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Wow, that kid from suburban Baltimore is something.

No, we're not talking about Michael Phelps.

Nineteen-year-old Katie Hoff stole the show at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, winning two events about 45 minutes apart Wednesday night - and setting new American records in both.

Phelps reached the halfway point to setting his Beijing Games program, earning his third individual title of the trials in the 200-meter butterfly after also locking up a spot in at least one relay. The 23-year-old is on pace in his bid for eight wins in China to break Mark Spitz's 36-year-old record of seven golds.

And Hoff might be just as busy as her former teammate at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club.

Brian Roberts homered, Ramon Hernandez and Adam Jones had two RBIs apiece, and the Baltimore Orioles rebounded from two straight frustrating losses by beating the Kansas City Royals 7-5 on Tuesday night.

Aubrey Huff had two hits and drove in a run for the Orioles, who built enough of a lead to make it easy on closer George Sherrill.

After yielding late-inning homers Sunday and Monday, Sherrill entered with two on, one out and Baltimore up 7-3. The left-hander retired Mike Aviles on a grounder before Mark Grudzielanek hit a two-run single. Sherrill then struck out Alex Gordon to earn his 27th save.

Baltimore led 6-1 after three innings, then let the margin slip to three runs before Roberts hit a solo shot in the seventh off reliever Jimmy Gobble.

Gordon and Mark Teahan homered for the Royals, whose six-game road winning streak ended. Kansas City had won 12 of 15 overall, including Monday night's comeback victory over the Orioles.

Joe Gargiola Sr. has an explanation for why so few Major League Baseball teams are winning on the road this year.

"Blame it on global warming," the Ford Frick Award winning broadcaster and Scottsdale, Ariz., resident said. "It makes you sound really smart."

Garagiola's theory may sound far-fetched, but there are few rationale explanations for the current trend.

Entering play Tuesday, three first-place teams, including the Diamondbacks, had losing road records.

Overall, just five MLB teams had winning records away from home.

Derby 5, Joplin 0

Tuesday's Games

Nevada at Joplin

Dodge City at Hays

Former Wichita State women's coach Darryl Smith was named Tuesday as the new women's coach at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.

Smith replaces Lynn Andrew, who resigned in April after compiling a 52-80 record in five years.

Smith spent the last year as an assistant at Nevada. He also has 15 combined years as a head coach at Metropolitan State College in Denver, Wichita State and Butler Community College.

Smith coached the Shockers from 1998-2003.

As a head coach, he has a 267-163 career record, including eight 20-win seasons, four conference championships and four NCAA tournament bids.

One prematch glance Tuesday at the data displayed on those fancy, new digital scoreboards at staid, old Wimbledon provided a pretty persuasive case for why Venus Williams might be considered the woman to beat.

The entry under career record at the grass-court Grand Slam: "55-7." The listing of her best result: "WINNER 2007, 2005, 2001, 2000."

Yet another reason to like the American's chances: The way she served during the ensuing 6-4, 6-3 quarterfinal victory over Tamarine Tanasugarn -- smacking eight aces, saving nine of the 10 break points, tying her Wimbledon record with a 127 mph delivery.

That extended Williams' winning streak at the All England Club to 12 matches, including 19 sets in a row. Nonetheless, at least one person who knows a thing or two about tennis and a thing or two about Venus Williams flatly rejected the notion that she's the favorite: Serena Williams.

Asked after her own impressive quarterfinal victory -- 6-4, 6-0 against 11th-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska -- whether her older sister should be considered the likeliest champion, Serena shot back: "I would never sit here and say she's the favorite when I'm still in the draw. What are you on?"

Speculation about when Tiger Woods would return to tournament golf began the moment he announced that he would need reconstructive surgery on his left knee.

Would the No. 1 player in the world resume his career at the Ryder Cup in September? The Buick Invitational in January? The Masters in April?

Unless Woods was being coy in a telephone news conference Monday -- a possibility because he is rarely forthcoming with such information -- not even he knows when he'll be back.

"As far as long term, I really don't know," he said. "We have to see how this thing heals. Some people are back to playing sports in six months, some are nine, some are 12. So to be honest with you, no one really knows until we start the rehab process and see how this thing heals."

Woods underwent reconstructive surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on June 24, eight days after outlasting Rocco Mediate in a U.S. Open playoff that became an instant classic.

The song has driven Lopez Lomong for eight years, from a life ravaged by war and fear to one where hope and triumph are only a mile away.

It was 2000 then, when Michael Johnson was the Olympics' grandest star and news of his success had filtered into the remote reaches of Africa.

Only then, at the age of 15, watching on a black-and-white TV, did Lomong realize running could be for fun and games, not simply to escape and survive.

"This is a dream right here. I've been singing that song a long time," he said of the Star Spangled Banner he heard on the Olympic telecast that night.

Lomong was taken from his parents in Sudan at 6, then grew up in a refugee camp in Kenya until he was 16. He was brought to the United States after that to live a completely different sort of existence, and now he has his chance to pay something back to the country that changed, and maybe saved, his life.

We've seen bad movies culled from comic books, TV shows and video games. What are the chances that a good one can be inspired by a book that has its own doll?

Better than you might think judging by "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl," a refreshingly old-fashioned entertainment proving Hollywood actually can make movies like it used to.

The American Girl line of dolls and books is as popular among girls as "Sex and the City" is for their mothers, for similar reasons. Both portray feminist fantasies in situations beyond their respective audiences' reach, due either to money and status or, in Kit's case, the passage of time.

Although set 70 years ago during the Great Depression, "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl," which opens in theaters today, nearly feels as contemporary as Carrie Bradshaw's wardrobe. We can thank the current economic climate for that. Young Kit (Abigail Breslin) hears the same discussions of unemployment, foreclosures and the homeless that children hear today.

Yet she maintains a sunny disposition through it all, never losing faith in her dream (becoming a newspaper reporter) or her family and friends. Patricia Rozema's movie is for children wiser than filmmakers typically believe kids are, making it a treat for grown-ups as well.

Call it a kid-sized "Bucket List."

MommyPoppins.com recently posted a list of 100 things to do with kids in New York -- which inspired similar lists by moms in Detroit, Nashville and elsewhere.

That prompted me to start my own, and here it is: 50 things to do with kids around Wichita before they grow up.

Some are great summer activities; others will have to wait. I'm sure it's not exhaustive (though just writing it made me exhausted), so if I've omitted something great, let me know.

1. Have a dog and shake at Dog-n-Shake.

What made the cover

• "Camilla collapses after Charles tells her: 'It's over!' " (National Examiner)

You just can't have it all, Brit

• "Jamie Lynn has the daughter Britney always wanted" (In Touch)

You would be too if they were your parents