COLLEGE NOTES News of area students

YOUNGSTOWN STATE
YOUNGSTOWN -- West Branch senior Lisa Davies highlights a list of eight female track standouts who will continue their athletic careers at YSU.
Davies, a three-time All-Ohioan in cross country, has the fastest incoming 5K time in YSU history. Her 3200-meter time of 11:02 ranks her among the top three runners in the state. She will compete in the 1600, 3200 and 4x800 relay at this week's state meet.
Other athletes include twins Dominuque and Dionne Jones and Danielle Bolt (Brookline, Mass.) in the sprints; twins Lindsey and Amy Hill (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) in the throws; and Kim Jendre (Medina) and Marielle Glanz (Liberty Center) in the distance events.
WITTENBERG
SPRINGFIELD -- Norah Gillam, a sophomore pitcher and infielder on the Wittenberg University softball team from Canfield High, has been selected to the NCAA Division III All-Central Region second team.
Previously, Gillam was named to All-North Coast Athletic Conference First Team for the second straight year.
She also was selected the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAC Tournament while making the NCAC Tournament Team, to help the Tigers win the tourney title and gain a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
As a pitcher, Gillam led Wittenberg in wins (11-7 record), earned run average (2.73), strikeouts (78) and innings pitcher (113.0). At the plate, she batted .303 average with 37-for-122, 23 RBIs ands 10 runs scored. On defense, she had a .979 fielding percentage.
OHIO UNIVERSITY
ATHENS -- Justin Kempe, a senior on the Ohio University men's track team from Austintown Fitch, climaxed his collegiate career with 20th place in the steeplechase in 9:19.61 at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships held last weekend in Columbus.
The winner was Dan Lincoln of Arkansas in 8:37.56.
Kempe, a tri-captain for the Bobcats, also placed fifth in the steeplechase in 9:06.29 at the Mid-American Conference Championships held May 15-17 at Mount Pleasant, Mich.
The winner was Jordan Deslietz of Eastern Michigan University in 8:52.94.
Kempe's best steeplechase time last season was 9:44.69 at the Southern Ohio Cup.
Kempe also was a four-year letterwinner for the Ohio University cross country team. He placed 57th in 26:17 at the 2002 MAC Cross Country Championships.
Kempe, who is majoring in English, is the son of Richard and Susan Kempe.
While at Fitch, he gained All-Steel Valley Conference honors for three years in cross country and two years in track.
Also on the OU team is Drew Frum, a sophomore distance runner from Poland High.
MERCYHURST
BOARDMAN -- Boardman High senior Jennifer Feret, a four-year varsity starter for the Spartans' softball and volleyball teams, has received a scholarship to play both sports at Mercyhurst College, an NCAA Division II program in Erie, Pa.
Feret, who carried a 3.66 grade-point average, was named the Spartans' volleyball defensive player of the year three times and earned first-team honors twice for the Steel Valley Conference and district.
Feret's batting average was .360 over her four-year career and she led the Spartans in RBIs for three seasons. She was a first-team SVC selection all four years and played in three Division I state tournaments.
Feret will be teammates again with Boardman graduate Marissa Bartholew who pitched the Spartans to the 2001 state title.
Mercyhurst is a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
-- Staff report