HIGH SCHOOLS
Cheverus’ Maddie Fitzpatrick was named the Maine Gatorade Player of the Year in girls basketball for the second year in a row on Thursday.
Fitzpatrick, who was also named Miss Maine Basketball last week, averaged 23 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 4.9 steals while leading Cheverus to an undefeated season and the Class AA state championship.
The 5-foot-11 senior is part of the University of Maine’s incoming class for next season.
BASKETBALL
NBA: Ben Simmons underwent back surgery for the second time in three years, and he and the Brooklyn Nets are hoping the procedure will give him the relief he needs to finish a full season.
The Nets said Simmons had a microscopic partial discectomy to relieve a pinched nerve in his lower back. The surgery was performed at UHealth Jackson Memorial Medical Center by Dr. Timur Urakov, in consultation with Dr. Bart Green.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft is expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp next season. He has played in just 57 games since the Nets acquired him from Philadelphia in the 2021-22 season.
Simmons injured his back while trying to rehab after the trade after not playing for the 76ers to start this season due to mental health issues. He had a microdiscectomy, a procedure to remove a small fragment of a herniated disc, after the season ended.
Simmons then played in just 42 games in 2022-23 before being sidelined in March with lower back nerve damage. That injury returned just six games that season and limited Simmons to just 15 games, including a 38-game hitting streak at one point.
The Nets announced last week that the three-time All-Star would not play again this season and would instead pursue treatment options.
Simmons finished with averages of 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists. He has one year and about $40 million left on his contract.
ROAD RACING
BOSTON MARATHON: Some of the best athletes from the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials are coming to Boston.
Elkanah Kibet, who missed the men’s podium by 5 seconds in a personal best of 2 hours, 10 minutes, 2 seconds, will run on April 15 in Boston, where he already has two top 10 finishes. He will be joined by Sarah Hall and Carolyn Rotich , who finished fifth and sixth in Orlando on Feb. 3.
Rotich, who recently became a US citizen, won the Boston Marathon in 2015 while representing Kenya.
Jenny Simpson, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist in the 1,500 meters, was also added to Boston’s field.
Other additions include Sam Chelanga, who placed 30th in Boston and ran 2:08:50 in Chicago last year, and two-time Boston wheelchair winner Masazumi Soejima.
They join a pre-announced field that includes 2018 champion Des Linden, 2023 fifth-place finisher Emma Bates and 50km world record holder CJ Albertson.
HOCKEY
NHL: The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that a shipment carrying Jaromir Jagr’s heads was stolen after arriving in California.
The team intended to give out the bobbleheads to fans during Thursday night’s home game against the San Jose Sharks. Instead, the club will give fans a voucher that will allow them to pick up the item at a later date.
Penguins president of business operations Kevin Acklin said in a statement that the club has contacted state and federal authorities to investigate the incident.
The team retired Jagr’s No. 68 during a pregame ceremony last month.
• The Arizona Coyotes have the green light to bid on a plot of land in north Phoenix in their years-long bid to build a new arena.
The Arizona State Land Department’s Board of Appeals unanimously approved the $68.5 million assessment of the 95 acres. The decision sets the stage for the Arizona Department of State Lands to auction the land with a starting price of $68.5 million. The next step is to set a date for the auction, which must be publicly announced for 10 weeks.
• The NHL Players Association and the NHL reached an undisclosed agreement to resolve Corey Perry’s situation with the Chicago Blackhawks when they terminated his contract, two people familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
Chicago severed ties with Perry in late November, saying he violated its standard player contract and team rules “designed to promote a professional and safe work environment.” Neither Perry nor GM Kyle Davidson would provide any details about what happened leading up to the termination.
Perry, 38, apologized for his actions and said he had begun seeking help for alcohol abuse. He requested a meeting with Gary Bettman and spoke with the commissioner in January, then returned to the NHL less than two weeks later after signing with the Edmonton Oilers for the remainder of the season.
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