Brian Tolnar honored

Brian Tolnar honored

Rochester, N.Y.

Brian Tolnar, General Manager and PGA Director of Golf at Blue Heron Hills Golf Club, received the 2012 Western New York PGA Junior Golf Leader Award and was named to the Board of Directors for the Rochester Region of the WNYPGA at the organization’s fall meeting.

The WNYPGA Junior Golf Leader Award recognizes the WNYPGA Professional who is a leader in junior golf and who reflects the ideals of those who work with youth. Work by this PGA Professional includes involvement in the promotion and development of junior golf at club level and support for national golf programs.

Reporting prep results

The Vindicator encourages coaches and statisticians to report winter prep results by email (sports@vindy.com) or fax (330-747-6712).

Phone calls (330-747-1478) are also acceptable but emails and faxes are strongly preferred.

ESPN suspends Parker for RG3 comments

NEW YORK

ESPN has handed commentator Rob Parker a 30-day suspension for questioning the “blackness” of Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.

The network announced the suspension a day after Parker apologized for comments he made during a Dec. 13 episode of “First Take”.

Posting to Twitter, Parker said, “I blew it and I’m sincerely sorry. I completely understand how the issue of race in sports is a sensitive one and needs to be handled with great care.”

Parker, who is black, was discussing Griffin’s role as an African-American quarterback when he noted that Griffin has a white fiance and is rumored to be a Republican.

Referee reinstated after murder case dropped

LOS ANGELES

A tennis referee whose career was almost ended by a charge that she murdered her husband with a coffee cup has been reinstated after the charge was dismissed for lack of evidence.

Lois Goodman’s attorneys said Friday in Los Angeles that the U.S. Tennis Association approved her to resume judging matches in 2013.

She was suspended after her arrest last August while preparing to work as a line judge at the U.S. Open in New York.

Prosecutors dropped the murder case Nov. 30, saying they had received additional information and were unable to proceed because of insufficient evidence.

Pair win 1,500 races at US championships

KEARNS, Utah

Lana Gehring won the women’s 1,500 meters Friday at the U.S. short track speedskating championships at the Utah Olympic Oval. She finished in 2 minutes, 27.944 seconds, edging Emily Scott (2:28.087) and Jessica Smith (2:29.408).

J.R. Celski won the men’s 1,500 in 2:25.719, beating Jeff Simon (2:25.930) and Travis Jayner (2:26.281).

Competition continues where two-time Olympic bronze medalist Celski remains a favorite. He has flourished on the World Cup circuit, including skating the first sub-40 time for the 500 in short-track history.

Court: Heras should be reinstated as winner

MADRID

Spain’s Supreme Court has ruled that Roberto Heras must be reinstated as the winner of the 2005 Spanish Vuelta after it upheld a lower court’s decision to clear him of a doping ban that had stripped him of the title.

Heras had previously won the Vuelta in 2000, 2003 and 2004 before he tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO in the 2005 race.

On Friday, Spain’s highest court rejected an appeal brought by the Spanish cycling federation and government lawyers against last year’s decision to retroactively clear Heras of a two-year ban.

Federation spokesman Luis Roman tells The Associated Press that “the federation will need to study the decision” but that the most likely result would be for Heras to be reinstated as the winner.

Vindicator staff/wire reports