winnipeg skater

howes places fifth

DAVID Howes of Winnipeg finished fifth out of 17 skaters in the junior men’s event at an international figure skating competition in Luxembourg this weekend.

The 16-year-old athete performed his short program Friday and free skate Saturday, finishing with 150.66 points. American competitor Jacob Sanchez blitzed the field with 212.63 points to take top spot at Coupe du Printemps.

Seigo Tauchi and Tsudoi Suto, a pair of Japanese skaters, finished second and third, respectively, while Aurelian Chervet of Switzerland was fourth, about a dozen points higher than Howes.

guerrero Jr. dinger

opens gates for jays

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Whit Merrifield hit a two-run homer and added an RBI single as the Toronto Blue Jays topped the New York Yankees 5-2 in spring training action Saturday.

The Yankees took an early 2-0 lead thanks to RBIs from Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton.

However, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. kick-started the Blue Jays with a solo shot in the bottom of the first inning to cut the deficit in half.

Merrifield put Toronto ahead 3-2 with his homer in the third inning. In the fourth, Danny Jansen drove Matt Chapman home with a double before Merrfield struck again shortly after, scoring Cavan Biggio.

Bowden Francis started on the mound for the Blue Jays. He struck out five batters, while giving up one walk, three hits and two runs in three innings of action.

unvaccinated djoko

pulls out of miami

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Novak Djokovic withdrew from the Miami Open again because he still can’t travel to the United States as a foreign citizen who is not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Djokovic is out of the field for the event that begins next week, a tournament spokesman said Saturday. The 35-year-old from Serbia won that event six times, most recently in 2016.

moguls king up to

his old tricks

ALMATY, Kazakhstan — Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury won the final dual moguls World Cup event of the year en route to claiming his third Crystal Globe this season on Saturday.

The Deux-Montagnes, Que., native outduelled Sweden’s Walter Wallberg 22-13 in the big final to claim gold.

Kingsbury, 30, entered Saturday having won the singles moguls event on Friday. He also earned the overall moguls title for his second hat trick of Crystal Globes.

The three-time Olympic medallist’s 24 career Crystal Globes are more than any other freestyle skier ever. He also has 80 career World Cup victories in 135 starts.

canada scores gold

in ski cross event

CRAIGLEITH, Ont. — Brady Leman earned a gold medal in the men’s World Cup ski cross to lead a three-medal day for Canada in the event on Saturday.

The Calgary native outmatched France’s Youri Duplessis-Kergomard and Switzerland’s Joos Berry, who grabbed silver and bronze, respectively.

Germany’s Florian Wilmsmann finished last in the four-man race.

In women’s action, Canadians Marielle Thompson and Brittany Phelan won silver and bronze.

The two finished behind Marielle Berger Sabbatel of France in the final.

Langer in position

to break record

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Bernhard Langer remained in position Saturday in the Hoag Classic to break a tie with Hale Irwin for the PGA Tour Champions victory record.

Langer played the final five holes in 5-under — going birdie-eagle-par-birdie-birdie — for a 5-under 66 and one-stroke lead with a round left. The 65-year-old German star tied Irwin at 45 victories a month ago in the Chubb Classic in Florida.

“Just really played well, gave myself lots of opportunities,” Langer said. “And like the eagle, as good as three shots as I can possibly pull off.”

Langer opened with a 64 on Friday for a share of the first-round lead with Miguel Angel Jimenez and Chris DiMarco. Jimenez shot a 67 on Saturday to fall a stroke back with Doug Barron (66) at Newport Beach Country Club.

Langer won at the course in 2008. On Saturday, he offset three birdies with three bogeys on the first 13 holes. He pitched in for birdie on the par-3 eighth.

— staff, news services

“The chip-in on 8, or the pitch-in, it was a miracle,” Langer said. “You give me 10,000 balls, I wouldn’t make another one, I think. It was one of those kind of shots. The eagle was huge as well.”

Fred Couples was two strokes back with Brain Gay. The 63-year-old Couples, the 2010 and 2014 winner at Newport Beach, had a 66. Gay shot 65. Charles Schwab Cup leader Steve Stricker was tied for seventh at 8 under after a 68.

Canadian Mike Weir is tied for seventh at 8-under, four shots off the lead. Stephen Ames of Calgary is tied for 58th at 1-under.

“I think anybody within five shots of the lead has a chance,” Langer said. “So, there’s a whole bunch of guys and big names, good players. I have to go low, yeah. Ev