Howland’s Grant given Big Ten medal of honor

Howland’s Grant given Big Ten medal of honor

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Penn State student-athletes Matt Brown (wrestling) and Nia Grant (women’s volleyball) have been selected as the Nittany Lions’ 2014-15 Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients.

Earlier this spring, Brown and Grant were named recipients of the 2015 Ernest B. McCoy Memorial Award, which is presented annually to one Penn State senior male and one senior female student-athlete who have combined successful athletic participation with academic excellence.

Grant, who graduted from Howland High School and is majoring in communications, completed her career at Penn State this past fall, having helped the Nittany Lion women’s volleyball team to back-to-back NCAA national championship titles in 2013-14. Grant is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, who also earned 2013-14 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar-Athlete honors.

PSU Altoona softball player charged for hit

ALTOONA, Pa.

A Penn State Altoona softball player is discussing a plea deal with prosecutors on assault charges for hitting a batter with a pitch during practice.

The Altoona Mirror reports 20-year-old Katelynn Burge faces one count of misdemeanor simple assault and harassment.

Burge, a sophomore last season, is accused of hitting her teammate in retaliation in April. University police say Burge suspected her teammate snitched on a coach for allegedly violating the school’s alcohol policy. It’s not clear whether the teammate reported any wrongdoing or whether the coach violated any policy.

Police say the ball hit the victim in the left shoulder, then Burge said: “That was for (the coach that was reported).”

Burge’s attorney, Brian Jones, says anyone who steps into a batter’s box assumes the risk of getting hit.

Stoll gets misdemeanors in Vegas cocaine case

LAS VEGAS

Los Angeles Kings center Jarret Stoll pleaded guilty to two reduced misdemeanor charges to resolve a felony cocaine case stemming from his April arrest at a Las Vegas Strip swimming pool.

Defense attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld appeared in court Thursday for the 33-year-old Stoll to submit a written plea to breach of the peace and trespassing.

A felony charge of cocaine possession was dismissed. Chesnoff says Stoll was sentenced to 32 hours of community service with the Salvation Army in Las Vegas and will create a program to teach youths the dangers of the use of alcohol and controlled substances.

Security guards at MGM Grand’s Wet Republic pool found what police believed to be 3.3 grams of cocaine and several ecstasy capsules in Stoll’s pocket April 17.

Warren Sapp charged with domestic battery

LAS VEGAS

Authorities in Las Vegas have charged NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp with biting his girlfriend, throwing her to the ground and stepping on her head in an April incident that began at the M Resort in Henderson, Nevada.

The criminal complaint filed Thursday in Las Vegas Justice Court charges Sapp with three domestic battery misdemeanors that carry up to 18 months in jail if he’s convicted.

Staff/wire reports