Feb 10, 2018 4 min read

Waynesburg wins PAC wrestling title

Waynesburg University posted three individual champions, three runners-up and three third-place finishers to earn its second-straight Presidents’ Athletic Conference wrestling title Saturday at Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse.

The conference title is Waynesburg’s sixth.

The Yellow Jackets totaled 175.5 points in the four-team field, edging runner-up Washington & Jefferson by eight points (99.5). W&J registered an event-best four individual title winners.

Waynesburg sophomore Ken Burrs (197) was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler. Burrs registered a pair of pins before posting a 14-6 major decision victory over W&J’s William Oberschelp in the championship match.

Waynesburg’s other individual champions were Tristan Buxton, a Trinity graduate, at 125 and heavyweight Jake Evans.

W&J’s champions were Michael Heinl (141), Peters Township graduate Sam Florentino (157), Hunter Neely of Bentworth (165) and Jake Walker, a South Fayette graduate, at 174.

Thiel’s Jason Miller, a Jefferson-Morgan graduate, won the 149-pound title.

Waynesburg’s Ron Headlee was voted the PAC’s Coach of the Year. The Coach of the Year award is Headlee’s sixth.

Cubs land Darvish

The winter-long dance is over. Yu Darvish is joining the Chicago Cubs.

Darvish has agreed to a $126 million, six-year contract with Chicago, giving the Cubs one of the deepest rotations in baseball and taking one of the top players off the slow-moving free agent market.

The 31-year-old Darvish met with Cubs officials way back in December and the sides remained in contact while the right-hander listened to other potential suitors. Texas, Milwaukee, Minnesota and the New York Yankees also reportedly expressed some level of interest, but Chicago’s approach paid off with the agreement just days before the start of spring training.

Darvish finished last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, helping them knock out the defending champion Cubs in the playoffs to reach the World Series. The Japanese star is expected to take the rotation spot of Jake Arrieta, who became a free agent.

The deal for Darvish could help unlock the slow offseason across the sport. Arrieta, who won the NL Cy Young Award in 2015, remains on the market, and Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn also could draw more interest with Darvish locked up.

Pirates minor league suspended for drugs

Former Tampa Bay pitcher Steve Geltz and three other minor leaguers have been suspended for drug violations. The penalties were announced Saturday by the commissioner’s office.

Geltz was banned 100 games after a third positive test for a drug of abuse. The 30-year-old righty was on Philadelphia’s Triple-A roster.

Pittsburgh second baseman Mitchell Tolman, on the Double-A Altoona roster, drew a 50-game suspension after a second positive test for a drug of abuse.

Tampa Bay catcher Nick Ciuffo, on the Triple-A roster, drew a 50-game penalty for a second positive test for a drug of abuse.

San Diego Padres pitcher Alex Cunningham was suspended 50 games after testing positive for Amphetamine, a stimulant. He was at Single-A.

Olympic downhill postponed

The Pyeongchang Olympic men’s downhill has been postponed until Thursday because of strong winds.

To make room for the Alpine program’s marquee race, the men’s super-G will shift from Thursday to Friday.

The downhill was supposed to be the first race of the 11-event Alpine program, and it had been scheduled for Sunday. But three hours before it was supposed to start, race organizers said they needed to reschedule it.

They say they can’t operate the gondola lift that would carry teams and officials up the mountain.

Now the first race of the Alpine program will be the women’s giant slalom Monday.