[naviga:h3]Donnel, Sloboda third on youth mats[/naviga:h3]

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Butler youth wrestlers Levi Donnel and Santino Sloboda placed third in their respective weight classes while competing for Team USA at the NUWAY Mat Mayhem National Duals over the weekend.

Sloboda, 8, wrestled for Team PA 8-under Gold at 52 pounds and went 4-2. Donnel, 10, wrestled for Team PA 10-under White at 62/66 pounds and went 5-1.

Both competed in the NUWAY Great Lakes Championship as well. Donnel went 3-1 to place third in the 10-under 62-pound class while Sloboda placed third in the 8-under 52-pound class.

[naviga:h3]SRU lands 8 on all-region unit[/naviga:h3]

SLIPPERY ROCK — The Slippery Rock University football team landed eight players at nine positions on the Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Region team announced Tuesday.

Sophomore defensive end Marcus Martin was named Super Region One Defensive Player of the Year. Five others — defensive lineman Joe Phillips, linebacker Teven Williams, offensive tackle Cory Tucker, center Joe LoSchiavo and running back Shamar Greene — joined him on the first team.

Butler graduate and linebacker Bob Vernick made second team while Andrew Huska made third team as a punter and kicker.

[naviga:h3]Hall of Famer Irvin dead at 96[/naviga:h3]

HOUSTON — Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, a power-hitting outfielder who starred for the New York Giants in the 1950s in a career abbreviated by major league baseball's exclusion of black players, has died. He was 96.

The Hall of Fame said Irvin died Monday night of natural causes at his Houston home.

Irvin was 30 when he joined the Giants in 1949, two years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. Irvin spent seven of his eight big league seasons with the Giants and one year with the Chicago Cubs in 1956. A native of Haleburg, Alabama, Irvin played in the Negro, Mexican and Puerto Rican leagues during his 20s.

Irvin batted .300 or more three times with a high of .329 in 1953. He finished with a career average of .293 with 99 homers and 443 RBIs.

[naviga:h3]College hoops star Smith dead at 25[/naviga:h3]

INDIANAPOLIS — Former Butler University basketball star Andrew Smith died Tuesday after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 25.

Butler athletic director Barry Collier spoke with Smith's family before issuing a joint statement with university President James Danko.

On Sunday, Smith's wife, Samantha, posted a blog item saying doctors had told her that “death was imminent.”

The Indiana native played on both of Butler's national runner-up teams and finished his career with 1,147 points and 648 rebounds.