Ex-Vanderbilt athlete gets 15-year rape sentence

A former Vanderbilt football player was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison after he was convicted of taking part in the gang rape of an unconscious female student.

The sentencing comes amid widespread furor over former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner, who was sentenced to six months in jail for a similar crime: sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on campus.

Prosecutors asked for the maximum, saying that the crime was egregious and that punishment would send a message about campus rapes.

In other Davis Cup quarterfinals, Kyle Edmund overcame long rain delays and beat Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 to give title holder Britain a 1-0 lead over Serbia in Belgrade, Lucas Pouille beat Jiri Vesely 7-6 (2), 6-4, 7-5 to even France’s duel with the host Czech Republic in Trinec at 1-1, and Federico Delbonis won the first point for Argentina over host Italy in Pesaro before the second singles was postponed because of bad light and weather.

The St. Louis Blues and forward Jaden Schwartz, a restricted free agent, avoided arbitration and agreed on a five-year contract extension worth $26.75 million.

Jimmie Johnson turned a lap of 133.971 mph and won his first pole of the season for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Jantel Lavender scored a career-high 25 points and the visiting Los Angeles Sparks (20-1) beat the Connecticut Sun 98-92 in overtime to tie the 1998 Houston Comets for the best start in WNBA history.