Kent State Athletic Director Joel Nielsen announced a contract extension for softball coach Karen Linder through the 2016 season.
Linder took over the program in 1996 and was named MAC Coach of the Year three times and has led the Golden Flashes to two MAC Tournament championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Linder has compiled a 428-350 record at KSU and has helped produce 48 Academic All-MAC picks, 42 All-MAC players, two MAC Tournament Most Valuable Players and one MAC Player of the Year.
Track and field
University of Akron freshman Skyler Willis finished third in the pentathlon by finishing third or better in three of the five events on the opening night of Akron Invitational at Stile Athletic Field House.
Willis tied for second in the high jump (5 feet, 5 inches), won the 800 meters (2:23.12) and was third in the 60-meter hurdles (8.99).
She totaled 3,636 points, 248 points behind winner Cherly Bourne of Ashland.
Freshmen Alex McCune and John Dahlstrand are in sixth and seventh place, respectively, after the first day of the men’s heptathlon.
More track
The University of Akron will host the Community Relays at the Stile Athletics Field House on Feb. 9.
This event is open to the public and will have a men’s, women’s and co-ed division. The winner of each division will compete in the Akron Invitational on Feb. 11.
Teams of four or five should select a captain and email Andrea Tepe at alt39@uakron.edu by 5 p.m. on Feb. 5. This email should include division (men, women or co-ed), team name, names of members, name of university of corporation your team represents (if applicable) and the race your team plans to run (either a four-person 4x100 or a five-person marathon medley).
Entry fees are $10 per university team or $20 per corporate/unattached team.
Pro softball
The Akron Racers signed Kaylyn Castillo from 2011 NCAA national champion Arizona State on Friday.
Castillo won the NFCA Diamond Sports catcher of the year award last season and batted .353 with nine home runs, 42 RBI and scored 39 runs.
Honor roll
Mount Union senior forward Amanda Rose (Green) was selected to the 2012 Capitol One Academic All-District 7 women’s basketball second team. Rose is a two-time Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference honoree and carries a 3.95 GPA. She is the top rebounder and third-leading scorer on the team.
