YSU
YSU
Football playershonored by Gateway
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Four members of the Youngstown State University football team were named to the 2001 Gateway Football Conference's Academic All-Conference team.
Linebacker Mike Thomas was named to the first team with a 3.76 grade point average in finance.
Cornerback Antulio Aroche was selected to the second-team with a 3.33 GPA in pre-med/biology.
Senior linebacker Bob Sivik and senior center Dave Tesniarz were named on the honorable-mention list.
LOCAL
Boardman's Valloschooses W. Forest
BOARDMAN -- Senior offensive tackle Steve Vallos of Boardman High School has made a verbal commitment to Wake Forest University.
Vallos was a three-year starter for the Spartans and a first-team Steel Valley Conference, first-team Division I district and special mention All-State selection.
He also qualified for state last year in wrestling and also for state in track in the discus throw.
Farrell's Davisexcels at Thiel
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- Thiel College defensive back Kenard Davis of Farrell has been named to the Football Gazette All-South Regional defense first team.
Davis, who was also named to the Presidents' Athletic Conference defensive first team, finished the regular season tied for most interceptions in the National Collegiate Athletic Association with nine.
He also had 220 return yards, including an 85-yard return for a touchdown, in the Tomcats' 50-35 victory over Kenyon College on Nov. 3.
Policy donates ballfor team's raffle
BOARDMAN -- Carmen Policy, part owner and president of the Cleveland Browns, donated a game ball to the Mooney-Ursuline hockey club team to be raffled off Feb. 3.
The ball is signed by Tim Couch, Courtney Brown and Gerard Warren.
Tickets for the raffle are $1 each or six for $5 and can be purchased from 7:30-9 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays at the Ice Zone, on McClurg Road in Boardman.
Howland teamis bocce champion
HOWLAND -- Senior Mathew Jefferson and sophomore David Monroe were declared the Tiger two-man fall Howland High Bocce League champions.
Jefferson and Monroe posted an 8-2 record for the 2001 season.
Umpires associationholds banquet
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning Valley Umpires' Association held its banquet recently and honored the national softball association 12-and-under champion Valley Sting Purple, coached by Dave Patton.
Awards given during the banquet went to Archie Tamburino (hall of fame), Tony Montana (rookie of year), Ken Swanson (most promising) and Jim Tuminello (umpire of the year).
Umpires who worked national tournaments were Pat Gaia, Ed Moore, Jay Donatelli, Loren Donatelli, Dave Matz and Ron Bunofsky.
Guests were John Deluca and Skip Dearduff of the N.S.A.
Moore in runningfor Div. III award
ALLIANCE -- Mount Union College senior running back Chuck Moore has been named one of three finalists for the Melberger Award in recognition of the Division III football player of the year.
Moore, the only Purple Raider running back to rush for over 1,000 yards in three separate seasons, has gained 1,843 yards in 238 attempts, an average 7.7 yards per carry, and has scored 29 touchdowns this season.
He finished the regular season as the 11th all-time leading scorer in college football history. He holds numerous school, Ohio Athletic Conference and NCAA records, including the Division III mark for scoring in 25 consecutive games.
NATION
Contraction issurprise to players
IRVING, Texas -- Major League Baseball players expected to negotiate a new labor contract during the off-season. They just never thought the elimination of teams would be an issue.
"All of the discussions we had about it previously were just that it was something they had maybe talked about it, and it was nothing really that was serious," said Texas pitcher Rick Helling, the AL player representative. "It took all of us by surprise."
At the same hotel where the players' association executive board began its annual meeting Tuesday, an arbitrator heard the first testimony in the union's grievance against the plan to fold two teams before next season.
Heisman finalistsare named
NEW YORK -- Quarterbacks Ken Dorsey, Joey Harrington, Eric Crouch and Rex Grossman were picked as finalists for the Heisman Trophy.
A fifth player could be invited later this week to the ceremony in New York on Saturday night.
Cordova signswith Baltimore
BALTIMORE -- Free agent outfielder Marty Cordova and the Orioles agreed to a $9.1 million, three-year contract, helping Baltimore fill a void created by the release of Brady Anderson.
Cordova, the 1995 AL Rookie of the Year, hit .301 with 20 homers and 69 RBIs in 122 games for Cleveland last season. His 22-game hitting streak was the second longest in the American League.
Vindicator staff/wire reports