YSU

YSU
Volleyball
YOUNGSTOWN -- Andrea Jackson, a part-time assistant coach for the past 11 seasons, has been named a full-time assistant by coach Joe Conroy.
Jackson's responsibilities include recruiting, player development, match strategy, and an enhanced role in practice management.
Since Jackson joined the Youngstown State volleyball coaching staff in 1992, the Penguins have seen 19 players earn all-conference honors, a conference player of the year, a conference newcomer of the year, three all-newcomer team selections and collected more than 160 victories.
A native of Farrell, Pa., Jackson played two seasons at Cincinnati before transferring to Central Florida.
At Central Florida, she was named captain and earned first-team all-conference honors during the 1981 and 1982 seasons.
While at UC, Jackson was a two-time first-team all-conference performer, named team captain in 1979, and was selected to play in the Pacific Rim Championships.
In 1980, she was selected to play for the U.S. Olympic Volleyball team and trained at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jackson has also coached at the Junior Olympic level and at various volleyball summer camps.
LOCAL
Xtreme cars at Sharon
HARTFORD - The country's best dirt late model racers will put on a show at Sharon Speedway Wednesday night when the Xtreme DirtCar series visits the Hartford track as part of the 2003 Xtreme Ohio Speedweek.
Xtreme Ohio Speedweek is sanctioned by the Xtreme DirtCar Series, a national dirt Late Model sanctioning body based in North Carolina.
Ticket prices range from $14 to $27. Gates open at 4 p.m. on Wednesday with hot laps beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Gene Cheredarinducted to hall
CHAMPION -- Gene Cheredar, softball coach for 29 years, was inducted into the Coaches State Hall of Fame by the Ohio High School Fast-Pitch Softball Coaches Association.
A graduate of Champion High and retiree from WCI Steel, Cheredar's coaching began for the Champion Hot Stove in 1974.
He then started one of the area's first ASA traveling teams, the Blue Angels 13-15-year-olds.
He was coach at Champion from 1988-94 and a volunteer in 1995.
Cheredar served two years at Niles as varsity assistant, then went to Mineral Ridge as coach in 1998 to present and has compiled a 242-90 record in 14 years.
Alexandra Rathburnplaces in two events
BERLIN CENTER -- Alexandra Rathburn, 14, placed fifth in the Youth Girls shot put and seventh in the discus throw at the USATF Youth Athletics National championships at the University of Buffalo, New York.
Rathburn has also qualified to compete in the USATF Region V Junior Olympic championships this weekend in Charleston, W.Va. She qualified by placing first in the shot and discus at the USATF Lake Erie Meet in Cleveland Heights.
She's a member of the Austintown Community Track Club, coached by Ed Wilson.
Perfect game
FARRELL, Pa. -- Dave Blough of Vienna bowled his first perfect game recently when he rolled a 300 in the Wednesday Night Men's League at Sunset Lanes.
The 63-year-old followed with games of 166 and 202 for a 668 set.
NATION
NBA moves
* MILWAUKEE -- Free agent guard Gary Payton won't return to the Bucks after declining an offer from the team.
* NEW YORK -- Mike Sweetney, the ninth pick in last month's NBA draft, signed a three-year contract with the New York Knicks. He will make about $4.95 million under the terms of the NBA's rookie pay scale.
* SEATTLE -- Nick Collison, the 12th pick in last month's NBA draft, has agreed to a contract with the Seattle SuperSonics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
* OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors signed first-round draft pick Mickael Pietrus to a three-year contract.
Vindicator staff/wire reports