SPORTS digest

YSU’s Calhoun to speak at Curbstone luncheon

BEAVER TOWNSHIP

Youngstown State University men’s head basketball coach Jerrod Calhoun will be the guest speaker at Monday’s luncheon meeting of The Curbstone Coaches at the Avion Banquet Center.

The event begins at noon and the public is welcome to attend.

Applications are being accepted for nominations for the 2018 Hall of Fame Class that will be inducted on May 6. For an application to nominate, call 330-506-6774 or 330-792-2272. The application deadline is Nov. 18.

Corrections

Austintown Fitch football players Dylan Correia and Randy Smith were misidentified in a story about the Falcons’ 35-0 victory over Ashtabula Lakeside in Saturday’s edition. Also, East freshman quarterback Delshawn Petrosky threw a touchdown pass to Ilijah Donley in Friday’s game against Poland. Saturday’s story incorrectly identified another quarterback making the play.

NASCAR moves start because of storm

CONCORD, N.C.

Rain has wreaked havoc with NASCAR’s opening race for the second round of the playoffs.

All practice was canceled Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the start of today’s race has already been moved up an hour to give NASCAR a bigger window to complete the 500-mile event.

It’s not the Chamber of Commerce weekend that Charlotte officials had hoped for when they rearranged the schedule. This event has traditionally been held on Saturday nights but was washed out last year by Hurricane Matthew.

Held the next day, on a gorgeous Carolina afternoon, the race was one of the more competitive events of the season. Drivers felt that running in the afternoon improved the on-track product, and Charlotte officials adjusted by moving the event to Sunday.

Now, Hurricane Nate is expected to spoil the day.

The track had a different struggle Friday after it discovered it had not properly applied traction compound to the track. It required a second application in the turns, but not before it caused Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and David Ragan to wiggle exiting Turn 4 and hit the wall during practice. Both Earnhardt and Busch had to move to backup cars.

Charlotte officials figured out that it had not applied enough of the PJ1 sticky substance in that turn, and drivers had asked about it.

YSU women picked 8th in Horizon League

DETROIT

The Youngstown State women’s basketball team was picked to finish eighth during the 2017-18 in voting by the league’s coaches, sports information directors and media.

Green Bay was chosen as the preseason favorite with 246 total points and 21 of 25 available first-place votes. Wright State was second with 204 points and the other four first-place votes. They were a clear cut above the rest with 65 points separating the Raiders from third-place Oakland and its 139 points.

From third-place Oakland to eighth-place YSU, there was just a 46-point gap. Following Oakland were Milwaukee (129), Detroit Mercy (126), Cleveland State (117), league newcomer IUPUI (106) and Youngstown State (93). Northern Kentucky was picked ninth with 59 points, and UIC was chosen last with 31 points.

Hall of Famer Hawkins dies at the age of 75

PHOENIX

Basketball great Connie Hawkins has died at 75.

The Hall of Famer’s death was announced in a statement Saturday by the Phoenix Suns, the team with which he spent his most productive NBA seasons. The Suns told The Associated Press they confirmed the death with his family.

The 6-foot-8 Hawkins was a dazzling playground legend in New York City who rose to basketball’s heights. The Suns lauded his “unique combination of size, grace and athleticism.”

Hawkins didn’t play in the NBA until he was 27. He signed with the Suns in 1969 and was an NBA All-Star for four straight seasons.

Staff/wire report