French Open: American Peyton Stearns one of many unseeded upset winners

• May 31, 2024

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer

PARIS — Good thing the French tennis federation installed artificial lights on every court at Roland Garros in 2021, because they sure did come in handy Thursday, allowing match after match to stretch deep into the night, including one particular result that stood out: unseeded American Peyton Stearns’ elimination of No. 10 Daria Kasatkina.

All of the waiting around all day to get on court did not disrupt Stearns one bit, and the 22-year-old from Cincinnati, who won an NCAA singles title at the University of Texas, used 17 forehand winners through the cold, damp and slow conditions to defeat Kasatkina, 7-5, 6-2, in a match that didn’t start until after 9 p.m. and didn’t finish until after 10:30 p.m.

“You just kind of don’t know what to expect,” the 62nd-ranked Stearns said about waiting to get on court as showers created a start-stop-start scheduling fiasco all around the grounds. “You have to accept that.”

How did she prepare to finally get started?

“I had a single expresso before I went out there,” she said with a smile. “So it was like morning for me.”Kasatkina had a harder time with the situation.

“Mentally, it’s tough to face the day when it’s a long wait,” said Kasatkina, a 2022 semifinalist at the French Open. “You have to be calm, but at the same time, you have to be ready to jump on the court. And you don’t know when.”

The last of the long day’s 55 matches didn’t wrap up until just about 1 a.m., when 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva finally got through a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win against No. 19 seed Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion who is 34.

Andreeva next faces Stearns, with the winner reaching the fourth round in Paris for the first time.

Other seeded women sent home included No. 9 Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 champion in Paris, who lost to Denmark’s Clara Tauson, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3; No. 11 Danielle Collins, defeated by Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic, 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-4; No. 18 Marta Kostyuk, who was beaten, 7-5, 6-4 by Donna Vekic; and No. 23 Anna Kalinskaya, eliminated, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, by oft-injured 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu.

Men’s seeds who bowed out included No. 25 Frances Tiafoe and No. 31 Mariano Navone. A frosty handshake came when Tiafoe and Denis Shapovalov – who are friends – met at the net after Shapovalov’s 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 win. That’s because Tiafoe sent a tennis ball off the side of Shapovalov’s head with one on-the-run shot.

“I wasn’t happy with it. But it’s tennis, so you can do what you want,” said Shapovalov, who joined Felix Auger-Aliassime to give Canada two men in the third round at Roland Garros for the first time in the Open era, which began in 1968. “Look, I’m sure we’ll be fine in a couple days. Obviously, (in the) heat of the moment, it’s not fun. But we’ll get through it.”

Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov are among the players who originally were supposed to complete their second-rounders Wednesday. Because they didn’t get done until Thursday, on account of the weather, they need to get back on court Friday for the third round, losing the usual day off at a Grand Slam.

There were victories for several top men Thursday: No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who seeks his fourth French Open championship and 25th from all Grand Slam tournaments, No. 4 Alexander Zverev, No. 8 Hubert Hurkacz and two-time runner-up Casper Ruud. No. 5 Daniil Medvedev and No. 15 Ben Shelton both advanced when their opponents stopped because of injury.

Women moving on included No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 4 Elena Rybakina, No. 14 Madison Keys and No. 15 Elina Svitolina.

This is the fourth tournament for Stearns since she began working with Tom Hill, who used to coach two-time Grand Slam semifinalist Maria Sakkari. Last week, Stearns claimed her first career WTA title, in an event on clay at Rabat, Morocco, celebrating by posing for photos while doing a handstand.

That skills is from her days in gymnastics, a sport her mother, Denise, used to do. Mom – who Stearns said good-naturedly offered some critiques of her form in the pictures – came to Paris with plans to watch just her daughter’s first-round match, then fly home to Ohio. But a win that day prompted a new flight booking. Now after the win against Kasatkina, Stearns said her mother is sticking around for the third round, too.

“I was like, ‘Look, just stay. Please,’” Stearns said with a laugh. “We’ve got to keep this going.”

Nothing too onerous about getting to stay in France while watching your kid win tennis matches, right?

Ah, but Stearns said she put Denise to work.

“She’s running me through my warmups and cool downs. And before my matches, we have a ritual where she’ll fill up my three water bottles and add electrolytes. Keeping her busy,” Stearns said. “She jokes, ‘You’re not paying me.’ So I said, ‘Hey, I’m paying you in wine.’”

​ Orange County Register 

Top Redlands Unified administrator placed on leave, district mum on reason

• May 31, 2024

Sabine Robertson-Phillips, a central figure in the alleged cover-up of sexual abuse allegations in the Redlands Unified School District, has been placed on administrative leave as assistant superintendent of human resources, the district announced Thursday, May 30.

Robertson-Phillips, however, still remains employed with the district, Superintendent Juan Cabral said in a brief statement confirming the administrator’s absence after weeks of inquiry by the Southern California News Group.

Cabral said Robertson-Phillips, who has been employed with the district since 1995 and served in her current position since 2007, was placed on leave on April 25, the day the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, following a four-year investigation, released a scathing 20-page letter citing the district’s failures in its handling and reporting of complaints of sexual abuse against students, including by employees.

Cabral would not say why Robertson-Phillips was placed on leave, nor if it had anything to do with the federal investigation and the release of its report.

“The District will not provide information regarding personnel matters due to confidentiality,” Cabral said in his emailed statement.

Robertson-Phillips, 53, of Redlands could not be reached for comment Thursday.

OCR findings

Among the violations detailed in the OCR’s April 25 letter included the district’s failure to create or maintain sufficient records of its responses to sexual harassment complaints to demonstrate compliance with Title IX, a federal law enacted in 1972 that protects individuals from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.

The district, while not admitting to any Title IX violations, entered into an agreement with the federal government to, among other things, ensure compliance through its Title IX coordinator and revise, as necessary, its Title IX policies and procedures.

In 74% of the 35 incidents the OCR reviewed involving complaints of sexual assault or harassment against students from 2017 to 2020, the federal agency found Redlands Unified did not provide any evidence that the district took action required under Title IX to “address the effects of harassing conduct on targeted students where necessary and to prevent recurrence of the harassment.”

DOJ findings

Confirmation by the district of Robertson-Phillips’ absence came a day after the state Department of Justice, following a two-year civil rights investigation, announced it will monitor how the school district handles allegations and reports of sexual harassment and abuse for at least the next five years.

The state investigation found that Redlands Unified “systemically violated laws in place to protect against and address complaints related to sexual assault, harassment, and abuse,” including Title IX, the Child Abuse and Neglect and Reporting Act (CANRA) and parts of the California Education Code.

As with the federal government, the district has also entered into an agreement with the state to make “wide-ranging reforms” to “promptly prevent, stop, and remedy sexual harassment, assault, or abuse on its campuses.”

In February 2022, 19 former RUSD students called on state Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate the district. In their letter, the students said they were sexually abused by RUSD teachers and staff members and that current and former administrators had not been held accountable for failing to report the abuse and protect them.

Sabine Robertson-Phillips, assistant superintendent of human resources for the Redlands Unified School District, was placed on leave on April 25. She was a central figure in a years-long investigation by the Southern California News Group into failures by the district to properly handle and report complaints of sexual misconduct. (Courtesy photo)

SCNG investigation

Robertson-Phillips was a focal point of a years-long investigation by the Southern California News Group that uncovered systemic failures by the district to report to authorities teachers and other employees accused of grooming and sexually abusing students.

SCNG’s investigation also revealed that, in some cases, Redlands Unified officials thwarted police investigations of sexual abuse cases, according to lawsuits filed against the district, police reports and court records.

Two of the most glaring cases of sexual abuse reporting failures involved former Citrus Valley High School teacher Laura Whitehurst and former Redlands High School teacher Kevin Patrick Kirkland. In each case Robertson-Phillips had been aware of allegations and suspicions of the two teachers’ conduct and had previously had discussions with them, but never reported either of them to police or San Bernardino County Child Protective Services.

Whitehurst was charged with 41 felony counts of unlawful sex acts with minors and later pleaded guilty in San Bernardino Superior Court to six felonies for having sexual relations with three of her students at Citrus Valley High School and Redlands High School. She was sentenced to a year in jail and five years probation.

Kirkland pleaded guilty in April 2017 to eight felonies and three misdemeanors for sexually abusing four female students from June 2014 through May 2016. He was sentenced to two years in jail, but was granted credit for time served and released the same day after serving 13 months behind bars.

Related Articles

Civil settlements

Since 2016, Redlands Unified has paid more than $45.5 million to settle lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of students by former district teachers. The district has settled at least 17 such lawsuits with the Irvine law firm of Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, which represented victims of Whitehurst and Kirkland, along with victims of other former teachers and employees, said Morgan Stewart, a partner at the firm.

Stewart has been a fierce critic of Robertson-Phillips, and for years has demanded her ouster.

“If she’s been on leave but still employed, it is far more disturbing knowing the information in the (Department of Justice) report,” Stewart said Thursday. “That is saying her conduct is OK and we are just waiting for the furor to die down. Status quo of Redlands to protect those at fault versus protecting the students.”

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Thursday, May 30

• May 31, 2024

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Scores and stats from Orange County games on Thursday, May 30

Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

The deadline for submitting information is 10:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday.

THURSDAY’S SCORES

BASEBALL

CIF SOCAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Semifinals

DIVISION I

Orange Lutheran 3, Santa Margarita 0

La Mirada 10, Huntington Beach 8

​ Orange County Register 

Swanson: USC’s D’Anton Lynn already making an impact, just ask Ronnie Lott

• May 31, 2024

NEWPORT BEACH — You know who’s really happy about D’Anton Lynn taking over the defensive coordinator duties at USC?

Only the greatest defensive player in Trojans history.

On Thursday, Ronnie Lott expressed his delight at Lynn’s arrival after one head-turning season at UCLA.

At a luncheon where 42 nominees for this year’s Lott IMPACT Trophy were announced, Lott said he was pleased that USC found a coordinator with the chops to fix the Trojans’ beleaguered defense and to lead it into battle in the Big Ten.

That they hired someone to replace Alex Grinch who could give USC a shot at returning to the sort of glory that Lott knew during his Trojans tenure, when they claimed a share of the 1978 national championship and the next season went 11-0-1 and finished No. 2 in the polls.

“The reason we all show up is that there is something inside our souls that’s asking us to be a little bit better today,” Lott told a well-heeled crowd of about 100 people, board members and supporters, at the Pacific Club. “And for me, just being around the coach, I got a little bit better today.

“I think we all got a little bit better today,” Lott went on, with a chuckle. “Because we’re relieved that he really can coach.”

He really can; Lynn proved so last season.

The former Penn State cornerback, NFL assistant for nine seasons and son of former NFL player and head coach Anthony Lynn, D’Anton – pronounced, by the way, Danton (“ignore the apostrophe”) – took a UCLA defense that previously ranked No. 87 in the nation and turned it into the 11th-ranked unit.

The Bruins finished the season ranked first in rushing defense (69.6 yards per game), second in yards allowed per rush (2.33), and third in sacks per game (3.42), plus Lynn helped hone the skills of UCLA’s star defensive end Laiatu Latu, who wound up being a Lott IMPACT Trophy finalist.

They’re expecting more of the same this season at USC, though the message most often delivered from guests who swarmed Lynn on Thursday for handshakes and a few words was this: “Just don’t leave us.”

The man’s rise feels that meteoric.

To try to assuage these people, Lynn told them his wife, Courtney, a Long Beach native and Long Beach Wilson High graduate, is quite happy with the current set up: “She’s gonna make it hard to leave, trust me.”

For all of Lynn’s attributes – his NFL experience is big, scheme-wise; preparation-wise; and, definitely, navigating-college-football’s-de-facto-free-agency-wisdom-wise – Lott told me after lunch that what he really likes about Lynn has more to do with his potential, well, IMPACT.

Think in line with the defensive award’s acronym – integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity.

“There are so many coaches who do more than teach you how to play the game of football, and that’s what he’s about,” said Lott, a four-time Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer turned successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist.

“And the reason he’s like that is because his dad’s all about that. So we’re very fortunate, not just to have him, but to get all the other characteristics, because … we’re trying to make sure guys graduate and they have a chance to be productive and that they have a chance to be able to see there’s a lot out there they can accomplish.”

You know what helps getting that message across?

The greatest defensive player in Trojans history stopping by.

Lott, an eight-time Pro Bowler, attended a Trojans practice this spring and offered advice and encouragement, talked about sacrifice and passed around his championship rings – possibly the world’s most glittering rendition of show-and-tell.

Lynn, wise beyond his 34 years, is of course going to leverage USC’s long legacy to try and help him put his own stamp on the program: “When Ronnie Lott comes to practice, it makes you not want to disappoint him.”

How well that goes, though, will depend on more than illustrious history and well-laid plans.

Related Articles

It’s going to come down to USC’s players.

Guys like Kamari Ramsey, a 6-foot sophomore safety who followed Lynn from UCLA to USC, where he’s been helping flatten the learning curve by imparting his knowledge of Lynn’s system – and where he’s already garnering preseason plaudits in the form of – yep – a place on the 2024 Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list.

(Some other candidates with Southern California connections: Santa Ana Mater Dei’s David Bailey, a junior linebacker at Stanford; Long Beach’s Tacairo Davis, a junior defensive back at Arizona; Anaheim Servite’s Mason Graham, a junior defensive tackle at Michigan; Servite’s Jacob Manu, a junior linebacker at Arizona.)

“Kamari is one of the smartest football players I’ve been able to coach, and that’s saying a lot,” Lynn told me, game to stick around and chat. “Just the way he thinks, and how fast he picked up the defense … he’s going to be a very good player.”

He’s just got to get a little better every day. And if you ask Lott, he and his teammates have the coach to help them do it.

​ Orange County Register 

Angels still looking for better control from hard-throwing prospect Ben Joyce

• May 31, 2024

ANAHEIM — While right-hander Ben Joyce is showing some encouraging signs in Double-A, the Angels apparently still want to see more.

“I just heard that occasionally he’s still having trouble throwing the ball over the plate,” Angels manager Ron Washington said on Thursday. “I know he’s striking out more people than innings. He’s definitely doing that. But that’s in the minor leagues. Those same balls he may be throwing down there that he’s getting people to swing at, these big boys up here just spit on them, and wait for the one he’s got to throw right down the middle. He’s getting there. He’s not there yet.”

Joyce, 23, shot to the major leagues just about a year after he was drafted, largely on the strength of a fastball that touched 103 mph.

He was sent back to Double-A this spring because he still struggled with his control.

For the season, Joyce has a 4.26 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 11 walks in 19 innings.

Over the past two weeks, though, Joyce has 15 strikeouts and two walks in his last 8⅓ innings. On Wednesday night, he gave up one run in two innings, striking out three and walking none.

His last four pitches were all over 102 mph.

How about Ben Joyce’s final batter today

102.6 MPH
102.5 MPH
103.2 MPH
102.6 MPH#Angels pic.twitter.com/tAJG9mmj80

— Jared Tims (@Jared_Tims) May 30, 2024

When it was suggested to Washington that Joyce has been cutting down his walks lately, Washington doubled down on his assertion that he’s not ready.

“He’s still walking guys,” Washington said. “And if he’s walking guys like that in the minor leagues, and then you put him on a big league mound, what do you think’s gonna happen? The atmosphere is different. The expectations are different.”

At the moment, it’s difficult for the Angels to make changes with their big-league bullpen because none of the eight pitchers who are active can be optioned. If the Angels want to create a spot for Joyce, they would need an injury or else someone would have to be designated for assignment.

Right-hander Roansy Contreras, the last pitcher added to the bullpen, has not allowed a run in four innings with the Angels. Left-hander José Suarez, who struggled in April, has a 2.84 ERA in May, with 14 strikeouts in 12⅔ innings.

ADELL’S SLUMP

Right fielder Jo Adell has one hit in his last 27 at-bats, with 13 strikeouts and no walks, a reversal of what had been shaping up to be a breakthrough season for the 25-year-old.

“He’s in a bad spell,” Washington said. “We’re trying to keep him calmed down and let him know he’s got to come out of it. I think he’s getting to the point where he’s starting to try a little too hard. And that’s only youth.”

Washington said he reiterated to Adell that he doesn’t need to press because he’s the everyday right fielder now.

“He doesn’t need to look over his shoulder,” Washington said. “The way the game is constructed today, you could hit a buck-ninety-seven and you can play in the big leagues.”

Related Articles

Adell’s slump has dropped his batting average to .211, but his OPS is still .739, which is slightly above the major league average.

SANÓ UPDATE

The Angels temporarily halted Miguel Sanó’s rehab assignment because of the lingering affects of the burn he suffered from a heating pad.

There is a limit to the number of days a player can be on a rehab assignment, so by recalling Sanó from his rehab assignment, it allows them to re-start the clock when he returns to the field. Sanó is expected to play at Triple-A before he’s activated.

Sanó is on the injured list with inflammation in his surgically repaired left knee.

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP José Soriano, 2-5, 3.61 ERA) at Mariners (RHP Bryan Woo, 2-0, 1.66 ERA), Friday, 7:10 p.m. PT, Apple TV+, 830 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Disneyland will work with union representing character performers

• May 31, 2024

Snow White, Chewbacca, Spider-Man and other Disneyland employees who work with Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars character performers will soon sit down with Disney negotiators to discuss union demands.

Disneyland character and parade performers have been officially unionized now that federal labor officials have certified the results of a union election held in mid-May, according to the Associated Press.

ALSO SEE: 7 reasons Disneyland characters want to unionize

Disneyland’s 1,700 character and parade performers — calling themselves Magic United — will be unionized under the Actors’ Equity Association after voting 78.7% in favor of unionizing.

“We respect our cast members’ decision,” according to Disneyland Resort officials. “We have a solid track record of working with the other unions that represent the majority of our hourly cast at Disneyland Resort and will work with Actors’ Equity Association as we remain committed to fostering a positive work experience for all.”

ALSO SEE: Mickey Mouse makes 36% more at Disneyland than at Disney World

Equity has been circulating a list of key issues facing nonunion Disneyland characters and parade performers that include pay, annual raises, safety, costumes, scheduling, seniority and job security.

Disney princesses, Marvel superheroes and other character performers who work at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure make $24.15 per hour and an additional $4.75 per hour if they perform onstage, according to the Disney Auditions website.

Related Articles

Nonunion hourly employees like Disneyland characters and parade performers have received annual raises for as long as company records show, according to Disneyland officials.

While most of Disneyland’s 35,000 employees are represented by 26 unions, the park’s 1,100 character performers and 600 parade performers and support staff had not been unionized until now.

California’s minimum wage increased to $16 an hour in 2024 with the hourly rate set to rise to $18 in 2025. After a lengthy court fight, Anaheim’s Measure L boosted Disneyland’s minimum wage to nearly $20 an hour.

​ Orange County Register 

Check out our OC photographers’ favorite images from May 2024

• May 31, 2024

We asked our photographers to pick their favorite moments from May 2024, and here are some of the images they selected.

May was all about schools – graduations, performances, prep sports and protests.

In Anaheim, Sunkist Elementary School students helped muralist Carla Roque complete her artwork on a campus wall. Over the last two years, Anaheim Elementary School District campuses have had murals painted at every school to liven up spaces and leave positive messages for the students. This past school year brought the second set of murals. The new one at Sunkist Elementary faces the schoolyard courts.

At Huntington Beach High School cheerleaders celebrated Rosie Harshman as one of six Teachers of the Year during a surprise visit by the Orange County Department of Education. Other teachers honored were Cassandra Cabrera, Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School, Keisha Cosand, Golden West College, Jordanna Jahn, Irvine Intermediate School, Joseph King, Hope School, and Kathryn Mayfield, Arbolita Elementary School.

Irvine’s Beckman baseball players celebrated their CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs win over St. John Bosco.  Beckman won the game 2-1 capping off an incredible win streak.

Seventh-grader Katelyn Nguyen was surprised by a celebration for her at Stacey Middle School the day before she headed to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee contest. The entire school greeted her with supportive posters and flowers as she left campus with her parents.

At UCI, police faced off with supporters of the pro-Hamas encampment after protestors took over a building on campus. Protests have been staged at college campuses across the nation in response to Israel’s reaction to being attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

Benjamin Weil, a senior at Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts reacted with exuberance when he was announced as Artist of the Year in film and TV during the awards ceremony for the 2024 Artist of the Year at Memorial Hall at Chapman University in Orange.

Then there were the graduations. High schools and colleges around the county started sending off their seniors including Faith Hinrichs and Hannah Hughes, who used all their might to scream as their friends’ names were announced during the Kennedy High School graduation ceremony in Handel Stadium.

Outside of the schools,  the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center released 10 brown pelicans at Corona del Mar Beach. The Center was inundated with Brown Pelicans who were “stranded” on local beaches in starvation mode for unknown reasons.

Shoppers at South Coast Plaza’s Jewel Court were treated to a live performance by Danielle Yi, of Torrance, as she played a blue grand piano as part of Music of Hope in Costa Mesa. City of Hope Orange County is honoring cancer survivors across Southern California with live musical performances that run through Monday, June 10, 2024.

Check out the photos and follow The Orange County Register on Facebook and Instagram. Here are our staff photographers’ individual pages: Paul Bersebach, Jeff Gritchen, Leonard Ortiz, Mark Rightmire, and Mindy Schauer.

Stay safe and stay healthy!

Related Articles

Related links

Check out our favorite images from April 2024
Check out our favorite images from March 2024
Check out our favorite images from February 2024
Check out our favorite images from January 2024
Check out our OC photographers’ favorite images from 2023

​ Orange County Register 

Can Donald Trump still vote for himself for president in November?

• May 30, 2024

Donald Trump may be convicted of a felony and reside in Florida, a state notorious for restricting the voting rights of people with felony convictions. But he can still vote as long as he stays out of prison in New York state.

That’s because Florida defers to other states’ disenfranchisement rules for residents convicted of out-of-state felonies. In Trump’s case, New York law only removes the right to vote for people convicted of felonies when they’re incarcerated. Once they’re out of prison, their rights are automatically restored, even if they’re on parole, per a 2021 law passed by the state’s Democratic legislature.

“If a Floridian’s voting rights are restored in the state of conviction, they are restored under Florida law,” Blair Bowie of the Campaign Legal Center wrote in a post explaining the state of law, noting that people without Trump’s legal resources are often confused by Florida’s complex rules.

Related Articles

So as long as Trump isn’t sent to prison, he can vote for himself in Florida in November’s election.

Trump was convicted Thursday of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to a porn actor who said the two had sex.

A lifelong New Yorker, Trump established residency in Florida in 2019, while he was in the White House.

Even if he is elected president again, Trump will not be able to pardon himself of state charges in New York. The president’s pardon power applies only to federal crimes.

​ Orange County Register