MARSHALL, Mo. — Knoch High School graduate Brittney Faust, now a junior wrestler at Missouri Valley College, won the 123-pound weight class title at last weekend’s MVC Open.

The weight class included 25 female wrestlers and Faust defeated all five of her opponents to move her season record to 15-1.

Butler grad Gamble makes regional teamERIE — Jake Gamble, a senior for the Penn State Behrend men’s soccer team, has been named to the NCAA Division III All-Great lakes Region Team.Gamble, a Butler High graduate, set school records for single-season points (48) and goals (22) and finished his career as the program’s leader in goals (59) and assists (133).

SV battalion rifle squad 2nd in eventJACKSON TWP — The Raider Battalion in the Seneca Valley JROTC placed second at a recent League Air Rifle Championship match.The Shoulder-by-Shoulder event, held at Perry High School, included battalions from Beaver, Valley, Perry and Seneca Valley high schools.Cadets use 4.5 mm air rifles designed for target shooting. participants fire in three different shooting positions at targets 10 meters away.Of the 95 students, the Raider battalion team had 18 cadets who initially scored on their marksmanship in multiple postal matches.The top shooters from each team were invited to compete in the championships match on Nov. 20.Roy Rowland, Joseph Racke, Justin Graham, Justin Ziegler and team captain Aaron Berard were Seneca Valley’s representatives with Ziegler being the Raiders’ top shooter.

Herlihy named region’s top coachKANSAS CITY, Kan. — Slippery Rock University women’s soccer coach Noreen Herlihy has been named the Atlantic Region Coach of the year by her peers in voting through the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.Herhily earned her third PSAC Coach of the year honor earlier this year and now her second NSCAA Regional honor.She has guided The Rock to 17 consecutive winning seasons of 10 or more wins, the eighth-best streak in Division II history.This year’s team won the PSAC title as the No. 7 seed, then dispatched nationally-ranked Edinboro and California (Pa.) before losing to West Chester 1-0.SRU finished 14th in the final Division II rankings.

Lions’ Smith earns sportsmanship awardERIE — Casey Smith, a Grove City High graduate and member of the Penn State Behrend women’s tennis team, was selected as her team’s representative for the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference All-Sportsmanship Team.Schools may select one member from their team who displays good sportsmanship throughout the season and are selected by vote of their teammates.

Vols hire Jones as football coachKNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee has hired Cincinnati’s Butch Jones as its next football coach.Jones has a 50-27 record in six seasons as a head coach. He went 27-13 in three seasons at Central Michigan and has gone 23-14 at Cincinnati the last three years. He followed Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly at each of those stops.At Tennessee, the 44-year-old Jones will succeed Derek Dooley, who was fired Nov. 18 after going 15-21 in three years. Dooley posted a losing record in each of his three seasons at Tennessee, the first time since 1909-11 the Volunteers have finished below .500 three straight years.

Notre Dame’s Te’o wins Maxwell Award LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Manti Te’o was “at a loss for words” after capturing the Maxwell Award as the nation’s most outstanding player, one of three honors Notre Dame’s senior linebacker received at the 22nd Home Depot College Football Awards show at Disney World.“The last time I ever dreamt of winning that award was on a video game,” he said. “So to win it is a mind-blowing experience.”Next up is the Heisman Trophy ceremony on Saturday night, with Te’o and Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel considered the favorites.Manziel won the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award and the Aggies’ junior offensive lineman Luke Joeckel took home the Outland Trophy for the nation’s best interior lineman.

Alvarez guiding Wisconsin in bowl Current athletic director and former coach Barry Alvarez will return to the sidelines to coach Wisconsin when it faces No. 8 Stanford on New Year’s Day. The announcement came two days after Bret Bielema stepped down to take over at Arkansas.

Winter meetings finish quietly NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A quiet winter meetings figures to lead to a busy rest of December, given how few moves actually got finished at Opryland hotel.As teams headed home Thursday, the biggest free agents were still on the market. The availability of slugger Josh Hamilton and pitcher Zack Greinke held up decisions on other signings and possible trades involving Rangers infielder Michael Young and Mets Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey.The Yankees, quiet thus far, were pursuing former Boston star Kevin Youkilis and also met with the agent for Mark Reynolds.With most clubs already packed up, Philadelphia acquired outfielder Ben Revere from Minnesota for right-handers Vance Worley and Trevor May.Hamilton could remain with Texas, and Seattle seemed to be interested. Greinke’s options include staying with the Los Angeles Angels, moving up the coast to the Dodgers or signing with the Rangers.

Belcher’s girlfriend mourned at service BLUE RIDGE, Texas — A relative of the slain girlfriend of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher said she was a loyal friend who brought joy to others with her smiles and laughter.Kasandra Perkins’ great-uncle also told mourners at a service that Perkins loved her family and considered her 3-month-old daughter, Zoey, to be the love of her life.