FOOTBALL
Steelers sign 2 to special teams
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers made two moves intended to improve their sagging special teams, signing linebacker Rocky Boiman and cornerback Corey Ivy.
They also released linebacker Donovan Woods, who was activated off the practice squad only last week, and cornerback Keiwan Ratliff.
Boiman, an eight-year veteran, and Ivy, a nine-year veteran, have played special teams throughout their careers.
The Steelers have permitted an NFL-high four kickoff return touchdowns in their past five games.
Since 1994, the only other team to allow as many kickoff return scores in a single season was Minnesota, which gave up four in 1998.
COLLEGE
Seymour earns All-America
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Sophomore Carly Seymour earned All-America honors as the Duke University women’s cross country team concluded its season Monday at the NCAA Championships, hosted by Indiana State University.
The Blue Devil women turned in an eighth-place effort, their highest NCAA team finish since 2005.
Seymour, a Central Cambria High School graduate and former state champion, led the way for the Blue Devils with a time of 20:37.5 over 6K for 29th place out of 254 finishers.
With the top-40 finish, the Ebensburg native claimed the first All-America accolades of her career and became Duke's first All-America since Maddie McKeever in 2007.
“Carly's goal at the beginning of the season was to make All-America,” Duke coach Kevin Jermyn said. “She executed the perfect strategy and we’re very happy for her. No one has worked harder at Duke than she has.”
VOLLEYBALL
Four Colts on all-star team
The honors continue to roll in for the state champion Northern Cambria girls volleyball team.
Four Colts were named to the first team of the District 6 Class A All-Star team. They are senior outside hitter Breanna Kochinsky, senior middle hitter Janae Dunchack, senior outside hitter Ariel Rocco and senior libero Jess Rocco.
Area girls on the second team are Conemaugh Valley senior middle hitter Beth Kendera, Ferndale senior middle hitter Brittany Baumbaugh, Bishop Carroll senior Karlee Ertter, and Conemaugh Valley senior setter Taylor Smolko.
ANOTHER
Germans restore high-jump mark
NEW YORK – Gretel Bergmann matched a German high jump record on June 30, 1936.
Two weeks later, the 5 feet, 3 inches she jumped in Stuttgart, Germany, was all but obliterated and she was kicked off the team.
Bergmann was Jewish. She missed that year’s Berlin Olympics.
There was no way the Nazis would allow a Jew to compete and possibly win.
Now comes news that Germany’s track and field association restored the mark, calling the decision an “act of justice and a symbolic gesture” while acknowledging it “can in no way make up” for the past. It also requested that she be included in Germany’s sports hall of fame.
This was all a pleasant surprise for the 95-year-old Bergmann – a victory for the strong-willed woman who later changed her name to Margaret Lambert after emigrating to the United States in 1937.
“That’s very nice and I appreciate it. I couldn’t repeat the jump today. Believe me,” said Lambert, who lives in the New York City borough of Queens.
Lambert said she was on the German Olympic team from 1934 to 1936.
