The Meridian 12-year-old All-Star baseball team recently captured the Deer Lakes Freedom Classic.

In the double-elimination tournament, Meridian defeated Braun Jeffery 10-9 and Pine-Richland 9-4, but lost to Saxonburg 16-6 in the winner's bracket final.

Meridian responded by defeating Deer Lakes 9-4 in the loser's bracket final, edged Saxonburg 7-5, then followed up with a 13-11 triumph over Saxonburg in the championship game.

In the final, Mason Kauffman had a triple and two singles, Justin Rickert and Jackson Williams had a double and a single apiece, and Brandon Spinneweber, Patrick Fullerton and Adam Knauer had two singles each.

Spinneweber batted .578 with three doubles, two triples and 10 runs scored, Jeremy Hanford .588 (home run, double) and Rickert, Rob Kunst and Hunter Weinel each batted .444 and Jackson Williams .438.

GERONA, Spain — Ricky Rubio plans to part ways with Spanish basketball club DKV Joventut even if the Minnesota Timberwolves cannot reach a deal to bring their first round draft pick to the NBA.Timberwolves president David Kahn was in Spain this week to try to help the fifth overall pick negotiate a buyout of his contract with Joventut. Rubio is at odds with his boyhood club over a buyout clause that could cost the 18-year-old point guard as much as $6.6 million. The NBA's collective bargaining rules limit the Timberwolves' contribution to $500,000.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y — Five-time defending champion Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick are among eight Grand Slam winners leading the men's field for the U.S. Open.Federer will be trying to become the first man since Bill Tilden in the 1920s to win the American Grand Slam tournament six consecutive times. By winning the French Open and Wimbledon this year, Federer raised his career total to 15 major titles, breaking Pete Sampras' record of 14.Nadal missed Wimbledon with sore knees and hasn't played since late May, when he was upset in the fourth round at the French Open as the four-time defending champion. He will be trying to complete a career Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows.Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open.

RICHMOND, Va. — Michael Vick met with NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith earlier this week, after the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback finished serving 23 months for a dogfighting conviction.George Atallah, assistant executive director for external affairs of the player's union, says Vick and Smith met one-on-one Tuesday. Atallah gave no additional details.