Published: January 22, 2007 11:36 pm      

Local sports briefs 1/23

FOOTBALL

Former area players earn recognition

NEW WILMINGTON – The Westminster College football team held its annual awards banquet Sunday and three former area players were among the award winners.

Junior wide receiver Brett Ziegler, a Somerset High School graduate, was named the Titan’s most valuable player and offensive most valuable player.

Ziegler, who also earned his second letter, caught 55 passes for 580 yards and five touchdowns in 2006. He ranked second in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) with 5.5 receptions per game, and his 55 receptions tied for the third most in school history for a single season.

First-year letterwinners for the Titans included freshman tailback Nick McKolosky (Westmont Hilltop) and freshman linebacker Mike Gibbs (Bishop McCort).

BASKETBALL

COLLEGE

IUP players receive nods

INDIANA – Indiana University of Pennsylvania sophomore forward Jahzinga Tracey and freshman guard Angelo Jones received honors from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for their play last week.

The 6-foot-1 Tracey, who was chosen co-western division player of the week along with Shippensburg’s Lauren Beckley, helped the IUP women’s team open PSAC West play with a 2-0 record with wins at Clarion and Edinboro. Tracey averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds per game while adding five steals, four blocks and two assists.

The 6-1 Jones, who was the western division rookie of the week, came off the bench to score 17 points against Clarion for the Crimson Hawks.

UPJ trio nears 1,000

Pitt-Johnstown women’s basketball player Allison Krischer (Richland) is only three points shy of 1,000 for her career and will have a chance to become the 30th Mountain Cat woman to achieve the mark when the team hosts West Liberty State on Wednesday.

Mountain Cat men’s players Dwight Hines and Chris Gilliam are also closing in on 1,000 career points. Hines needs 18 points and Gilliam needs 35. The UPJ men play at Mansfield on Wednesday, then host Columbia Union on Saturday.

AUTO RACING

Gleason takes turn at Daytona

Johnstown native Chris Gleason is entered in this weekend’s KONI Challenge at the Rolex 24, to be held at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Fla.

Gleason is one of four drivers slated for the Racers Group Porsche GT3 that will be alongside 71 other cars for the Rolex 24, a race that will feature NASCAR stars Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Bobby Labonte, among others.

FOX Sports and SPEED are working together to offer 15 hours of live coverage of the Rolex 24. Coverage starts Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday beginning at 6 a.m.