LOCAL

LOCAL
Boardman High girlsgolf coach resigns
BOARDMAN -- Gary Konya, Boardman High girls golf coach has resigned. He had coached in the Boardman system for 21 seasons, 17 of those as a head coach.
He finished with an overall record of 490 wins and 130 losses. His varsity record was 415 wins and 78 losses.
Every varsity team he coached was a league champion and 16 out of 17 seasons were winning seasons.
In 1980, the Boardman High softball team won its first game ever via a no-hitter and the Spartans went undefeated (18-0) in the regular season. He was softball coach two years.
The golf teams coach Konya was associated with made five trips to the state tournament.
Konya has 31 years in the system. He will continue to teach science at Boardman where he is the assistant junior class advisor.
PENNSYLVANIA
Mercer Park holdsSprint Slug-Out
MERCER, Pa. -- Mercer Raceway Park will hold the "Sprint Slug-Out" Saturday night, presented by Texas Roadhouse. The event will include the Luxaire Heating & amp; Cooling Sprint Cars, Campbell-Peterson Trail & amp; Turf Big-Block Modifieds, New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds, and the Butterfield's Pub Stock Cars. The event will spotlighted by a 30-lap Sprint Car feature.
Gates open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps are at 6:15 p.m. Racing begins at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $15. The family pass is $33. Students 6-15 are $7. Children five and under are free. Pit passes are $30.
W & amp;J tabbedas league's best
GROVE CITY, Pa. -- Washington & amp; Jefferson's football team is the preseason pick to win the Presidents Athletic Conference title.
The defending league champion received 143 votes from coaches, SIDs and the media. Westminster College was chosen second (108), with Thiel College a close third (103).
NATION
Baseball deniesRose report
NEW YORK -- Major league baseball denied an Internet report that it had reached an agreement with Pete Rose to allow the career hits leader to return to the sport next year.
Citing unidentified sources, Baseball Prospectus reported that the agreement includes no admission of wrongdoing by Rose, who was banned from the game in August 1989 for gambling. The report said Rose could be employed by a team in 2004 and would be allowed to manage again in 2005.
Bob DuPuy, baseball's president and chief operating officer, said commissioner Bud Selig has made no decision regarding Rose's application for reinstatement, first filed in 1997.
Portland's Saboniswill not return
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland Trail Blazers center Arvydas Sabonis will not return to the NBA next season, his agent said.
The 7-foot-3 center told his agent, Chicago-based Herb Rudoy, he was retiring to spend more time with his family in Lithuania.
Hewitt loses cool, match
MASON -- Lleyton Hewitt lost his composure and his first-round match in the Cincinnati Masters, falling to Xavier Malisse 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
The Australian grew angry at himself and swiped his racket in frustration as Malisse took control early in the third set and held on for his first victory over a top-10 player this year.
Wimbledon champion Roger Federer narrowly avoided a first-round upset, saving seven match points before beating Scott Draper.
Also advancing were second-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero, No. 7 Andy Roddick and No. 8 Rainer Schuettler. Among the losers were No. 9 Paradorn Srichaphan, No. 10 Sebastien Grosjean and No. 14 Gustavo Kuerten.
Vindication retires
SUMMERFIELD, Fla. -- Vindication, the undefeated 2-year-old champion, was retired after trainer Bob Baffert determined the colt wouldn't be ready for the Breeders' Cup Classic in two months.
U.S. sprinterfails drug test
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- The United States lost two gold medals at the Pan American Games after sprinter Mickey Grimes failed a doping test.
Grimes was found to have excessive levels of ephedrine, a banned stimulant.
Vindicator staff/wire reports