Avon graduate and Oberlin College player Phil Brua was selected to play in the Prospect League All-Star game, representing the Lorain County Ironmen on July 6 as voted on by the Prospect League’s coaches.

Brua, who was a Third-Team All-Region and First-Team All-NCAC selection this past spring, has been lights out for the Ironmen this summer.

The sidearm specialist leads the league with three saves and is second with a 0.74 ERA. In 24 1/3 innings, he is 3-0 and has allowed just two runs and five walks while striking out 11.

For the Yeomen he set the school’s saves record with six and also tied the wins record by going 6-3. He appeared in a school record 22 games, registering 50 strikeouts.

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Firelands’ Teresa Davis has decided to continue her basketball and softball career, playing collegiately at Point Park University next season.

Davis, a 5-foot-6 guard, was an honorable mention All-Ohio selection in Division II. She also scored 1,256 points at Firelands.

Davis was selected second team All-Northeast Ohio Division II, and was a first-team choice for Lorain County Division II and the West Shore Conference. Davis was a first-team All-Ohio Division II selection in softball, and she will also play softball for the Pioneers.

For the 2010-11 season, the Point Park women will welcome back four starters from a team that had a 14-13 record. The Pioneers turned in the first winning record for the program since 1993-94.

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Avon Lake's Bridget Lyons has committed to Mount Union and continue her basketball career.

Lyons, a 5-10 forward, was an all-conference, all-district, all-county and team MVP selection for coach Frank Coughlin.

Mount Union, an NCAA Division III institution, is coming off one of its most successful seasons in school history as the Purple Raiders went 25-5, won the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament, advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament and finished ranked No. 13 in the nation.

Head coach Suzy Venet enters her sixth season on the bench in 2010-11 and was the WBCA Regional Coach of the Year this past season.

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Avon graduate and Oberlin College pitcher Phil Brua was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Mideast Region Gold Glove Team. With this award, Brua will now be nominated for the national gold glove award at his position.

Brua served as the team’s closer and main reliever this season. He had a team leading 55 innings pitched in 22 total appearances with only two starts on the mound. His 2.78 ERA led the team, as he set school records in total appearances (22) and saves (six). He also tied the school record for single season wins with six.

The sidearm specialist used his athletic ability to be a defensive stalwart on the mound with a .975 fielding percentage on the year; his only two errors on the season coming while he was behind the plate.

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Avon Lake’s Christine Chiricosta was named to the 2010 ESPN The Magazine Women’s At-Large Academic All-America Team for the second-straight year.

Last year, Chiricosta was chosen to the third team, at the time becoming the first women’s tennis player in Bowling Green history to be named an Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Chiricosta was named to the All-Mid-American Conference First Team last season, after earning all-conference second-team honors in each of her first two years at BGSU. She she had an overall singles record of 22-9 in 2009-’10, leading the team in wins. Chiricosta had a 15-7 record in dual matches, having played at the No. 1 flight in all 22 of Bowling Green’s duals this spring, and went 5-3 in MAC regular-season action.

In doubles, Chiricosta finished with an overall record of 21-9, including a 16-6 mark in dual-match play. She teamed with freshman Maddy Eccleston at the top flight for every dual match, going 6-2 in MAC contests.

Chiricosta’s total of 43 victories last season led the team, and tied her for 10th in Bowling Green history.

Entering her senior season, Chiricosta has a combined career total of 128 wins, with 64 singles and 64 doubles victories. She moved into 12th place on the Bowling Green doubles wins list, and is tied for 12th in overall wins and deadlocked for 14th in career singles wins. Chiricosta is within striking distance of all three school records.

Chiricosta was named the MAC’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Week three times last season. Last year, she was named an ITA Scholar Athlete for the second-straight year, and was also chosen to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team.

Kyle Baughman (left), Anthony Hitchens (center) and Tony Williams (right)

Clearview's Kyle Baughman has selected Baldwin-Wallace to continue his basketball career in college.

Baughman, who plans to major in business administration and finance, competed in cross country, football, basketball and baseball at Clearview and earned a total of 10 varsity letters, including four in baseball, three in basketball, two in cross country and one in football.

As a senior team captain, Baughman helped lead the Clippers to both the Sectional and District titles and into the "Sweet 16" of the OHSAA State Tournament.

Individually, he averaged 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals per game. For his efforts, he was tabbed as an All-Patriot Athletic Conference First Teamer and the PAC Most Valuable Player, first-team All-Lorain County and honorable mention All-District. Baughman also received the Most Assists Award.

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Oberlin College head football coach Jeff Ramsey has announced the addition of Jeff Keck, of Vermilion, to his staff as linebackers coach for the upcoming season.

Keck, who has been involved in coaching football for over 30 years and has been a familiar face on the gridiron and the baseball diamonds of Lorain County for the last three decades.

Keck served as the defensive coordinator at Vermillion High School since 1995. Prior to that he worked the sidelines at Firelands, Elyria and Hillsdale High Schools for numerous years.

In additional to his football coaching duties, Keck has been the head baseball coach at Vermillion since 2002 and was recently named the Lorain Morning Journal Coach of the Year for leading the Sailors to a West Shore Conference title and a school-record 23 wins.

"Jeff brings great experience and passion for coaching to our program," Ramsey said through a press release. "We are excited about having him on board and know he will be a valuable asset to our team."

Keck’s football coaching career began in 1980 as a student assistant coach at Ashland University. After assisting with the Eagles for two seasons, he earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Ashland in 1982.

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Perkins’ Brennan Smith, who pitched the last three years at Bowling Green, was selected in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday.

Smith was selected with the 1,003rd overall selection in the 33rd round by the Detroit Tigers.

"It has always been a dream (to play in the Major League) and something I have wanted to work towards," Smith said. "I wanted it to come true and now that is has happened it is a huge relief."

Smith finished this past season as the Falcons’ No. 1 starter with a 6-4 overall record and an 8.61 earned-run average in 16 starts. He led the team in total strikeouts with 70 on the season in 77 1/3 innings pitched. In Mid-American Conference play, Smith went 4-2 in nine starts with a 7.41 ERA.

"We’re really excited for Brennan to be chosen by the Detroit Tigers," Bowling Green head coach Danny Schmitz said through a press release. "It is well deserved and he has earned the right to get the chance to compete professionally."

Smith ended his junior season by winning two of his last three starts against Buffalo and in the first round of the MAC Tournament against Ball State. He allowed four runs and walked three in each contest but struck out a combined 11 batters and allowed just 10 base hits in 13 2/3 total innings. He tied a career-high with 10 strikeouts against Miami where he went 7 1/3 innings in a 14-8 win.

In 2009, Smith was named MAC Pitcher of the Year after finishing the season 8-4 overall with a 4.41 ERA. He struck out a MAC-best 80 batters while walking just 31. He registered six of his eight wins in conference play. He also led the league in starts (15), wins (8) and opposing batting average (.240).

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Perkins’ Kyle Hallock was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies on the final day of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft on Wednesday.

Hallock was selected in the 49th round with the 27th pick (1,491 overall) by the Phillies.

The southpaw finished this past season at Kent State with an 8-5 record and a save with a 5.64 ERA in 83 innings pitched.

The highlight of the season for Hallock came on May 29 when he received the win in both games of a double header on championship Saturday of the Mid-American Conference tournament. In Kent State’s 9-8, 10-inning win over Eastern Michigan, Hallock threw a scoreless top of the 10th before KSU prevailed in the bottom of the inning. Just 45 minutes later, he started the championship game against Central Michigan, allowing only two earned runs and on five hits in seven innings pitched.

For his Kent State career, Hallock has a 12-9 mark with four saves in 190 2/3 innings of work.

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Willard’s Kevin Johnson, who played four years at the University of Cincinnati was selected with the 21st pick in the 42nd round by the Texas Rangers.

Johnson was previously drafted during the 38th round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Florida Marlins, but opted to return to Cincinnati for his senior season.

Johnson played in all 58 games for Cincinnati this past season and split time between first base and the mound. He hit .258, with nine home runs, 35 RBIs, and tied for the team lead in doubles with 14. Johnson had 12 multi-hit performances on the season and 10 multi-RBI games, including two three-RBI games against USF and Georgetown.

His final three-RBI game against Georgetown came on a walk-off, three-run home run to clinch Cincinnati’s spot in the Big East Conference Championships.

On the mound, Johnson made 11 appearances, including six starts, and posted a 1-2 record. He struck out 22 batters in 31.1 innings and owned an ERA of 3.73.

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Perkins’ Shane Huntley joined teammates Jacob Weyrauch, Alan Bowsher, Joe Amstutz, Ben McPheron and Garrett Brown on the Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference for their seasons running cross country and excellence in the classroom at Ohio Northern.

Huntley was a four-time All-OAC performer this season with three of the performances coming during the Indoor Championships.

He was third in the 500-meter run and contributed to a pair of relay teams. Huntley helped the 4x200-meter relay team win the OAC Title and helped the 4x400-meter relay team to a third-place finish.

Huntley again helped the 4x400-meter relay team claim third place at the OAC Outdoor Championships.

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Avon Lake’s Alex Trzeciak made the Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference At-Large Team in tennis at Baldwin-Wallace.

This is the second time Trzeciak has earned the award. Trzeciak is a mathematical economics major with a 3.72 GPA.

He also earned his second straight All-OAC First Team selection for his play on the court in 2009-10. He posted a 17-8 record while competing strictly at the No. 1 singles position. Trzeciak was 8-1 during OAC competition and was a part of B-W’s No. 2 doubles duo that posted a 17-6 record.

In two seasons, Trzeciak is 39-11 overall in singles play and 37-12 in doubles.

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Elyria Catholic’s Bryce Basista, along with Judd Lutz (Tiffin Columbian) and Ty Griffin (Massillon Perry) were all named Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference, while running cross country for Mount Union, as selected by the conference’s 10 faculty athletics representatives.

Basista is a three-time All-OAC cross country runner who finished eighth at the 2009 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships then competed at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships. He recently graduated with a 3.62 GPA with a degree in accounting.

The award winners are selected by the OAC faculty athletic representatives. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.25 GPA, be a starter or key reserve and be in at least his second year of participation in the sport.

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Perkins’ Cory Leslie helped lead Ohio State men’s track and field team to a record-breaking final day of competition on Saturday at the NCAA East Regional Preliminaries.

Jeff See, Leslie and OSU’s four-time defending Big Ten champion 4x400m relay team will represent the Buckeyes June 9-12 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon joining Matt DeChant and Thomas Murdaugh, who secured invitations Friday night.

Leslie will compete in the first national championship of his career after a 14th-place and personal record time of 8:49.06 in the 3000m steeplechase. Although, he wasn’t among the Top 12 finishers, he advanced to Eugene thanks to a third-place finish in his heat.

Back in February, Leslie etched his name in the Ohio State record books.
One week removed from running the fourth-best indoor mile in school history, Leslie re-wrote the Ohio State records with his second-place run of 2:22.48 in the 1000m at the Meyo Invitational, the top time in OSU history.

"Cory’s performance was definitely the highlight of day one," Ohio State head coach Robert Gary said of Leslie’s effort through a press release. "He has put himself into great shape. With the way he is running now, he could very easily run under four minutes in the mile, something only the best of athletes are able to accomplish."

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Perkins’ Kyle Hallock picked up a pair of wins to improve to 8-5 as Kent State won five games in three days to win the Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship last Saturday.

"Kyle Hallock was unreal," head coach Scott Stricklin said through a press release. "For him to do that, to come in and get the win in the first game and pitch into the eighth inning in the second game, you can’t ask for anything more. We were hoping for four or five innings out of him. What he gave us was unbelievable. He is a tough kid and a competitor. He had something to prove after the first outing on Wednesday. I am really proud of the way he pitched."

Hallock, after throwing the 10th inning to pick up the win in the first game against Eastern Michigan, threw seven innings and gave up only five hits and two runs while striking out six.

Hallock was able to keep Central Michigan off the board. In the fifth inning, the first two Chippewa batters reached and advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, but a ground ball back to Hallock and a strikeout ended the inning. In the sixth, two singles wrapped around a fly out put a pair of runners on with one out. Hallock induced a ground out and a fly out to end the threat.

Hallock is third in innings pitched with 83 at Kent State, while striking out 69 batters.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Scott Nealon

Chris Nealon

Avon Lake’s twin brothers Chris and Scott Nealon were named to the All-Ohio Athletic Conference baseball team.

Chris was tabbed as a second-team pick at first base and Scott was selected to the honorable mention squad as a designated hitter. The duo had their finest seasons as collegians this spring.

Chris led the Yellow Jackets with a .390 batting average (48-for-123) and three home runs and tied for the team lead with 10 doubles. Chris also recorded 29 RBIs and scored 22 runs. Defensively, he posted a fine .993 fielding average with 266 putouts and 12 assists. Chris also made five pitching appearances and logged 7 1/3 innings on the mound. In 69 career games, which include 53 starts, he batted .391 with 47 RBIs.

Scott hit .361 (48-of-133) with two home runs and 28 RBIs after moving from third base to designated hitter midway through the season. He also scored 24 runs, walked 10 times and stole five bases. In 91 career games, which include 66 starts, Scott hit .359 with three home runs and 59 RBIs.

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Elyria's Nolan Neuschaefer was named Outstanding Freshman and earned the Gold Glove Award for his outstanding season at Baldwin-Wallace.

He batted .333 with 43 hits and an on-base percentage of .428 in 33 games from the leadoff spot. He led the team with 44 runs scored, four triples and 13 stolen bases.

Defensively, Neuschaefer was outstanding with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 88 chances. He also led the outfield with 85 putouts, adding three assists, and was on the front end of three double plays.

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Avon Lake's Chris Nealon was awarded the Big Stick Award for his outstanding season at Baldwin-Wallace this past season.

Nealon led the team with a .390 batting average and a .545 slugging percentage. Nealon had 48 hits, 10 doubles, three home runs and 29 RBIs. He also had a .436 on-base percentage and had the lowest strikeout percentage of anyone on the team.

He finished his career with a remarkable .391 batting average.

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Amherst’s Ryan Rua was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Midwest Region Second Team for his outstanding season at Lake Erie College.

Rua hit a single-season record-tying 11 home runs for the second year in a row and became Lake Erie’s career leader in that category midway through the season.

He tied for the team lead with 60 hits and hit .400 for the season with 38 runs scored, 12 doubles and a team-leading 40 RBIs. His 107 total bases were a school record, as was his .713 slugging percentage. Rua also stole 10 bases and was hit-by-pitch six times.

He also made eight appearances out of the bullpen and posted a 2.70 ERA in 13 1/3 innings, which included one start and one save on the season, holding opponents to a .231 average.

Lake Erie won a school-record 18 games this season, highlighted by a 19-4 win road win over NCAA Division I Cleveland State University during the season.

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Admiral King's Deidre Noble signed a letter of intent yesterday to continue her volleyball career at Winthrop University on a full ride athletic scholarship.

Deidre led the Admirals this past season in kills (202) and blocks (80). She was also selected Lorain County First Team, Lake Erie League First Team, and Northeast Lakes District Honorable Mention.

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Firelands’ Dominic San Felippo earned Atlantic Region Second Team honors for his outstanding season playing baseball at Wheeling Jesuit.

San Felippo, a junior outfielder, finished the season with a .446 batting average (62-for-139). San Felippo had 21 extra-base hits, which include 15 doubles, a triple and five home runs. He also had 35 RBIs and scored 35 runs.

swalker@MorningJournal.com