Slippery Rock High School senior Jence Rhoads was named 2006-07 Pennsylvania Girls Basketball Player of the Year by Gatorade.

She is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Player of the Year award. Gatorade names a player of the year in girls basketball in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The 5-foot-11 Rhoads averaged 22.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 4.7 steals and 1.5 blocked shots per game this season in leading Slippery Rock to the District 10 championship.

She is maintaining a 3.86 grade point average and scored more than 100 career goals in soccer. Rhoads also serves as a youth coach at basketball camps and clinics and is a volunteer with the Slippery Rock Parks and Recreation Department's wheelchair basketball program.

SLIPPERY ROCK — The Slippery Rock school board Monday accepted the resignation of Fred Powell, varsity wrestling coach at Slippery Rock High School.Powell, who coached girls and boys varsity and junior varsity wrestling, founded the program in the district about eight years ago after retiring from Slippery Rock University.

Will Nesbitt of Center Township won the Lakevue Sectional tennis tournament for boys 14-and-under held recently.Nesbitt, 12, a seventh-grader at Butler Junior High School, defeated Dante Rebelo 6-0, 6-0, Chris Lippiello 6-0, 6-4, Richard Petrella 6-2, 6-4 and Andrew Marczak in the finals, 6-0, 6-1.He teamed with Jesse Scheirer to win the doubles title as well.

Katherine Brittner, 13, of Jackson Township received a bronze medal in the seventh Shamrock Skate Ice Skating Institute competition recently at the Island Sports Center.She competed in the freestyle 3 compulsory moves division. Her program included a salchow and toe loop jumps, backwards spiral, change-foot spin and a dance step sequence.She is the daughter of Herb and Kathy Brittner of Jackson Township.