YSU

YSU
Santore leadsPenguins' win
NILES -- Youngstown State University sophomore Frank Santore (2-1) fanned nine batters and allowed just one hit in five innings to lead the Penguins to a 5-0 shutout over Bethany Wednesday at Cafaro Field.
Bethany dropped to 0-8, including four consecutive shutouts.
Youngstown (5-6) used three other pitchers to seal the victory as Jonathon Smart tossed two innings with five strikeouts. Mike Hosterman and Mike Abdalla threw the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. The Penguin pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts.
Freshman Kyle Smith's sacrifice fly scored Jim Lipinski for the game's first run after Lipinski singled, moved to second on Clint Ford's sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on an error.
In the bottom of the fourth, Bethany pitchers struggled as they walked four, hit a batter and gave up four runs without a hit.
Schnitkey,Michaelis honored
YOUNGSTOWN -- Emily Schnitkey and Kurt Michaelis of Youngstown State University have been named Horizon League track and field athletes of the week.
Schnitkey placed fifth in the 1500-meter run in 4 minutes, 49.56 seconds at the Florida State University Snow Bird Invitational. She was sixth in the 5000 run (18:16).
Michaelis placed third in the men's 5000 run in 14 minutes, 59 seconds.
AREA
Track meetingis moved
BOARDMAN -- The Greater Youngstown Track Officials Association rules interpretation meeting set for March 28 has been switched to Boardman High School.
The final meeting slated April 4 has been switched to Salem High.
The GYTOA will hold a meeting Sunday at 2 p.m. at Fitch High Stadium.
Tresey hiredat Akron
AKRON -- Joe Tresey, defensive backs coach at Virginia Military Institute and Warren native, has been appointed defensive coordinator and defensive back coach at the University of Akron.
A 1982 Ohio State graduate, Tresey served as defensive corordinator at Otterbein College for four seasons (1995-98).
Wilder honored
NEW WILMINGTON -- Kevin Wilder, a junior sprinter for the Thiel College track team from East High, has been named the Presidents' Athletic Conference Men's Track & amp; Field Athlete of the Week.
Wilder gained the recognition for his performance at the Washington & amp; Lee Invitational last weekend. He placed seventh in the 100-meter dash in 11.52 seconds, and ran anchor on Thiel's 4x100-meter relay team, which finished sixth.
Libby Hauser, a freshman javelin and discus thrower for the Thiel women's track team from Reynolds High, was named the PAC Women's Track & amp; Field Athlete of the Week.
Hauser, from Greenville, set a meet record in winning the javelin with a throw of 129 feet, 1/2-inch, which qualified her provisionally for the NCAA Division III national meet. She also was seventh in the discus.
REGION
NHL increasesfan warnings
COLUMBUS -- The NHL is taking more steps to warn fans of hazards after the death of a 13-year-old girl hit by a hockey puck.
Brittanie Cecil died two days after a deflected slap shot struck her at a Columbus Blue Jackets game, raising questions about the responsibilities of teams and arenas to protect fans. It was the first such fatality in league history.
NATION
NFL confidentTV is flexible
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The NFL did one of the things it does best at the owners meetings this week: procrastinate.
Among the topics discussed, then tabled, were changes to the controversial tuck rule, placing an outdoor Super Bowl in a northern city, and exercising an option to buy 49.9 percent of Arena Football.
Another issue raised by commissioner Paul Tagliabue that will require much further discussion was switching late-season Sunday afternoon games to Monday night to boost ABC's ratings for the league's prime time showcase.
Tagliabue said Wednesday as the meetings concluded that he would conduct talks with CBS, Fox and ABC "very shortly about concepts applying to specific proposed schedules."
WORLD
Russians lead
NAGANO, Japan -- Russians Irina Lobacheva and Ilya Averbukh led ice dancing after the original session today at the World Figure Skating Championships.
The Olympic silver medalists had the top marks in the section where all the couples do a routine to a Spanish medley. The original dance counts 30 percent of the total score after the compulsories, which were 20 per cent. The final free dance is Friday.
Second were Canadians Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz. The Olympic fourth-place finishers are in contention after the Olympic gold and bronze medalists decided to skip this competition.
Third were Lithuanians Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas.
Staff/wire reports