ERST LESEN! » s on to something when a swimmer

Rugbys latest world rankings have reaffirmed what has been apparent for the last two months - the All Blacks are light years ahead of the chasing pack.New Zealand have climbed to the highest points total of any team since the rankings were introduced in 2003, sitting on 96.57.The margin back to second-ranked England of 7.08 points is also the biggest lead ever held, following the All Blacks dominant 3-0 home sweep of Wales and an unchallenged romp through the Rugby Championship.Currently on a world record 17-Test winning run, the All Blacks havent budged from top spot since claiming it from the Springboks seven years ago, a period which has encompassed two World Cup wins.South Africas recent woes are reflected in a drop to fourth behind Australia.Argentina fall to ninth after finishing last in the Rugby Championship, having notched just one win.Rankings:1 New Zealand; 2, England; 3 Australia; 4 South Africa; 5 Wales; 6 Ireland; 7 France; 8 Scotland. Ecco Shoes NZ .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Authentic Ecco Shoes NZ Outlet . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.clearanceecconz.com/ . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. Ecco NZ Sale . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Clearance Ecco Shoes NZ Shop . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. OMAHA, Neb. -- Kacey Oberlander is missing her dogs back home, and shes more than a little stressed competing in the high-pressure environment at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials.Thats where Holly comes in.The adorable, 4-year-old Havanese is available for petting and furry hugs.It just calms me down a lot, said Oberlander, who swims for York YMCA in Pennsylvania and will be attending the University of Alabama in the fall. Its nice to see the happy puppy dogs running around when everything is so intense and everyones so serious. The dogs are very happy all the time. It makes me calm.Yep, these Olympic trials have gone to the dogs -- and the athletes are loving it.USA Swimming, in an effort to ease some of the anxiety accompanying such a major meet, has partnered with Domesti-PUPS -- a nonprofit organization based in Lincoln, Nebraska, that is providing four-legged companions for the athletes lounge at CenturyLink Center.In a section of the arena that is generally off-limits to everyone except the swimmers, dogs such as Holly and Larry, a Goldendoodle who will readily pose for a picture or pause for a pat on the head, have been welcomed with open arms.If anyone doubts their purpose, each pooch wears a collar that says, Please ask to pet me. Im friendly.Theres a lot of pressure, said Leah Braswell, a teammate of Oberlanders. Having the dogs here is a great distraction, a way to take a break from all of that. Theyre happy all the time. It just makes you happier. You can forget about whatever race you just had.Given their gentle, soothing nature, therapy dogs have become more and more familiar around hospitals, retirement homes, hospice centers and disaster areas. Theyve provided comfort to veterans and those suffering from autism. Theyve even done time in prisons, nudging inmates along the road to rehabilitation.Theres no judgment from these animals. Fido merely wants to love and be loved. For someone in pain or anguish, they can be an invaluable companion.At the Olympic trials, their role is a bit different.But its really in keeping with the extensive training that Domesti-PUPS puts its animals through before sending them out into the world.Anywhere theres an elevated level of stress, we can take our dogs and try to de-stress them, said Sandy Ludwig, who works with the organization. These dogs are just lying there, waiting to have theiir bellies rubbed or their ears scratched.ddddddddddddThats what Morgan Weinberg had in mind for the trials, an all-or-nothing meet that not only determines the powerful American team for the Rio Games, but also serves as a chance for many up-and-coming athletes to get their taste of a big-league atmosphere.There are more than 1,700 swimmers in Omaha, most of whom have no chance of qualifying for the Olympics.Yet the burden of competing weighs on all of them to some degree.This is the first time weve ever done it, said Weinberg, the program and services manager for USA Swimming. Im an animal lover myself, and I was trying to think of different ways in the athlete lounge that they would calm down and kind of just relax and have fun. I like dogs, I thought about dogs, and it just kind of evolved into therapy dogs.She got in touch with Domesti-PUPS, which is providing about 30 dogs for all but the final night of the eight-day meet, which runs through Sunday.Four dogs at a time work in three-hour shifts -- some rotating through during the morning preliminaries, others stopping by for the evening finals. They even have their own security credentials, complete with a photo.On the very first night of the trials, Ludwig knew she was on to something when a swimmer spent 20 minutes petting one of her pups.About an hour later, she came back and said, `That was a best swim I ever had, Ludwig recalled. She said, `I was so relaxed when I went and jumped in the pool.Thats not all. Many swimmers are missing their own dogs, the ones they had to leave at home, so theyre eager to just roll around on the floor with a canine they can at least temporarily call their own.Oberlander is one of those going through pet withdrawal.She has a pair of miniature dachshunds, Biscuit and Bella.I miss them soooo much, Oberlander said. When I come in here and see the dogs, its just like home.Theres one Labradoodle in particular who caught her eye -- and her heart.Hes very fluffy. I like him the best, she said, breaking into a big grin. Its like bringing a piece of Pennsylvania here to Nebraska with me.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . ' ' '