Penguins place 22nd in WGCA team GPA

July 25, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

Youngstown

The Youngstown State women’s golf team finished the 2013-14 academic year with a 3.643 team grade-point average to garner the 22nd-best team GPA among women’s collegiate Division I, II, and III golf programs, the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) announced Thursday. Youngstown State’s 3.643 cumulative GPA was good enough for second-best in the Horizon League behind Detroit. The University of Texas-El Paso women’s golf team seized top honors with a 3.840 team GPA.

McBride leads OPGA state amateur

Hartville

Jake McBride of Hartville shot a 71 Thursday and is tied for first at the 2014 Ohio Public Golf Association Publinx tournament. He is tied with Nathan Tarter of Mogadore. Tarter won the event last year. Hubbard’s Justin Hallapy is tied for 11th and Jake Fait of Borardman is tied for 12th entering final round play.

Vivo wins Junior State Championship

Norwalk

Jenna Vivo, a 14-year-old incoming freshman at Boardman High School, placed first in the 13-14 year old age division at the Buckeye Junior State Championship held at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Norwalk July 22-23.

Shooting 80 and 78 in the two-day tournament earned her a position on the 16 - 19 year old Bi-State Challenge Team. The event mirrors the Ryder’s Cup format, matching up the top six players from Ohio against the top six players from Pennsylvania on Monday and Tuesday at the Oakland Beach Golf Club in Conneaut Lake, P.A. Tour ‘boss’ Nibali wins Stage 18

ARGELES-GAZOST, France

As his team hoped, Vincenzo Nibali demonstrated he’s the “boss” of the Tour de France. Just don’t compare him to the last rider to regularly bear that sobriquet at cycling’s greatest race, Lance Armstrong.

In a tour de force on Thursday, Nibali blew away the peloton on a Pyrenees ascent too tough to be rated in Stage 18, all but locking up victory when the race ends in Paris in three days.

Nibali has combined racing smarts, skill at bike-handling, and powerful climbing legs to methodically piece together a lead of more than seven minutes, gaining seconds “here and there,” as he put it after his fourth stage win.

Knoblauch charged with assaulting ex-wife

HOUSTON

Former baseball star Chuck Knoblauch has been charged with misdemeanor assault after authorities in Houston say he hit and pushed his ex-wife.

Knoblauch has been released on $10,000 bond. His first court date is set for July 30. The four-time All-Star previously served a year of probation after being convicted of hitting his previous wife in 2010.

Knoblauch played for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals during a 12-year career.

He was set to be inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame in August. The Twins issued a statement Thursday saying that “in light of recent news reports surrounding Chuck Knoblauch, as well as direct communication” with Knoblauch, they have decided to cancel the Aug. 23 ceremony.

Jaguars name Luke Butkus O-line coach

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have named Luke Butkus interim offensive line coach, tabbing him to fill in for cancer-stricken assistant George Yarno.

Yarno left the team last month and returned home to be with his family in Spokane, Washington, while he undergoes treatment.

Coach Gus Bradley says the 56-year-old Yarno will be away from the team for “some months.”

Bradley says Yarno is “encouraged by the progress” and adds “We’re all rooting for him and we’ll welcome him back with open arms when he comes back.”

Butkus, entering his seventh NFL season, is a nephew of Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus.

Staff/Wire reports