CALIFORNIA, Pa. — Slippery Rock University junior Nate Shadeck of Frenchville won the 400-meter hurdles event at the California University Early Bird Track and Field Invitational Saturday.
The Clearfield Area High School graduate posted his best time of the outdoor season, 55.35 seconds, in besting 15 hurdlers from 11 other teams.
Shadeck placed sixth in 56.31 seconds at the Costal Carolina University Invitational at Conway, S.C. on March 10, and lowered his time to 55.67 seconds for a fourth-place finish at the Seahawk Invitational at Wilmington, N.C., on March 18.
Last year, Shadeck finished third in the 400 hurdles in :53.31 at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships and picked up a gold medal for the 400 relay and a silver medal for the 1600 relay. He placed fifth in the hurdles in 2005, when he also ran on the 400 and 1600 relay foursomes that finished fifth.
* * * * * * * * * *
NEW CONCORD, Ohio — Sophomore middle distance runner Rebecca Shiner of Clearfield helped the Westminster College women\’s track and field team finish seventh in the 12-team Muskingum College Invitational Saturday.
The 2005 Clearfield Area High School graduate placed 12th in the 1,500-meter run in 5:15.66 and 22nd in the 800 and ran the third leg on the fourth-place 1600 relay team for the Titans.
Shiner finished ninth in the 200 and 800 races at the six-team Radford (Va.) Early Bird Invitational on March 17. She also was on the 1600 relay quartet that ran uncontested in 4:56.3.
* * * * * * * * * *
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Scott Hugney of Frenchville had his fast start for the Slippery Rock University baseball team interrupted by an injury during the spring break trip to Florida, but the former Clearfield Area High School and Allegany College of Maryland standout hopes to get back on the field this week.
The high ankle sprain the junior suffered sliding into third base on March 11 sidelined him for The Rock\’s last six games in Fort Myers.
At the time, Hugney had collect nine hits for a .391 average, with two runs batted in. He was the starting first baseman or designated hitter in eight of SRU\’s nine games and had three multi-hit games.
The Rock (11-4) is ranked No. 4 behind Kutztown, West Chester and West Virginia State in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association NCAA Division II North Atlantic Region poll.
* * * * * * * * * *
BRADFORD, Pa. — Two Curwensville Area High School products, both freshmen, saw action for the Pitt-Bradford baseball team in the Desert Classic at Chandler, Ariz., in early March.
Bart McGary, who started two games at third base and played in three others, had three hits for a .333 average. He had one double and one run batted in, and his on-base average was .500.
Catcher Philip Solley of Hepburnia entered three games as a designated hitter and was 1-for-4 with one RBI.
* * * * * * * * * *
GREENSBURG, Pa. — Junior Andrew Kirsch of Clearfield has three multi-RBI games for the Seton Hill College baseball team that has climbed into fifth in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association NCAA Division II North Atlantic poll with a 16-6 record.
He had three RBIs in an early season 9-8 loss at King College (Tenn.) and belted two-run home runs in a 9-5 win over The College of St. Rose (N.Y.) and a 9-0 victory over The University of The Sciences at Philadelphia during the Griffins\’ trip to Fort Myers, Fla.
Kirsch has played in over half of Seton Hill\’s game, starting seven as the designated hitter and one at second base. In a 21-6 romp over The University of The Sciences, he had two hits and scored four runs as the leadoff batter.
