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SPORTS BRIEFING

Nastari 10th at nationals FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — Penn State junior and former United High School state champion Kaleb Nastari raced in the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Center last weekend. Nastari joined Matt DeMatteo, Niko Schultz and Nick Sloff on the Nittany Lion men’s distance medley team that finished 10th in 9:32.87 for the 4,000-meter race Friday. It was the sixth-fastest time in program history. Northern Arizona won in 9:19.95. On Saturday, Penn State senior Ryan Henry finished ninth in the men’s shot put (62-feet-11 ...

Akron has everything but an NCAA victory

AKRON (AP) — Akron has already reached a milestone, becoming the first team to win the Mid-American Conference Tournament three straight years. The Zips have their sights set on another goal — an NCAA Tournament victory. In seven previous March Madness appearances, Akron has yet to reach the second round. The Zips (29-5) are the 12th seed in the Midwest Region and will face Texas Tech on Friday in Tampa, Florida. “We’re ready to take that next step, and we take pride in that. We’re not going to back down from anybody. We want to make history again,” said senior forward ...

First four tips off tonight in Dayton

DAYTON (AP) — March Madness tips off with the First Four, featuring one of this season’s best stories in Miami (Ohio) and a matchup of formerly embattled head coaches in Texas’ Sean Miller and NC State’s Will Wade. Coming off their only loss of the season, the RedHawks have a chance to silence some skeptics against fellow No. 11 seed SMU (20-13) on Wednesday night. The RedHawks, who are back in the tournament for the first time since 2007, were rewarded with a game in Dayton, roughly 43 miles from campus. “It’s going to be a great environment,” RedHawks coach Travis ...

SPORTS BRIEFING

OAC award for Mercer ALLIANCE — Mount Union senior Sydney Mercer has been named the Ohio Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week. Mercer — a West Branch High School graduate — helped lead the Purple Raiders to an 8-4 record during their spring break trip to South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus, Georgia, including wins over No. 24 Belhaven, No. 13 Emory and No. 7 East Texas Baptist. She finished the week with a .400 batting average and a .550 slugging percentage, with four doubles, a triple and seven RBIs. Mercer also broke a pair of school records last week, becoming the ...

Hughes breaks through for Beaver

COLUMBUS — Beaver Local sophomore Jake Hughes ended a 24-year school and Columbiana County state title drought with a 2-1 tiebreaker win over Bishop Watterson sophomore Tommy Rowlands in the Div. II 157-pound weight class on Sunday at the boys state wrestling tournament at the ...

Cowan, Brown finish second after tough finals matchups

COLUMBUS — Rematches against the No. 1 ranked wrestlers in the state in their respective weight classes didn’t change course for two area girls wrestlers who reached the championship final on Sunday at the girls state wrestling tournament at the Schottenstein Center. United Local senior Auston Brown and East Liverpool junior Paige Cowan both had seen their finals opponents earlier in the season, but the overwhelming favorites did their job. At 125-pounds, Cowan (42-5) was pinned by Chippewa’s Kayla Moroschan in 1:59. Moroschan had a takedown at 1:37 before putting the ...