State Sports Briefs

FOOTBALL

Hogs' Johnson in transfer portal

University of Arkansas punter Blake Johnson has entered the NCAA transfer portal and is not expected to return to the Razorbacks.

Johnson lost the starting job to freshman Reid Bauer last season after averaging 30.4 yards on seven punts in two games. Johnson, from Long Beach (Calif.) Los Alamitos High, averaged 38.6 yards per punt as a sophomore in 2017 to rank 101st out of 107 punters in the FBS.

Johnson is the seventh Razorback to make plans to transfer since Arkansas wrapped up a 2-10 season.

BASEBALL

3 Hogs named to Baseball America's AA team

Matt Cronin, Dominic Fletcher and Heston Kjerstad of the University of Arkansas were named to Baseball America's preseason All-America team.

Cronin earned first-team honors as a pitcher after saving 14 games and striking out 59 batters a year ago for the Razorbacks, who advanced to the finals of the College World Series.

Fletcher, an outfielder, hit .288 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI a year ago. Kjerstad played in all 69 games and hit .332 with 14 home runs and 58 RBI.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Lyon's French named player of the week

Lyon College senior center Samantha French was named American Midwest Conference player of the week Monday.

This is the second time French was named player of the week, both times this season.

She had 25 points and 10 rebounds in a 65-56 victory over Feed-Hardeman, and 16 points and 8 rebounds against Park. She shot 15 of 25 from the floor and 11 of 12 from the foul line combined.

CROSS COUNTRY

Rogers' Nachtigal wins Gatorade award

Ali Nachtigal of Rogers was named Gatorade Arkansas Cross Country Runner of the Year on Monday.

Nachtigal, a sophomore, repeated as Class 6A state champion this past season with a time of 19 minutes, 26.4 seconds, leading the Lady Mounties to a state runner-up finish.

She finished eighth at the Missouri Southern Stampede and 14th at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival.

Sports on 01/29/2019

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