SPORTS DIGEST || Browns release veteran safety Donte Whitner

Browns release veteran safety Donte Whitner

CLEVELAND

The Browns have released veteran safety Donte Whitner.

The 30-year-old Whitner is the latest starter to be discarded by Cleveland’s new front office, which recently released linebacker Karlos Dansby, the team’s leading tackler last season. The Browns also chose not to re-sign starters Alex Mack, Mitchell Schwartz, Tashaun Gipson or Travis Benjamin in free agency.

A Cleveland native, Whitner started 14 games last season and 30 in his two years with the Browns, who signed him as a free agent in 2014. Known for his punishing hits, Whitner made the Pro Bowl in 2014 but didn’t play as well last season, when the Browns’ secondary was ravaged by injuries.

Earlier Saturday, the Browns released defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, who has not recovered enough from a serious knee injury.

Ekpre-Olomu was selected by in the seventh round last year by Cleveland’s previous front office, which hoped he could come back from a serious left knee injury sustained during his senior year at Oregon. But the 22-year-old is not to the point where the Browns are willing to dedicate a roster spot to him.

Russian teen captures figure skating title

BOSTON

Sixteen-year-old Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia capped a dominant debut season by winning a world championship with a record-setting free skate score.

Medvedeva earned 150.10 points Saturday to break Yuna Kim’s record from the 2010 Olympics. She moved up from third after the short program to first to add to her Grand Prix Final and European titles.

Told she had set a record, Medvedeva started giggling then summed it up in English: “Wow.”

American Ashley Wagner skated last and sent the home crowd into a frenzy with a personal-best score that moved her from fourth to second, the first U.S. woman in a decade to win a medal at worlds.

Another Russian teen, Anna Pogorilaya, won bronze.

Canada’s Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford defended their pairs world title Saturday, coming from behind with a near-perfect free skate.

Golf coach to speak to Curbstone Coaches

Youngstown State University men’s golf coach Tony Joy will be the guest speaker Monday at the Curbstone Coaches’ weekly luncheon at the Avion Banquet Center on Western Reserve Road in Beaver Township. The event begins at noon and is open to the public.

For more information, contact Mariel Sallee at 330-519-6819.

Kyle Busch finally wins at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, VA.

Kyle Busch held off John Hunter Nemechek in a two-lap overtime restart and won the NASCAR trucks race at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, his first victory in 31 career starts on the 0.526-mile oval.

Busch, who was saving his last set of fresh tires for an opportune time inside the final 50 laps, never got one and won despite driving the last 115 laps on the same tires. Most of the rest of the field had tires that were at least 30 laps newer, but a series of late restarts worked in Busch’s favor and he ended his Martinsville drought.

Nemecheck got second and Busch’s teammate, William Byron was third, followed by Kyle Larson and Timothy Peters.

Azarenka captures Miami Open title

KEY BISCAYNE, FLA.

Victoria Azarenka completed a rare Indian Wells-Key Biscayne double Saturday by beating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2 to win the Miami Open.

Azarenka, a two-time Grand Slam champion mounting a comeback from injuries, defeated Serena Williams in the Indian Wells final two weeks ago. She’s only the third woman to win both tournaments in the same year, and the first since Kim Clijsters in 2005. Steffi Graf did it in 1994 and 1996.

Staff and wire reports