YSU’s Jones receives CoSIDA honor

YSU’s Jones receives CoSIDA honor

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State junior high jumper Abby Jones has been named to the 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-District Æ Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country First Team, selected by CoSIDA.

Jones, a junior from Franklin, Pa., is the first YSU women’s track and field student-athlete to be named first-team Academic All-District. She is the first Penguins track and field athlete to be recognized as an all-district selection since 2013.

This past year, Jones had an outstanding campaign capturing the Horizon League indoor and outdoor track and field titles. Recently she competed at the NCAA East Preliminaries, finishing 19th with a mark of 1.70m.

She set the school records in the indoor and outdoor high jumps this past season.

She also won those events at the league meet as a sophomore in 2017.

Mill Creek to host sectional qualifier

YOUNGSTOWN

Mill Creek Golf Course will host the sectional qualifier for the Drive, Chip and Putt Competition for the Northern Ohio PGA Section on June 11.

This free program for juniors ages 7-15, provided by the Master Tournament PGA of America and the United States Golf Association, will be held on the Mill Creek practice range and putting green. Participants who qualify for the national finals will participate in a competition at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on the Sunday prior to the 2019 Masters Tournament.

To learn more or to register, visit the website http://www.drivechipandputt.com.

Cubs still defend Rizzo’s illegal slide

PITTSBURGH

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon believes Anthony Rizzo’s slide that upended Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Elias Diaz at home plate on Monday is still perfectly legal. So does Maddon’s superstar first baseman.

Major League Baseball? Not so much.

MLB chief baseball officer Joe Torre informed both clubs on Tuesday that Rizzo should have been called for interference for swiping Diaz’s right leg while Diaz attempted to make a throw to first base to complete a potential double play in the eighth inning of Chicago’s 7-0 victory on Memorial Day.

Diaz’s throw ended up sailing into right field, allowing two runs to score. The Pirates challenged the call on the field but replay officials opted not to overturn it.

Nearly 24 hours later, MLB believes Rizzo violated Rule 6.01 (i), which states “if a runner does not engage in a bona fide slide, and initiates (or attempts to make) contact with the fielder for the purpose of breaking up a double play, he should be called for interference.”

Maddon called it the “perfect play” on Monday and didn’t back down even after what he called a respectful back-and-forth with Torre.

“There’s nothing wrong with that play,” Maddon said. “Again the umpires got it right both in New York and on the field last night. Almost like a doctor reading an MRI.

“You might get two different opinions on the same set of information.”

Purdue to display Wooden’s jersey

When Drew Brees heard a 1930s-era Purdue jersey worn by John Wooden was being sold at auction, he saw an opportunity to help his alma mater showcase its ties to a man most known for winning 10 NCAA men’s basketball titles as UCLA’s coach.

Brees says he paid $264,000 to win a late-hour bidding war for the jersey in mid-May and will allow Purdue to display it at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana.

“I had never seen any Purdue related in regards to memorabilia ever from John Wooden,” the New Orleans Saints quarterback said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “I mean, think about it, it’s over 80 years ago.

“So the minute that I saw this, I thought ‘This belongs at Purdue. Purdue has to have this and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure they do.”’

Staff/wire report