FOOTBALL
CLARION – Clarion co-captain Nick Sipes of Curwensville received two more special honors within the last week for his senior 2010 season at strong safety that capped an outstanding four-year career with the Golden Eagles.
The 5-11, 225-pounder was named to the 2010 Don Hansen Football Gazette Division II All-America Third Team on Thursday and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s prestigious “Academic Top 10” honor roll for the Fall of 2010 on Monday.
The PSAC awards, initiated in 1997-98, are selected by the conference’s sports information directors for each of the three athletic seasons to recognize five men and five women who excel in both the classroom and competition. To be considered, a student-athlete must carry a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.5.
Sipes, previously named an ESPN First-Team Academic All-American for the 2010 football season, owns a GPA of 3.788 in Pre-Med/Biology and will graduate in May. He plans to become an orthopedic surgeon.
Sipes is a repeater on the Don Hansen Football Gazette All-America Team, one of 167 players from 77 of the 150 Division II football teams to receive accolades for the 2010 season. He earned honorable mention recognition after his junior campaign.
Last fall, Sipes led the Golden Eagle defense and was third in the PSAC with 107 tackles, credited with at least 10 stops in seven of Clarion’s 11 games. He had 12 tackles for losses of 21 yards, one sack, one fumble recovery and one interception and also caused three fumbles and broke up one pass.
Those numbers gained Sipes a first-unit berth on both the Don Hansen Football Gazette and Daktronics Division II Super Region 1 teams for the second year in a row.
His 2009 season statistics were a PSAC-leading 112 tackles, including 52 solo stops, with 12 tackles for losses of 36 yards and six sacks for 23 yards in losses.
Sipes, who was moved to fullback on offense for his sophomore season after breaking into the Golden Eagle lineup at linebacker as a freshman, ended his career with 302 tackles, 28 tackles for losses, seven sacks, one interception, three break-ups, five fumbles caused, three fumbles recovered and one blocked kick.
He rushed for 297 yards and three touchdowns and caught 12 passes for 104 yards in his one season on offense.
Clarion senior running back and kick returner Alfonso Hoggard of Philadelphia joined Sipes on the Don Hansen Football Gazette All-American squad as the second team all-purpose back. The 5-2, 150-pounder rushed for 1,045 yards and nine TDs, caught 15 passes for 109 yards and returned 26 kickoffs for 562 yards and 10 punts for 24 yards to total 1,740 all-purpose yards, second in the PSAC.
“What a great honor for our 2010 team captains,” Clarion head coach Jay Foster said. “They both had great seasons in 2010 and careers in blue and gold.
“They represent what is best about collegiate athletics. They are both outstanding students and athletes.
“We are proud to have them representing Clarion University.”
Sipes is the son of Leland and Tammy Sipes of Curwensville.
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MEN’S GYMNASTICS
PHILADELPHIA – A career-high 15.700 score by sophomore Scott Rosenthal of Clearfield keyed a still rings sweep by No. 5-ranked Penn State in a tri-meet hosted by Temple at McGonigle Hall Sunday afternoon.
The undefeated Nittany Lions, who posted a program-record 59.100 on the pommel horse, registered a season-high 351.800 to defeat the No. 13 Owls (341.400) and No. 16 Army (259.500) for a 4-0 start.
Rosenthal’s performance, topping his best of 15.400s in two previous meets, raised his average to 15.220 and moved him into sole possession of the No. 3 spot in GymInfo’s latest NCAA individual rankings.
Only No. 1 Brandon Wynn of Ohio State and No. 2 Tim Gentry of Stanford have turned in better efforts so far this season.
Felix Aronovich (15.100) and Miguel Pineda (15.000) teamed with Rosenthal for a 60.300, tops for the Nittany Lions in dual meets.
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MEN’S SWIMMING
NEW WILMINGTON – Seniors twins Chris and John Bodle of Clearfield placed in the top three in two events apiece as Westminster (7-3) remained atop the Presidents’ Athletic Conference with a 135.5-95.5 win over Saint Vincent in the Westminster Natatorium Saturday.
Chris finished second in the 200-yard backstroke in 2:10.71 and third in the 100 back in 1:10.37.
John set personal-best times in for thirds in two breaststroke events, 1:08.91 for the 100 and 2:30.41 for the 200.
The Titans are 3-0 in the PAC.
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WRESTLING
WILLIAMSPORT – Sophomore 174-pounder Jeff Thomas of Curwensville registered a decision as Lycoming (10-9) rolled past King’s 31-11 in a non-conference match at Lamade Gymnasium Thursday night.
Thomas defeated Ahmed Burton 4-1 to even his record at 9-9. He is 7-7 in duals.
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LOCK HAVEN – Redshirt senior Derek Caldwell of Curwensville lost by decision in Lock Haven’s 33-5 loss to Eastern Wrestling League leader West Virginia in Thomas Fieldhouse Saturday.
Mountaineer 197-pounder Kyle Rooney took down Caldwell four times in his 9-4 win.
Caldwell is 2-5 in dual meets and 4-9 overall for the Bald Eagles, who are 5-8 with a 1-3 EWL record.
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UNIVERSITY PARK – A knee injury kept redshirt senior 125-pounder Brad Pataky of Clearfield out of the Penn State lineup again Sunday afternoon, and the Nittany Lions didn’t live up to their newly-acquired No. 1 ranking as No. 8 Iowa shocked and disappointed a sellout Rec Hall crowd of 6,686 with a 22-13 win in a much-hyped Big 10 Conference showdown.
Pataky, who sat out Penn State’s first seven dual meets because of the same problem, is 7-2 with a 4-0 dual-meet record.
True freshman Nate Morgan, a Nebraska state champion, got the nod at 125 for the Nittany Lions, and was cradled at 4:16 by defending NCAA champion and No. 2 ranked Matt McDonough.
The fall sparked a 12-0 start by the Hawkeyes, who benefited from upsets by No. 10 Tony Ramos over No. 5 Andrew Long 3-2 at 133, Montell Marion over No. 5 Andrew Alton (Central Mountain High School) 11-9 at 141 and No. 16 Grant Gambrall over No. 6 Quentin Wright (Bald Eagle Area High School) 8-3 at 184 to extend their unbeaten streak to 73 dual meets.
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MEN’S BASKETBALL
NEW WILMINGTON – Sophomore guard Matt Shiner of Clearfield scored two points and grabbed one rebound in two games for Westminster (4-16) last week.
He played six minutes of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference losses to Saint Vincent 62-60 at Greensburg Wednesday night and 79-57 to Thomas More (Ky.) in Buzz Ridl Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.
Shiner has 51 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and four steals in 16 games, one as a starter.
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MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
GENEVA, Ohio – Penn State Behrend senior Michael Johnson of Clearfield placed 14th in the high jump while classmate John Bowman of Clearfield was 29th in the weight throw at The GaREAT Collegiate Open hosted by Lake Erie (Ohio) College Friday and Saturday at the Geneva Area Recreation, Education and Athletic Trust Complex.
Johnson cleared 1.80 meters (5′ 10¾”) in his specialty and also ran the third leg for the Lions’ 4×400 relay team that clocked 3:29.87 to finish 18th among 30 foursomes.
Bowman hurled the weight 12.58 meters (41′ 3¼”), good for 11th in the third flight of 51 entries.