SPORTS DIGEST | YSU has eight all-academic selections

YSU has eight all-academic selections

YOUNGSTOWN

Eight Youngstown State winter sport student-athletes were named to the Horizon League’s all-academic teams.

The swimming and diving program led the way with three selections — senior diver Amanda Carpin (3.95 grade point avg.), senior swimmer Alana Kane and sophomore diver Casey Hill.

Sophomore Brandi Brown was named to the women’s basketball all-academic team.

From track senior Adam Kagarise was named to the squad for a third time while other selections were sophomore Jeff Hanselman, senior Alisha Anthony (third time) and sophomore Samantha Hamilton.

Softball rained out

Youngstown

The Youngstown State softball doubleheader against Saint Francis (Pa.) today was postponed due to forecasted inclement weather in Loretto, Pa.

No makeup date was immediately determined.

McNees is academic all-MAC basketball pick

CLEVELAND

University of Akron senior Steve McNees was named to the men’s basketball academic all-MAC team the league office announced.

McNees (Shenango High) was named to the first team.

McNees, a graduate student studying physical education, with an emphasis in sports science and coaching, has a 4.00 GPA.

Appearing in all 36 games in 2010-11, he set the program mark for career games played with 141.

In addition to setting the career games played mark, he set personal career season marks for points scored (308), scoring average (8.6 ppg), rebounds (93), rebounds per game (2.6), assists (102) and steals (27).

Univ. of Massachusetts to join MAC for football

A University of Massachusetts official said Tuesday the school will become a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision and join the Mid-American Conference for that sport.

The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the school had yet to announce the move.

The team will play its home games at Gillette Stadium beginning in 2012, the person said, and play its first schedule as a full member of the MAC in 2013.

A news conference is planned for this afternoon at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

Carson, Calif., to host 2012 Para-cycling

The 2012 Para-cycling track world championships will be held at Home Depot Center’s velodrome on Feb. 10-12.

The event in suburban Los Angeles will be the final qualifying event for American athletes to be nominated to the U.S. team that will compete at the Paralympic Games in London. The competition will include 230 athletes from 30 countries.

Armed Forces Bowl in Dallas for 2011

FORT WORTH, Texas

The Armed Forces Bowl will be played in Dallas for the second straight season.

Bowl officials announced Tuesday that they will again hold their Dec. 30 game on the SMU campus.

The game was temporarily moved to Dallas last year because of a $105 million renovation project at the TCU stadium where the bowl had been held since its inception in 2003.

TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte says his school will be unable to host this year’s game because of the work at the stadium, but looks forward to 2012.

Injured volleyballer Sykora to leave ICU

SAO PAULO

American volleyball player Stacy Sykora is expected to leave the intensive care unit of a hospital in Brazil where she’s been treated for a head injury since a bus crash.

Sykora will be transferred to a semi-intensive unit, a week after she was hurt when the bus carrying her Brazilian club team crashed on its way to a match just outside Sao Paulo.

Vindicator staff/wire reports