Sports updates: Vernon Norwood, Hayden Robinson
Vernon Norwood
Morgan City High grad Vernon Norwood is in Oregon, hoping to add to his Olympic medal count.
Norwood is in Eugene for the U.S. Olympic trials beginning Friday in preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games beginning July 26 in Paris.
Norwood is scheduled to run in the fourth of five 400 meter preliminary heats, the first of which begins at 3:20 p.m. PDT Friday.
Norwood was part of two relay teams that won medals in the 2020 Tokyo games.
He was on the USA men’s 4x400 relay team that won a gold medal. And he was a member of the mixed 4x100 relay team that won bronze.
At last year’s World Track Championships in Budapest, he was on the gold medal USA 4x400 men’s relay team. He finished fourth in the individual 400 meters. He has won a total of seven medals in world championship competition since 2015.
Norwood, 32, is the son of Curtis Norwood and Charliette Ray He came to Morgan City from New Orleans as a youngster after Hurricane Katrina.
He went on to become a multiple NCAA track champion at LSU.
Last year, the track at the Morgan City High stadium was named for Norwood.
Hayden Robinson
Berwick High grad Hayden Robinson was placed on the seven-day disabled list Monday by the ACL Brewers of the Arizona Complex League rookie circuit. He’s already had an eventful six weeks in the minors after being drafted last year by the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
Robinson, activated May 2, has piled up 28 strikeouts in 18-2/3 innings over six appearances for the Brewers rookies. His earned run average is 2.41.
The right-hander’s breakout game was May 30 against the Athletics rookies. Robinson went a season long 4-2/3 innings and struck out nine, giving up two hits and an earned run.
His only June outing came June 6 against the Dodgers squad. In 3-1/3 innings, he fanned seven and gave up one hit.
Robinson was the ace for his stepfather Seth Henry’s Berwick High team, which won the 2023 3A state championship. He was drafted by Milwaukee in the 23rd round.