Brode honored by USA Today

Brode honored by USA Today

CANFIELD

Canfield High graduate Dustin Brode was named to the All-USA track and field team in Wednesday’s USA Today.

Brode, a Division I state champion in the shot put and runner-up in the discus last month, was one of 10 athletes honored in the throwing events. The Harvard University recruit also won a national indoor title in the shot put and state indoor titles in the shot put and weight throw.

The selections were made by the editors of Track and Field News.

Independent Insurance Agents golf tournament

Ryan Cowin shot a 76 to win the boy’s age 18 division of the Independent Insurance Agents of Mahoning County Junior Golf Tournament.

The 13-under boy’s division went to Jared Wilson with a 43 while Jason McQuown carded an 80 in the 14s.

The 15 title was won by David Shoffstal with an 81, the 16 crown was taken by Brandon Pluchinsky (72) and the 17 champ was Stephen Sofocleous (74).

Among girls, the 13-under champ was Christina Cooper (44) while the 14-15 champ was Jacinta Pikunas (76) and the 16-18 title was won by Gianna Tucci (83).

Washington Mystics top Dream 82-72

WASHINGTON

Crystal Langhorne had 24 points and 15 rebounds, and the Washington Mystics moved into a first-place tie in the Eastern Conference of the WNBA with an 82-72 win over the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday.

Matee Ajavon scored 15 points and Chasity Melvin added 12 points as the Mystics (13-7) took the lead less than three minutes into the game, then used second and third-quarter runs to extend their lead to 19 points.

With the win, Washington snapped a two-game losing streak and jumped a half game ahead of Atlanta in the East.

The Dream (14-9) trailed 56-37 with 3:20 remaining in the third quarter.

Ralph Houk dies at 90; managed 2 champions

BOSTON

The Boston Red Sox say former manager Ralph Houk has died. He was 90.

Red Sox spokesman Dick Bresciani says Houk died in Winter Haven, Fla., on Wednesday afternoon. The team heard from Houk’s grandson, who lives in the Boston area. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Houk spent parts of eight seasons as a backup catcher for the New York Yankees, appearing in just 91 games. But he made his mark as a manager, winning 3,157 games over 20 seasons with the Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Red Sox. He won the World Series in 1961 and ’62 with the Yankees in his first two years as a manager.

Edwards penalized after bumping incident

KANSAS CITY, Mo.

Roush Fenway Racing likely will appeal part of the penalty that NASCAR assessed to Carl Edwards on Wednesday for his role in a nasty collision at the end of the final lap of last Saturday night’s Nationwide Series race.

Edwards, who won the race at Gateway International Speedway by shoving Brad Keselowski into the wall near the finish, was docked 60 NASCAR Nationwide Series driver points, fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Edwards had served a three-week probation earlier this season after wrecking Keselowski in a Sprint Cup race at Atlanta.

It’s the 60 points that hurt the most, because that’s nearly a third of the total Edwards collected by winning the race, and with the penalty, Keselowski’s lead over Edwards for first place in the Nationwide standings grew from 168 to 228 points.

Mine That Bird preps for Whitney Handicap

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.

Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird is on target for his second start of the year in the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 7.

The 2009 Derby winner worked a mile in 1:40.14 under jockey Calvin Borel on Wednesday.

Vindicator staff/wire reports