:43.72, while Amy O’Donoghue won the women’s race in 4:16.59.

Amy O’Donoghue of Ireland wins BMC women’s 1500 in 4:16 pic.twitter.com/tvE9FqMhaV

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) July 20, 2019

World Para Athletics Grand Prix, Bydgoszcz, Poland, July 19-21 

Britain’s Zac Shaw ran a personal best to win the T12 100m, clocking 11.10 (+0.3m/sec).

Prize money total more than $7.5m
By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Correspondent

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has today announced that a record prize money total of $7,569,706 was on offer on the PSA Tour during the 2018-19 season, in which the organisation’s new tour structure came into effect.

The 2018-19 season saw the PSA launch the PSA Challenger Tour alongside the PSA World Tour as part of the organisation’s new vision for professional squash, while the WSF and PSA Satellite Tour was also created in partnership with the World Squash Federation (WSF) in order to help up-and-coming players transition from junior tournaments to the professional circuit. This has resulted in a 10% increase in prize money compared to the season before.

Prize money on the women’s tour amounted to $2,937,248 – a 6.6% increase – while the men’s has increased by 12.2% to $4,631,000.

The top earning female player on the tour earned $209,998 last season, an 84.9% increase since the integration of the women’s tour into the PSA in April 2015, with her male counterpart earning $257,153, which is up 59.0% over the same time period. Average earnings for the men’s and women’s top 25 totalled $76,245 and $61,567, respectively.

A total of 639 events took place across the PSA World Tour, PSA Challenger Tour and WSF and PSA Satellite Tour (405 men’s and 234 women’s), an increase of 15.5% on the previous season, with 65 countries hosting a PSA event, including key territories such as United States, Egypt, England, Hong Kong and Canada.

“We are delighted to announce that record prize money was on offer for the 2018-19 season, particularly in light of launching our new tour structure,” said PSA Tour Director Hannah Ridgard-Mason.

“The new tour structure was put in place with the aim of increasing earning potential and playing opportunities across the entire PSA Tour. We are pleased to see that the prize money figures and number of events are continuing to move upwards and are equally content to report a record-high membership total of 971 as well.

“The 2018-19 season was a landmark one for professional squash, with the sport’s first $1 million tournament taking place at the PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family in Chicago, while we also announced a major broadcast deal with Facebook which has allowed us to showcase squash to more people than ever before.

“With squash returning to the Great Pyramid of Giza for the CIB PSA Women’s World Championships 2019-2020 and CIB Men’s Egyptian Squash Open, and new tournaments such as the Mauritius Open joining the calendar, we’re forecasting continued growth over the next 12 months and believe that the future of squash has never been brighter.” 

Report by SEAN REUTHE (PSA). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of PSA

US to host event for the first time
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad International Correspondent

Defending champions Egypt are likely to be favourites for the 2019 WSF Men’s World Team Squash Championship title in December when the USA hosts the biennial World Squash Federation event for the first time in its 52-year history in Washington DC.

A total of 23 nations will compete in the 26th edition of the championship which will be held, under the auspices of US Squash, at Squash On Fire, the new state-of-the-art membership-free eight-court facility in the U.S. capital from 15-21 December.

Hosts USA will be joined by teams representing Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong China, Ireland, Jamaica, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland & Wales.

USA will be making their 23rd consecutive appearance in the championships since 1973. The 2019 hosts finished in 10th place in the 2017 championship in Marseille, France – where Egypt claimed the title for the fourth time, beating defending champions England in the final.

South American interest will be led by Colombia, featuring 2018 British Open champion Miguel Rodriguez, who will be making only their third appearance in the championship – as will Republic of Korea, who last competed in 2011.

While the 1987 runners-up New Zealand and eight-time champions Australia are two nations which have competed in all previous 25 events, Jamaica will be celebrating only their second appearance after making their debut two years ago in Marseille.

The 2019 championship will also be marking the long-awaited returns of Nigeria and Singapore, who last battled for the men’s title in 1999 and 1997, respectively.

Commenting on hosting the international championship for the first time, Squash On Fire Co-Founder Philippe Lanier said: “Hosting the WSF Men’s World Team Championship at Squash On Fire is an honor – and that it’s is happening in DC is also very exciting. We want to make DC the squash capital of the US, and we can’t wait to welcome players from around the world to our game-changing facility.”

Since its launch in 1967 in Australia, the Men’s World Team Championship has been staged in 12 countries – including Canada in 1977 – but never before in the USA. 

2019 WSF Men’s World Team Squash Championship.

Entry List:
Argentina
Australia
Canada
Colombia
Egypt
England
France
Germany
Hong Kong China
Ireland
Jamaica
Kuwait
Malaysia
New Zealand
Nigeria
Republic of Korea
Scotland
Singapore
South Africa
Spain
Switzerland
USA
Wales

Pictures courtesy of WSF