Sports shorts
Golf
Ace for Ellsworth
Bill Ellsworth shot a hole-in-one on July 22 at Carmichaels Golf Course. Ellsworth used a utility wedge to ace No. 15, a par-3. Rich Pechatsko, Rich Wendell, Wally Smodic and Bob Drazgowsky witnessed the shot.
Football
PSAC preseason picks
The California University of Pa. football team was selected to finish second in the PSAC-West from a poll of the conference’s coaches. John Luckhardt returns for his fourth season at the Vulcans’ helm, compiling a 16-16 record in three seasons at California with an overall coaching record of 153-53-2.
Edinboro was selected as the team to beat.
Headling the 2005 Vulcans will be All-American running back Antoine Bagwell. The senior ranked second in the nation in 2004 in rushing yards per game (176.5) and seventh in scoring (12.0). He rushed for 200 yards or more in four games, accounting for 20 touchdowns.
Paterno not retiring yet
CHICAGO (AP) – Entering his 40th season as Penn State’s head coach, Joe Paterno is often asked when he will retire. The easy answer: He doesn’t know, or he isn’t telling.
Paterno, 78, said he isn’t ready to follow in the footsteps of Wisconsin’s Barry Alvarez, who has decided to step down from coaching after this season to become the school’s full-time athletic director.
“Barry said he knew when it was time. I don’t know. I honestly wish I could tell you. I think I’ll know (when it is time),” Paterno said Tuesday.
Paterno has had four losing seasons in his last five and hasn’t won a bowl game since 1999. Last season the Nittany Lions finished 4-7 overall and 2-6 in the Big Ten.
Last year’s team started 0-6 in the Big Ten, putting even more heat on Paterno, who achieved legendary status at the school and boasts a 343-116-3 all-time record.
“He always talks about ‘I’m not going to put the team in somebody else’s hands while we’re at a low point,”‘ quarterback Michael Robinson said. “He definitely doesn’t want to turn the team over and us not be good. I definitely feel he has an obligation to all the fans and the players who came before us. We feel the same way.”
Auto racing
Dalton wins 5th race
Gary Dalton won his fifth Davies Ford Super Late Model feature Saturday at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex in Farmington. Acme’s Neil Brown finished third.
Lynn Knepper won his third PA Mod Lite feature while Robbie Black (Garry’s Auto Sales Late Models), Todd Dennis (GNH Trucking Street Stocks) and Shawn Nicholson (Fort Necessity Garage Chargers) all won their second feature races of the season.
PPMS winners
Dave Wade won the 25-lap Napa Late Models feature Saturday at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. Jesse Burroughs found the winner’s circle in the 20-lap Advance Auto Parts Limited Late Models with Kurt Halbedl taking the 15-lap E-Modified.
Ron O’Patchen took the checkered flag in the Isiminger’s Pennzoil Pure Stocks and Robby Torrens won the 12-lap Amateur Stocks.
Track & field
Skowronek at Hershey
Matt Skowronek will be one of 500 track & field athletes to participate in the 28th annual Hershey Youth Program at Henry Hershey Field on Saturday. Skowronek, a 10-year-old from Fort Wayne, Ind., will run in the 200-meter dash.
He is the son of Dave, formerly of Connellsville, and Jodi Skowronek, of Fort Wayne, Ind., and the grandson of Robert and Albert Skowronek of Connellsville.