Former Gannon coach Jerry Slocum completed his second consecutive winning season at Youngstown State at 17-15 following the Penguins’ elimination in the Horizon League playoffs. YSU received a bid to the CTI tournament, and defeated Oakland 99-87 before losing in overtime at home to Canisius 84-82, surrendering a 22-point lead early  in the second half.

The 18-16 record was the best since the 1990s, and YSU did not have a winning season for 11 seasons until going 16-15 in 2011-12. The CTI tournament was the first postseason action for the Penguins since 1977. The 61-year-old is 92-152 at Youngstown.

Slocum came to YSU in 2005 after coaching Gannon for nine seasons (179-86, the last six clubs making the NCAA Division II tournament. He previously was a successful coach at Geneva College and Nyack. He  has a record of 673-476 in 38 seasons.

Former Mercyhurst Prep star Josh Chojnacki was a reserve junior center with the club, seeing limited playing time.

Assistant coaches Mike Wernicki and Brian  DePaoli are from Erie.

– Bob Jarzomski

McDowell running back/outside linebacker James Conner signs his National Letter of Intent with Pitt Wednesday at McDowell's library. MATT MEAD/Erie Times-News

Today is National Letter of Intent Day, and many area football players and other athletes are set to sign with Division I and Division II schools or commit to program at other levels.

The Erie Times-News took a look at the area football players expected to sign today. Read a short bio on each player. Here’s the list:

Football
Damion Terry, Cathedral Prep – Michigan State
Delton Williams, Cathedral Prep – Michigan State
John Chereson, Cathedral Prep – Notre Dame (walk-on)
Erik Swanson, Cathedral Prep – Pennsylvania
Jake Plonski, Cathedral Prep – Mercyhurst
Nick Dubowski, Cathedral Prep – Indiana (Pa.)
Brendan Klemensic, Cathedral Prep – Gannon
James Conner, McDowell – Pittsburgh
Sean Gallagher, McDowell – Edinboro
Riley Dunbar, McDowell – Mercyhurst
DeShawn Coleman, Hickory – West Virginia
Dionte Pope, Hickory – Edinboro
Artrel Foster, Meadville – Temple
Quinn Thompson, General McLane – Connecticut
Aidan Graham, General McLane – Clarion
Nathan O’Brien, Eisenhower – Lock Haven
Aaron Lundmark, Eisenhower – Grove City
Logan Rickert, Reynolds – IUP

——————–

Following are the athletes from other sports who plan to sign today. Read a short bio on each athlete.

Baseball
Eli Flynn, Cathedral Prep – Concord College (W.Va.)
Scott Hess, Cathedral Prep – Indiana (Pa.)

Cross country
Ethan Louis, Cathedral Prep – Dayton
Austin Pondel, Corry – Penn State
Hunter Johnston, Saegertown – Dayton

Soccer
Cory Kuzilla, Harbor Creek – California (Pa.)
Olivia Augustyniak, Mercyhurst Prep – Duquesne
Sarah Kaiser, Mercyhurst Prep – Cleveland State

Track and field
Jaynee Corbett, Corry – Youngstown State

Volleyball
Maria Peluso, Fort LeBoeuf – Shippensburg

Wrestling
Evan Daley, Fort LeBoeuf – Clarion

Water polo
Michael Squeglia, Cathedral Prep – Gannon

Note: Coaches are encouraged to notify the Times-News if an athlete plans to commit to a college.

Left guard Rob Stoner has 45 career starts at Edinboro./Photo by Christopher Millette/Erie Times-News

In a continuing series of Q&As with local players who are playing area college football, Duane Rankin caught up with Edinboro senior left guard Rob Stoner to talk about several topics.

A General McLane graduate, Stoner has returned from a season-ending back injury in the 2010 opener to start every game this season. The 6-foot, 2-inch, 295-pound graduate student leads the Scots in career starts with 45.

A 2009 first-team All-PSAC West selection, Stoner will try to help the Scots (7-2, 4-2) end a six-game losing skid against No. 22-ranked California (Pa.) in Saturday’s PSAC West finale at Adamson Stadium. The Vulcans (7-2, 5-1) last lost to Edinboro in 2004.

Talking to Stoner this week at Edinboro, Rankin and him talked about last week’s Senior Day, being a veteran on the offensive line and facing Cal.

How has this season been for you coming back from the injury? “It’s been great. We’ve had our ups and downs as every team does, but overall, it’s a great group of guys. Every day, I come out and have fun and I think the team overall has fun, too. Couldn’t be happier.”

What was Senior Day like for you? (Last week, Edinboro had its Senior Day. The Scots won, 42-7, against Lock Haven) “It was different. Having mom and dad out there. Talking to them a little bit and told them I thought it was weird. It’s kind of winding down here with my career. It was a different feeling. Mixed emotions. It’s been great, but I’m going to miss it. It was something different.”

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Former Gannon coach and current Youngstown State coach Jerry Slocum recently met with reporters on the Penguins’ annual men’s basketball media day.