Locals among scholars honored

NORMAN, Okla. — Four Youngstown State men’s golf student-athletes have been honored as 2024-25 Cobalt Golf All-America Scholars by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), the organization announced on Tuesday.

The quartet of Penguins recognized includes Michael Porter (McDonald), Jake Ryan, Ryan Sam (Boardman) and Jacob Sylak (Mineral Ridge). Each student-athlete is receiving this academic honor for the first time in their career.

Porter competed in 10 tournaments 25 rounds with a 75.0 strokes-per-round average and a low round of 69 as a redshirt sophomore in 2024-25. He earned four top 25 finishes during the 2024-25 campaign. He maintains a 3.81 GPA as an accounting major at YSU.

Ryan participated in 11 tournaments and 28 rounds in 2024-25, averaging 75.0 strokes per round and posting a low round of 68. The Akron native collected five top 25 finishes and a pair of top 10 performances during his sophomore season. He maintains a 3.46 GPA as an education major at Youngstown State.

Sam participated in all 12 tournaments and 31 rounds this past season while averaging 74.3 strokes per round and recording a low round of 69. The Canfield native recorded five top 25 performances during his junior campaign. Sam finished tied for ninth at the Horizon League Championship with a three-round score of 222 (75-76-71) to come in as YSU’s top individual. He maintains a 3.70 GPA as a finance major at YSU.

Sylak competed in 10 tournaments and 23 rounds while averaging 75.6 strokes per round and firing a career-low round of 69 as a senior in 2024-25. He posted three top 25 performances including a fourth-place finish at the Red Flash Invitational. He maintained a 3.34 GPA as a business administration major at Youngstown State.

To be eligible for Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar nomination, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior both academically and athletically in NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA, or receiving their associate’s degree and in their last year of athletic eligibility in the NJCAA. In addition, they must participate in 50% of their team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0 in NCAA Division I, and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at their college or university.

USC women’s hoops lands Hall

Saniyah Hall, ESPN’s No. 1 women’s basketball prospect in the high school class of 2026, has committed to play at Southern California.

Hall, a 6-foot-2 guard from northeast Ohio, announced her decision last week on ESPN’s “NBA Today.”

USC has landed three of the last four No. 1 recruits, with Hall joining JuJu Watkins in 2023 and Jasmine Davidson in 2025.

Watkins is expected to miss most of the upcoming season with a torn ACL that she suffered during the women’s NCAA Tournament. She would most likely return for the 2026-27 season, which would be Hall’s freshman year.

Hall, who turns 17 on Wednesday, recently helped the United States win gold at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup. She averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists and was named MVP of the tournament.

Hall will play for SPIRE Academy in Geneva for her senior season after transferring from Montverde Academy in central Florida.

Bengals DE Hendrickson to report

CINCINNATI — Trey Hendrickson is ending his holdout and will report to the Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday night.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move had not been announced.

The All-Pro defensive end missed the first five days of training camp and accumulated $250,000 in fines. Hendrickson left Cincinnati before the start of camp and was working out in Jacksonville, Florida. The Bengals held position meetings on Tuesday but did not practice.

Hendrickson is seeking a long-term extension with guaranteed money that matches what the league’s top pass rushers are earning. He is scheduled to earn $15.8 million in base salary this season and has a cap number of $18.7 million.

Hendrickson — who led the league with 17 1/2 sacks last season — also did not attend June’s minicamp, but he did make an appearance during an offseason workout in May to vent his frustrations about negotiations.

Florida QB DJ Lagway sidelined

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway will open fall camp in the same spot he spent spring practice — watching from the sidelines.

Lagway is dealing with a calf strain and wearing a walking boot, and coach Billy Napier offered no timetable on his star player’s return. It’s the latest injury issue for the highly touted sophomore who missed spring with a shoulder injury after undergoing sports hernia surgery.

The Gators open training camp Wednesday. And Napier, unlike in previous years, closed viewing periods to media for the first three days.

Lagway, who went 6-1 in seven starts as a freshman in 2024, is widely considered a Heisman Trophy contender heading into this season. But he’s barely been on the field at a time when he could be making significant strides.

Lagway completed 60% of his passes for 1,915 yards, with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2024. He took over the starting role after Graham Mertz tore a knee ligament at Tennessee in October.

Without Lagway now, journeyman Harrison Bailey is expected to get most of the first-team snaps.