a enters this year with a welcome bit of stability with his signal callers.

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 their bellies rubbed or their ears scratched.Thats 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 . Angels Jerseys 2020 . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. Los Angeles Angels Gear . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. https://www.cheapangels.com/ . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers. Angels Jerseys China . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. Los Angeles Angels Store . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Like Arkansas coach Bret Bielema, Austin Allen remembers all too well how depleted the roster was when he arrived on campus as a freshman four years ago.So limited were the number of players, and their overall talent, that Arkansas was unable to field two teams to take part in full 7-on-7 summer workouts.With Allen now finally ready to lead Arkansas at quarterback after a three-year apprenticeship under his older brother, both he and Bielema believe the program is ready to compete in the brutal Southeastern Conference West Division on a yearly basis.You can just see the depth theyve built everywhere, Allen said. The whole mentality of the team has changed since my freshman year, from `I think we can to now we know we have a great team.The Razorbacks had their second straight winning season last year under Bielema, finishing 8-5 overall and 5-3 in the SEC -- with victories in six of their final seven games.They are wary of that being the conclusion to their journey back to respectability, especially after losing a host of players to the NFL. Thankfully, Bielema, who has steadied the program after a winless first season in the SEC in 2013, believes he finally has the team to withstand turnover in his fourth season.I know this team better than Ive known any roster of players that Ive had here at Arkansas to this point, Bielema said.Giving Bielema reason for optimism is the growth and maturity of Allen -- as well as a defense that believes it can return to one of the top 10 in the country like it was two years ago. The Razorbacks struggled early a year ago with their defensive pass rush, an area they expect to correct this year. Senior Deatrich Wise leads a group Bielema has praised for its overall talent and depth, having led Arkansas with eight sacks last season.While optimism and depth might not be enough earn the Razorbacks the SEC championship Bielema promised when he was hired just yet, this could just show Arkansas wiill always be a factor among the SECs elite with Bielema in charge.ddddddddddddSome other things to watch as Arkansas tries to earn its third straight winning season under Bielema:WONDER WIDEOUTSThe Razorbacks turned a position that had been a weakness into one of the stronger units in the SEC last season, with playmakers like Drew Morgan and Dominique Reed emerging to grab a combined 16 touchdown catches. Both return this season, and the receivers receive another boost with the return of season Keon Hatcher. Last years top wideout missed much of the season with a foot injury.SIDELINE STABILITYAfter having had to replace a coordinator in each of the last two seasons, Bielema enters this year with a welcome bit of stability with his signal callers. Defensive coordinator Robb Smith returns for his third year, while Dan Enos returns to run an offense that was 29th in the country last season with an average of 465.5 yards per game.RUNNING TURNOVERAs good as Arkansas backfields have been under Bielema, the Razorbacks enter this season unproven there. Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams departed for the NFL, leaving sixth-year senior Kody Walker as the starter to begin preseason camp. However, sophomore Rawleigh Williams -- who played well last season before an injury -- returns and highly recruited freshman Devah Whaley could challenge the 1,000-yard mark his first season.KEY GAMESArkansas opens the season at home against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 3, facing a team that went 9-4 with a bowl win last season. It gets tougher the next week with a trip to TCU. Four of their toughest games (Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and LSU) all come at home in Fayetteville over a five-week stretch.PREDICTIONThe SEC schedule leaves little margin for error and the Razorbacks need their defense to improve to hope for an 8-4 finish this season. ' ' '