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Paige South stars for Niagara women’s swim team, Wake Forest's Andrew White wins event

Bill Arsenault
Special to The Canton Repository
Paige South

Paige South is making quite a name for herself with the Niagara University women’s swim team. 

Just a sophomore, the Hoover High School graduate already has her name near the top of the Purple Eagles’ career list in three events and is having a breakout season. 

South currently stands second in the 100 freestyle (51.95) and second in the 100 backstroke (56.80) and is third in the 50 free (23.79). She also is a key performer with the 200 and 400 freestyle relays and with the 200 and 400 medley relay teams. 

South, who was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Week on Jan. 11, had a big meet as Niagara topped rivel Canisius 201-93 last Saturday in Buffalo, N.Y. She won the 50 free (24.05) and the 100 free (52.37) and swam a leg on the 200 medley relay which finished first with a time of 1:45.42. 

Paige South competes for the Niagara swimming team.

Morgan Cole (Louisville), Malena Cybak (Tuslow) The senior and freshman, respectively, opened their indoor track season for the Youngstown State women’s team with solid efforts in the Nittany Lion Challenge on Jan. 14. Cybak finished third behind two upperclassmen in the 800 meters with a time of 2:16.99. Cole finished third behind a pair of Penn State runners in a field of 36 in the 3,000 with a time of 9:46.81. Cole won the 5,000 (17:25.45) and 10,000 (35:41.11) at the Horizon League Outdoor Championship last May.

Andrew White (GlenOak) The graduate student continues to be a force in the weight throw for the Wake Forest men’s indoor track team. White won that event at the Carolina Challenge 2023 last weekend in Columbia, S.C. Competing in the invited group he posted a personal-record toss of 69 feet, 2 inches. That put him in second place on the Division I Southeast Regional board. White kicked off the second half of the season by finishing second (68-1.5) at the Taylor Carolina meet on Jan. 14.

William Schneider (Hoover) The senior helped the unbeaten U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (N.Y.) swim team lift its record to 10-0 after topping the College of Staten Island 135-80 on Wednesday. He won the 100-yard backstroke (53.60). The Mariners are 5-0 in the Skyline Conference after league victories over SUNY Maritime (1612-46) and Mount St. Mary (173-33) on Jan. 18 in Kings Point, N.Y. Schneider won the 100 breaststroke (1:02.93) and swam a leg on the winning 200 medley relay (1:38.20). 

Blake Schaeffer (Louisville) The true freshman won the 197-pound class for the Kent State wrestling team in a 22-13 loss at Buffalo in a Mid-American Conference dual meet last Sunday. Schaeffer pinned Sam Mitchell in 5:52. Mitchell came into the meet as the No. 2 wrestler at 197 in the MAC. It was Schaeffer's first collegiate pin. On the season, Schaeffer is 13-15. He won his first collegiate match when he finished sixth in the Appalachian State Invitational on Nov. 12. It was a 6-1 decision.

Sam Thayer (Jackson) The freshman has been a consistent performer in freestyle events for the Grove City (Pa.) men’s swim team, which is 5-1 in dual meets after beating Washington & Jefferson 121-78 in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference meet last Saturday. Thayer won the 1,650 freestyle (18:00.79). He also swam the leadoff leg on the winning 200 freestyle relay (20:23.70). Thayer also competes in the 50, 100, 200 and 500 freestyle races for the Wolverines. 

Annie Roshak (Hoover), Hayley Smith (St. Thomas Aquinas) The senior and sophomore are each playing key roles for the the 20-0 Ashland women’s basketball team. Roshak leads the balanced scoring attack with a 14.4 average. She has scored in double figures in 17 of the 19 games she has played. The 6-1 Smith is second on the team in scoring (12.9) and leads in rebounding (7.4-. She has two double-doubles and has scored in double figures in 15 of 20 games.

Ashland University's Hayley Smith goes up for a shot against Findlay's Alyssa Ziehler at Kates Gymnasium, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.

Ted Kinney (Jackson) The Edinboro men’s swim team lost 144-56 at California (Pa.) in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference meet last Saturday, but the sophomore had a big meet for the Fighting Scots. Kinney won the 50 freestyle (21.94). Then he swam the leadoff leg on the winning 200 free relay (1:27.38). He is currently ranked 13th out of 79 swimmers in the 50 free on the PSAC performance list. 

Vincent Veren (St. Thomas Aquinas) The sophomore is the top sprinter with the Otterbein men’s indoor track team. His specialty in the 200. He won in 23.06 at the Otterbein Invite last Saturday and won the Otterbein Snowbird Invitational on Jan. 14 (23.12). He finished third in the 60 (7.21) at the latter meet. Veren also competes in the long jump and finished fifth last weekend with a personal-best leap of 21-3.75. 

Jake Maranville (Lake) The 6-2 redshirt sophomore guard has been coming off the bench for the Nova Southeastern men’s basketball team (18-0, 11-0 Sunshine State Conference). He has really been playing well as of late. He had 13 points and six rebounds in a 113-69 win by the Sharks over Tampa on Jan. 11, 10 points in a 106-84 win over St. Leo on Jan. 14, and 10 points in a 132-82 win over Lynn. Maranville is averaging 7.2 points a game and has 25 assists. 

Zach Blackiston (Perry) The 6-4, 245-pound senior linebacker earned second-team Division III All-America honors twice for his play with the 7-3 Heidelberg football team. He was honored by both the America Football Coaches Association and D3Football.com. Blackiston led the Student Princes with 69 tackles including 34 unassisted. He had 14 sacks and 21.5 tackles for losses of 99 yards, along with two interceptions, a pass breakup and seven quarterback pressures.