Talk » creative by splitting him out wide

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Technically, there are five spots available on the U.S. Olympic womens gymnastics team that will be unveiled on Sunday night at the end of Olympic Trials. But not really. And Ashton Locklear knows it.We all do the math in our heads, Locklear said. I think you kind of have to. You need to know whats going on around you.Barring injury or a catastrophic drop in form, Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman and Laurie Hernandez are heading to Brazil next month.That leaves one position open -- maybe -- the one Locklear and good friend Madison Kocian will try to convince national team coordinator Martha Karolyi theyre worthy of during what may be the most important 48 hours of their athletic lives.No pressure or anything.I definitely need to prove myself, Locklear said. I definitely need to show consistency.Its a testament to the depth of the powerhouse program Karolyi has built that the only real lingering drama with less than a month to go before the games centers around who will serve as the anchor on uneven bars. The top choices are the fluidly elegant Locklear -- who helped the U.S. to team gold in the 2014 world championships -- and the precise Kocian -- who won gold on her favorite event at the 2015 world championships.Both provide compelling arguments. Locklears cumulative uneven bars score during the two preliminary meets leading up to Olympic Trials was 0.3 better than Kocians total. Yet Kocian provides Karolyi with flexibility in the all-around, heady territory considering she broke the tibia in her left leg just above the ankle at the end of February.I didnt really think it was going to be fractured or anything, Kocian said. I went to doctor, he told me it was fractured. I melted down. I broke into tears. I didnt know what that meant for me.What it meant for the 18-year-old Texan was two weeks in a cast, another two on crutches while wearing a protective boot and six-plus weeks of limited training while most of the crowded elite field -- really, if the U.S. were allowed to field two five-woman teams it would turn the race for gold into an intramural -- kept pressing forward.I drove myself crazy in the beginning, Kocian said. It was really hard. I had to stay off bars 3-4 weeks, Id never stayed off that long.In a way, it may have been a blessing. Sure, sitting for the better part of two months was difficult. It also gave her a chance to recharge mentally, no small thing in a world where the relentless grind of training can wear occasionally wear down bodies and motivation in equal measure.Kocian believes shes more focused than ever, buoyed by her strong performance at the U.S. championships two weeks ago, where she finished fifth in the all-around thanks in part to a floor routine she and her coaches basically threw together on the fly.It was important for her to prove besides being a bars specialist she is a steady competitor on floor and beam, Karolyi said.Kocian was planning on vaulting at Olympic Trials but was told by Karolyi not to bother out of fear it may affect her still tender ankle.She told my coaches she didnt want to take any risks, Kocian said. She knows its not really worth it right now. Its not really going change my position on the team.Kocian isnt sounding presumptuous, but she knows her best shot at making an impact on a team heavily favored to defend the gold it won so easily in London four years ago is on bars, beam and floor. The vault will be there in case the U.S. should need it.Thats not the case for the 18-year-old Locklear, whose career path was altered when she fractured her L4 vertebra in 2013. She spent months in a brace and when she was finally cleared soon realized floor exercise and vault werent exactly ideal ways for someone with lower-back issues to spend their free time.So she focused on bars and beam, figuring the extra practice time would give her an advantage. It was a risky strategy, the gymnastics equivalent of a high school senior applying to just one college in hopes of getting accepted.Locklear is well aware that Karolyi has five women in mind and can name four of them pretty easily. Its that last one, though, that will be tricky. Maybe its Locklear. Its more likely its Kocian. At least, at the moment. And thats where things can get stressful.Its hard because were really good friends and we both want each other to do their best, Locklear said. Im pretty sure she watches me too. Were competitive with each other but were best friends too.The friendship will be tested this weekend, though in the big picture the decision will hardly impact the Americans chances of standing atop the podium after team finals on Aug. 9.The difference between Locklear and Kocian can be measured in small fractions. The U.S. won the 2012 Olympics and 2014 and 2015 world championships by at least five points. Whoever makes the team will likely come home with a gold medal -- possibly more than one -- in their suitcase.Fake Air Jordan 1 . Their experience showed Tuesday as the No. 10 Badgers blunted a Saint Louis surge to win 63-57 and advance to face West Virginia in Wednesdays finals of the Cancun Challenge. Air Jordan 1 Discount . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. https://www.cheapairjordan1outlet.com/ . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. Air Jordan 1 Outlet . LOUIS -- Rookie Tavon Austin has missed another day of practice, lessening the odds hell be ready for the St. Air Jordan 1 From China .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach.NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Titans rookie running back Derrick Henry left a lasting impression in Thursdays practice.The 2015 Heisman Trophy winner took a handoff from Marcus Mariota, hit the hole, then lowered his shoulder and knocked linebacker Nate Palmer, who was trying to make the stop.Thats a real play, Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. Hes going to move the pile, whoevers in the way better get out of the way. Some of the things he did out here with some of the cuts where he broke it to the outside, he had speed to get away from some of our outside guys, which again was a real play in practice so its good to see.Thats the Derrick Henry everyone knows and expects to be part of the Titans offense this season.But the second-round pick has worked hard to show that he is more than just a cut-and-go running back.Henry aspires not only to be a threat running the football, but also catching passes and protecting quarterbacks. Being able to do more than just run between the tackles would put the rookie in a better position to stay on the field for more snaps as he backs up DeMarco Murray.With Murray expected to only see limited action in Saturdays preseason opener against the San Diego Chargers, Henry could get an extended chance to show off his skills with the first team, which means being able to handle whatever role is called.Its very important (to be a complete back), Henry said. Thats what I want to be known as. Thats why Im working hard to get better every day. I work on catching the balll, running the ball and pass protection just so I can become a complete back.ddddddddddddenry wasnt asked to do much receiving at Alabama, where he won the Heisman and helped the Crimson Tide win the 2015 national championship. Henry caught 11 passes last season and totaled 17 receptions in his three years at Alabama. But the Titans have shown a willingness to be more creative by splitting him out wide in certain packages.Hes done well in all the areas, Titans running backs coach Sylvester Croom said. Hes got to get better in all of them, but we havent put any limitations on him. We expect him to be good in all those areas. Hes working toward that. He hasnt put any limitations on himself. Hes been willing to learn, and he learns very fast.He has good hands. If fact, he dropped one pass in the offseason and he hasnt dropped any in camp so far.How good are Henrys receiving skills? When the Titans practiced Monday in their intra-squad scrimmage at Nissan Stadium, Henry was one of several players in line to field kickoffs in pregame warmups. He didnt drop one.Although he didnt get to show much of his versatility in college, Henry is confident he can contribute when his number is called as a pass receiver.I definitely want to be a threat in the passing game and catch the ball out of the backfield, he said.---Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '