LOCAL

LOCAL
Area speed skatersup for a challenge
BOARDMAN -- The Australian speed skating champion will make an appearance at the Ice Zone Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
Emily Rosemond will race against the best skaters from Boardman, Canfield, Poland, Mooney, Ursuline, Youngstown State University and the Phantom Rockets.
The performance will occur between periods of the Phantom Rockets match against Traverse City.
The Ice Zone, on McClurg Road, has tickets available ($6 reserved, $4 students).
Rosemond won the Southern Star Junior Sports Award for her speed on ice.
She competed at the World Cup meet in Chuncheon, South Korea, and Beijing, China, against 25 of the top speed ice skaters in the world.
Rosemond was the only female selected to the Australian team at the competition.
She began as an in-line skater at age 7 and represented Australia in that discipline in a meet in Chicago.
Later, Rosemond progressed to ice skating and flew to practices in Brisbane, doing homework on the plane.
After she and her family moved, Rosemond began practicing at Iceworld, Acacia Ridge under coach Ann Zhang, a gold medalist on the Chinese Winter Olympic team.
When she competed at the Friesland Cup in the Netherlands, Rosemond won the bronze medal in the 500-meters in the 15-17 age group, placing fourth overall.
At age 16, her best time in the 500-meter race is 38.12.
Matt Walkeron all-star team
BEREA -- Matt Walker, a cornerback and punt returner for Baldwin-Wallace College from Springfield High, was selected to the Verizon Academic All-District IV College Division football team. He made the third-team defense.
Walker set a school record with 35 punt returns this season, for a 9.1-yard average. At cornerback, he had 21 tackles and ranked second on the team with three interceptions. He also broke up four passes.
Walker, the son of Tom and Wendy Walker of New Middletown, holds a 3.59 grade-point average in education.
Prep time change
HANOVERTON -- To accommodate fans wanting to watch the Fiesta Bowl, the United-Columbiana boys basketball games slated for Jan. 3 will tip off at 5 p.m. with the junior varsity game, followed by the varsity.
Correction
AUSTINTOWN -- Pat Passewitz, a junior at Austintown Fitch High, was omitted from the 2002 All-Steel Valley Conference boys soccer team list in Wednesday's edition.
REGION
MUC has twoplayers of year
COLUMBUS -- Running back Dan Pugh and defensive back Chris Kern of Mount Union College were named 2002 Don Hansen's Football Gazette NCAA Division III North Region offensive and defensive players of the year.
Pugh was a first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection and the OAC's Mike Gregory award winner as its top offensive back. A finalist for the Gagliardi Award, Pugh set OAC and school records for rushing touchdowns.
Kern, an All-OAC first team pick defensive back, earned the Lee Tressel Award as the league's top defensive back for a second straight year.
Senior linebacker Stan Watson, an Austintown Fitch High graduate, and Matt Campbell were first-team choices on defense.
Indians securetop run producer
CLEVELAND -- Outfielder Karim Garcia signed a $900,000, one-year contract with the Cleveland Indians on Friday, avoiding salary arbitration.
The left-handed Garcia was baseball's top run producer in the final two months of last season, driving in a major league-best 52 runs after he was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Aug. 6.
In his first chance to play every day, the 27-year-old Garcia batted .299 (59-for-197) with 16 home runs in the final 51 games of the 2002 season. He could replace Jim Thome as Cleveland's cleanup hitter.
Pirates sign pitcher
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Reliever Al Reyes and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed Friday to a one-year contract that would pay him $450,000 if he is in the major leagues and $115,000 if he is in the minors.
Reyes, a 31-year-old right-hander, joined the Pirates on Aug. 17 and was 0-0 with a 2.65 in 17 innings over 15 games. He was 7-3 with one save and a 2.70 ERA in 43 games at Triple-A Nashville.
Philly joining PIAA
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia School District and the PIAA officially made their ensuing union public Friday, with both sides saying the move will mean good things to come.
During a news conference at William Penn High School, both school officials and the PIAA applauded the district's sudden decision to join the league.
WORLD
Attempt creates scare in Greece
ATHENS, Greece -- A top adviser stressed that Olympic security will be visible but not intrusive, an assessment made before an assassination attempt Friday on Athens' mayor-elect.
Vindicator staff/wire reports