Boyd, Toppers wrap up season

Thursday, December 11, 2008 Western Kentucky University linebacker Blake Boyd and the Hilltoppers completed the 2009 season with a 27-3 loss at Florida International University on Saturday, ending the school’s transition period to the Football Bowl Subdivision. Boyd finished the final game of his junior year by collecting three tackles and one pass break-up. The former Madisonville-North Hopkins High School standout was one of just three WKU players to end the game with a pass break-up. Although the Tops led 3-0 after the first quarter, the Golden Panthers outgained WKU 435-180 by game’s end. FIU scored 27 points in the final three quarters, including 14 in the last 11 minutes; all were unanswered. The loss dropped the Hilltoppers’ record to 2-10 on the season and marked the end of their transition to Division I-A. Next year WKU will be bowl-eligible for the first time. Men’s basketball University of Georgia basketball player Albert Jackson recorded a game-high eight rebounds and also collected six points in a 76-42 loss to the University of Illinois on Saturday. The former Hopkins County Central player shot three-of-four from the field. Former North basketball player, Brock Jones amassed six points and seven rebounds in a 55-53 loss to Hanover College (Ind.) on Dec. 3 in Transylvania University’s first defeat of the season. Two days later, Jones, the Pioneer’s sixth man, got a rare start and scored six points and hauled in two rebounds during a 63-55 victory against Manchester College (Ind.) Women’s basketball Angela Mullins, a 2003 Hopkins County Central graduate, scored seven points during Murray State University’s 73-61 win at Eastern Kentucky University in the Racers’ Ohio Valley Conference season-opener on Dec. 4. In addition to her scoring feats, Mullins finished with three rebounds, one assist and one block. On Saturday against Morehead Sate University, Mullins had six rebounds, two points, one assist and one block in an 84-76 overtime loss. Murray hits the hardwood again 2 p.m. Sunday at the University of Evansville. Men’s swimming Four former North swimmers competed for Transylvania University at the DePauw University Invitational (Ind.) on Friday and Saturday as the men finished third of 10 teams. On Friday, all four former Maroons – Yunan Yang, Daniel, Joseph and Stephen Porter – swam together on a 400-yard medley relay team. During the same day, Yang claimed ninth place in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:04.40) to earn nine points for the Pioneers. The next day, Daniel and Joseph swam on separate 400-yard freestyle relay teams. Women’s swimming Former North swimming star Emile Ewing turned in a strong performance during the 2008 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming Short Course National Championships in Atlanta, Ga. during the weekend. Ewing, who now swims for Auburn University, competed on the Tigers’ 800-yard freestyle relay B team. Her team finished in third place in 7:11.49, just six seconds behind Auburn’s A team, which set a new meet-record time. Ewing’s relay team time made the B cuts for the NCAA. On Saturday, Ewing was one of four Tigers to net B cut times in the 100-yard backstroke coming in at :54.78. Then, Ewing earned a provisional cut in the 200-yard backstroke by winning the C-final in 1:57.09. nIn addition to Transylvania’s accomplishments by Yang and the Porter brothers at the DePauw Invitational, former North swimmers Maggie Davenport and Claire Dorris each aided the women to claim fifth place of 10 participating teams. During the competition’s first day, Davenport netted nine points in the 200-yard backstroke and finished the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:19.16. Of 20 competing teams in the 400-yard medley relay, Davenport’s team finished in sixth place. The following day, Dorris swam a leg on one of the Pioneers’ 400-yard freestyle relay teams. Davenport claimed seventh place in the 100-yard backstroke A-final race. Her time of 1:04.39 earned Transylvania 12 points.