Local runner women’s runner-up in marathon

Local runner women’s runner-up in marathon

Canton

Kayla Witmer Aluise of Poland, a former track and cross country star at South Range and Youngstown State, finished second among 213 females in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon at Canton.

In her first full marathon, Aluise posted a time of 3:04.46 which topped all runners in the women’s 25-29 age bracket. She placed 18th overall in a field of 593 runners.

Area drivers triumph at Sharon Speedway

Hartford

Four local drivers wound up in the winners circle Saturday night in week two of Steel Valley thunder at Sharon Speedway.

Travis Creech of Niles won the Deforest Used Parts Mini Stocks division, Steve Burns Jr. finished first in the HTMA/Precise Racing Products Econo Mods, Paul Davis of Fowler captured the Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars race, and Rex King Jr. of Bristolville was the winner in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds division.

Other winners were Dennis Lunger Jr. in the Barris Supply RUSH Late Models, Joel Watson in the Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds and Jordan Eck in the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Sportsman Modifieds.

The third week of the Steel Valley Thunder program is scheduled Saturday featuring the six weekly divisions. Pits open at 4 p.m., the grandstands open at 5 and racing starts at 7.

Ko holds off Lewis to win Swinging Skirts

DALY CITY, Calif.

Poised and unflappable, Lydia Ko birdied the final hole for her third LPGA Tour victory and first as a professional, holding off Stacy Lewis and Jenny Shin on Sunday in the inaugural Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic. It went down to the final shots, and the teen made a 6-foot birdie putt for a 3-under 69 moments before Lewis knocked in a 4-footer of her own to finish one stroke back at 11-under 277.

After beginning the day a stroke behind Lewis, Ko birdied three of her final four holes on the front nine on the way to a 12-under 276 total at Lake Merced. Ko earned $270,000, celebrating on the 18th green three days after celebrating her 17th birthday at the first tee box with the gallery singing “Happy Birthday.”

Hunter-Reay wins in Alabama a 2nd time

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.

Ryan Hunter-Reay deftly guided his car around the rain-soaked track, stayed out of trouble and wound up with a much happier ending. Hunter-Reay coasted to his second straight victory at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday when the rain-shortened IndyCar race finished under caution, with Andretti Autosport teammate Marco Andretti behind him. A full-course caution came out for the final seven minutes of the timed race after rookie Mikhail Aleshin lost control and went off the track. That left Hunter-Reay unchallenged.

SEC retains 8-game league football slate

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.

The Southeastern Conference has decided to stick with its current football scheduling format of eight league games and a permanent non-division rival. The conference’s presidents and chancellors approved the so-called 6-1-1 format Sunday at a special meeting in Atlanta. SEC teams will continue to play each of their six division rivals, plus one permanent crossover rivalry game and another non-divisional opponent that will rotate.

The SEC had been considering adding a ninth conference game and doing away with permanent inter-division opponents such as Alabama-Tennessee, Auburn-Georgia and LSU-Florida.

Sharapova wins final in 3 sets over Ivanovic

STUTTGART, Germany

Maria Sharapova won her third straight Porsche Grand Prix title on Sunday by coming from behind to defeat Ana Ivanovic 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the final. Sharapova won her first tournament of the year and clinched the 30th title of her career. She is now undefeated in 13 consecutive matches on the indoor clay in Stuttgart.

Staff reports/Associated Press