Sports digest

YSU

Three Penguins named

YOUNGSTOWN — Shot putter Aaron Merrill (Leetonia) headlined three YSU track and field athletes who were named CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV on Thursday.

Earning second-team Academic All-District honors was thrower Joe Lahmon while distance runner Lauren Blase (Boardman) was a third-team selection.

Merrill recently finished in eighth place with a school-record distance of 17.93m in the shot put.

Merrill’s throw was just three spots shy of automatically qualifying for nationals.

area

Watkins decides

ALLIANCE — LaBrae High School senior Bryan Watkins has committed to attend Mount Union College and compete on the football team.

Watkins, a 6-1, 210-pound linebacker, was an all-Ohio and a two-time all-conference and all-district selection for coach Bill Borehn at LaBrae High School.

Mount Union went 15-0 last season and claimed its 10th NCAA Division III National Championship.

Anzio a Raider

ALLIANCE — Hickory High School senior Evan Anzio has committed to attend Mount Union College where he will play baseball.

Anzio, a 5-11, 190-pound third baseman, was an all-district selection and four-year letter winner at Hickory High.

The Mount Union baseball team went 20-18 in 2009 to finish the season with 20 or more wins for the third time in four years.

Road Runners Club

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Road Runners Club is continuing to provide running shoes for Suburban League Cross Country Runners who qualify.

For more information about the YRRC running shoe program, Suburban League cross country coaches, athletic directors and school superintendents may contact Dan Shields at danrun@zoominternet.net.

Please insert Shoe Program in the subject line.

Renegades camp

COLUMBIANA — The Crestview Renegades football and cheerleading camp will be held at Crestview High School Rebel Stadium on June 13.

The camp is for boys and girls age 8-14.

For details call (330) 482-3934.

Free boxing show

WARREN — The Warren Boxing Association will put on a free boxing show today, beginning at 6 p.m.

There are 12 amateur bouts on the card.

For details call (330) 553-1002.

Bethany hires Abel

BETHANY, W. Va. — Former Wheeling Jesuit Univ. standout and current Wheeling Park High School assistant coach Matt Abel has been selected as the new head men’s and women’s cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at Bethany College.

After working as an assistant for more than five years, Abel is elated at the new opportunity.

Recently Bethany has upgraded athletic facilities including a new track and field facility.

nation

LeBron fined $25K

LOS ANGELES — NBA commissioner David Stern says LeBron James has been fined $25,000 for skipping the postgame news conference after Cleveland lost to Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals.

Stern said Thursday night that he spoke with the Cavaliers star on Wednesday and that James admitted he was wrong to not congratulate Orlando’s players and coaches after the loss.

James had surgery Tuesday to remove a benign growth near his jaw.

He told Stern to convey his apology to the media before Game 1 of the NBA finals between the Magic and Los Angeles Lakers.

Vindicator staff/wire reports