U.S. football team crushes Australia

U.S. football team crushes Australia

Innsbruck, Austria

The U.S. men’s national football team opened defense of its IFAF Senior World Championship on Friday with a 61-0 win over Australia.

Former University of Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Team USA outgained Australia, 573-75, holding Australia to five first downs.

Hawkins found former Mount Union standout Nate Kmic and Alex Anderson for passing touchdowns. Kmic finished with seven catches for 106 yards.

The U.S. team plays Germany on Sunday.

Jameson Hospital holding benefit run

NEW CASTLE, PA.

Jameson Hospital will hold its first “Run For Your Heart” 5K walk-run and 10K race at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Proceeds will benefit Jameson Hospital’s Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease as well as other hospital improvements.

For details, visit www.jamesonhealth.org/RunForYourHeart or call 724-656-4112.

Johnston-Bloom resigns from Thiel

GREENVILLE, PA.

Shem Johnston-Bloom has resigned as the men’s lacrosse coach at Thiel College.

He led the Tomcats to a 2-12 record in 2011, their first season of competition.

Jeter, A-Rod out of All-Star game

NEW YORK

Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Shane Victorino became the latest All-Star scratches, further threatening to turn baseball’s big show into the All-Scar game.

Shortly after Jeter pulled himself Friday to rest an injured calf, his New York Yankees teammate joined him. The club announced Rodriguez would be absent because of a sore knee.

Jhonny Peralta will replace Jeter on the roster, the first All-Star selection for the Detroit shortstop. Cleveland’s Asdrubal Cabrera will move into the starting lineup. Boston’s Kevin Youkilis will take Rodriguez’s spot, with Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre getting the start.

Earlier in the day, Andre Ethier of the Los Angeles Dodgers replaced injured Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies in a switch of NL outfielders.

NCAA places WVU on 2 years’ probation

CHARLESTON, W.Va.

The NCAA said Friday it has accepted West Virginia’s self-imposed sanctions that include two years’ probation for major rules violations under former coaches Rich Rodriguez and Bill Stewart.

The report by the NCAA infractions committee said three failure-to-monitor violations occurred involving out-of-season coaching and the use of non-coaching staff to work with players.

Under the sanctions released Friday, the Mountaineers will lose a scholarship for the upcoming season and have recruiting restrictions and staff reductions.

Report: Rockets’ Yao decides to retire

HOUSTON

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is retiring, according to a report by Yahoo! Sports.

The 7-foot-6 Chinese star, plagued by lower-body injuries in the second half of his career, has informed the league office that his playing career is over, the website reported on Friday.

The Rockets declined to comment on the report because of the lockout, and the NBA has not received official retirement paperwork from Yao.

Yao’s contract expired after last season, and the Rockets said they were interested in re-signing him if he came back healthy. Yao said in April in China that his professional future depended on his recovery from a stress fracture in his left ankle.

Raptors’ Weems signs with Lithuanian team

NEW YORK

Sonny Weems has joined Zalgiris Kaunas of Lithuania, signing a contract that will keep him in Europe all season rather than risk sitting out an entire year if the NBA lockout lasts.

Vindicator staff/wire reports