YSU’s Elkins preseason All-American lineman

July 2, 2013 at 12:00a.m.

Youngstown State senior offensive lineman Chris Elkins (Beaver Falls, Pa.) has been named to The Sports Network’s preseason All-America squad, the service revealed on Monday. Elkins has started the last 26 games for the Penguins, including each contest each of the past two seasons.

In 2012, he started every contest at right guard en route to earning first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors. As a unit, the Penguins led the Missouri Valley Football Conference in total offensive yards per game during the regular season averaging 385.6 yards per contest. Elkins was an honorable-mention All-MVFC choice in 2011.

Mooney’s Venable to play softball at Lourdes

Marche’ Venable, a 2013 Cardinal Mooney graduate, recently accepted a full scholarship to continue her softball career at Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio, where she will major in nursing.

Marche’ was a three-year letter winner in centerfield for the Cardinals. Her senior year stats included a .382 batting average, .592 slugging percentage, 17 runs and 15 RBIs.

Tour to support rule involving long putters

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.

The PGA Tour said Monday it would follow a new rule that bans the anchored putting stroke used by four of the last six major champions, asking instead Monday for a temporary reprieve for those who play the game for fun.

The announcement Monday after a PGA Tour board meeting is the final piece of confirmation from a major golf organization for Rule 14-1b, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2016, when the next “Rules of Golf” is published. The rule makes it illegal for players to attach the end of the club to their body while making a stroke.

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club and U.S. Golf Association proposed the new rule Nov. 28 and allowed for a three-month comment period. It formally adopted the rule May 21.

League realignment moves are now official

Happy realignment day! It certainly was that Monday for the Atlantic Coast Conference, which welcomed Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Notre Dame to the league with a news conference in New York City. Other leagues took a more low-key approach.

The American Athletic Conference opened for business and Memphis, Central Florida, SMU and Houston left Conference USA to become members of the former Big East.

The new Big East is up and running. The basketball-centric league was created by old Big East members Villanova, Georgetown, St. John’s, Providence, Seton Hall, Marquette and DePaul. Joining them on Monday were Butler, Xavier and Creighton.

US captain Bocanegra joins Chivas USA

CARSON, Calif.

U.S. national team captain Carlos Bocanegra signed Monday with Chivas USA of MLS. The center back who spent last season with Racing Santander of Spain, where he was on loan from Scottish side Rangers FC, will join Chivas USA in Philadelphia to prepare for a July 12 match against the Union. He becomes eligible to play for Chivas USA on July 9 when the international transfer window opens.

Bocanegra, 34, has played 116 games for the USA, including World Cups in 2006 and 2010.

NHL near deal to send players to Olympics

NEW YORK

NHL players are just a slap shot away from returning to the Olympics next year. While a deal hasn’t been reached yet between the NHL, the union and the International Ice Hockey Federation, to send the league’s players to Sochi, a long meeting Monday pushed the sides much closer to an agreement.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, union leader Donald Fehr and IIHF President Rene Fasel met for more than five hours Monday at league headquarters to work on a deal that would allow NHL players to compete at the 2014 games in Russia. This would be the fifth Olympics for the NHL.

Vindicator staff/wire reports