LONDON – Pensacola’s Justin Gatlin easily won his 100-meter heat race at the Olympic Games on Saturday to advance to the first of three semifinal heats beginning at 1:45 p.m. CT today. Eight sprinters from the semifinal heats will qualify for the final, to be run at 3:50 p.m. today.

NBC TV is recording the events to be broadcast during its primetime Olympics coverage. The races can be seen live at www.nbcolympics.com.

Gatlin, who graduated from Woodham High School before it became a middle school, finished Saturday’s heat in 9.97 seconds. He is seeking his second Olympic gold in the 100 meters; he won the event at the Athens Games in 2004, but missed the 2008 Beijing Games while serving a four-year ban from track and field for doping.

The Navarre Raiders Quarterback Club will kick off the 2012 football season with Raider Day on Saturday, Aug. 18, at Bennett C. Russell Stadium. Fans can watch high school and youth football scrimmages, bounce in inflatable “castles,” have their faces painted, buy Navarre Raider gear, compete in a basketball toss, enjoy concessions and participate in a variety of other activities.

Cost is $2 for children between the ages of 4 and 7 and $5 for anyone 8 or older.

Any students planning to compete for Navarre High School's boys or girls cross country teams in 2012 should attend a meeting at 4 p.m. Aug. 13 in Room 366 at the high school.

Center of attention

Navarre High graduate Sterling Lovelady (’11) is competing with fellow Florida State sophomore Austin Barron for the Seminoles’ starting center job, according to a position review of the offensive line published Thursday at Seminoles.com. The 6-foot-2-inch, 277-pound Lovelady played in six games last year as a true freshman.