The Daily News-Journal from Murfreesboro, Tennessee • Page C4

C4 THE DAILY NEWS JOURNAL MONDAY, AUG. 19, 2013 SPORTS Logano holds off Harvick for crucial Michigan win Paul Menard, Clint Bowyer, Marcos Ambrose, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards. Biffle won this race in June. For Logano, it also was his first win for Penske Racing and Ford, where he moved this season from Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota. It's his first win in 14 months.

His last came at Pocono Raceway in June 2012. "This is unbelievable, just to win here at Michigan in their (Ford and Penske Racing) backyard," Logano said from victory lane. "We needed this for our Chasehopes. here in victory lane. This is just so freaking cool.

"I knew (Martin) was two laps short. I wanted to get by him though, in case they were fooling with me. Just getting in that clean air means so much." He also was quick to congratulate team owner Roger Penske. "RP has done so much for me ing exactly what we need to." The race opened with a surprising rash of cautions three in the first 13 laps. Bowyer spun out on the first lap, David Reuti-mann crashed on lap 8 and Austin Dillon, subbing for the injured Tony Stewart in the No.

14 Chevrolet, drifted up the track to collect J.J. Yeley on lap 13. Following the outbreak of yellows, the race went green for awhile but it also ended for five-time champion Jimmie Johnson. On lap 54, Johnson started to feel his engine giving up. He pulled into the garage, where it finally expired; the series points leader finished 40th, his first DNF of the season.

It wasn't a great day for one of Johnson's Hendrick Motor-sports teammates, either. With 66 laps to go, Dale Earnhardt Jr. blew a tire and hit the wall, badly damaging the right side of his car. By Jeff Gluck and Heather Tucker USA TODAY Sports BROOKLYN, Mich. Joey Logano, who desperately needed a win to keep himself in consideration for a slot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, got one Sunday in the Pure Michigan 400.

Logano ran down Mark Martin, who ran out of gas with four laps remaining, to win from the pole at the 2-mile superspeed-way for his first victory of the season. Kevin Harvick had about three laps to run down Logano, but couldn't do it. He finished second. Kurt Busch, who berated his pit crew all day for slow stops, was third. Teammate Brad Keselowski led several laps toward the end, but finally had to pit for fuel and gave up the lead at his home track.

He finished 12th. Rounding out the top 10 were: Joey Logano, left, now sits just seven points outside the top 12. The top 10 drivers plus two wild card drivers from positions 11-20 qualify for the 10-race Chase, ap throughout my short career with him; just really happy for him," Logano said. Logano now sits just seven points outside the top 12. The top 10 drivers plus two wild card drivers from positions 11-20 qualify for the 10-race Chase.

The cutoff is Sept. 7 at Richmond International Raceway. "We need to win three in a row," Logano joked. "We're do thanked me for seeking out the story of her husband's plight, although she did not know the story had printed yet. Perhaps busy with her duties as a Naval Aviation Ordnance, Adrienne definitely did not know the national attention Steven's story had already garnered.

To drive home the point, I replied via text, "Google the words Marine and NCAA and you'll see what I mean." One click later, and she got the message. Hopefully, the NCAA can say the same. Adam Sparks is the MTSU beat writer for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at 615-278-5174 or sparksdnj.com. Follow him on Twitter AdamSparks.

torcompliance, and his staff were already battling the NCAA behind closed doors to try to gain Rhodes' eligibility. MTSU claimed one victory last week by recouping all four years of Rhodes' eligibility (he was previously only given two seasons to play), but the NCAA still denied his immediate eligibility. For now, Rhodes must sit out this season, pending MTSU's final appeal to the NCAA and perhaps the organization's subcommittee for legislative relief. In the public eye or not, MTSU was going to the mat for Rhodes, a 24-year-old Antioch native who has played both tight end and defensive end in preseason camp. Simpson has worked tirelessly for Rhodes, and he submitted another argument to the NCAA on Rhodes' behalf on Sunday.

But credit three men for pushing Rhodes' story to the media (and probably in this order): director of football operations Chris Matusek, director of player development Brent Brock and associate athletic directorathletic communications Mark Owens. Matusek, a former MTSU player (and a one-time walk-on), said he could not sit by silently and let a Marine be mistreated, especially when he only wanted to play college football. Brock, a former MTSU assistant coach, wanted Rhodes to enjoy what he earned. And Owens wanted an MTSU player, whether a four-year starter or a walk-on, to get his fair chance to tell his story. Then came a few interviews, a candid conversation with Rhodes after practice, a phone call to Rhodes' wife (stationed at a San Diego Naval base), a 90-minute crash course on NCAA bylaws with a patient Simpson and a quick photo shoot as MTSU equipment managers politely kept one light on at the Blue Raider practice field late Friday night.

It came together quickly, but quite well. Without some concerned MTSU football staff members, it might have remained silent. Put in perspective The national attention the story has already received has put Rhodes in a spotlight he never intended. He simply wants to play football, and perhaps this tide of public opinion can push that sooner than later. Rhodes has handled the attention well, but it's certainly not something he or his family expected.

On Sunday afternoon, Rhodes wife, Adrienne, swapped a couple of text messages with me. She Sparks Continued from Page C1 DNJ photographer Helen Comer's portrait photo of Rhodes received requests for usage from numerous media sites. As of late Sunday night, that photo and Rhodes himself were tentatively scheduled to appear on "CBS This Morning with Charlie Rose Gayle King" today (7-9 a.m.). NBC Sports and CNN sports both will air features on Rhodes' story this week, but times have not been announced. Rhodes will appear on NBC Sports Radio's "Erik Kuselias Show" on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

And The Dan Patrick Show has also contacted MTSU to tell Rhodes' story on the air. DNJ.com page views of the story reached 124,000 before sundown. Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites drove the story. LetRho-desPlay was trending on Twitter by mid-afternoon. And by the time the Blue Raiders hit the practice field Sunday night, the soft-spoken Rhodes a proud and accomplished yet virtually unknown Marine, husband and father of two sons had already granted numerous national media requests.

How the story came to light? Daryl Simpson, MTSU assistant athletic direc MilmTT FOR ME A 3 nfli WEATHER AccuWeather.com NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. TODAY'S FORECAST EXTENDED FORECAST (San FncisM KL A V-TA 6 A.M. NOON 6 P.M. MIDNIGHT TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY I jJ i JJ Ji 67 79 81 72 92 70 93 69 93 69 95 70 POP: 25 POP: 55 POP: 55 POP: 50 POP: 40 POP: 55 POP: 55 POP: 55 Clouds and sun today with a shower or thunderstorm At-storm Some sun with Periods of sun Partly sunny, a around.

Partly cloudy tonight with a stray shower. around in the a t-storm; warm with at-storm High 85 Low 67 p.m. Bristol POP: Probability of precipitation La Middlesboro TjSW' Tlarksville 8765 9080 Portland 8266 Nashville Union City 8867 Knoxville 10s -OS Os 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s Dyersburg 8968 Jackson VV vvvvv Blytheville Oak Ridge ''7867 8368 Columbia 8467 Murfreesboro 8567 0 showers t-storms rain rif Asheville 8869 flurries snow ice cold front warm front stationary front high low 8466 7764 9071 Chattanooga Lawrenceburg 8368 Showers and thunderstorms will rumble from the southern mid-Atlantic through the Gulf Coast today while a few showers dampen the ground in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It will remain pleasant across the Northeast while turning hot and humid over the Plains. Much of the West will remain hot and dry with a few storms in the Rockies.

J. REGIONAL CITIES Yesterday's National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) Today Tue. Hi Lo Hi Lo Shown is today's weather. Temperatures are today's highs and tonight's lows. High: 112 in Needles, CA Low: 34 in Stanley, ID CONDITIONS TODAY UV Index and RealFeel Temperature8 Today NATIONAL CITIES Today Hi Lo Today Hi Lo Tue.

Hi Lo Tue. Lo Hi Asheville 77 64 79 64 Atlanta 79 70 85 73 Birmingham 80 72 90 73 Chattanooga 78 70 86 70 Jackson, MS 92 70 93 71 Little Rock 91 68 pc 91 70 Louisville 86 67 pc 89 71 Memphis 90 71 pc 90 72 Nashville 83 68 89 70 RIVER AND LAKE LEVELS Levels as of 7 a.m. yesterday 67 73 82 89 92 94 87 6a.m. 8a.m. 10a.m.

Noon 2p.m. 4p.m. 6p.m. The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low; 3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 1 1 Extreme.

The patented AccuWeather.com RealFeel Temperature is an exclusive index of effective temperature based on eight weather factors. ALMANAC Nashville through 5 p.m. yesterday Temperature High Low Yesterday 80 68 Last year 84 65 Normals 89 69 Records 102 (1954) 58 (1879) Precipitation 24 hours ending 5 p.m. vest, trace Month to date 1 .40" Year to date 36.92" Normal month to date 1 .90" Normal year to date 30.98" Annual normal 47.25" Sun and Moon Sunrise today 6:07 a.m. Sunset tonight 7:30 p.m.

Moonrise today 6:20 p.m. Moonset today 4:26 a.m. Full Last New First Aug 20 Aug 28 Sep 5 Sep 12 AIR QUALITY INDEX Boston 83 67 pc 85 68 New Orleans 88 75 92 77 Charleston, SC 87 74 89 74 New York 80 68 pc 85 70 Chicago 85 68 pc 88 70 Phoenix 109 90 pc 108 89 Cleveland 81 61 pc 83 63 pc Pittsburgh 80 59 83 59 Detroit 83 64 85 66 Providence 83 62 pc 88 65 Evansville 89 66 pc 88 69 Richmond 82 68 86 70 pc Honolulu 88 71 89 74 pc Sacramento 96 61 89 60 pc Indianapolis 86 66 pc 87 68 St. Louis 87 67 pc 91 71 Las Vegas 99 83 pc 99 85 San Francisco 71 57 67 57 pc Los Angeles 82 63 pc 80 65 pc Tampa 92 78 92 78 Miami 90 80 91 80 pc Washington, DC 79 68 87 72 pc WORLD CITIES Today Tue. Today Tue.

Hi Lo Hi Lo Hi Lo Hi Lo Amsterdam 74 54 sh 72 53 Kuwait 118 89 118 95 Baghdad 112 84 111 75 London 72 54 pc 73 55 pc Barbados 88 79 88 79 sh Mexico City 75 53 70 52 Cairo 96 74 96 77 Moscow 73 58 pc 76 56 pc Dublin 64 57 pc 66 57 pc Paris 75 51 sh 75 53 Frankfurt 73 53 73 54 pc Rome 84 69 83 66 Geneva 75 52 74 48 San Jose 79 67 75 68 Hong Kong 90 82 91 81 Sydney 66 46 61 43 Jerusalem 84 65 86 64 Tokyo 88 80 88 78 pc Kabul 86 64 91 56 Vancouver 70 56 pc 70 53 pc Gauge Flood 24 hr. West Fork Stones River Height Stage Chq. near Murfreesboro 2.76 Full 24 hr. Lake Level Pool Chg. Lake Barkley 358.25 356 Kentucky Lake (upper) 357.99 356 Kentucky Lake (lower) 307.35 302 0.25 Old Hickory Lake 445.35 445 0.30 Percy Priest Lake 490.35 0.01 Center Hill Lake 632.47 648 0.06 Unhealthy Sensitive Moderate Hazardous Very Unhealthy Unhealthy Good N.A.

50 100 150 200 300 Yesterday's main offender: N.A. Source: Nashville.gov Today AYesterday POLLEN INDEX Rating for yesterday Low I Moderate I High WEATHER TRIVIA What was the strongest August hurricane to hit the United States? Main allergens: Grass, ragweed Source: Nashville.gov Forecasts and graphics provided by Accu Weather, Inc. 201 3 6961 7 1 IsnBny uo Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, r-rain, sf -snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice..