LOCAL

LOCAL

Mosquito Lake 5K

MECCA — Two two-time qualifiers for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials captured the men and women’s titles at the Mosquito Lake Chase 5K Race in Mecca.

Matt Folk, 31, of Canfield captured the men’s race in a time of 15:10. Folk has qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials that will be held this fall in New York City. Folk also competed in the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials. Michelle Rupe, 47, of Greene captured the women’s victory in a time of 19:26 for the 5K. Rupe participated in both the 1984 and 1988 Women’s US Olympic Marathon Trials.

REGION

Indians moves

CLEVELAND — Third baseman Andy Marte was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Monday by the Cleveland Indians, who added left-hander Rafael Perez to their bullpen for a three-game series in Boston.

Marte spent time on the disabled list with a hamstring injury earlier this season. He’s batted just .180 (9-for-50) in 16 games for Cleveland, and has been used off the bench since returning from the DL.

While Marte was out, the Indians moved former everyday third baseman Casey Blake from right field back to the bag. Cleveland has been one of the AL’s hottest teams since and is coming off a three-game sweep of Detroit.

Marte was acquired in 2006 in the trade that sent center fielder Coco Crisp to the Red Sox. The 23-year-old started last season with the Bisons and spent two months with the Indians, batting .226 in 50 games.

Perez went 3-3 with a 3.66 ERA at Buffalo in seven starts. He pitched three innings while spending three days with Cleveland earlier this month. He and Aaron Fultz give Indians manager Eric Wedge two lefty options for late-inning matchups.

NATION

Police find body
of Patriots player

NEW ORLEANS — The body of New England Patriots player Marquise Hill was found Monday, a state official said, a day after he was reported missing following a jet ski accident on Lake Pontchartrain.

Hill’s body was discovered by searchers about a quarter-mile from where the former LSU star and a female companion were involved in the accident, Capt. Brian Clark of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department said.

“The family will have to make positive identification,” Clark said, “but the body we found was that of Mr. Marquise Hill.”

The Coast Guard was called Sunday night, Petty Officer Tom Atkeson said. The search began immediately, using boats and helicopters. By the time the body was found, the Coast Guard, Wildlife and Fisheries, the New Orleans Police Department and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department were involved, Clark said.

Hill’s agent, Albert Elias, said he had been told Hill and a young woman were jetskiing Sunday in the lake when both of them went into the water, which had a strong current. Elias said the woman was able to make it to a pylon and hang on until she was rescued, while Hill was last seen floating away from the scene.

Hill played on LSU’s national championship team and was a second-round draft pick by New England in 2004.

“We are all shocked,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement.

The woman, whose identity was not available Monday morning, was rescued and sent to Tulane Medical Center where she told them Hill had tried to keep her calm as the two were drifting away from each other.

Duke lacrosse
loses Div. I final

BALTIMORE — There were hugs, handshakes and plenty of tears. The Duke lacrosse team had run through a myriad of emotions over the past 14 months, and now it was over.

The Blue Devils had an almost unfathomable comeback fall short in a 12-11 loss to Johns Hopkins in the NCAA championship game Monday, and afterward the locker room was eerily silent.

No team had ever experienced what Duke had endured. The Blue Devils never even got the chance to finish their 2006 season, and then made it all the way back to the title game.

Minutes after the loss, however, that was no consolation.

“Right now I think everyone in here is thinking, ’Wow, we just lost the national championship.’ In a couple of weeks, maybe we’ll say, ’Look what we accomplished,”’ goaltender Dan Loftus said. “But we wanted a national championship. That’s what we came here for.”

Vindicator staff⁄wire reports