SPORTS DIGEST || Pikunas wins junior tournament

Pikunas wins junior tournament

BOWLING GREEN

Boardman High School senior Jacinta Pikunas won the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour’s Toledo Junior Shootout last weekend at the Stone Ridge Country Club.

Pikunas, who has a scholarship to the University of Akron, shot a two-round 151. She finished nine strokes ahead of runner-up Katie Minja Lee of Ann Arbor, Mich.

Pikunas excelled in Sunday’s final round, shooting a 2-over 74 compared to Lee’s 9-over 81.

Canfield’s Davis inducted into HOF

CANFIELD

Larry Davis, longtime Canfield High School tennis coach, recently became the first Mahoning Valley mentor to be inducted into the Ohio Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame.

He’s the 45th inductee since the Hall was created in 1971.

Davis coached the Canfield boys teams for 37 seasons. He also started the Cardinals’ girls program and was the coach for eight season.

Davis career record is 595-195. His teams won 27 league championships and he coached 22 state qualifiers including two-time state champion Ryan Sachire (1995-96) who is Notre Dame’s head coach. He also coached 2001 state doubles runners-up Chris Cuppler and Shalin Shaw.

Davis retired from teaching in 2008 and coaching from 2014.

NFL reinstates Steelers’ Bryant

PITTSBURGH

The NFL has conditionally reinstated Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant from his yearlong suspension. The decision could give the team a big boost for the 2017 season.

Bryant was suspended in March 2016 for a second violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.

The league said Tuesday that Bryant may work out at the team facility and participate in meetings. He will not be cleared for all preseason activities, including practices and games, until the league has confirmed Bryant has found “clinical resources” in Pittsburgh.

Bryant caught 76 passes for 1,314 yards during his first two seasons, in 2014 and 2015.

Ex-OSU CB denies police rape report

CLEVELAND

An attorney for former Ohio State football star Gareon Conley says the player denies an accusation made in a police report that he sexually assaulted a woman. No charges have been filed.

Spokeswoman Kathleen Caffrey of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office says the April 9 encounter is still being investigated by police.

A Cleveland police report released Tuesday says the 23-year-old woman told officers that Conley sexually assaulted her in the bathroom of a hotel room.

Earnhardt Jr. will retire in fall

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s most popular driver, announced Tuesday that will retire at the end of the season.

The two-time Daytona 500 winner informed his team of his decision early Tuesday.

A third-generation NASCAR driver, Earnhardt has been plagued by concussions the last several years, and he missed half of last season recovering from the latest head injury. It’s caused him to delay contract talks on an extension to drive the No. 88 Chevrolet, and now he appears ready to call it quits.

Earnhardt turns 43 in October, was married during the offseason and has stated he wants a family. He’s become a vocal advocate for research of sports-related brain injuries.

Earnhardt has won NASCAR’s most popular driver award a record 14 times. He has 26 career Cup victories, and that includes a pair of wins in the Daytona 500.

Earnhardt is a two-time champion in NASCAR’s second-tier series. But the son of the late seven-time champion has never won a Cup title.

Staff/wire report