St. John's places 3rd in state team tennis

5/29/2012
BLADE STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

HILLIARD, Ohio -- St. John's Jesuit finished third in the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association team tournament at Hilliard Davidson. The Titans, who won the title in 2011, beat Copley 3 to 0 in the consolation final after falling to Springsboro 3 to 1 in the semifinals. Upper Arlington topped Springsboro in the finals.

Winning for the Titans (19-3) against Copley were Kevin Brown and Spencer Crawford at second and third singles, and the No. 2 doubles team of Caleb Mickler and Adam Zychowicz. Leading their matches were No. 1 singles Bobby Adusumilli and the No. 1 doubles team of Madhav Mehta and Ryan Brown.

Mickler and Zychowicz secured the lone win against Springsboro.

Tennis

American tennis player Mardy Fish recently had a medical procedure to correct a heart problem.

Fish hasn't played since late March after being diagnosed with fatigue. He told USA Today he had a procedure called cardiac catheter ablation on Wednesday to deal with misfiring electrical pulses in his heart. He is recovering at his home in Los Angeles.

"It has been so scary," Fish told the newspaper for a story posted on its Web site.

Fish, who at No. 10 is the highest-ranked American on the ATP Tour, told USA Today that at times he would wake up with his heart racing as if he'd been running sprints.

"It felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest," he said.

Doctors described his condition as a form arrhythmia. It started afflicting him in February, he said.

Fish said he can resume light training soon and hopes to play in a grass-court tune-up for Wimbledon.

Auto racing

INDIANAPOLIS -- Dario Franchitti earned $2,474,280 from an overall purse of $13,285,815 for his victory in the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

The four-time series champion from Scotland became just the 10th driver to win IndyCar's signature event at least three times. He also won in 2007 and 2010.

Franchitti, who started 16th, took the lead for good in the No. 50 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda car from his teammate, Scott Dixon, on lap 199.

He overcame a spirited passing attempt by Takuma Sato in turn 1 on the final lap. Sato spun and hit the SAFER Barrier while Franchitti hung on to win the race under caution.

Dixon, who won the race in 2008, earned $1,102,280 for finishing second.

College golf

University of Toledo freshman golfer Chris Selfridge won the Golfsure-sponsored Irish Amateur Close Championship following a dramatic last round at Royal Portrush.

The 2011-12 Mid-American Conference freshman of the year carded a final-round 75 to win by two strokes ahead of Reeve Whitson and Gary Hurley. Selfridge finished the event at five-under par 283 (66-72-70-75).

Selfridge began his final round with a four-shot advantage, and it grew into a six-shot lead after just six holes. But a double bogey on the seventh dropped him back to seven-under par. He then dropped another shot on the eighth to see his lead reduced to three over Whitson.

Birdies on Nos. 9 and 10 steadied the ship for Selfridge, a native of Northern Ireland.

Bowling

CHICAGO -- Sean Rash has won the Professional Bowlers Association's player of the year award.

Rash, who made a record five consecutive finals during the 2011 PBA World Series of Bowling and concluded his season with a victory in the PBA Tournament of Champions, was selected over a field of 11 candidates in balloting conducted among his fellow tour competitors and media members.

Rash, from Montgomery, Ill., received 29.04 percent of the votes. Australia's Jason Belmonte got 26.61 percent and Mike Fagan of Dallas 18.32 percent in the closest voting in years. Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., received 11.89 percent and Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., 10.23 percent to round out the top.

Rash, a 29-year-old right-hander, won the season-ending PBA Tournament of Champions for his only title, but had six championship round finishes, including third place in the PBA World Championship.