Three Penguins named All-Americans

Three Penguins named All-Americans

Youngstown State senior defensive end Derek Rivers was named a preseason first-team FCS All-American by STATS, Inc., the media outlet announced on Monday. Additionally, senior safety LeRoy Alexander was named to the second team and sophomore placekicker Zak Kennedy was tabbed third team.

Rivers, who was a third-team All-American in 2015 by STATS, already holds the school’s career record for sacks with 26 entering his senior campaign. He is a two-time first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection. The last Penguin to be named first-team All-MVFC in three straight years was LB James Terry (2005-07). Only two other Penguins have been three-time first-team all-league honorees, Terry, Mychal Savage (2006-07, 2009) and Dwyte Smiley (1997-99).

Alexander was a first-team All-MVFC honoree in his first year with the Penguins in 2015. He finished second on the team with 67 tackles, including 39 solo stops. He led the Penguins with four interceptions.

Kennedy had an outstanding freshman season making a school-record 19 field goals. A finalist for the FCS Freshman-of-the-Year Award he was a first-team All-MVFC selection. He was the first freshman placekicker to be named first-team All-MVFC since 1992. Kennedy ranked third in the FCS making 1.73 field goals per game.

YSU women’s soccer seeking ball girls

The Youngstown State women’s soccer program is seeking ball girls from local youth soccer groups (non-high school age) for the 2016 home season at Farmers National Bank Field. The Penguins have six home matches this season with the home opener against Longwood on Sept. 4, at noon.

Youngstown State’s other home matches include: Sept. 11 vs. Xavier, 1 p.m., Sept. 16 vs. Oakland, 7 p.m., Oct. 2 vs. Wright State, 3 p.m., Oct. 19 vs. Cleveland State, 7 p.m. and Oct. 22 vs. Milwaukee, 3 p.m.

Six ball girls are required for each game.

If interested, please contact Assistant Coach Megan Giesen at mgiesen@ysu.edu.

Local juniors compete in international event

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Three local junior golfers competed in the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship.

First rounds were played Monday and Columbiana’s Jared Wilson finished his round of 80 to tie for 66th. Howland’s Donovan Ray finished his round with an 85 and is tied for 119th in the boys 16-18 division. The leader is Paul Stankey, who shot a 68.

Boardman’s Jacinta Pikunas finished her opening round at 90 and is tied for 107th. The current leader is Yae Eun Kim who shot a 69.

Bills sign Reggie Bush to one-year deal

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The Buffalo Bills have signed veteran free-agent running back Reggie Bush to a one-year contract.

The Bills announced the signing on Monday, and a person with direct knowledge of the contract revealed the length of the deal to The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the Bills did not reveal that detail.

The negotiations were completed after Bush traveled to Buffalo to take a physical and then met with Bills officials at their training camp facility outside Rochester.

Bush is a 10-year NFL veteran who played five games with San Francisco last year before suffering a season-ending left knee injury when he slipped on the bare concrete bordering the Edward Jones Dome field in St. Louis.

Declaring his surgically repaired left knee 100 percent, Bush eagerly looked forward to the opportunity of playing an 11th NFL season — and on his fifth team — after signing a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills on Monday.

“I’m in shape. I’m full strength. I’m ready to go,” Bush said during a news conference at the Bills training camp facility in suburban Rochester. “It feels good to be back on a team and back to playing football.”

Staff/wire report