YSU

YSU

More grid honors

PHILADELPHIA — Penguin junior defensive tackle Mychal Savage was named a third-team All-America by the Sports Network, the service announced on Monday.

Three Penguins earned Honorable-Mention accolades as junior place-kicker Brian Palmer (Mineral Ridge), senior linebacker James Terry and junior offensive tackle Brad Samsa (Warren) were selected.

Savage finished with 43 total tackles, including 26 solo stops. He had 4.5 sacks for 31 yards in losses, including a career-high 12 tackles against Western Illinois. Overall, he played 579 snaps, a defensive line high. Of his 43 total tackles, 29 came in Gateway action.

Samsa was a second-team All-America selection by The Associated Press and a first-team All-Gateway selection.

Terry was a three-time first-team All-Gateway selection during his career. Palmer was a second-team All-Gateway pick this past campaign.

Academic awards

YOUNGSTOWN — Thirty student-athletes at Youngstown State posted a 4.0 grade-point average during the fall semester.

They were: Jason Anderson (track and field), Stephen Blose (football), Jodi Bowlen (soccer), Kelly Culbertson (tennis), Erik Johnson (football), Melanie Kiko (soccer), Phil Klein (baseball), Irena Lanc (tennis), Anthony Porter (baseball), Todd Rowan (football), Erin Schindler (softball), Spenser Sulzener (golf), Joel Younkins (football);

Kyle Banna (football), Tom Krupko (football), Brian Mellott (football), Bob Perez (football), Michelle Fuleky (tennis), Danielle Chase (softball), Lauren Branson (basketball), Toni Roscoe (basketball), Jacquline Clonch (track and field), Madelyn McGhee (track and field/cross country, Darla Wilson (track and field/cross country), Jenna Fink (soccer), Keeley Rice (soccer), Carrie Wack (soccer), Jessica Fraley (volleyball), Brittany Jones (golf) and Regan O’Brien (golf).

Twelve of the university’s 16 teams maintained GPA’s above 3.0.

AREA

Pelini picks Beck

Nebraska Head Football Coach Bo Pelini has announced that Tim Beck will serve as the Huskers’ running backs coach. Beck joined the Huskers on Monday after completing his third season as an assistant coach at Kansas in the Orange Bowl last Thursday.

Beck is the final full-time assistant to be named to the Nebraska staff, as Pelini announced the other eight members of his coaching staff in mid-December. Like the other members of Nebraska’s new staff, Beck has prior experience coaching in the Big 12 Conference.

Beck helped Kansas to its best season in school history with a 12-1 record in 2007, capped by a 24-21 victory over Virginia Tech in the FedEx Orange Bowl. In each of his three seasons on Mark Mangino’s staff, Beck served as the Jayhawks’ receivers coach, and he added the title of pass game coordinator in 2007.

In 2007, Beck helped engineer one of the nation’s most potent offenses as Kansas ranked second nationally in scoring offense (42.8 ppg), eighth in total offense (479.8 ypg) and 17th in passing offense (291.0 ypg). KU senior receiver Marcus Henry caught 54 passes for 1,014 yards and 10 touchdowns to earn All-Big 12 honors, while three other Jayhawks caught more than 40 passes each.

Before joining the Kansas staff, Beck was one of the most respected high school coaches in the state of Texas, serving three seasons at Summit High in Mansfield. He was the 2003 District Coach of the Year after leading Summit to its first-ever playoff appearance and district championship. Beck also served as the head coach at R.L. Turner High in Carrollton, Texas, from 1999 to 2001.

He also had a successful run as the head coach at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Ariz., from 1993 to 1995. Among the standouts Beck coached at Saguaro High was former Nebraska All-America safety Mike Brown.

In addition to Kansas, Beck’s collegiate experience includes three seasons at Missouri State (1996-98), two seasons as a graduate assistant at Kansas State (1991-92) and one season at Illinois State (1990).

Beck is a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and graduated from Cardinal Mooney High, the same high school that Bo and Carl Pelini attended. Beck played college football at Central Florida.

Golden anniversary

SHARON, Pa. — The Penn-Ohio Electronic Dart Association is preparing to celebrate its 50th season with a banquet on Jan. 27 at the Yankee Lake ballroom.

There are 46 teams in the league.

The league is soliciting donations and door prizes. For details call (724) 981-2985 or (724) 977-8740.

Mountaineer track

CHESTER, W. Va. — Mountaineer race track will have a ceremony to honor the life of trainer Dale Baird on Jan. 14 from 1-3 p.m.

Baird died in an automobile accident on Dec. 23. He was 72.

Baird was the winningest thoroughbred trainer in North America with 9,445 career victories.

For details call (304) 387-8335.

Football tryouts

NILES — The Trumbull County Panthers semi-pro football team will have a tryout at the Niles YMCA on Jan. 13 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

For details call (330) 207-5111.

Ziegler is hired

SANDUSKY — St. Mary Central Catholic has hired Jason Ziegler as its football coach.

The Panthers made the playoffs in 2005 and 2006 but were 5-5 in the fall.

Ziegler is a 1996 graduate of Poland High School and played for four years at Ashland.

Vindicator staff/wire reports