BASKETBALL Wedel leaving; ASU signs Ayers Ryan Wedel, a sophomore guard on last season’s Arkansas State men’s team, has decided to transfer to another school. “Ryan Wedel has been granted a release from the basketball program here at Arkansas State,” Coach John Brady said. “We anticipated this happening, and that is the reason we signed Brandon Ayers. As I said when this process started, sometimes with change fallout and casualties occur. Everywhere I have been, I have certainly wanted to go into competition with players that want to be here and are committed to this basketball program. We wish Ryan the best.” Wedel averaged 15. 1 points and 2. 5 rebounds last season as a sophomore and was named third team All-Sun Belt Conference. Brady also announced that Ayers, a Paris (Texas ) Junior College transfer and former Mississippi high school all-state selection, has signed a national letter of intent with Arkansas State. Ayers, 6-4, 175, will have three years of eligibility left with ASU after redshirting the 2006-2007 season and helping lead the Dragons to a 30-7 record and eighth-place finish at the NJCAA Tournament as a freshman last season. Ayers averaged 10 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists per game in 2007-2008. Seven sign with Reddies Henderson State Coach Sam Weaver has signed seven players to NCAA letters of intent. They are Clarence Allison of North Little Rock High School, A. J. Nance and Leon Martin of Southwest Tennessee College, Leon Dawson of Shawnee Community College, Kyle Oldham of Southeastern Illinois College, Marion Johnson of East Ascension High School in Louisiana and Martin Mitchell of Christian Brothers High School in Tennessee.
TENNIS Holmes wins consolation title at NJCAA After suffering a hard-luck loss in the first round of No. 3 singles play on Monday, Arkansas-Fort Smith’s T. J. Holmes rallied back to win the consolation championship Friday in the NJCAA national tennis tournament at Collin County Community College in Plano, Texas. Holmes, a sophomore from Owasso, Okla., beat Andy Green of Glendale Community College 8-4 to win the championship. His victory helped UA-Fort Smith secure a seventh-place finish in the tournament. Laredo Community College won the overall team championship. BASEBALL OBU tops SAU in regional Ouachita Baptist defeated Southern Arkansas 5-2 Friday in the opening round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional at Dave “Boo” Ferris Field in Cleveland, Miss. OBU (44-14 ) was led by pitcher Steve Smith (9-1 ), who struck out a career-high 14 batters. John Long hit an RBI double for SAU (44-11 ).
BASS FISHING McClelland 2 nd after Round 2 Bella Vista’s Mike McClelland was in second place Friday after the second day of the Carolina Clash on Lake Murray in Columbia, S. C. McClelland caught a five-bass limit of 16 pounds, 6 ounces Friday for a two-day total of 34-13 and trails leader Rick Morris of Virginia Beach, Va., by 10 ounces. Mark Davis of Mount Ida (tied for 24 th, 26-12 ) and Mike Wurm of Hot Springs (35 th, 25-12 ) also advanced to today’s third round as the field was cut to the top 50 anglers. Arkansas anglers who failed to advance were Stephen Browning of Hot Springs (57 th, 22-9 ), Kevin Short of Mayflower (62 nd, 21-14 ), Scott Rook of Little Rock (82 nd, 18-13 ), Jimmy Mize of Ben Lomond (94 th, 16-15 ) and Clark Reehm of Russellville (106 th, 7-13 ).
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