Harden’s YSU record earns NCAA semifinal

Harden’s YSU record earns NCAA semifinal

Jacksonville, Fla.

Youngstown State junior Collin Harden punched his ticket to the 78th NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships after finishing with a school record time in the 400-meter hurdles quarterfinal.

Freshman Zach Gehm also broke his own school record in the discus while four other Penguins competed on Friday at the NCAA East Preliminary Round from Hodges Stadium.

Harden secured the final spot to the semifinals in Austin, Texas, after running the 12th fastest time overall and the fourth fastest in his heat at 50.52 seconds.

His semifinal race will be run on June 5 at 9:30 p.m. from Mike A. Myers Stadium.

Gehm eclipsed his previous program record (54.17) by 0.5 after he threw the discus 54.67 on his first attempt. Gehm finished with the 20th best throw overall and the sixth in flight two.

Chad Zallow finished with the 31st fastest time overall in the 110 hurdles after he clocked a time of 14.10 seconds running in the third heat.

Jaliyah Elliott ran a personal-best time of 23.58 seconds (23.575 officially) in the 200 dash while finishing with the 26th fastest time overall and the fifth best in her heat.

Noah Drudy threw the javelin 58.92 on first attempt, placing him 12th in his flight and 40th overall. Jake Wilson finished 13th in his flight and 41st overall after throwing the javelin 57.94 on his final attempt of the day.

Cooper named All-American at SPIRE

GENEVA

United High School graduate Lucas Cooper was named a All-American at the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships Thursday at SPIRE Institute.

The Mount Union senior registered a career-best throw of 168-07 in the discus. He is Mount Union’s first All-American in the event since 2014.

Lucas finished second in the discus after coming in 14th last season.

Sports legends honor late John Havlicek

BOSTON

Sports legends were in Boston to honor basketball great John Havlicek.

Former Celtics and Bruins stars gathered at Trinity Church in Boston on Thursday for a memorial service. The Hall of Fame Celtics player died in April at the age of 79.

The Boston Herald reports that Celtics greats Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn and Dave Cowens joined Bruins legend Bobby Orr at the memorial. Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Phil Niekro and former U.S. Senator and New York Knicks player Bill Bradley were among others to pay their respects.

“Hondo” Havlicek played 16 years for the Celtics and is the team’s all-time leading scorer. He was voted one of the 50 greatest players of the league’s first 50 years and is best remembered for his steal to clinch the 1965 Eastern Conference finals.

NCAA rejects Clemson football players’ appeal

COLUMBIA, S.C.

Clemson tight end Braden Galloway and offensive lineman Zach Giella will miss next season after an NCAA panel rejected the school’s appeal of their drug suspension.

Clemson athletic spokesman Jeff Kallin said the school learned of the NCAA’s decision on Wednesday.

Ex-Clemson defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence also was suspended and missed the team’s College Football Playoff games, including the national championship game when the Tigers beat Alabama 44-16.

All three players have denied knowingly taking the banned substance ostarine.

Lawrence was a junior who left early for the NFL and was drafted by the New York Giants with the 17th overall pick. He would have faced a suspension of the entire season.

Clemson issued a statement that it was disappointed in the ruling and continues “to believe our student-athletes did not knowingly ingest any banned substances.”

Staff/wire report