Local roundup: Conn's LeDuc finishes fourth in nation

Claremont, Calif. - Connecticut College sophomore Mike LeDuc posted a school-record time of 8:59.54 en route to a fourth-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday.

LeDuc beat his previous school mark of 9:01.83, set last weekend at the ECAC Championship meet. He earned All-America honors for the second straight year after placing sixth in 2011.

"This is a tremendous accomplishment for Mike," Conn coach Ned Bishop said.

"It's been a terrific season for Mike and this was the perfect way for him to close out what's been a great year for our entire track and field program."

In the same race, Coast Guard Academy senior Trevor Siperek also earned All-America honors by placing sixth in 9:01.53 in his final race.

Coast Guard's other entrant, sophomore Adam Scalesse, also earned All-America honors by placing eighth in the 110 high hurdles in 15.15 seconds. Scalesse appeared to be bumped by one runner while another kicked over his first hurdle, but no call was made and he couldn't recover.

College rowing

• Coast Guard's women's varsity 8 easily won the Petite Final at the NCAA Division III Rowing Championships at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J., as six seniors went out with a win in the final race of their careers.

Coast Guard posted a time of 6 minutes, 50.90 seconds to beat Puget Sound (7:03.33). The Bears took a lead in the first 250 meters, led by open water just 500 meters in and increased their lead throughout.

The Bears, who placed second at the NEWMAC Championships for the second straight season, were making their first NCAA Championship appearance since 2008.

The varsity eight consists of six seniors; coxswain Julianna Harvin, Sarah Jane Otey, Holly Madden, Tiffany Zehnle, Erin Nolan and Kelli Normoyle along with juniors Jess Ward and Catherine Schmitz and freshman Brynna Cooke.

H.S. softball

• Freshman Emily Arico was 3-for-4 with a run scored as No. 32 NFA beat No. 33 McMahon on Norwalk 5-3 in a qualifying round game in the CIAC Class LL tournament.

Emily DeVito had a run-scoring triple for NFA (9-12), which plays at No. 1 Southington in a first-round game Tuesday. Samantha DeVito allowed one earned run over four innings for the win and Megan Weir pitched one-hit ball over the final three innings for a save.

• Old Saybrook lost to No. 2 Haddam-Killingworth 10-2 in the semifinals of the Shoreline Conference tournament. Mary Kate Morrison was 3-for-4 witn a run scored and Alexis Trabucchi had two hits for No. 6 Old Saybrook (11-11). Kelsey Root and Laura MacLeod drove in runs for Old Saybrook, which plays at Canton Tuesday in the first round of the CIAC Class S tournament.

Men's basketball

• UConn will meet Wake Forest in the opening round of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. The Huskies will play the Demon Deacons on Friday, Nov. 16, at 6:30 p.m. They are on the same side of the bracket with Iona and Quinnipiac, while George Mason plays Mercer and New Mexico meets Illinois-Chicago on the other side of the bracket.