Sports

Linda and Ken Brokamp and their daughter, Beth, a Special Olympics athlete, received the award at Tuesday's Opening Ceremonies.

Leanna Krogmann, a swimmer from Columbia who was chosen as the Outstanding Athlete of the Year, develops her confidence through Special Olympics.

Health specialists have traveled from across the state to help run the Healthy Athletes event at the Mizzou Student Center, a central location for the athletes competing at this week's games all around Columbia.

Freddie Freeman, sporting new glasses homered and drove in three runs to help the Atlanta Braves beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-7 on Wednesday night.

Competing in his 25th Special Olympics State  Summer Games, Ronnie Lowe hopes his dedication to athletics has helped other athletes.

Almost half of the youth involved in the Columbia Swim Club have a sibling on the team. Coach Phil Garverick said that the club is strengthened by the sense of support and friendly competition that an abundance of families creates.

The Royals 6-3 win over the Indians on Wednesday gave Kansas City a 5-4 road trip in which it won four of its last six games. The Royals, who are off Thursday, finished May with a 15-13 record, their first winning mark in the month since 2000.

With the addition of Missouri and Texas A&M, the Southeastern Conference is tweaking its football and basketball schedules. Football coaches are having a tougher time deciding on what changes to make than their basketball counterparts.

The Special Olympics State Summer Games opened Tuesday with track and field, bowling and opening ceremonies on Mel Carnahan Quadrangle. 

Football coaches from the powerhouse and recently expanded league were in unison Tuesday at the SEC meetings. They want a proposed four-team playoff to include the best teams in the country — and not be tied to conference champions.

After fanning Dyson on three pitches, Perez walked off the mound and waved his hand in front of his face to mock Dyson, who was unaware of the gesture until seeing it later on videotape.

Among the rookies taking part in Kansas City's early preseason practices, Dontari Poe, the Chiefs' 6-foot-3, 346-pound first-round draft pick, has made the biggest impression.

A career night at the plate by Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas helped spark the Royals offense to eight runs against the Indians.

Home runs by Dan Uggla and Michael Bourn helped the Atlanta Braves end the team's longest losing streak in more than two years.

Recovering after being knocked out of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday will be a difficult process for the Tigers, especially when they remember they're losing their most potent offensive weapon in senior Ashley Fleming.

As the Big 12 tournament champions, the Missouri baseball team will open NCAA Tournament play this Friday against regional host Arizona.  

Florida (42-18) was selected Monday as the top seed for the 64-team tournament and will host one of 16 four-team, double-elimination regionals that begin Friday.

Jose Lopez had three RBIs and Jason Kipnis drove in two runs to help the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 Monday.

Lance Lynn joined Philadelphia's Cole Hamels as the major leagues' first eight-game winners, and the St. Louis Cardinals' extended the Braves' longest losing streak in two years to eight games with an 8-2 victory Monday.