Sports briefs for Wednesday, March 18

4 area b-ball players are acad. all-state

The Indiana Basketball Coaches Association on Tuesday announced its academic all-state teams, which are senior-only teams.

The criteria for consideration includes a 3.5 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale, a class rank in the upper 25% of one’s class, an SAT score of 1,100 (on the reading and math sections) or an ACT composite score of 24. Athletic performance also is taken into consideration.

The girls first team had 32 players and the boys first team had 39.

Northwestern teammates Kendall Bostic and Madison Layden and Peru’s Courtlynn Crowe made the girls first team and Tipton’s Ben Humrichous made the boys first team.

Area girls players receiving honorable mention were Taylor’s Lynzey Butzin and Alison Pemberton, Eastern’s Jeanie Crabtree and Lexi James, Carroll’s Kelsey Hammond, Northwestern’s Klair Merrell and Tipton’s Gracie Phillips.

Area boys players receiving honorable mention were Eastern’s Matthew Arcari, Carroll’s Aaron Atkisson, Ayden Ayres and Drew May, Maconaquah’s Cole Borden and Samuel Bourne, Cass’ Issac Chambers and Western’s Avery Hayes and Kace Howard.

Club Kokomo axes 2 upcoming races

The Club Kokomo Roadrunners have made the following changes to their schedule due to the restrictions on public gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic.

• Saturday’s Norris Insurance Race at Amboy is canceled.

• Saturday’s Sam Costa half and quarter marathons at Carmel are postponed. Organizers are hoping to provide an update next month.

• The CK’s Ultimate 10-mile run, 5-mile run and 5-mile walk on April 4 at Logansport are canceled.

Wesleyan’s Sprinkles runs well at nationals

Indiana Wesleyan senior Jessica Sprinkles fared well in the recent NAIA Women’s Indoor Track and Field National Championships. The meet was held March 5-7 at Brookings, South Dakota.

Sprinkles, a former Eastern and Tipton athlete, took second place in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:09.05. In addition, she helped IWU’s distance medley relay team finish seventh in 12:15.25. She received NAIA All-American honors in both events.

IWU finished 15th in the meet. Fellow Crossroads League team Huntington won the title.

Cass product Nies wins HCAC award

The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference on Monday announced Defiance College’s Cohen Nies (Lewis Cass) was its baseball Pitcher of the Week, marking the first time this season and third time in his career that he has earned the honor.

During the week of March 9-15, Defiance played eight games on its annual spring trip to Florida, going 7-1 with the only loss coming by one run in extra innings. A 6-foot-7, 225-pound junior right-hander, Nies started twice in Fort Myers, posting a 1-0 record and 2.53 earned run average with 15 strikeouts and just three walks over 10 2/3 innings.

The Yellow Jackets are 7-3 overall, their best start since the 2013 team opened with the same record. Because of the continued public health threat of the coronavirus and in association with the HCAC, Defiance suspended its baseball season and all athletic activities.

Bowling group meeting ppd.

The City of Firsts USBC Open annual meeting scheduled for Sunday, April 5, has been postponed. The mandatory meeting will be rescheduled at a later time.

The Hall of Fame banquet is still on the books for Sunday, April 26, at Elite Banquet Center. Tickets are $20 per person and are available through any board member or by calling Rae Weaver at 765-453-2684 for reservations. If the restrictions in place for the coronavirus are not lifted prior to this date, the banquet will be postponed. If the banquet is canceled, tickets may be reimbursed; if the banquet is rescheduled, tickets will be accepted for the later date.

Questions should be directed to Weaver at the above number or to DiAnne Rickel at 765-860-2080. Updates will be posted on the group’s Facebook page for “City of Firsts USBC” and on the group’s website.