Burak captures tennis singles championship

October 3, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Lewisburg, Pa.

Youngstown State freshman Marta Burak won the Flight A Singles title and teamed up with senior Lauren Hankle to win the doubles bracket at the Bucknell tennis Quad.

In her first collegiate competition, the 15-year-old Burak won four singles matches en route to the title in Flight A.

Burak won in the semifinals 8-3 over Bucknell’s Demi Ieprus and then went on to win the final 9-8 over Hilary Hanson.

In Flight B, Hankle won three matches and reached the finals dropping a 8-1 match to Niagara’s Olivia Rauh.

In doubles play, Hankle and Burak teamed up to win the title.

Salinas fighting in PAL tournament

YOUNGSTOWN

Alejandro “Popo” Salinas is competing in the national Police Athletic League boxing tournament, which began Sunday in Toledo and runs through Saturday.

Salinas, 16, fights at 125 pounds and is trained by Jack Loew at the Southside Boxing Club.

World Rugby Cup completes its field

AUCKLAND, New Zealand

The final three quarterfinal spots at the Rugby World Cup were decided on Sunday, with Ireland defeating Italy 36-6 to set up a knockout clash against Wales.

The Welsh thrashed Fiji 66-0 and Argentina fended off Georgia 25-7 in the opening match of the day to set up a quarterfinal against New Zealand.

The host country’s 79-15 dismantling of Canada did little to offset the gloom that followed the pre-match announcement that All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter was out with a groin injury.

Carter has scored an international record 1,250 test points and is the best No. 10 in world rugby.

Geelong hangs on to win AFL title

MELBOURNE, Australia

Geelong won the Australian Football League grand final Saturday, beating Collingwood 119-81 in front of 99,537 fans in intermittent rain at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Collingwood led by three points at halftime, but Geelong kicked five goals in the third quarter to take a seven-point advantage into the fourth quarter.

First-year coach Chris Scott led the Cats to their third title in five years and ninth overall.

Scott, a two-time former premiership player with the Brisbane Lions, became the first coach to win a championship in a first season since Alan Joyce in 1988.

Sabercat takes Monmouth feature

OCEANPORT, N.J.

Sabercat won the $75,000 Garden State Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday, beating Angel’s Tune by six lengths.

Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Angel Serpa, the 2-year-old colt ran the mile and 70 yards in 1:414/5 and paid $3.60, $2.40 and $2.20. It was the second win in five career starts for Sabercat, who now has earned $81,420.

Blind Luck out of Breeders’ Cup Classic

ARCADIA, Calif.

Blind Luck will miss the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic next month, although Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer says last year’s 3-year-old filly champion isn’t injured.

Blind Luck finished a surprising last in the $250,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes on Saturday, beaten by 19 lengths. It was the first time in 22 career starts that Blind Luck finished worse than third.

Ward has stitches removed from right eye

OAKLAND, Calif.

WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward said Sunday he is feeling much better after having stitches removed from above his right eye and is looking forward to his rescheduled fight against Carl Froch in the Super Six super middleweight tournament final.

Ward and Froch were slated to meet Oct. 29 in Atlantic City, N.J., before Ward got injured in training last month. He had seven stitches removed last Friday, but the fight was rescheduled for Dec. 17.

Vindicator staff/wire reports