Auroraadvocate.com - Sports Wire: Girls fare well in gymnastics; 'Brizz' top rookie

by Advocate Staffers

Two Aurora gymnasts started off the season successfully at a pair of meets.

In the Nov. 15 TEGA meet in Solon, seventh-grader Chrysta Blechschmid earned third place in the balance beam, while her sister Caeley, a fifth-grader, earned first place in all four events -- vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise -- and was first in all-around.

Caeley will begin competing Level 6 on December 5th at the Candy Cane Invitational in Cuyahoga Falls.

On Nov. 8 in the Turkey Invitational in Uniontown, Caeley took second place in uneven bars and floor exercise, and was second all-around.

Chrysta competes in intermediate optionals, where she choreographes her own routines. Caeley competed in Level 5 in the 10-year-old age group.

The sisters train at Chery's Gymnastics and Beyond in Auburn Township, where Chery Bessette is head coach.

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University of Chicago freshman Dee Brizzolara, an Aurora High School graduate, has been named the football team's rookie of the year and is one of 18 Chicago players to earn all-conference honors.

He earned all-University Athletic Association first team honors at wide receiver and kick return specialist, leading NCAA Division III in all-purpose yards (220.2 per game). He caught 50 passes for a school record 1,028 yards and 11 touchdowns.

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Four people were awarded supplemental contracts for coaching by the Aurora Board of Education on Nov. 23. They are William Wallace, Richard Macer and Crystal Waysack for girls basketball, and Brad Bugara for wrestling.

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At the Rising Stars ice skating competition Nov. 14-15 in Garfield Heights, Aurora's 10-year-old Grohe twins earned high honors.

Samantha took first in preliminary similar pairs, second in artistic ("I Dream of Jeanie" medley) and compulsory program and third in the long program.

Olivia was first in preliminary similar pairs, artistic ("Grease" medley) and compulsory spins and second in the long program.

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Aurora High School graduate John Trew has cracked the starting lineup for the Ohio Dominican men's basketball team, which recently won the second annual Red Roof Inn Thanksgiving Classic.

In an 88-76 victory over University of Michigan-Dearborn, Trew scored 16 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. In a 74-52 win over Calumet, he tallied 8 points.

Earlier in the season, he tallied 8 points each against Ashland and Cedarville and 15 points against Spring Arbor. Dominican stood at 2-5 heading into this week's action.

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A number of Aurorans participated in the Fleet Feet Sports Turkey Trot 5-miler Nov. 26 in Cleveland.

Results were: 15-19 -- Nick Elnikar, 147th (46:41.7); men 20-24 -- Doug Holtzman, 16th (32:20.26); Adam Hoover, 26th (33:58.95); Michael Zaller, 56th (38:14.11); Jeffrey Filotei, 119th (44:10.6).

Women 25-29 -- Domenica McClintock, 151st (46:17.31); Dana Schultz, 199th (47:59.21); men 25-29 -- Scott Long, fifth (29:24:04); women 30-34 -- Melissa Kickel, 177th (52:32.52); men 30-34 -- Michael Devin, 12th (32:51.54).

Women 35-39 -- Shawn Simchon, 127th (51:22.03); women 45-49 -- Stacy Guastaferri, 115th (1:04.28); men 45-49 -- Ed Elnikar, 111th (47:20.85); men 55-59 -- Mike Riley, eighth (36:35.28); Michael Guastaferri, 90th (1:04:29); men 60-64 -- Pat McCarthy, 19th (46:14.3); Gene Mayher, 43rd (1:01.19).

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Winterfest camps for grades kindergarten to fifth grade are planned by Jump Start Sports at Pinnacle on Ravenna Road in Twinsburg.

They will start Dec. 21 at 9 a.m. and run through Dec. 30 at 3 p.m. Costs range from $20 to $165, depending on how many sessions participants attend.

Children will enjoy baseball, basketball, floor hockey, flag football, soccer, ultimate Fresbee, capture the flag, dodgeball, kickball and British Bulldog.

For details, visit www.jumpstartsports.ticketleap.com.

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The Kent State University men's basketball team (5-2) topped Rochester 63-44 and Morehead State 63-57, but lost to South Florida 76-54.

Against Rochester, Rodriguez Sherman tallied 15 points, Anthony Simpson came off the bench for 12 points and 10 rebounds and Mike McKee added 12 points.

Against South Florida, Justin Greene had 13 points and Sherman added 11, and against Morehead State, Simpson had 17, Rodriquez 14 and Greene and McKee 10 each.

Meanwhile, KSU's women's team (4-1) beat Florida Atlantic 84-66 and Rhode Island 64-46.

Against Atlantic, Jena Stutzman and Jamilah Humes each had 17 points, while Rachel Bennett added 13, Talsia Jones had 11 and Voshica Spears and Chenel Harris each contributed 9.

Against Rhode Island, Joshica Spears had 14, Stutzman 12 and Harris 10.

The men travel to Xavier on Dec. 4, while the women host Cleveland State on Dec. 5 and Wichita State on Dec. 8.

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Aurora Parks Coordinator Bill Fellenstein rolled the high game and series during the most recent session of the Perrin Asphalt bowling league at Kent Lanes. His scores were 267 and 685.