BEDFORD, Ohio - It will be a bittersweet sell-out. While athletic directors and school accountants love to see sold-out gymnasiums it will be different Friday when the last boys basketball game is played in the St. Peter Chanel gymnasium.

Ishmael Hargrove, shown here going to the basket last year against Lake Catholic and a three-sport star at St. Peter Chanel, will play in the school's final home basketball game on Friday. - (Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer)

BEDFORD, Ohio - It will be a bittersweet sell-out.

While athletic directors and school accountants love to see sold-out gymnasiums it will be different Friday when the last boys basketball game is played in the St. Peter Chanel gymnasium.

"It will be strange, that's for sure," said coach Hugh McMahon, whose team will host Trinity in front of a crowd estimated at more than 1,200. "It is hard to see it all end."

McMahon, a social studies teacher, is in his second year as the boys coach but has coached and taught for 12 years at the private school in Bedford that will close at the end of the school year.

The school has sold special tickets for the game and a postgame social. Athletic Director Mike Rezac said no tickets will be sold at the door and no passes will be honored.

"The game is sold out," he said. "We have nothing left."

The school has an illustrious basketball history, reaching the state semifinals seven times and winning the Division III state championship in 1999. Members of that team and the six other final four qualifiers (1991, 1996, 2003, 2008, 2010 and 2012) will be honored during the evening. Rezac said many of the former athletes and coaches have plans on attending.

That includes current Strongville coach Joe Lynch, who spent 23 years coaching basketball, football and baseball at the school and was the first man to take a Chanel team to Columbus. His 1991 team lost to Chillicothe Unioto in the Division III state semifinals.

"It will be bittersweet for sure," said Lynch, who will only be able to attend the postgame festivities because he will be coaching. "I'm looking forward to going back, but not for the right reason. One minute I am very sad to see it happening. The next minute I am happy because of all the great memories I have of the school. Heck, my two oldest children (Beth and Erin) are Chanel graduates. They spent a lot of hours rebounding during free throw shooting drills."

Well done, Drew: Trinity senior Drew Fecko needed to score 21 points to reach 1,000 for his career and he hit that number Tuesday when he dropped in a 3-point shot against Chagrin Falls. According to school officials, Fecko becomes the fifth player in school history to reach the four-digit figure, joining all-time leader David Morris, Robert Jones, Wayne Bilinovic and Mike Springer. Fecko, a 6-2 senior, will probably move past Springer on Friday when the Trojans close out the regular season at St. Peter Chanel. Springer finished his career with 1,001 points.

Honest error: Westlake will forfeit six games after learning one of its players violated an Ohio High School Athletic Association rule that prohibits players from participating in non-interscholastic events during the season. One of its players participated in a recreation league game.

Once Westlake was alerted the school officials contacted the OHSAA. The player also served a two-game suspension. As a result, the Demons will take a 7-14 overall record and a 3-10 league mark into Friday's Southwestern Conference game at Midpark.

"The student did not know the rule and was unaware he was doing anything wrong," said Athletic Director Tony Cippolone.

Big numbers: Hats off to Norton senior Tyler Sherman who recently became the first player in school history to score 1,000 points. And, the 6-8 forward is expected to surpass the 700-mark in rebounds.

Sherman, who has played on three Portage Trail Conference County Division championship teams in his four seasons, is averaging 13 points, 11 rebounds and 2.5 blocks for the Panthers, who are seeded fourth in the Division II sectional/district at the Canton Fieldhouse.

Two games with gusto: Junior Chelvonte Montgomery came close to posting back-to-back triple doubles recently for Central Catholic. On Saturday, he led the Ironmen to an 80-75 victory over Richmond Heights when he scored 25 points, had five rebounds and nine steals. Two days later in a makeup game against St. Peter Chanel he had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 steals.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

trogers@plaind.com, 216-999-5169

On Twitter: @TimRogersPD

Brent Reitz is replacing long-time GM Thomas Aldrich at Northfield Park, as the harness oval gets ready to combine its race track with Hard Rock International's "Rocksino."

General Manager Brent Reitz Northfield Park  

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Brent Reitz made the unlikely move of crossing the street on the local horse racing scene two years ago, leaving as Thistledown's general manager to become Northfield Park's vice-president of operations and communications.

When long-time chief operating officer and general manager Thomas M. Aldrich stepped down this week at Northfield Park, Reitz, 51, was named vice-president and general manager.

Reitz became the first track official to serve as general manager at both Northfield Park and Thistledown.

This will be a tumultuous year at the harness racing track, with major construction under way to create the Hard Rock International “Rocksino,” a $300 million racino and entertainment complex adjacent to the Northfield Park clubhouse.

Reitz believes the Ohio racinos will rejuvenate thoroughbred and harness racing around the Buckeye State.

"It looks to me like horse racing is on its way back," said Reitz. "We're seeing much bigger purses at Scioto Downs (which opened its racino a year ago), and Hard Rock's Rocksino project here will be awesome once it's open. The Northfield Park purses are going to go up, and the horse racing will be more competitive."

Reitz earned a degree in sports administration from Bowling Green State University, joining the Cleveland Cavaliers as an account executive in 1985. He moved to Thistledown in 1992 as director of sales and marketing. Reitz was general manager from 2008 to 2011 before heading a few miles south to work for Northfield Park.

"I was a big fan of (general manager) Bill Murphy at Thistledown, and became a huge fan of Tom Aldrich after coming to Northfield Park," said Reitz.

Aldrich, 62, was Northfield Park's general manager from 1985 to 2000, when he added the title of chief operating officer. Aldrich was also an executive assistant at Harness Tracks of America; and general manager of the Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association and Rosecroft Raceway in Maryland.

Northfield purses to jump: Horsemen at Northfield Park are buzzing that at long last, purses at the harness track may go up. It's not on Thursday's published agenda for the Ohio State Racing Commission meeting in Columbus, but a 10 percent hike could be in place in the next week or two. With casino funding available, look for steady increases in purses at Northfield Park and Thistledown.

Scioto Downs significantly increased purses after its racino opened in 2012. The Columbus harness track has only 75 days of live racing in 2013, so purses should again be attractive for the trotters and pacers. Northfield has 212 days of live racing this year, and Thistledown has 122 live cards. That requires both tracks to spread the wealth over much longer seasons.

Win streaks alive: Matt's Wolfey and Queenies Alibi both won their third in a row on Feb. 15 at Northfield Park, but only one of the 7-year-old pacers can stay unbeaten when they match pacing strides in Friday's first race at Northfield Park.

Matt's Wolfey won by a neck in 1:56.3 with Keith Kash Jr. in the sulky for trainer D J Millner and owner Lav Racing Stable Inc. of Lyndhurst, N.Y.

Queenies Alibi was driven to a 1:56.1 mile by Tyler Smith. Trained by Barry Langley, she is owned by Charles Stewart and Gay Bankson of Alexandria, Ind.

Northfield notes: Chris Page leads the driving derby at Northfield Park with 67 wins this season, followed by Tyler Smith (54), Keith Kash (32), Ryan Stahl (27) and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. (26) . . . . D J Millner is the leading trainer with 19 wins, with Harla Loney (15), Kevin Ehrhardt (14), Don Pfister (13) and Calvin Hollar (11) right behind . . . There is a guaranteed $10,000 Pick-5 pool on Northfield's Feb. 20 card, with a reduced takeout of 14 percent . . . Keith Kash Jr. guided 22-1 shot Terror Of The Track to victory on Feb. 18. Combined with runners-up SF Dynamite (20-1) and Ryan Again (8-1), it kicked off a $2 trifecta that paid $18,620.80. Two $1 winning tickets were sold by TVG and New York OTB betting sites.

Kakaley rolls at Yonkers: A young reinsman who got his start at Northfield Park, 24-year-old Matt Kakaley, is winning big this winter at New York's Yonkers Raceway. Racing for the powerhouse Pennsylvania stable of Ron Burke, Kakaley sits second in the driver's standings with 49 victories in 2013.

Fueled by Northfield Park success, Kakaley became the youngest driver to record 1,000 wins in 2009. In 2012 he won 375 races to become the youngest driver to reach 2,000 wins, and now has 2,377 career victories.

Kakaley reached a milestone in 2011 as the leading driver at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and winning $6.06 million in purses.

Big cuts in Canada: Ontario officials are pulling the plug on the Slots at Racetracks Program on March 31. The program had created a vibrant provincial horse racing industry.

Race purses will go down, stakes races are being trimmed and Woodbine Entertainment Group officials say they will have to eliminate 25 percent of salaried employees at WEG's Woodbine and Mohawk racetracks.

Government officials have replaced $345 million in funding for the Slots at Racetracks Program with lease agreements at provincial horse racing tracks in what legislators have said is a bid to make the sport more sustainable.

Coach Byron Scott and his Cleveland Cavaliers are looking forward to their first game against No. 1 overall draft pick Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Hornets.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- The Cavaliers will get their first look at No. 1 draft choice Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Hornets in a nationally televised ESPN game tonight at The Q.

So far, most of what Cavs coach Byron Scott has seen of Davis was as a collegian at Kentucky during last spring's run to the national championship.

But that was enough.

"Just a very good basketball player,'' Scott said after Wednesday morning's shootaround at Cleveland Clinic Courts. "Long, athletic, great shot blocker, we all know that; good rebounder, has about a 16-17 footer that he can make on a consistent basis.

"Haven't seen much of him in the post and thing like that, but I know defensively he can affect the game with his length and shot-blocking ability. So looking forward to seeing him up close and personal to see what type of player he is.''

Still undecided: Scott said he still was not sure whether he'd attend Dr. Jerry Buss' funeral on Thursday in Los Angeles. The Lakers owner died Monday after a battle with cancer.

Bench coach and former Tribe star catcher Alomar working with Santana on communication, among other catching skills. Pitcher Kazmir, on a minor league contract, made two all-star teams before struggling. More Indians story links.

View full size Indians catcher Carlos Santana takes a break after catching several bullpen sessions at the Tribe's spring training facility in Goodyear, Arizona. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer  

The Indians and Reds will meet on Saturday and Sunday, too. All three games will be played at the Goodyear Ballpark spring training facility the teams share.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Indians coverage includes Paul Hoynes' story that Lonnie Chisenhall has the inside track on being the Indians' third baseman; Hoynes' story that second baseman Carlos Baerga and general manager John Hart will be inducted into the Indians Hall of Fame.

The Tribe's switch-hitting catcher, Carlos Santana, rallied -- from a hitting standpoint -- over the last 11 weeks of last season.

From July 18 on, he hit .285 (71-of-249) with 14 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs and 46 RBI.

That allowed Santana to finish with a .252 batting average (131-of-521), 27 doubles, two triples, 18 homers and 76 RBI. Through July 17, Santana had been of little help for a struggling Indians offense, batting .221 (57-of-258) with five homers and 30 RBI.

Santana, who turns 27 on April 8, had a difficult season behind the plate, not showing much, if any, improvement in the multiple duties asked of a big league catcher.

Still, Santana has a chance to be among the game's top backstops.

Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar was one of baseball's most respected catchers during his long major league career, which was highlighted by an 11-year stay (1990-2000) with the Indians.

Sheldon Ocker writes for the Akron Beacon Journal that Alomar and the Indians are working with Santana on all aspects of playing his position:

The Indians catcher remains a work in progress, both at the plate and behind it. That’s where Sandy Alomar comes in. The Tribe bench coach also is the club’s catching instructor, and he pays special attention to the needs of Santana, who has started 223 games at catcher.

As with all catchers, throwing, receiving, blocking the plate and dealing with pop flies are areas that require regular work. Alomar’s latest project for Santana is more cerebral.

“Communication is what we’re trying to emphasize now,” Alomar said Wednesday. “We don’t want him saying yes to something and not actually getting it.”

Santana was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and is still learning English, though he can carry on a conversation in his adopted language. However, he is not at a place where he understands every word and idiomatic phrase.

“Carlos is getting much better with English,” Alomar said. “He tries, but at times he doesn’t understand, but he acts like he does.”

Catchers are almost like commanders in the field, dealing not only with whomever is on the mound but taking note of where everyone else is on the diamond, which is why a good working knowledge of English is important.

The pitching lineup for the Indians in their first two spring training exhibition games. (By Barry M. Bloom, cleveland.indians.mlb.com)

Relief pitcher Vinnie Pestano, brilliant during most of last season, is being motivated by his late-season slump. (By Sheldon Ocker, Akron Beacon Journal)

Could the Indians work out a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, giving first baseman-outfielder Matt LaPorta a chance with the team that drafted him? (By Stephanie Liscio, It's pronounced "Lajaway")

The various reasons why pitchers Trevor Bauer and Cody Allen and shortstop Francisco Lindor are being watched this spring as Indians prospects. (By Jack Moore, CBSSports.com)

Promising relief pitcher Chen Lee will begin the season on the disabled list as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John elbow surgery. (By David Roberts, Did The Tribe Win Last Night?)

A rundown of what's happening with the Indians in spring training. (The Tribe Daily)

Which players signed to minor league contracts might make the Indians? (By Steve Kinsella, Wahoo's on First)

Relief pitcher Blake Wood, coming off Tommy John elbow surgery, hopes to help the Indians later this season. (By Mike Brandyberry, Did The Tribe Win Last Night?)

A discussion on the Indians relief pitching for this season. (By Steve Orbanek and Jim Piascik, Indians Baseball Insider)

The top 10 starting pitchers in Indians history. (By Jim Pete, Indians Baseball Insider)

Carlos Baerga and John Hart will be the next members of the Indians Hall of Fame. (By Sheldon Ocker, Akron Beacon Journal)

The 10 players in Indians history who produced the most while batting sixth in the lineup. (By Jason Lukehart, Let's Go Tribe)

A look at Heritage Park, the home of the Indians Hall of Fame at Progressive Field. (cleveland.indians.mlb.com)

New Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly spoke with the media Thursday afternoon in Indianapolis. Watch video

 

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One of the most productive kick returners in NFL history is an unrestricted free agent after eight seasons with the Browns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns must soon make a decision on whether they try to re-sign Josh Cribbs, one of the most productive kick returners in NFL history.

Cribbs, also among the Browns' most popular players since the team returned as a franchise in 1999, is an unrestricted free agent. Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot writes that the Browns will meet with Cribbs' agent, J.R. Rickert, during the NFL Scouting Combine which is now underway in Indianapolis.

Cribbs, who turns 30 on June 9, has finished the three-year contract that he and the Browns re-structured in March, 2010, as Cabot then wrote. The deal was for about $20 million, including incentives. Reports estimate that Cribbs, not able to meet some of the most demanding incentives, made between $15 million and $16 million over the three years.

A quarterback at Kent State, Cribbs signed with the Browns after not being selected  in the 2005 NFL draft.

Cribbs has returned 387 kickoffs for a 25.9-yard average in his eight seasons with the Browns. He's brought back eight for touchdowns, tied for first on the NFL's all-time list with Leon Washington. Cribbs has averaged 11.0 yards on his 195 punt returns, with three touchdowns.

Last season, Cribbs averaged 27.4 yards on 43 kickoff returns and 12.0 yards on 38 punt returns. Though he didn't score a touchdown, he had long returns of 74 yards with a kickoff and 60 yards on a punt.

The Browns have also used Cribbs as a wide receiver (107 career receptions, 1,161 yards, seven touchdowns) and a runner out of the "shotgun" (128 career rushes, 753 yards, two touchdowns). Last season, though, he caught just seven passes for 63 yards, and he had six rushes for 42 yards.

Over the years, Cribbs has usually been one of the Browns' best coverage men on opponents' kickoff and punt returns.

Here's a look at the Indians' starting lineup for Friday's Cactus League opener at Goodyear Ballpark against the Reds.

View full size First baseman Nick Swisher is one of four new Indians players who will start in Friday's Cactus League opener in Goodyear, Ariz., against the Reds. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer  

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - The Indians open their Cactus League season Friday against the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark.

Here's manager Terry Francona's lineup: CF Michael Bourn, SS Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B Jason Kipnis, 1B Nick Swisher, LF Michael Brantley, C Carlos Santana, DH Mark Reynolds, 3B Lonnie Chisenhall, RF Drew Stubbs and LHP Giovanni Soto.

The lineup features four of GM Chris Antonetti's key acquisitions from the off-season: Bourn, Swisher, Reynolds and Stubbs. Soto, one of the Indians' prospects participating in his first big league camp, is getting the start.

"Soto is going to start for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, so we figured we'd do something to get him ready," said Francona.

The game will be on WTAM-1100 AM at 3:05 p.m. EST with Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus calling the action.

Francona, as he discussed earlier in the week, has the switch-hitting Cabrera batting second so lefties Bourn and Kipnis wouldn't be hitting in the first two spots in the lineup. Brantley is in the fifth spot, where he hit .308 (73-for-237) with 15 doubles, four homers and 31 RBI in 65 games.

Santana opens in the sixth spot. Last year he spent 94 games hitting third or fourth.

Stubbs, acquired from the Reds on Dec. 11, will be facing his former team. Shin-Soo Choo, sent to the Reds in a three-team deal that brought the Indians Stubbs, Trevor Bauer, Bryan Shaw and Matt Albers, could be starting in center field for the Reds.  

Broner (25-0, 21 KOs) is fast becoming one of the game's best.

Adrien Broner celebrates after beating Gavin Rees of Britain in their WBC lightweight title match in Atlantic City, N..J. on Saturday. Broner is a rising star in the sport. AP  

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Talk about an uppercut.

That's what Cincinnati sensation Adrien Broner laid on undersized Gavin Rees on Saturday in the lightweight title fight in Atlantic City, N.J.

If you wanted to see the perfect up-the-middle punch, the 23-year-old Broner put it on display when he flattened the British fighter with a minute to go in the fourth round of their HBO-televised bout.

Broner (25-0, 21 KOs), fast becoming one of the game's best, took control with that single punch as he was not about to let the pint-sized Rees take his WBC 135-pound title. Give Rees credit for hanging as tough as he could, but he went down again from a left hook to the body in the fifth, and his corner called it quits with a second to go in the round.

"He's tougher than steak that's been well done," said Broner of the bald-headed Rees, who earned a lot of respect for banging with both hands through the first three rounds. "He kept coming and he threw every shot like it was his best shot. I knew he would hang."

Rees, 33, won a lot of fans over by taking the fight to the champion from the outset. He was ahead on points after two rounds, but Broner was waiting to pick his spot. Off a tangle inside, Broner picked the perfect time to unload the uppercut as Rees appeared to relax for a second.

"I knew he hit hard, but his power just stunned me," said Rees in the post-fight press conference. "I got reckless and that was the end of the night, but I was always going to get back up.

"He's the best I have ever been in the ring with. It's not a case of whether he will go on to be a superstar, he's already there."

Broner has only good things in front of him. He may go after another British boxer in WBO champ Ricky Burns (35-2, 10 KOs), with a likely huge payday if the match takes place in England.

Amateur show: King's Gym of Bedford Heights is putting on an amateur show at the Word Church/Multiplex Sports Center, 18909 South Miles Rd., in Warrensville Heights on Friday at 7 p.m. Advance tickets are $35, $30 and $20, $5 more at the door.

Call King's Gym at 440-439-5464.

Golden Gloves: The 85th Cleveland Golden Gloves amateur tournament runs April 5,6, 13 and 20 at the Brook Park Recreation Center, 17400 Holland Rd., in Brook Park. The preliminary rounds begin at 7 p.m., the April 20 finals at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $20, with youth tickets [under 12] at $10 available only at the door.

Tickets may be purchased at the recreation center and at the Golden Gloves office, 4500 Lee Rd., in Cleveland. Call the GG office at 216-662-7445.

Friday: The ESPN2 "Friday Night Fights" are in Washington, D.C., where hometown favorite Lamont Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KOs) will defend his IBF 140-pound title against one-time WBO titleist Kendall Holt (28-5, 16 KOs) at 9 p.m.

Showtime comes on two hours later with its "ShoBox" series from Cabazon, Calif., where 130-pounders Art Hovhannisyan (15-0, 8 KOs) and Alejandro Perez (16-3-1, 11 KOs) square off at 11 p.m. Saturday: Showtime will be in Detroit, where IBF junior middleweight champ Cornelius Bundrage (32-4, 19 KOs) defends his title against Ishe Smith (24-5, 11 KOs) at 9 p.m.

The NBC Sports Network will show the heavyweight bout between the Ukraine's Vyacheslav Glazkov (13-0, 9 KOs) and undefeated American hopeful Malik Scott (35-0, 12 KOs). Opening in Huntington, N.Y., is a junior welterweight affair between Chris Algieri (15-0, 7 KOs) and Jose Peralta (10-1, 6 KOs) at 10:30 p.m.

To reach this Plain Dealer Reporter:

jmaxse@plaind.com, 216-999-5168

On Twitter: @JoeMaxse

The junior point guard has a 3.92 GPA in pre-med classes.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Aaron Craft might be getting smarter.

Ohio State's junior point guard was named the Capital One Academic All-America of the Year for Division I men's basketball on Thursday. Basically, he's the smartest guy in college basketball.

Craft had been named to the Academic All-American team his first two years as a Buckeye.

Players must have at least a 3.3 GPA, be a starter or key bench player and be a sophomore or older to be eligible to be an Academic All-America.

The award should come as no surprise. For instance, after an overtime loss at Michigan this month, Craft lamented not getting a foul called on his shot at the end of overtime, but said he had to fly back to Columbus and get over feeling sorry for himself in part because he had a test to study for.

Craft switched his major to nutrition this year because it allowed him to take more pre-med courses, and he plans to become a doctor whenever his basketball days are over. Craft has a 3.92 GPA and won an award last year for having the highest GPA at the Final Four.

Craft was also the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year last season and this year he's averaging 9.2 points, 4.3 assists and two steals per game for the No. 18 Buckeyes, who are 19-7 heading into Sunday's game with Michigan State.

Indiana's Cody Zeller, Duke's Mason Plumlee, Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk and Brown's Matthew Sullivan joined Craft on the men's first team.

Delaware's Elena Delle Donne was named the women's Academic All-America of the Year for the second straight season.

A generation ago under athletic director Rick Bay, Ohio State took highly principled stands amid scandal and a debate about football's importance at the school. Things were slightly different then than now. 

Ohio State University head coach Earle Bruce is carried from the field on the shoulders of his players after Ohio State defeated Michigan 14-9 in Ann Arbor, Mich., in this Nov. 21, 1981 file photo. In 1987, athletic director Rick Bay resigned rather than take part in Bruce's firing. Associated Press  

Before five OSU star players who had been implicated in the tattoos scandal were allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl, future Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter had been suspended in 1987 for taking money from an agent, then lying about it.

The tainted victory over Arkansas and Ohio State’s reluctance to fire its iconic coach allowed Tressel to remain in his post until he was ousted on Memorial Day, 2011. Carter’s season-long suspension led directly to a poor record by Ohio State’s standards and Bruce’s firing before the Michigan game.

In Tressel’s wake, interim coach Luke Fickell managed only a 6-7 record in 2011. In Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1987, Bruce's players donned headbands that read “Earle,” defeated the Wolverines, 23-20, and carried him off the field on their shoulders to conclude a 6-4-1 season. Afterward Buckeye players awarded Bay a game ball.

Before current Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith dealt with the tattoos scandal and the Sugar Bowl game against Arkansas (an OSU victory that was later “vacated” by the NCAA), Rick Bay was the Ohio State AD who stood firm in his suspension of Carter for lying and who resigned rather than fire Bruce.

Bay has now self-published his memoirs, “From the Buckeyes to the Bronx,” dealing with his Ohio State years and his 100 uncomfortable days of working for George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees. The book is worth a read for Ohio State fans.

A two-time Big Ten individual wrestling champion and later coach of the wrestling team at Michigan, Bay managed to make adversaries of Don Canham, the transformative marketing expert who was Michigan’s AD; Phil Knight, Oregon’s Nike apparel sugar daddy; legendary Ducks track coach Bill Bowerman; and Ohio State President Edward Jennings.

“You are never going to believe what those crazy SOBs in Columbus have done this time!” Canham told friends when Bay became the man from That School Up North who was in charge of OSU athletics.

So financially strapped was the athletic department at Oregon, where Bay, now 70, was the athletic director before Ohio State, that Bay approved Bingo games to raise money at halftime of Oregon’s home basketball games. Later in his tenure there, he vetoed the practice of giving free Nike uniforms to star members of the renowned track team because they were minor NCAA violations.

Author and former Ohio State athletic director Rick Bay.  

Always scrupulous about ethics, Bay had an innate sense of honor at Ohio State, too. “Cris Carter, whom I liked very much, was a player I had warned, ‘If you’re not truthful, there’ll be dire consequences.’ I have no way of knowing if that was done with Jim (Tressel) and the administration,” Bay said in a telephone interview from his home in California.

Even after the University of Pittsburgh successfully petitioned the NCAA to reinstate a player who had signed with the same agent, Bay declined to appeal Carter’s suspension. “If we had prevailed, I would have been embarrassed to put a player on the field that everyone knew had been taking money the year before,” writes Bay.

By contrast, a devil’s bargain among OSU, the Sugar Bowl, network television and NCAA officials allowed the tattooed five to defer their suspensions until after the bowl game.

An online poll at cleveland.com showed over 70 percent of respondents disapproved of the decision.

“Even Earle, who was like a father to Cris, told me, ‘You did the right thing,’¤” Bay said. “From the first, it was clear to me that, as badly as Ohio State people wanted to win, they felt even more strongly about the reputation of the university and trying to do the right thing. Nobody likes to lose, but worse than that is when people feel embarrassed about something a university did. This win at all costs idea that we come away with sometimes really doesn’t hold with fans.”

As for Bruce, with whom he had a good relationship, Bay captures the volubility and passion of the old coach, as well as his occasional malapropisms. After a stirring 45-38 comeback victory over Illinois, which had led, 24-0, Bruce said, “It’s never over ’til the fat lady dances.”

A three-game losing streak before the 1987 Michigan game doomed Bruce. Nevertheless, Bay gave him a vote of confidence after a stunning, last-play loss to Iowa in Columbus. The AD felt that a man who had won or shared four Big Ten championships and won 75.5 percent of his games (81-26-1) should not have to twist in the wind until season’s end. The same day, Jennings fired Bruce, effective after the Michigan game.

“I kept trying to talk Ed out of doing what he was going to do,” said Bay. “I said, ‘I’m not going to be able to go along with that, and it will send the wrong message about Ohio State at time when we were trying to make the point that we’re not a football factory. The first time in his career here that a guy loses four games, we fire him. That seems exactly opposite.’¤”

The 1987 victory at Michigan was OSU’s last road win in the series until Tressel’s first season, in 2001. Among Bruce’s aides at his final OSU game was Urban Meyer, then a lowly graduate assistant. A disciple of Bruce, Meyer went on to become one of the country’s most dominant college football coaches. His first Ohio State team went 12-0 last season, ending with a victory over Michigan.

The athletic administration might not sing quite the same tune as the highly principled Bay, but the fat lady hasn’t danced yet, either.

The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed recap the day and talk about what transpired Thursday in Indianapolis. Watch video

 

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Day one from the 2013 NFL Combine is complete. Listen at 7 p.m. as The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot, Tom Reed, Branson Wright and cleveland.com's Glenn Moore recap the day.

The 2013 NFL Combine in Indianapolis has started.  

Cavs at the trading deadline the past five years 2012: Acquired the Lakers' first-round pick in the 2012 NBA draft (lottery protected) and Luke Walton and Jason Kapono for Ramon Sessions and Christian Eyenga. The Cavs also received cash and the right to swap their least favorable first-round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft with the Lakers. 2011: Acquired...

View full size "It'€™s better to do nothing than to do something that doesn't fit or takes away some of our flexibility or assets for under value," Cavs GM Chris Grant, above, on the team's inactivity at the trading deadline Thursday. Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer  

Cavs at the trading deadline

the past five years

2012: Acquired the Lakers' first-round pick in the 2012 NBA draft (lottery protected) and Luke Walton and Jason Kapono for Ramon Sessions and Christian Eyenga. The Cavs also received cash and the right to swap their least favorable first-round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft with the Lakers.

2011: Acquired a first-round pick (that became Kyrie Irving) and Baron Davis from the Clippers for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon.

2010: Acquired Antawn Jamison from Wizards and Sebastian Telfair from Clippers in exchange for sending Zydrunas Ilgauskas, 2010 first-round pick and the rights to Emir Preldzic to the Wizards. (Rumored trade with Phoenix for Amar'e Stoudemire did not materialize. )

2009: None (Rumored trade with Phoenix for Shaquille O'Neal did not materialize.)

2008: Acquired Ben Wallace, Joe Smith and a 2009 second-round pick from the Bulls, and Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West from the Supersonics in exchange for sending Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons and Shannon Brown to the Bulls, and Ira Newble and Donyell Marshall to the Supersonics. The Bulls also sent Adrian Griffin to the Supersonics.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Let's make a deal? Not the Cavaliers.

For the first time since 2009, the NBA trading deadline passed quietly at the team's headquarters in Independence.

No first-round picks. No Baron Davis. No Antawn Jamison.

It was, Cavs General Manager Chris Grant admitted, a little different.

"There's always an emotion about the trade deadline, about the draft and about free agency where you're excited to potentially do something," Grant said. "There's only three times a year where you can drastically change your team.

"You can't let emotion get into this too much and do something crazy. If you go to buy a car and the price is $40,000, don't pay $45,000.

"Sometimes that can happen on draft [day] and at the trade deadline. Certainly we're excited and we're excited about the team, but we try to stay away from emotional decisions. . . .

"We didn't want to make a bad deal. It's better to do nothing than to do something that doesn't fit or takes away some of our flexibility or assets for under value."

The Cavs were not alone. In spite of the usual amount of pre-deadline chatter on Twitter, the only major deal Thursday involved Milwaukee acquiring J.J. Redick, Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith from Orlando for Tobias Harris, Beno Udrih and Doron Lamb. Also, Boston acquired Jordan Crawford from Washington for injured Leandro Barbosa and Jason Collins.

"Twitter's the devil," Cavs forward C.J. Miles said with a smile. "People just say stuff just to say it, to make headlines. I've seen on Twitter that we should trade Kyrie [Irving] for somebody. If you think Kyrie is going somewhere, you definitely don't know what you're talking about."

The fact that the Cavs didn't do a deal Thursday shouldn't negate the fact that they made a fairly significant and successful move Jan. 22, when they sent little-used forward Jon Leuer to Memphis for forward Marreese Speights, guards Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby, and a future lottery pick.

Speights, averaging 12.2 points and 6.4 rebounds in 11 games with Cleveland, can opt out of his contract this summer, so he was mentioned as a possible trade candidate this year, much like the Cavs dealt Ramon Sessions at the trading deadline last year before losing him over the summer for nothing.

"We've been extremely happy with him, how he's played and really fit into the culture," Grant said. "It's almost like he's been here from Day One. If you're a good player, people are going to call and see if you're available, which is a compliment to a guy. But we're happy with him and we'll see what happens at the end of the season."

Grant also acknowledged for the first time that the Cavs are interested in former Ohio State center Greg Oden, a former No. 1 overall pick by Portland who hasn't played in the NBA since 2009 because of knee issues.

"Obviously, we've spoken to Greg," Grant said. "We've had him in. We've done a lot of due diligence with him. He's a great kid, wonderful heart. We'll see. We'll still talk to them and see what their position is and what his goals are. Just like any other free agent, if we're able to make something happen that makes sense for us we'll do it and if not, that's OK."

Grant said the team would check the waiver wire and the NBA Development League in search of ways to improve the team, which is 17-37 heading into Saturday's game at Orlando. But the Cavs have the maximum 15 players on the roster, so they would have to make a roster move in order to add someone.

Grant admitted the team got off to a tough start and that the defense has not been acceptable. But he has been encouraged by the progress of youngsters Irving, Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters and the leadership of veterans Luke Walton and Shaun Livingston.

"We feel good about our direction and where we're going," Grant said.

All-Star bid? Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said Wednesday that the team is likely to put in a bid for a future All-Star Game but couldn't yet specify what year. During All-Star Weekend, commissioner-to-be Adam Silver said the league would love to get another bid from Cleveland, which hosted a memorable game in 1997, when the 50 greatest players were honored.

The 2014 game will be in New Orleans and the 2015 game will be either in New York or Brooklyn, so 2016 is the first year open.

"Not sure what exact year would be," Gilbert said in a text. "Want to make sure all Cleveland big assets are built and operating at time of NBA All-Star Game."

Clearly, he means phase two of his casino project, for which there is no specific timetable.

What: District gymnastics meet. Who: The top 12 teams and top 36 individual qualifiers from three sectional meets conducted over the past two weeks.

Michaela Romito and her Brecksville-Broadview Heights teammates will go after a 13th district gymnastics title on Saturday at Painesville Riverside. - (ImpactActionPhotos.com)

What: District gymnastics meet.

Who: The top 12 teams and top 36 individual qualifiers from three sectional meets conducted over the past two weeks.

When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; 1:30-4 p.m.

Where: Painesville Riverside High Fieldhouse, 585 Riverside Dr., Painesville, Call 440-358-8330.

Admission: $6 adults, $4 students.

Defending champion: Brecksville-Broadview Heights.

Team qualifiers: Brecksville, Cloverleaf, Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Kenston, Magnificat, Medina, Mentor, North Royalton, Solon, Stow, Strongsville.

At stake: The top five teams and the top 17 individuals in each event will advance to the state meet at Hilliard-Bradley High on March 1-2.

Outlook: The sun will not set in the east. Brecksville-Broadview Heights will win the district championship. It will be the program's 13th. That could be the end of the story. But, the story never ends with the Bees in gymnastics, does it? The story within the story is Brecksville, led by its dynamic duo of freshman Alecia Farina and junior Michaela Romito, could set a district record for points. Of course, Brecksville holds the record of 150.005. At the Rock-n-Roll Invitational last month, the Bees hit a season-high 148.825 and won the district last year with a score of 148.025. They have qualified in 25 of a possible 28 spots. Farina and Romito are expected to contend for all-around honors, along with teammates Jessica Matia and Jamie Waugaman, and Hudson's Mackenzie Miller and Medina's Samantha Borelli. Romito, a two-time state champion in floor exercise, is expected to keep her season-long unbeaten streak alive in her specialty. Matia and Farina should contend in the uneven bars, along with the Strongsville trio of Hayley Klosowski, Melissa Loy and Nicole Pratt. Hudson's Miller, Loy and Pratt are strong on the beam -- as are Farina and Romito. Cuyahoga Heights' Bailey Rosolowski and Hudson's Miller should contend on the vault. Teams also looking to advance to next week's state meet include Strongsville, Hudson, North Royalton, Medina, Magnificat and Cuyahoga Falls.

Scouting the Big Ten Track and Field Indoor Championships at SPIRE Institute.

View full size Berea hurdler Donovan Robertson, The Plain Dealer's Track Athlete of the Year in 2012, is expected to make his Ohio State debut today in the 60 meter hurdles. Allison Carey, The Plain Dealer  

Scouting Big Ten Track and Field Indoor Championships

When, where: 10 a.m. today and 10 a.m. Saturday, SPIRE Institute, 1822 S. Broadway St., Geneva.

Online: tinyurl.com/akfomu2

TV: BTN, tape delay, noon, March 5.

Tickets: $20 two-day pass, $10 daily pass, $5 seniors and students, active military and children under 5 are free.

Parking: $5.

Outlook, men: Nebraska is ranked fifth nationally, followed by No. 7 Penn State, No. 9 Indiana, No. 10 Wisconsin and No. 15 Minnesota. Ohio State is ranked 53rd. A young Ohio State team features a 2012 recruiting class that was ranked second nationally, led by Berea hurdler Donovan Robertson. He is expected to make his OSU debut in the 60-meter hurdles after posting a time of 7.84 last week as an unattached runner that would put him among the top five in the conference. Additional local athletes expected to make an impact for OSU are Glenville graduates and brothers Marcus Brooks (600) and Marvel Brooks (4x400), Copley's Chris Fallon (mile) and Twinsburg's Brandon Blackwell (60). Others to watch include No. 1-ranked Casmir Loxsom (800) of Penn State, national pole vault champ Derek Drouin of Indiana, Penn State freshman distance ace Brannon Kidder of Lancaster, sixth-ranked OSU hurdler Demoye Bogle and Iowa's Josh Larney (Lakewood) in the 60 sprint. Last year, Indiana won its first conference title since 1992 with 104 points. Minnesota was second, followed by Nebraska and Ohio State.

Outook, women: Favorite and 15th-ranked Illinois features sophomore 400-meter phenom Ashley Spencer, last year's NCAA outdoor and world junior champion. Collinwood grads Erin Busbee and Amber Smith of Michigan should make an impact. Busbee is a contender in the pentathlon and Smith is ranked fourth in the Big Ten in the 60 hurdles. Penn State features Rhodes grad Mahagony Jones in the sprints. Others to watch include Ohio State's Ashlee Abraham (60 hurdles), Aisha Cavin (200) and Nicole Hilton (5,000), Michigan's Rebecca Addison (800) and Illinois' Samantha Murphy (800). Last year, Nebraska beat OSU, 114.5-106, for the title and Penn State was third.

Atlantic-10 swimming and diving championships

When, where: 10:30 a.m. today and 10:30 a.m. Saturday, SPIRE Institute, 1822 S. Broadway St., Geneva.

Online: tinyurl.com/a27bugf

Tickets: Single session $8 adults, $5 children, $25 adult all-session pass, $20 children (13-18) all-session pass, 12 and under free, $65 family pack.

Parking: $5.

Outlook: The meet began Wednesday. Massachusetts' men seek their seventh consecutive title and Richmond's women are going for three in a row.

Jordan Crawford, Beno Udrih and Anthony Morrow are among the players traded. Thomas Robinson and Patrick Patterson were moved in a deal on Wednesday.

View full size Guard J.J. Redick (7), who has developed into a fine all-around player, has been traded from the Orlando Magic to the Milwaukee Bucks. Associated Press  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The NBA trade deadline has passed, and the league doesn't look much different than it had.

The Cleveland Cavaliers did not make a trade, as reported by Plain Dealer Cavs beat writer Mary Schmitt Boyer. The player most mentioned in Cavs' trade rumors was forward-center Marreese Speights, who has a player's option on his contract of $4.5 million for next season and can thus opt out of the contract and become an unrestricted free agent.

The most high-profile veteran player dealt was guard J.J. Redick, who was averaging 15.1 points a game this season for Orlando, the only team he had played with in 6 1/2 NBA seasons. Redick was traded by the Magic to the Milwaukee Bucks in a six-player transaction, as reported by ESPN.com, with point guard Beno Udrih the most prominent player acquired by Orlando in the deal.

* A trade which was reported on Wednesday night could become significant over the years. The Sacramento Kings sent power forward Thomas Robinson -- the fifth pick in last June's draft -- and two other players to the Houston Rockets for three players, including Patrick Patterson, who was having a solid season as Houston's starting power forward. (By Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle)

* Houston was involved in another trade that became news on Wednesday. Forward Marcus Morris joins his twin brother Markieff Morris in Phoenix, as he is traded to the Suns by the Rockets. Both are forwards. The Suns waived forward Luke Zeller, the brother of Cavs center Tyler Zeller, to make room for Marcus Morris on the roster. (nba.com/Associated Press)

.....In trades on Thursday:

* The Charlotte Bobcats trade Hakim Warrick to the Orlando Magic for Josh McRoberts in an exchange of power forwards. (By Matt Moore, CBSSports.com)

* Point guard Eric Maynor goes from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Portland Trail Blazers. (By Jeff Zillgitt, USAToday.com)

* A trade between the Celtics and Wizards includes guard Jordan Crawford going to Boston and injured guard Leandro Barbosa headed to Washington. (By Jeff Zillgitt, USAToday.com)

* The Atlanta Hawks trade guard Anthony Morrow to the Dallas Mavericks for small forward Dahntay Jones. (Dallas Morning News)

* Point guard Sebastian Telfair, who played for the Cavaliers in the latter months of the 2009-10 season, is part of a trade, going from the Phoenix Suns to the Toronto Raptors. (By Sam Amick, USAToday.com)

* The Oklahoma City Thunder acquire small forward Ronnie Brewer from the New York Knicks for a second-round draft pick. (By Matt Moore, CBSSports.com)

* Center Dexter Pittman is the lone player with NBA experience included in a trade between Miami and Memphis, as he's sent from the Heat to the Grizzlies. Pittman might get some of the playing time Speights had with Memphis prior to the Grizzlies' trade to the Cavs that featured Speights and guard Wayne Ellington coming to Cleveland. (By Ben Golliver, Sports Illustrated SI.com)

* In hopes of avoiding the luxury tax, the Golden State Warriors make minor trades with the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers. (By Ben Golliver, Sports Illustrated SI.com)

Born: Sept. 24, 1988, Weymouth, Mass. Ht/Wt: 6-1, 190. Acquired: Fifth-round pick in 2007. PD: You played four seasons with Boston College (2008-12). Greatest moment? PC: Winning my second national title in 2012. PD: So the second title had more impact than the first (2010)? PC: It definitely was a little sweeter. I was a senior and played a...

View full size Monsters left winger Paul Carey Lake Erie Monsters  

Born: Sept. 24, 1988, Weymouth, Mass.

Ht/Wt: 6-1, 190.

Acquired: Fifth-round pick in 2007.

PD: You played four seasons with Boston College (2008-12). Greatest moment?

PC: Winning my second national title in 2012.

PD: So the second title had more impact than the first (2010)?

PC: It definitely was a little sweeter. I was a senior and played a larger role on the team. And I knew it was my last game at BC.

PD: In the 2012 championship game, Boston College defeated Ferris State, 4-1, in Tampa, Fla. You scored the game-winning goal. That whole experience must have been wild.

PC: It was an incredible run. We finished on a 19-game winning streak. The crowd was awesome. To do it with my fellow seniors was very important because we had the opportunity to go out on top.

PD: Activities growing up?

PC: I was a fan of all the Boston sports teams. I stayed busy playing different sports -- hockey, soccer, baseball, lacrosse. In high school, hockey emerged as my No. 1 sport. I had a feeling it would take me some places in life, so I focused on that.

PD: Preferred activities off the ice?

PC: Video games. Naps. Golf, when the weather permits. I like golf a lot.

PD: Favorite course ever played?

PC: A course in Massachusetts named Old Sandwich. It was right after we won the national championship, and a friend of mine took a few of us out. We had the whole course to ourselves. It's a beautiful course, and to have it all to yourselves is really fun.

PD: Worst hockey injury ever suffered?

PC: Broken shoulder blade when I was younger.

PD: Best hockey advice received as youngster?

PC: Tough question. I would say, play hard and have fun. If you look at it as a job every day, it can kind of become repetitive. But if you enjoy it day by day, it's a lot better.

PD: What do you need to work on to get to the next level?

PC: Become more consistent. Get better on the defensive end.

PD: Favorite food?

PC: Pizza, although that's almost a junk food.

PD: Definitive junk food?

PC: Pretty much any type of chip.

PD: Favorite Boston-specific food?

PC: I love seafood, in general. Anything from clam chowder to oysters to fish.

PD: Your roommate is South Boston native Sean Sullivan. What is one thing about him that we don't know?

PC: He's a great cook. He knows what he's doing in the kitchen.

PD: Sullivan's best dish?

PC: He makes a mean turkey burger. It's got cheese inside, and it comes with barbecue sauce.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Perfect so far at Speedweeks, Kevin Harvick has positioned himself as the favorite to win the Daytona 500. It's the last label he wanted. "We like to be the lame-duck underdog. That's what we're shooting for," Harvick said. Harvick won the first Daytona 500 qualifying race Thursday to make it 2-for-2 at Daytona International Speedway,...

View full size Kevin Harvik, in the No. 29 car, nears the finish line ahead of Greg Biffle (16) to win the first of two 150-mile qualifying races Thursday for Sunday's Daytona 500. Terry Renna, AP  

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Perfect so far at Speedweeks, Kevin Harvick has positioned himself as the favorite to win the Daytona 500.

It's the last label he wanted.

"We like to be the lame-duck underdog. That's what we're shooting for," Harvick said.

Harvick won the first Daytona 500 qualifying race Thursday to make it 2-for-2 at Daytona International Speedway, where he also won an exhibition race last weekend. It positions Harvick, the 2007 Daytona 500 winner, as a top contender in Sunday's season-opening "Great American Race."

It comes at a time when Harvick has found a balance in his life with the addition of son, Keelan, who was born last July, and as he heads into his final season with Richard Childress Racing. Harvick has already decided to move to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.

"We've been fortunate to win the first two races of Speedweeks. We've just got to keep a level head on our shoulders, not get too high over what we've done, just do the same things that we've done," he said. "If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. I think we definitely have the car and team to be in contention to do that."

Kyle Busch won the second duel to give Toyota its first victory of Speedweeks and snap Chevrolet's dominance. Harvick took the new Chevrolet SS to Victory Lane twice, and Danica Patrick put it on the Daytona 500 pole in time trials.

Busch held off Kasey Kahne, in a Chevrolet, and learned the driver out front is in the strongest position.

"It's hard to pass the leader," said Busch. "Stay out front. When you get out front, you can hold everyone off."

Kahne, who settled for second, said timing will be critical.

"I don't think waiting 'til the last lap is the ticket anymore," Kahne said.

Although he's seen Harvick dominate for two races now, Kahne believes drivers are still figuring out NASCAR's new Gen-6 car, the right strategy for Sunday -- and watching Harvick.

"I think Kevin looks really good. I always think Kevin is one of the guys to beat when we come to Daytona," Kahne said. "He's got this place figured out. I think he can be beat, yeah. There's a few of us in the second race who had really good cars, and I could move around really well, similar to what Harvick did in the first race."

In the first race, Harvick held off Greg Biffle over a four-lap sprint to win his 150-mile duel, with the second race held later Thursday afternoon. Harvick and Biffle also went 1-2 in last Saturday night's exhibition race.

The starting field for the Daytona 500 is set by the results from the pair of 60-lap qualifiers, but Patrick held onto the pole by running a safe race in the first qualifier. The first woman to win a pole at NASCAR's top level, Patrick earned the top starting spot in time trials last weekend.

She started first in the first qualifier, raced a bit early, then faded back to run a conservative race and ensure she'll start first in the 500.

"I hate coming to the end like that and just lagging back," she said. "That's not fun. But it's also really ignorant to go drive up into the pack and be part of an accident for absolutely no reason. You're really not going to learn much there."

Patrick wound up 17th out of 23 cars.

"What I really feel like I need to do is go down to the Harvick bus and see what he's doing," she said. "He's got it going on down here."

The first race was dull until Denny Hamlin brought out the only caution with seven laps remaining. Hamlin lost control of his car, spun into Carl Edwards and triggered a four-car accident that also collected Regan Smith and Trevor Bayne, who had a dominant car early in the qualifier.

"I know what the wrecks look like now, I am really familiar with them," said Edwards, who was wrecked at testing in January and in practice for the exhibition race last week. He was also black-flagged in the exhibition race when his window net fell off.

Hamlin said the accident was a product of drivers trying to learn the nuances of NASCAR's new Gen-6 car.

"It just shows you that any kind of bad aero position you put yourself in, your car can be vulnerable," said Hamlin, who was running in the high line when he inched into Edwards' space down low.

Juan Pablo Montoya, who infamously crashed into a jet dryer during last year's Daytona 500 to trigger a massive fuel fire, stopped for minor repairs during the caution. Montoya restarted the race in 13th with four laps remaining, but rocketed through the field to finish third.

"It was time to go," he said. "It's hard, you don't want to tear up the car, and at the same time you want to go. The bumpers are a little fragile. You have to be careful with that. You want to have a good car at the end."

The bulk of the race seemed to be one long parade of the Gen-6 race car. Unsure of how the cars handle in packs, and when the drivers choose to side-draft, most of the field in the first race played it conservatively.

"The choice was obviously made by a bunch of us to run around in circles and just make laps," said two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip, who needed a clean race to guarantee a spot in Sunday's field. "There were a lot of people that just wanted to get through some laps and understand what was going on. There were some of us that would have run like that until they threw the checkered just to make the race. And then there were some that decided it was time to go, and they made it work."

Waltrip is racing in a special Sandy Hook Special Support Fund paint scheme, and his car number has been changed to No. 26 as a tribute to the 26 students and teachers killed in the Newtown, Conn., school shooting.

"There's a lot of people up in Connecticut with a smile on their face right now. I'm real proud to get in the race for them," Waltrip said.

Austin Dillon, grandson of team owner Richard Childress, finished third in the second qualifying race to put his Richard Childress Racing car in the Daytona 500. It will be the 22-year-old Dillon's first Daytona 500.

"I'm glad my grandfather can sleep now," Dillon said. "He was wearing me out before the race."

Brian Keselowski, older brother of reigning Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski, was the one driver who truly had to race his way into the Daytona 500 in the first qualifier. But he lacked speed early, fell two laps down and missed the race.

Mike Bliss was the driver from the second qualifier trying to make the Daytona 500 field, but finished five laps down and didn't make the race

Curious at what happened in today's opening session of the combine? We've got all the details right here. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- So you actually had to work today, and tried to keep up with the start of the NFL Combine through social media? Was that a bit of a challenge, bunkie?

Well, welcome to the 2013 NFL Combine megablog, your one-stop shop for updates from the great talent search taking place in Indianapolis.

Today through Sunday, Browns reporters Mary Kay Cabot, Tom Reed, Branson Wright along with Cleveland.com's Glenn Moore are providing updates from Lucas Oil Stadium as 300 invited collegians work their way through medical assessments, media and team interviews (beginning today, running through Sunday) and the workouts (from Saturday through Tuesday).

Starting at 10 a.m. (at the bottom of the post) we had news and analysis from Indianapolis all day. Feel free to browse through the comments and the links to longer stories. We'll be back Friday at 10 a.m. to do it all over again.

As always, you're welcome to keep the conversation going in the comments section at the bottom of this post.

5:44 p.m.: How did the first day of the combine turn out? Beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed assess the news made in Indianapolis.

5:38 p.m.: As the first day of the combine winds down, news is made in a press conference with Adolpho Birch, the NFL's senior vice president of law and labor policy, who lamented the inability of the league to reach an agreement with the NFLPA over HGH testing.

"Where we are is largely where we've been since August of 2011," Birch said. "We've tried to work with the union as much as possible to address its concerns."

Union president Domonique Foxworth said Tuesday that players don't trust NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal.

"It is a disservice to all for us not to focus on the issue at hand, particularly in the context of HGH testing," Birch said. "It has been a stall. I don't know if it is a tactic. There is absolutely no reason for this to have taken this long and for us to not have testing implemented. We should have been more than a year into this by now."

5:27 p.m.: From @treedPD: "#Buckeyes TE Jake Stoneburner says he will meet w/ #Browns tonight."

4:59 p.m.: From now until draft day, there will always be the contrarians who believe their assessment of the talent pool -- no matter how askew from the mainstream -- will win out in the end.

We present National Football Post (and former NFL scout) Russ Lande and his No. 1 player on his big board -- Syracuse QB Ryan Nassib.

4:45 p.m.: Moving on from Phil Dawson? From @treedPD: "Kickers Caleb Sturgis (Florida) and Brett Maher (Nebraska) said they met informally with #Browns ST coach Chris Tabor"

4:39 p.m.: From @treedPD: "UCLA TE Joseph Fauria says he's scheduled to interview w/ #Browns. Dude is 6-7, 257 lbs. Also played basketball and volleyball. Fauria's uncle is Christian, who won two Super Bowls with Patriots."

Another tight end arrives in the interview room and from @treedPD: "Rice TE Vance McDonald said he spoke to the #Browns at the Senior Bowl."

4:32 p.m.: It's now a trend. Seattle GM John Schneider follows San Francisco's Trent Baalke -- after all, they're in the same division -- and announces that, well ... sure ... maybe the Seahawks would be willing to deal backup QB Matt Flynn, who is on the books for $7.5 million this season.

"As you guys well know, we’re always going to listen to everything and if we’re not doing that, we think we’re not doing our job," Schneider said. "That doesn’t necessarily mean we will do something with Matt.”

But they certainly would like to.

4:18 p.m.: It's a bit amazing that it took this long for Andy Reid to make it official, but the Kansas City Chiefs have looked at this draft class and decided they would be willing to trade out of the No. 1 position.

"New coach Andy Reid told reporters Thursday that the Chiefs are open to shopping their first pick for the right price," reports NFL.com.

"'Listen, yeah, we're going to evaluate everything,' Reid said at the NFL Scouting Combine. 'We're just not going to give it away. So, we'd have to see what people throw our way. It's a pretty valuable pick, I'd say.'"

Well, if you're crazy about OT Luke Joeckel or Star Lotuleilei, sure, it's valuable. But if you really would prefer a QB in a middle class of signalcallers, not so much.

4:11 p.m.: From CBSSports.com's Bruce Feldman (@BFeldmanCBS) on Oregon offensive lineman Kyle Long -- son of Howie Long and brother of Chris Long: "Kyle Long talking abt battling chemical addiction. Said turning pt was Jan 2009 DUI arrest. 'I had to take self-inventory.'"

3:53 p.m.: Scratch one prospective "challenger" for Brandon Weeden. Tom Reed reports that both Eagles coach Chip Kelly and GM Howie Roseman said QB Nick Foles won't go anywhere this off-season.

"Kelly said he wants an opportunity to coach the 2012 draft pick even as the Eagles have re-signed Michael Vick. Foles played in seven games last season and threw for 1,699 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions.

"(Kelly) told you the same thing he told us," Roseman said. "He wants to coach him, not just see him. ... We are trying to accumulate good players. We're not in the business of trying to get rid of young players."

3:28 p.m.: From @MaryKayCabot: "#panthers coach Ron Rivera on #browns Chud and turner, whom he worked with: 'I'd be surprised if they don't score a lot of pts up there.'"

3:22 p.m.: Minnesota GM Rick Spielman is one of many NFL execs who is as interested in how Notre Dame's Manti Te'o reacts to his off-field duties Saturday in Indianapolis as what happens during the linebacker workouts on Monday.

"“We’re going to find out if he can handle the media or not. I’m sure he’s going to be up at this podium one day and people will have some questions for him," Spielman said Thursday. "But he’s getting a lot of experience in handling the media scrutiny per se. We’ll have him in our room. We’re going to spend a lot of time with him because he’s a very talented prospect.

"People have asked why he didn’t play so good in the Alabama game. I don’t know the answer to that, but I’m sure there will be a lot of questions thrown his way. But from the view of the overall big picture, he is a very talented football player."

A couple of minutes later, from @Gil_Brandt: "NFL VP of FB Comm Michael Signora says agent Tom Condon will speak to media on Saturday, same day as his client, Manti Te'o. #NFLCombine"

Presumably, Condon helping Te'o will go a bit better than Drew Rosenhaus "helping" Terrell Owens ...

3:12 p.m.: From the Akron Beacon-Journal's Nate Ulrich (@NateUlrichABJ): "Tennessee QB Tyler Bray said he met #Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, a major Tenn booster, once but doesn't really know him well."

Guaranteed that quote sparks some talk radio fodder.

3:10 p.m.: Ah, those clever Browns fans ... From @BrownsGirl19: "I think Pat Shurmur catfished Chip Kelly. He sent a picture of an innovative offense. #Browns #Eagles #NFL"

3 p.m.: Meet your late-round Cleveland Brown

Throughout the combine, we'll profile players who could be fits for the Browns in the final day of the draft -- much as Billy Winn and James-Michael Johnson found roles on the 2012 roster. Got someone you'd recommend? Tweet the name to @jturnerpd

Linebacker Kevin Reddick, North Carolina

2012 stats: 85 tackles, 49 solo, 18.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 6 passes def., 2 forced fumbles

Career: 275 tackles, 163 solo, 36.0 TFL, 8.5 sacks, 2 int., 18 pass def., 2 FF

From NFL.com: "As a senior ... North Carolina used him more extensively as a blitzer and put him on the edge more often (both as a stand-up linebacker and as a defensive end), very similarly to how Brandon Spikes’ role grew as a senior at Florida.

"Possesses the size and athleticism NFL scouts covet. ... He could start in the middle in the NFL as a thumper for a 3-4 team, or, if he proves he has the athleticism, could possibly be a candidate at strongside linebacker for some teams."

From CBSSports.com: "The biggest reason Reddick has been a faller this season is his questionable effort on the field, too often giving up on plays once engaged and going at half-speed if the play isn't run directly at him. He rarely leaves the field so some of it might be fatigue, but inconsistent urgency and motor is a large concern that will force NFL teams to think twice on draft day."

Projection: OK, so we're cheating a little bit here. Reddick is a possibility late in the third round, but as he could easily slide into the third day of the draft, he qualifies here.

2:51 p.m.: Chip Kelly, the Eagles' new head coach, is making the rounds. From @MaryKayCabot: "#eagles coach chip kelly said the report that he was close to signing with browns was "erroneous"

From @treedPD: "Kelly said he and Shurmur share philosophies on passing."

Insert your own jokes here.

2:24 p.m.: Branson Wright gets some video time with Ohio State lineman Reid Fragel.

2:02 p.m.: Mary Kay Cabot reports on Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland's comments about backup QB Matt Moore, an unrestricted free agent.

"I know that (Browns offensive coordinator) Norv (Turner) liked Matt coming out of Oregon State (in 2007),'' Ireland told The Plain Dealer. Moore is believed to be interested in testing the market, but Ireland hopes it doesn't get to that point.

"There's a lot of reasons why you want Matt back on your football team,'' Ireland said. "Matt's been an outstanding teammate, a good mentor for Ryan (Tannehill). There's a lot of things of why you would want him back on the football team. So again, like every other free agent we've talked about, there's a process in place, they're all great character guys. We have some tough decisions to make, but I wish I could have them all back.''

1:47 p.m.: How The Game Has Changed Dept. (and stop talking about PEDs), from former Dallas Cowboys GM Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt): "Some interesting notes coming from the combine today: Lightest OL was 299 lbs. That was Colorado OT David Bakhtiari."

1:45 p.m.: From NFL.com's Around The League blog (@NFL_ATL): "GM Colbert on the state of the Steelers: 'We're not a team in transition.'"

He was unknown entering the 2012 combine, and left pretty much the same way. But he earned his stardom on the field last fall. AP file  

1:36 p.m.: Beware the mighty workout wonders: By the end of the combine, a few million words will be offered as to which players have done the most good for themselves in Indy. They're the hot pockets of Mock Draft Universe -- seemingly tasty and filling, but ultimately lacking in substance and meaning.

Consider the 10 players from the 2012 combine who were selected by NFL.com as the most impressive -- guys who had boosted their stock. For a little perspective, we've divided them into three categories:

And they pay you for this? Named to the top 10 in 2012 were QBs Andrew Luck (third most impressive), Robert Griffin III (second), offensive tackle Matt Kalil (seventh) and nose tackle Dontari Poe (first). That these four were already first-round sure things before they opened the Lucus Oil Stadium gates makes their appearance on this list about as surprising as hearing that Peyton Manning is a strong candidate for first-round induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

They were quick risers, but so what? There was no player who received more breathless praise than Georgia Tech WR Stephen Hill (fourth). Faster than Mercury, dazzler in all things done without pads, Hill immediately became the big "sleeper" pick in the first round of every mock draft -- and the sparkly jewel that many Browns fans desperately wanted.

Except that ... the NFL wasn't as overwhelmed as the media/blogosphere. Hill was eventually the 11th pick in the second round -- no shame there -- to the New York Giants, where he contributed all of 21 receptions for three touchdowns in 11 games before injury ended his season. He may become a standout WR, but isn't one yet.

Other "unknowns" who made the top 10 included linebacker Mychal Kendricks (10th most impressive, a second-round choice of the Eagles who had 75 tackles as a rookie), linebacker Bruce Irvin (No. 9 on list, 17 tackles, eight sacks for Seattle, who took him 15th in the first round) and defensive back Josh Robinson (No. 6, plucked third in the third round by Minnesota, producing 53 tackles, two interceptions). Irvin flashes some big-play potential, but 17 tackles? The other two are contributors, but certainly not stars.

Much ado about ...: RB David Wilson (fifth) supposedly made a big impact at the combine, but he went in as a borderline first-round pick and was ... the last pick of the first round by the Giants. He gained 358 yards at nearly five yards a touch as a rookie, but remains a potential starter -- just as he was projected as a senior at Virginia Tech.

Florida RB Chris Rainey (eighth) wowed the scouts, we were told -- and all it got him was a late selection in the fifth round by the Steelers, where he gained 102 yards in 26 carries and was part of the inept Pittsburgh ground game when the Browns beat Charlie Batch last season.

The upshot of all this? For all the hand-wringing by critics that teams need to spend more time with game film and less on how a guy looks in the vertical jump, teams really do just that. Kalil, Griffin, Luck and Poe were first-round picks if they had gone into the witness protection plan after the end of their final college seasons. There are occasional diamonds in the rough spotted, but many combine stars end up 1) being drafted someplace other than in the primetime spotlight and/or 2) guys who have to fight hard just to keep a spot on the roster.

And then there's Alfred Morris (Redskins sixth-round pick, rushed for 1,613 yards), whose NFL.com grade (after participating in the 2012 combine) was 47.5. Which translates to this evaluation on the league's website: "A player with solid measurables, intangibles, college achievements, or a developing skill that warrants an opportunity in an NFL camp. In the right situation, he could earn a place on a 53-man roster, but most likely will be a practice squad player or a camp body."

Of Morris specifically, his pre-draft analysis stated "Morris is a thick running back and a bit of a tweener, not big enough to be imposing at the next level."

Enjoy the combine and the mocks, but take them seriously at your own peril.

1:07 p.m.: From the Columbus Dispatch's Bill Rabinowitz (@brdispatch): "(Ohio State OL) Reid Fragel just spoke with media at #NFLcombine. Weighed in at 308.6 lbs, height is 6-7 1/2. Frame, athleticism are main strengths."

From @treedPD: "#Buckeyes OL Reid Fragel said the #Browns are one of the teams he interviewed with Wednesday night."

12:52 p.m.: ESPN sports business analyst Andrew Brandt (@adbrandt) knows the lingo of the NFL front office executive: "(Vikings GM) Rick Spielman: 'We have no intent on trading Percy Harvin' Translation: 'When we receive the right offer, we'll have intent.'

12:29 p.m.: Another big name shies away from the combine's workouts. From ESPN's Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter): "Georgia LB Jarvis Jones, the top player on Mel Kiper's draft board, will not work out at combine and focus on Pro Day in Athens, Ga., March 21"

12:06 p.m.: From @MaryKayCabot: "#cardinals hc bruce Arians on the qb prospects: " I think there's a lot in this class that will be playing in this league for a long time"

12:04 p.m.: From @MoveTheSticks: "Travis Kelce (Cincinnati TE from Cleveland Heights) 6'4 7/8 255 lbs. 33 3/4 inch arms"

11:58 p.m.: Stanford TE Zach Ertz had 112 receptions and 15 TDs in three seasons with the Cardinal. He's considered a borderline first-round selection. But his medical exam today revealed -- horrors! -- that he has a reach of 31.75 inches, about 1.25 inches shorter than Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert, or about a third of the length of this line of type.

According to CBSSports.com, that's a big deal.

"Arm length can be significant at the tight end position. Longer-armed defenders might be able to get into Ertz's chest and drive him back or toss him on when he's asked to block. Theoretically, defenders playing tight against him might be able to reach from behind to knock away passes, though this wasn't a problem during Ertz's First Team All Pac-12 junior campaign, when he led Stanford with 69 catches in 2012 for 898 yards and six touchdowns."

11:50 a.m.: Interviews with various NFL officials coming fast and furious this morning. From @treedPD: "Bruce Arians (Twitter pic here) on #Browns DC Ray Horton: "(Cleveland) is getting a head coach in waiting. He's a bright star."

11:49 a.m.: CineSport's Noah Coslov sits down with former NFL Scout and National Football Post's Russ Lande to hear about his experiences covering the NFL Scouting Combine and how it's evolved over the years.

11:48 a.m.: From @MaryKayCabot: "#dolphins gm jeff Ireland says he'd love to keep backup qb matt Moore, who might be on #browns radar if free. Good mentor for tannehill."

11:31 a.m.: From Rotoword.com's Josh Norris (@JoshNorris): "Lots of Sean Renfree (Duke QB) love going around. Mort on Sportscenter, Peter King, Kiper. Don't expect him to workout due to torn pec."

Then again, the best Renfree comparison among recent NFL QBs -- according to NFL.com's rankings -- is Derek Anderson. Is that really a good thing?

11:06 a.m.: Mary Kay Cabot has this quote from 49ers GM Trent Baalke about trading QB Alex Smith, frequently linked to Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner.

"'I think that's part of it,' Baalke said. 'We're going to look at all options available. Are we going to trade him for sure? No, that hasn't been decided.'''

What Baalke really means? That releasing Smith would result in a $9.7 million salary cap hit this year, so drumming up interest in a trade is part of Baalke's job description right about now.

11 a.m.: This is the first in a series of snapshots of NFL prospects with Ohio ties. We'll have a different Buckeye State talent featured every morning during the combine.

Ohio draft prospects: Miami (OH) QB Zac Dysert

2012 season: 302-for-480, 3,483 yards, 62.9 percent, 7.26 yards per attempt, 25 TD, 12 int.

Career: 1,066-for-1,672, 12,013 yards, 63.8 percent, 7.2 ypa, 73 TDs, 51 int.

From NFL.com: "Over his four years starting, Dysert ended up breaking (Ben) Roethlisberger’s school career passing attempts, completions, and yardage records. So it’s natural for teams to watch him closely in the hopes his skill set will translate similarly to Roethlisberger’s (even if he doesn’t quite possess Roethlisberger’s arm strength or bulk) at the next level."

Dysert isn't at the combine after injuring a hamstring last week while prepping for Indianapolis. He needs to overcome a lackluster showing at the Senior Bowl at his pro day next month.

From former Browns GM Phil Savage, who reviewed the QBs at the Senior Bowl: "He never looked at ease with his reads or feet, and the ball sailed too much on him when he tried to drive it outside. Zac took a step forward in Thursday's two-minute drill and that carried over into the game when he guided the North to a late TD. He is an interesting prospect that probably fits as more of a developmental QB than potential starter at this time."

From Rotoworld.com, which marvels at Dysert's physical gifts, including the ability to throw across his body: "Overall, he’s a developmental quarterback. These types of quarterbacks usually have a late round label attached to their name, suggesting they're lacking in talent. However, Dysert isn’t – he simply needs to go to a team with continuity in its coaching staff and that could teach him the fundamentals of the position."

Projection: Between third and fifth rounds.

10:57 a.m.: From @treedPD: "(Former Colts GM) Bill Polian on Brandon Weeden: 'He was not in the category of the other four (rookie QBs). But those four represented a once in a generation class. ... I wouldn't say he was a bust by any means. He looked like a rookie QB who struggled at times & at times did good things."

The four QBs that Polian refers to, of course, are Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill and Russell Wilson. To which Bill Livingston (@LivyPD) responds: "Then why did Wilson go 3rd round if Polian and everybody thought so highly of him?"

10:33 a.m.: Back to our previously scheduled combine updates. From @treedPD: "Niners GM says he has met with Alex Smith and his wife. Calls him a "pro's pro." Said no decision has been made whether to trade him."

10:32 a.m.: The PD's morning update from the combine.

10:30 a.m.: Unrelated to the combine -- but hey, it's Tim Tebow news! -- the Jets reserve QB has gone to Twitter to announce he has pulled out of a scheduled April appearance with controversial Dallas minister Robert Jeffress, a couple of days after CBSSports.com's Gregg Doyel wrote a column on Jeffress's public statements about gays, Catholics, Mormons, Jews and several other topics.

"While I was looking forward to sharing a message of hope and Christ's unconditional love with the faithful members of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas in April, due to new information that has been brought to my attention, I have decided to cancel my upcoming appearance," Tebow Tweeted this morning. "I will continue to use the platform God has blessed me with to bring Faith, Hope and Love to all those needing a brighter day. Thank you for all of your love and support. God Bless!"

10:22 a.m.: From Tom Reed (@treedPD): "Bears coach Marc Trestman, who interviewed with #Browns, says he must catch up on NFL personnel after 5 yrs in CFL. pic.twitter.com/jwB03uPlEu"

Hmmm, Bears fans must wonder if he thinks Rex Grossman is still somewhere in the Soldier Field locker room.

10:13 a.m.: Browns coach Rob Chudzinski and Joe Banner are expected to have press conferences in Indianapolis over the next four days. There isn't any word, as yet, on the availability of personnel director Mike Lombardi, who is presumably pondering every medical report and preparing incisive interview questions.

He had better, says Bud Shaw.

"Think of it as the first day of the rest of Mike Lombardi's Cleveland legacy. What's different this time -- and from many of his other career stops, too -- is his name will be directly attached to the picks made in the April draft and all personnel acquisitions to come. The good, the bad, the ugly. It's on him in this roundup."

10:06 a.m.: Apparently Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker, who tipped the scales prior to the BCS title game at 355 pounds, is taking the combine seriously. He was weighed at 339 this morning, reports Pro Football Talk.

"Losing 16 pounds in a month isn’t physically possible for a lot of people and probably isn’t healthy even for most overweight people, but if NFL coaches and scouts were telling Fluker at the Senior Bowl that they’d like him to slim down, they have to be impressed that he took that advice to heart."

10 a.m.: Today, the interviews and medical examinations target tight ends, offensive linemen and special teamers (primarily punters and kickers). Not surprisingly, we're now getting reports of until-now undisclosed injuries and operations for various prospects.

The latest is for Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner, who will have surgery to repair a torn shoulder labrum -- not considered particularly troublesome for NFL teams who will still get a full combine's worth of workouts from the Crimson Tide's standout defensive back.

""The doctors have informed us that he will be 100 percent and fully recovered in time for training camp in July," Tony Fleming, one of Milliner's agents, told ESPN's Adam Schefter. "We will be providing all NFL clubs information prior to surgery and updates close to the draft."

Meanwhile, Twitter is a fun place to get random pieces of NFL news, such as this by NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah (@movethesticks), a former scout for the Browns, on the measureables of Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher, a presumed high first-round choice in April: "Central Michigan OT Eric Fisher 6'7 1/4 306 lbs. Arm length 34 1/2. #NFLCombine"

Ah, the wonders of a few hundred media toiling away inside a largely empty football stadium in February...

To whet your appetite, here's Sports Illustrated's Andrew Perloff (McLovin to you Dan Patrick fans) on the combine's key storylines.

CANTON, Ohio - The best usually rise to the top and that's exactly what happened during the Division I swimming preliminaries Friday morning at the C.T. Branin Natatorium. Northeast Ohio boys cranked out top times in five of the eight individual events and two of the three relays during their qualifying heats. The yearlong duel between St. Ignatius senior Derek...

The yearlong competition between Hudson sophomore Ross Palazzo, pictured, and St. Ignatius senior Derek Hren continued Friday in Canton at the Division I state swimming preliminaries in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke. They will square off for the final time as high school competitors Saturday in the finals.

CANTON, Ohio - The best usually rise to the top and that's exactly what happened during the Division I swimming preliminaries Friday morning at the C.T. Branin Natatorium.

Northeast Ohio boys cranked out top times in five of the eight individual events and two of the three relays during their qualifying heats. The yearlong duel between St. Ignatius senior Derek Hren and Hudson sophomore Ross Palazzo continued to fire away.

It will reach its conclusion Saturday in both the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 breastroke. Both gave notice it will be a fight to the finish.

"It's been building up the whole year and it's going to great races," said Palazzo, who establish top times in both events. "All I wanted to do was get a good seed. I've trained hard and tapered down where this is where my focus was."

Palazzo clocked a 1:49.26 in the IM, Hren going in 1:50.98 for the fourth seed. In between were defending champion Josh Brooks from Centerville (1:49.93) and Ian Reardon from Upper Arlington (1:50.79).

The breaststroke came down to Palazzo at 54.99 and Hren at 55.58.

"Being it's morning, I was a little tired," said Hren, who was second in both events a year ago. "Each single race is a new meet. You take it as it goes and you race until you hit that wall."

Both Hren and Palazzo did the breastroke as the Wildcats had the top time in the medley relay, with the Explorers seeded fifth. Solon will start sixth.

With Hren anchoring, the Wildcats also won the finishing 400 free relay. Mayfield, with 200 and 500 free qualifier Zack Milenius, will start fourth and Strongsville seventh in that event.

St. Ignatius and Hudson will earn points in the 200 free relay as well, the Wildcats fourth and Palazzo helping Hudson take sixth. Mayfield will start fifth in the relay.

Fifth in the team standings last year, St. Ignatius can look for another good finish with 50 free qualifiers Nathan Christian and Charlie Pophal, along with butterfly entrant Peter Simcox.

Firestone senior Mark Belanger clocked top times in the 200 and 100 free, with rival Andrew Appleby from Cuyahoga Falls second in the 100 and the top qualifier in the backstroke. Solon senior Ryan Carson got fifth and St. Edward sophomore Kyle Shurmur sixth in the backstroke.

Firestone senior Katie Miller had the lone top time among Northeast Ohio girls, setting the Division I record in the IM with a 1:58.12. The mark had stood since 2001.

Miller, second a year ago in the backstroke, had the second-best time (54.51) in that event as defending champion Emily Slabe of Cincinnati Ursuline set a meet record with a 53.74.

Walsh Jesuit senior Danielle Margheret also earned a No. 2 seed with a 1:03.38 in the breaststroke, junior Taylor Vargo from Sandusky going 1:03.23. Margheret finished second a year ago and was the Division II titlist in 2011.

In her first state meet, Walsh Jesuit freshman Lauren Heller made it to the championship round with a third in the 200 free and a fourth in the 100 free. Euclid junior Sam Lisy will start fourth in the IM and eighth in the butterfly.

Copley sophomore Madison Myers will start fourth in both the 200 free and backstroke. Hudson junior Paige Kelly broke five minutes for the first time with a 4:57.99 to go fourth in the 500 free and also an eighth in the 200 free.

Hudson will also get two starts from senior Laura Murphy, who was eighth in the IM and sixth in the breastroke. Strongsville will send out junior Gabi D'Abato, seventh in the 100 free, and junior Molly Washko, fourth in the breaststroke.

With D'Abato and Washko, Strongsville got second in the 200 free relay.