Midway through last season's Big Bash League, the Sydney Thunder were travelling nicely with Joe Root and Jos Buttler playing vital roles in the batting order as the club set themselves to challenge for the title. However, when England came calling, both had to take their leave, leaving Chris Jordan and Anton Devcich to try to cover in their contrasting roles.

This time around, the Thunder were seeking quality players, match-winners and mentors for a youngish squad, but most of all the coach Shane Bond was after two players who he could rely upon to have for the entire season, the better to build his plans around. In this context, an early thought about plucking Tom Banton from Somerset was discarded, and the club went for two players who were, on the face of it, down on their luck.

ALSO READ: Batting woes leave Melbourne Stars in a spin

Alex Hales had been discarded from the England World Cup squad in ignominious fashion, while Chris Morris had been left without a South Africa central contract. Such events might have been unpalatable for the players, but they offered Bond and the Thunder the chance to sign them for the duration, and the advantages have been seen in how each man has been able to come gradually to the boil at exactly the right time for their team.

After a hot and cold start, Hales has found a truly telling rhythm with the bat, with scores of 85, 63, 47, 59 and 60 in his past five innings as the Thunder surged into the newly created fifth finals spot and now all the way to a chance to play for a spot in the final against the Melbourne Stars. Morris, with vital wickets and runs, has been little less vital to the team's late progress. Together, they appear to have timed their runs perfectly, benefiting from being able to settle down in Sydney.

"That was one of the things we found challenging last year, we had some really good overseas players, Jos and Joe, and you just felt like they were getting into the tournament and then had to leave, then we had two other players come in with Chris Jordan and Anton Devcich trying to find their feet," Bond told ESPNcricinfo. "So one of the things we wanted to do this year was add two players who we thought would be here the whole time.

"Alex was the first target, I've spent a bit of time coaching against him and seen him for a long time, know he's a world class batter. Getting a guy who was motivated because the T20 World Cup was coming up meant it was an opportunity for us to have him for the whole tournament but also an opportunity for him to push his claims to get back into that England set-up. [Chris Botherway] our GM knows him, I know him and he's fitted in brilliantly.

"With Chris we were looking for that allrounder and as it turned out when we contacted Chris, he'd been told about two days earlier that South Africa weren't going to contract him again, so we wrapped him up pretty quick, then he got a chance to play in the World Cup. He's the same, we've seen once the tournament got past that halfway point, where they've really started to kick into gear, especially Chris now he's going great."

For Callum Ferguson, in his first season as captain of the Thunder, reliable top order runs from Hales and Usman Khawaja have been as gold to his leadership, being one less thing to worry about as he concocts the many tactical plans and match-ups required to navigate the BBL's seven opposing teams and a myriad of different pitch and weather conditions.

"Alex has really come into his own in the back half of the tournament, and Usman's been chipping in quite nicely in and around him - that partnership is waxing quite nicely," Ferguson said. "Ideally we get a bit of a start out of those guys, but certainly our top four have been able to put together some really match-winning combinations and contributions. We don't want to put too much pressure on those two, because we feel like we've got weapons all the way through the batting list.

"Alex being able to be here for the entire tournament has certainly helped him. Batting in sides you haven't played with before can be a little bit tricky to start with, just finding your feet, getting to know the guys you're batting with. We feel like we've got good continuity in our top five in particular and feel like we're starting to hit our straps at the right time. Alex is a world-class cricket player and we certainly thought he was really going to have an impact this season and the way he's come through with the goods in the past five or six weeks has been outstanding and certainly been a fantastic contributor for us."

The Banton discussion intrigues given his subsequent signing by the Brisbane Heat, who have now secured the 21-year-old to a longer deal. "We talked about Tom Banton early on as a player, then you look at your group and we're not an overly experienced group," Bond said. "We think we've got some fo the best young talent in the country, Ollie Davies and Tanveer [Sangha] at the [Under-19] World Cup, Jason Sangha, Arjun Nair was out last year, Matt Gilkes is extremely exciting, Brendan Doggett.

"So they hadn't played massive amounts, and what I wanted were hardened professionals, Alex is a hardened professional, he's played everywhere around the world for 10 years and Chris is the same, so two guys who were going to add off the field as well as on it. Tom has been awesome for Brisbane, but he's 21 and I thought having someone like that coming in new would be a little bit more of a challenge for the group. What Chris and Alex bring off the field is just as important as on it as well."

Off-field behaviour, of course, was a central issue in Hales' England exit, and Bond reasoned, pragmatically, that in those circumstances it was a fairly safe bet that the Thunder would not be troubled by a cricketer who was trying to make reputation improvements in addition to scoring plenty of powerful runs. "I never thought there was ever going to be a problem with that stuff," Bond said. "We always saw it as, if mistakes were made off the field then you're done almost, you're at that point in your career, so you just can't afford to do that. He's fit seamlessly into our environment."

Bond had previously been struck by Hales' power and clean striking when coaching against him in New Zealand. Ahead of the MCG date with the Stars, he was hoping for something similar."He whacked it, I know that, he put it on the roof in Wellington a few times," Bond said. "You're after that player, that was a few years ago but you watch his impact in the Blast and around the world, he's got that ability to take the game away from teams at the start of an innings but then just keep accelerating and go big.

"That's what we were wanting, someone who when Rashid Khan and those good spinners are operating can still belt them. He's got good starts for us and made 60 off 30, the sorts of innings that really impact on a T20 game. He's an imposing character at the crease as well, Uzzy is a bit shorter, equally as dominant a player, but Alex a different stature at the other end - he can be an intimidating player to bowl to.

"It's sort of taken the pressure off Usman. Because he's such a fine player at the other end, we just wanted Uzzy to go out and play and not have the pressure that it was all on him. Uzzy can just turn up and belt a hundred, so to have two such good players, and Ferg behind them, we've always felt if those guys face the bulk of the balls we're going to be there or thereabouts, and our bowling attack is getting better and better."

As for the future, Bond is decidedly hopeful that both Hales and Morris will be back next season - whether or not they are selected for the T20 World Cup on these shores. "Whether they'll have a role in that I'm not quite sure, but I'd love them both to come back," he said.

"You talk to Usman, he's done the overseas role and it's not an easy one to walk into, the competition is tough, the wickets are tough, the quality is good, for anybody to be able to walk back into a team and know exactly how it operates and know the conditions you're walking into, I think it's a really up side. The way the Renegades have won it and the Strikers have won it, that's around having continuity with their overseas players as well. So that's an important thing."

LOS ANGELES -- When Dwight Howard got word on his phone that Kobe Bryant had been involved in a helicopter accident while the Los Angeles Lakers were on a flight of their own cross-country back to L.A., he notified teammates around him in the airplane cabin and then retreated to the restroom.

He wanted a place where he could be by himself and cry.

Howard, whose only season playing alongside Bryant for the Lakers was marred by drama and disappointment, had come to appreciate Bryant in the seven years since.

They hugged on the sidelines during a game in November. Howard laced up Bryant's signature sneakers all season. And they were going to reunite on the court during All-Star Weekend later this month in Chicago, with Bryant having accepted Howard's invitation to join him in the dunk contest.

"He was going to do something for me in the dunk contest, which is kind of heartbreaking," Howard said Tuesday following the Lakers' 129-102 win over the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center. "It's been on my mind every day. Man, I can't believe it. I'm still in shock. It hurts. It's tough. I just never thought that somebody like that would be gone.

"And it's something that, you know, I just tell people, if you have any bitterness or anger, whatever, strife towards anybody, let it go. Let them know how you feel. Get those feelings out. Let them know because you never know what could happen. Life comes and goes just like that. For me, it's super sad because I really wanted to tell him how much I appreciate everything he's done, all the things he's said. Even at the time that we were on the same team, we didn't understand each other.

"But I saw a different Kobe, and I even saw a change in myself. And I'm pretty sure he saw it. I just wanted to be able to tell him how I felt about him, and I never got the chance to. That was really the most heartbreaking part. Every day it's been on my mind. It's something that I've just got to deal with, just show the fans in this city that I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

Just days before Bryant's death, Howard appealed to Lakers fans through the reporters speaking to him after a game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks to encourage Bryant to join him in the dunk contest.

Howard told ESPN that both Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and Howard's agent, Charles Briscoe, got word prior to the tragedy that took the lives of Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others on Jan. 26 that Bryant would indeed be joining him at All-Star Weekend.

The former three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, who was seven years younger than Bryant when they teamed together, said they were at different stages of their lives and let their egos get in the way during the ill-fated 2012-13 season.

Still, Howard insists, he never felt hatred toward Bryant -- citing how he was one of Bryant's first teammates to visit him at his Newport Beach, California, home after Bryant tore his Achilles tendon late in the season -- and even understood Bryant's critique that he was "soft" as time went by, realizing it was Bryant issuing a mental challenge.

"It doesn't seem real that it happened," Howard said. "I never expected in a million years that we'd be talking about Kobe passing away. So it was very sad, man; I just cried myself to sleep talking about it. And it still hurts to this day. It's kind of hard to talk about it, because I just get these overwhelming feelings from it. But he meant a lot to a lot of people, as you can see the love from around the world that everybody received and how hurt everybody was. I could tell that people were deeply sad."

Howard said he could not bring himself to visit the massive memorial that fans created across the street from Staples Center at the L.A. Live plaza, but he did spend time at a smaller one outside the Lakers' practice facility in El Segundo, California.

"The fact that Kobe Bryant passed away is very emotional for me," he said. "I've been trying to take my mind off of it, but it's hard because I just would've never expected a situation like this to happen where we're talking about Kobe Bryant. He's like the first legend for all of us that we've seen in our lifetime just pass away. It's shocking, it's disheartening and it just makes you realize that we all we go.

"It doesn't matter what you have, it doesn't matter who you are: We are all we got. And love each other while we're here on Earth, treat each other the right way, respect each other and never have any hatred or animosity towards anybody because you never know what could happen to him. It was a very valuable lesson. I just make sure every day that I tell people how grateful and thankful I am for them, how much I appreciate them."

Howard was reminded of the praise he heaped on Bryant the night before his death, when LeBron James passed Bryant for No. 3 on the NBA's all-time scoring list. That evening Howard said that as a society we should give people their due while they are still living. After talking to reporters, he made his way to James' locker to congratulate him on the accomplishment and shake his hand, putting his words in action.

It is a gesture he plans to continue now that Bryant is gone.

"I probably have cried as hard as I have in a while, the death of Kobe," Howard said. "It wasn't because we were close, close friends, it's just like, man, I just never thought that it'd be Kobe."

NEW ORLEANS -- Before Tuesday night's matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and the New Orleans Pelicans, each coach warned that the game wasn't just reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo against No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson.

But that's where most of the attention was focused. There was a certain buzz in the arena every time the two went toe-to-toe.

In fact, the loudest the Smoothie King Center got all night was when Williamson ripped a rebound out of Antetokounmpo's hands in the fourth quarter while the Pelicans were trying to get back in the game.

Despite the takeaway, it was Antetokounmpo who had the last laugh, as the Bucks rolled to a 120-108 victory.

Antetokounmpo finished with 34 points, 17 rebounds and six assists in just 33 minutes of work. It was the 10th time this season that he finished with at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, becoming the seventh NBA player to accomplish the feat, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The other six -- Wilt Chamberlain (six times), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (four times), Elgin Baylor (three times), Walt Bellamy, Bob Pettit and Oscar Robertson -- are all in the Hall of Fame.

It's the type of performance Williamson, who finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists, expected going against Antetokounmpo for the first time.

"I mean, he's a former MVP," Williamson said. "It's like going up against any great player. Do as much as you can to slow him down."

He added later, "I mean, he's his own player; he brings his own style to the game. That's why he's Giannis."

There were times when Antetokounmpo got the best of Williamson. Midway through the second quarter, Williamson's driving attempt to the goal on a fast break was stopped by the hand of Antetokounmpo, who blocked the 19-year-old's shot attempt.

That was at the end of a minute of game action with the two going at each other. It started with Williamson drawing a foul on Antetokounmpo, who responded with a cutting finger roll down the middle of the lane.

On the other end, Williamson finished in the lane with a dunk over Brook Lopez. But Antetokounmpo came back on an ensuing possession and drew a foul against Williamson, leading to a pair of free throws.

In the fourth quarter, Williamson had an open shot after an offensive rebound by Lonzo Ball. Williamson charged toward the rim with only Antetokounmpo standing in the way. Williamson leaped toward the basket but was met by Antetokounmpo in the air, and Williamson drew the foul.

Antetokounmpo said he was impressed with Williamson and that people will feel the same about him for quite some time.

"He'll be a really good player for a lot of years to come," Antetokounmpo said. "He's out there helping the team; he's competing as hard as possible. He's just gotta stay healthy, and he's gonna have a bright future."

The Bucks forced Williamson into his worst shooting performance of his young career. Williamson was 5-of-19 from the floor (26.3%) and 0-of-3 from deep. He never missed more than 12 shots in a game playing for Duke, and didn't shoot worse than 44.4% as a Blue Devil, either.

The problem on Tuesday was running up against what Williamson called the tallest defense he has faced yet. Milwaukee entered the game with the best defensive rating in the league and proved why against the Pelicans.

"I think we put a lot of guys, a lot of different looks to him," Antetokounmpo said. "I was guarding him, Brook was guarding him, Robin [Lopez] was guarding him, Pat [Connaughton] was guarding him. Just tried to make him guess, just tried to make it as tough as possible.

"You know he's gonna try to go left, try to overpower whoever's guarding him, try to go and finish strong. And the guys behind gotta be active, gotta make it as tough as possible."

According to ESPN Stats & Info research, the Bucks contested 15 of the 19 shots Williamson attempted, while Antetokounmpo held Williamson to 1-of-6 shooting with two turnovers when he was the primary defender.

Williamson constantly attacked the Bucks' defense despite the shooting numbers. He said his teammates and coaches were in his ear about continuing to do so throughout the night. Williamson said Ball, the Pelicans' point guard, played a big role in that.

"I remember I looked at Lonzo at one point, and I'm like, 'Eh, I don't like this -- I feel like I'm shooting too much at a certain point,'" Williamson recalled. "And he told me I should never feel like that, so I just kept going."

After the Bucks used a 30-9 run to start the third quarter, Williamson was a part of the unit that tried to bring New Orleans back in the fourth. The Pelicans cut the lead to as little as seven and had a chance to get the game to a two-possession contest, but the team fell short.

With the victory, Milwaukee improved to 43-7 on the season, becoming just the eighth team in NBA history to win 43 of its first 50 games. The seven other teams made it to the NBA Finals, with only one -- the 73-win Golden State Warriors in 2015-16 -- failing to win the title.

The Houston Rockets acquired the Minnesota Timberwolves' Robert Covington and traded center Clint Capela to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a four-team, 12-player deal on Tuesday night, league sources told ESPN.

The NBA's most expansive trade in nearly 20 years saw the Timberwolves acquire two first-round picks, including Houston's 2020 pick, which they moved on to the Denver Nuggets for guard Malik Beasley and forward Juan Hernangomez, sources said.

The Timberwolves keep the best available first-round pick in the trade deadline marketplace -- Atlanta's 2020 first-round pick via the Brooklyn Nets. Denver gets Houston's 2020 first-round pick; the Nuggets are expected to be active offering it in deals to continue upgrading a roster that is third in the Western Conference standings.

Among the trade details, sources told ESPN:

• Minnesota also acquires Atlanta's Evan Turner and Denver's Jarred Vanderbilt.

• Denver acquires Minnesota guard Shabazz Napier, forward Keita Bates-Diop, forward Noah Vonleh and injured guard Gerald Green.

• Atlanta acquires Houston center Nene Hilario.

• Houston also receives Jordan Bell from Minnesota and an Atlanta 2024 second-round pick via the Golden State Warriors.

For the Rockets, they keep the flexibility of $12 million in cap space that allows them to expand this trade between now and Thursday's 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline. Houston can add a player who helps now, take on a player for assets and use those to further upgrade the team.

After Golden State and Minnesota were unable to reach an agreement that would've included them trading guard D'Angelo Russell and Andrew Wiggins -- among a host of other contracts and picks -- Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas pivoted to completing the four-team deal with Denver.

Minnesota considers Beasley and Hernangomez as players it hopes to sign to new contracts in the offseason, quality fits around center Karl-Anthony Towns and Wiggins.

Atlanta had been determined to acquire a center, and Capela, 25, fills a glaring need for the Hawks. Atlanta is building its roster around All-Star guard Trae Young and forwards John Collins and Kevin Huerter, and Capela brings an accomplished, mature, team-first player into the organization.

Capela has spent his entire NBA career in Houston after the Rockets selected him as the No. 25 overall pick in the 2014 draft. He arrived as a project, became a full-time starter after Dwight Howard's departure in the summer of 2016 and received a five-year deal worth $80 million plus incentives after playing a major role in the Rockets' run to the 2017 Western Conference finals.

Capela is averaging a double-double (13.9 points and 13.8 rebounds per game) for the third consecutive season, but he has been nagged by plantar fasciitis in his right foot for several weeks, an issue that Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said could sideline Capela until after the All-Star break.

The Rockets are 10-1 in the games Capela has missed this season and have become increasingly reliant on playing small-ball lineups with 3-point threats surrounding superstar guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

The Rockets did not play a traditional center in their victories over the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans over the weekend despite having 7-foot reserves Tyson Chandler and Isaiah Hartenstein available. Houston became the first team to go an entire game without using a player taller than 6-foot-6 since the New York Knicks in a Jan. 31, 1963, win over the Chicago Zephyrs, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

Using such small lineups creates defensive and rebounding challenges, but D'Antoni says he believes those are outweighed by the offensive opportunities for Harden and Westbrook with a wide-open floor.

"When we're getting to the rim, it's pretty devastating, so they better beat us up inside pretty well before we have to change," D'Antoni said after the win over the Mavericks. "We won't blink too quick."

The trade matched the NBA's biggest in terms of the number of players involved since a deal in 2000 that sent Hall of Fame New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing to the Seattle SuperSonics.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks contributed to this report.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, shortly after acquiring star right fielder Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox, sent outfielder Joc Pederson to the Los Angeles Angels for infielder Luis Rengifo, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Tuesday.

Pederson, 27, hit .249 with 36 home runs and 74 RBIs last year for the Dodgers.

Pederson, like Betts, is a free agent after this season. But for one season, at least, Pederson will join superstar Mike Trout in an Angels outfield that also includes Justin Upton.

Rengifo, 22, batted .238 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs in 108 games for the Angels last season, splitting time between second base and shortstop.

The trade could signal additional deals for both clubs. Pederson is headed to an Angels team with a talented outfield group that includes Trout, Upton, Brian Goodwin and, eventually, top prospect Jo Adell.

Rengifo joins a Dodgers team with plenty of middle-infield depth, including Corey Seager, Gavin Lux, Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez. Trading Pederson -- who will make either $9.5 million or $7.75 million in his final year of arbitration, depending on the results of an upcoming hearing -- could help the Dodgers get under the 2020 luxury-tax threshold.

ESPN's Alden Gonzalez contributed to this report.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are mad. You sensed it in the passive-aggressive statement they released on the night of Jan. 13, hours after the Houston Astros were punished for the illegal sign-stealing methods that helped them win the 2017 World Series. You sensed it, mostly, in their pointed words during the annual preseason gathering with fans, a typically cheerful event that no longer felt so upbeat.

Justin Turner expressed how difficult it was to believe the Astros "earned the right to be called champions." In addressing Major League Baseball's revelations, Dave Roberts said "frustrating is probably the floor of my emotions." Ross Stripling bemoaned the fact that none of the players were punished. Enrique Hernandez, wearing Dodgers-colored sunglasses, called it "a shame" and cracked a joke about how proud he was of his team for winning a game at Minute Maid Park "where they knew every pitch that was coming."

At one point, Hernandez made a distinctly optimistic statement with mock enthusiasm.

"It's 2020 -- a new decade," he said with his best smile. "The '20s are going to be the Dodgers' decade."

The Dodgers, dormant all winter, took a major step in that direction on Tuesday, by pulling off the most "right now" move of the Andrew Friedman era. They shipped off two pivotal, controllable player in exchange for superstar right fielder Mookie Betts, who will make $27 million in his final season before free agency. The Dodgers parted with Alex Verdugo, a talented young outfielder, and Kenta Maeda, a proven weapon for their rotation and their bullpen who went to the Twins, and also agreed to take on a bulk of the $96 million remaining in left-hander David Price's contract -- all, essentially, for one season of a player who might sign elsewhere next offseason.

And maybe he'll be exactly what this team -- this market -- needs.

The Dodgers, mind you, didn't need Betts. Not to win the pennant. Perhaps not even to win it all. Before this move, their roster -- closely resembling the one that accumulated 106 regular-season victories last season -- remained the greatest and deepest in the National League.

What they needed, though, was a spark coming off a deflating first-round exit in last year's postseason. What they needed was an impact player who can single-handedly make the difference in October, a time of year when top-heavy rosters -- like a 2019 Washington Nationals team with Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto and little else -- can make superior teams seem vulnerable. What they needed was a big name to shift the conversation away from what might or might not have happened 27 months ago, to help heal a market still reeling over the sudden death of Kobe Bryant, to make the immediate future seem a little bit more promising.

Friedman often chafed at the public perception that he didn't place proper value on the present. He liked to state that the Dodgers had given up more prospects than any other organization since he took over as president of baseball operations in October 2014, with trades for Manny Machado and Yu Darvish the most glaring examples. He noted that the front office had previously offered nine-figure contracts that were simply rejected.

This offseason offered a snapshot. The Dodgers offered Gerrit Cole $300 million, but he instead chose the New York Yankees. They expressed interest in Rendon, but he had no interest in living in L.A. and instead signed with an Angels team that plays out of neighboring Orange County. At that point, Friedman shifted his attention to a trade market that remained stagnant until only recently, ultimately landing a player whom the Dodgers would have eventually chased in free agency.

In Betts, still only 27, and Cody Bellinger, a mere 24 years old, the Dodgers employ two of the game's five or so best players in the same outfield, with Turner, Max Muncy, Corey Seager and Gavin Lux -- the promising prospect they essentially refused to trade -- filling out the rest of a dominant lineup. (Left-handed-hitting outfielder Joc Pederson was subsequently dealt to the Angels for young middle infielder Luis Rengifo, a move that would make A.J. Pollock the everyday left fielder and help the Dodgers get below the luxury-tax threshold.)

ESPN Daily Newsletter: Sign up now!

An offense that led the NL in slugging and homers and finished second in on-base percentage in 2019 has added a player with a .302/.374/.524 slash line, 134 home runs and 119 stolen bases over the past five years. A defense that led the majors in defensive runs saved has added someone who won a Gold Glove Award after each of the past four seasons. A wounded team in a wounded city has been infused with a ray of light.

The Dodgers got Betts -- in a deal that is still pending the review of medical records -- without having to part with any of their prospects. And given that the Red Sox are expected to pick up roughly half of what remains on Price's contract over these next three seasons, they also added an accomplished middle-of-the-rotation starter for what would have at least been fair market value had he been a free agent this offseason.

Two Saturdays ago, in his first public comments since MLB punished the Astros, Roberts was asked if he has found himself looking back to the tight, back-and-forth, seven-game World Series from 2017 and wondering what could have been.

"I think we've all been sort of guilty of that," the manager said, "but it's a rabbit hole that really isn't going to change the past."

Nothing -- not a vacated title, not a string of consecutive championships -- will erase the agony of coming up short that fall. The Dodgers found a way back to the World Series the following year and lost in five games to a Betts-led Red Sox team that is under investigation for similar, albeit milder, crimes. But that Astros loss stung differently. That pain will endure.

This was about creating better memories.

Scottish middle-distance runner revisits her goals for 2020 after surprise British indoor 800m record and victory over training partner Laura Muir

When Jemma Reekie crossed the finish line in a British indoor 800m record of 1:57.91 in Glasgow, her face exploded into mixture of delight and disbelief. She raised her hands above her head in victory before clasping them over her mouth in astonishment. Laura Muir – the runner-up, good friend and training partner – immediately and instinctively embraced her with a smile. On social media, Kelly Holmes, Paula Radcliffe and the holder of the record, Jenny Meadows, were gushing with praise.

“I was in complete shock with the time,” Reekie told AW. “It was so nice to cross the line and for Laura to be so excited with me. She knows how much I’ve improved in training and how much we’ve worked together and she was so excited that I’ve finally shown it to other people as well.”

Not only did Reekie beat Muir in a national record, but her time was the fastest in the world indoors for 14 years, an indoor PB by five seconds and easily improved her outdoor PB of 2:01.45. After being in the shadow of Muir in recent years, she is now being touted as a potential Olympic medallist in Tokyo.

READ MORE: Jemma Reekie breaks British indoor 800m record in Glasgow

Just 21 years old, she has not reached her training potential yet either. She currently does similar quality sessions as Muir – and other athletes in her group like Gabriela DeBues-Stafford – but does not yet do the same volume of endurance work.

Of her coach of the last four years, Andy Young, she says: “He has held me back in certain places and pushed me in certain places. He’s got it all planned out and I think that’s a big thing and I’ve kept moving along slowly.

“I didn’t expect to be still making big jumps at the stage I’m at now. I thought it’d be little margins and small bits of improvement here and there.

“I thought last year I was capable of going faster than I did. But it’s hard because I was stuck in this area where I was too slow to get into the good races that I needed to get into to get faster.”

She continues: “All I want to do is athletics but Andy has said ‘this is all you want to do but we need to do it slowly so that you’ll have a successful career’. I find it frustrating sometimes but doesn’t want me to peak this year and then go downhill.

“Even at my club when I was younger, I was lucky that I had two good coaches that didn’t push us too hard and it was all done for fun. My parents have also not been involved too much and don’t know what I should be doing. They just have the attitude that as long as I’m enjoying it then it’s good.”

Young’s training techniques have helped turn Muir into one of the best runners in the world and the group have already spent part of this winter in South Africa doing some tough sessions. “Since I’ve been with Andy I’ve learned what hard work is,” says Reekie. “After last summer I thought I’m going to work even harder. I say every year that I’m going to work even harder. And then the last couple of camps have just been going really well for me.”

On her recent South African camp, Reekie says: “I did a couple of quick sessions there and thought ‘I’m going pretty fast’. But if someone said you are going to run 1:57 I’d have thought ‘no way’. I would have been really happy to just break two minutes. I always tell people that they have to appreciate breaking two minutes isn’t easy.”

Her breakthrough run in Glasgow raised eyebrows and given the recent Nike Vaporfly controversy some cynics have suspiciously put her progress down to her Nike spikes. Young however says the shoes comply with the new World Athletics rules on footwear.

Reekie also had a sinus operation late last year to help her breathing, whereas she has steadily improved her PBs at 800m and 1500m in recent years from 2:07.23/4:24.22 in 2016 to 2:04.25/4:12.28 in 2017 to 2:02.62/4:06.11 in 2018 and 2:01.45/4:02.09 last year.

Reekie also won the European under-20 1500m title in 2017 and European under-23 800m and 1500m golds in 2019 (pictured above), despite her tactics in the European under-23 800m being “an absolute mess”. She is also, she says, totally committed to athletics now and spends most of her life travelling from one training camp or competition to another.

Not surprisingly, there is not much time for hobbies outside athletics. She has two dogs – a Collie and Chihuahua – and enjoys walking them. “I’m also a big sleeper!” she says. “I sleep about 12 hours a night and try to nap in the day, too, so after training and sleeping there’s not much time for anything else! Also running doesn’t last forever so I want to focus on it and see what I can do.”

This week she will doubtless take a nap on the flight to New York for her first race in the United States. She is set to run the mile at the NYRR Millrose Games and it will be fascinating to see if she can build on her 800m in Glasgow.

“I’ve tried to get back to normal this week,” says Reekie. “I’ve just cracked on with training again. I’m excited to see what I can do this weekend. I’ve never competed in America before and I’ve heard it’s an amazing atmosphere.”

After that, she hopes to run the Müller Indoor Grand Prix and Spar British Indoor Championships – both in Glasgow this month. As for the summer, her original plans to focus on 1500m might now change.

As a reward for her British record run, Young generously allowed her to cut short her Sunday steady run by 10 minutes. “I think he was in shock after the race,” says Reekie. “He didn’t really say much to be honest. He knew I was in really good shape and could probably run quite quick. But maybe not that quick.

“Now all of a sudden he has to rejig things. It was all about the 1500m this year but now that might change.”

GAFFNEY, S.C. – Robby Lyons will drive for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller during the first three NASCAR Xfinity Series races of the season.

In a driver development co-effort with Premium Motorsports, Lyons will be making starts at Daytona Int’l Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway.

“I’m thrilled to get the opportunity to kick of the 2020 season driving for JD Motorsports,” said Lyons, 31. “Obviously, I’ve been following the team for a long time and have a huge amount of respect and appreciation for what they’ve done for guys like Ross and Garrett, who I’m proud to call friends and mentors. Seeing how driving for Johnny prepared them for success as drivers and in so many other ways is really exciting for me. I can’t wait to capitalize on the three races we have planned and build on that momentum heading forward.”

Partnering with Lyons for the first of his three starts will be Carr & Sons Masonry Inc., based out of nearby Pinellas Park, FL. Sunwest Construction will partner up with Lyons for the driver’s next starts at Las Vegas and Fontana.

In his lone Xfinity Series start at Homestead-Miami Speedway last season, Lyons finished 28th. He has also made 12 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series starts, earning a career-best 12th-place finish at Phoenix Raceway.

Lyons’ car number and crew chief will be announced at a later date.

TULSA, Okla. – Reserved seat ticket renewals and new ticket orders for the 35th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire begin on March 4 and run through April 10.

Taking place Jan. 11-16, 2021, reserved Seats for the 35th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire will continue to be sold in six, five, and four-day packages.

Prices for the 2021 affair will be broken down with four-day tickets at $227, five-day tickets at $282, and tickets for the full event at $337, plus tax (8.517%) and shipping, which is $7 for orders up to 15 tickets and $10 from 16 ticket orders and up.

Domestic orders, not held in Will Call, will be sent via USPS Certified Mail to ensure each order sent will require a signature. All international orders will be kept in Will Call.

The offices of the Chili Bowl Nationals are open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CT).

Tickets can be renewed starting March 6 by phone at (918) 838-3777. Again, all new orders, as well as renewals, begin at the same time.

Current ticket holders will be sent a renewal form. If ordering with the renewal form, those can be returned to 1140 S. 83rd East Ave. Tulsa, OK 74112 or by fax to (918) 836-5517. Tickets can be purchased with Visa. MasterCard, Cash, Check, or Money Order.

Orders will not be taken via email or social media.

If a reserved seat ticket cannot be acquired, pit passes will be on sale at the event and never sell out. The pit pass double as a general admission pass and allows fans access to the back straightaway on a first-come, first-served basis. Pit passes are $45 per weekday and $60 on Saturday. Passes can be purchased for multiple consecutive days. Pit passes are not sold in advance.

All orders are processed by hand throughout the month of May. All renewals are processed first, then changes to those accounts, then new orders will be done in the order they were received until all tickets are sold.

Tickets will be shipped close to September in order to work around the schedule for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network.

Times and other event information will be published as the event draws closer.