Slippery Rock University sophomore indoor track standout Preston Gibbs has earned the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's "Winter Top Ten Award".

Gibbs, a high jump and triple jump specialist for The Rock, currently holds a 3.86 grade-point average.

The Top Ten Awards recognize student-athletes who distinguish themselves in the classroom and in the field of athletic competition.

Jeff Weiss, the 2004 WPIAL and PIAA Class AA cross country champion, has signed a letter of intent to attend Slippery Rock University.Weiss will soon graduate from McGuffey High School.

BERLIN - Maria Sharapova's bid to become the top-ranked player by winning the German Open ended with a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Justine Henin-Hardenne in the quarterfinals.Sharapova was trying to overtake Lindsay Davenport for the No. 1 spot, but she ran into one of the world's best clay-court players, who extended her winning streak to 15 matches.Sharapova, who has yet to advance past the quarterfinals at any clay-court event, can gain the top ranking in Rome or at the French Open in the next three weeks, but will need very high finishes.

DARLINGTON, S.C. - Kasey Kahne drove to his second NASCAR Nextel Cup pole in three tries at Darlington Raceway, easily beating qualifying ace Ryan Newman in time trials for the Dodge Charger 500.The second-year Cup driver won the pole here last spring and finished 13th in the race.Kahne's Evernham Motorsports Dodge took the fifth pole of his career with a lap of 170.024 mph. Newman, who has qualified on the pole three times and been second twice in 10 races this year, made it an all-Dodge front row with a lap at 169.555.