LOCAL

LOCAL
Sharon honors2003 champions
HARTFORD -- A crowd of 600 was on hand at Yankee Lake ballroom recently for an awards celebration to honor Sharon Speedway's 2003 champions.
Dave Blaney, track co-owner and NASCAR Winston Cup driver, handed out a record $40,000 in point fund money to the top 15 drivers in each of Sharon's four divisions.
Hubbard's Dan Lewis earned top honors in the City Disposal Services Pure Stocks division with six feature wins, eight top fives and 11 top 10s. He also received the "Most Improved Driver Award.
Racing to a record of two feature wins, nine top fives and 13 top 10s, Richard Stiffler of Niles was honored as the Coy Brothers Trucking E-mods division champion.
Rock Creek's Jarod Larson accepted the winner's check in the Sunburst Environmental Sprints division. Larson drove to four feature wins, 10 top fives and 14 top 10s on his way to the champion's table.
For the second year in a row, Ron Smoker, of Hamburg, N.Y., was top finisher in the Gibson-Governor Insurance Modifieds division. Smoker - who won the championship competing in one fewer races than the second- and third-place finishers - earned six feature wins, 12 top fives and 13 top 10s.
Other drivers, such as Niles' Jim Mechling, was honored with the "E-Mod Hard Charger Award."
Rob Kristyak of Bristolville finally had a change in luck as he was presented with the "Hard Luck Award."
Keith Taylor of Salem was "Rookie of the Year" after finishing a strong 15th in the points in his first year of racing sprints. Warren's Dave Willoughby received the "Good Guy Award," which was presented for sportsmanship both on and off the track.
YWBA tourney
BOARDMAN -- The Youngstown Women's Bowling Association will hold its 9-pin no-tap scotch doubles tournament Feb. 7-8 at Boardman Lanes.
Categories include two women, two men, mixed pairs and adult/junior. Entry forms and fees of $16 per doubles should be sent to the YWBA at 2703 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown 44509. Forms are available at all bowling centers and should be mailed by Jan. 31.
Proceeds benefit the Komen Foundation, Hospice of the Valley and Relay for Life.
Nemergut wins race
NORTH LIMA -- Julie Nemergut, a graduate of South Range High School, won the 3,000-meter run at the Fredonia State track meet.
The sophomore at Edinboro ran a time of 10:45.1.
Special show forPenguin Playbook
YOUNGSTOWN -- "Penguin Playbook", a radio show with Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock, will air on stations WNIO 1390 and WKBN 570 Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Heacock will discuss the 2004 football recruiting class.
NATION
Colorado underrecruiting scrutiny
BOULDER, Colo. -- A prosecutor claims sex parties have been used to lure football recruits to the University of Colorado and police may have helped cover up problems that include the alleged rapes of three women.
USOC given ultimatum
DENVER -- The U.S. Olympic Committee has given USA Track & amp; Field a month to cooperate in the Jerome Young doping case.
USOC president Bill Martin told USATF president Bill Roe and executive director Craig Masback in a letter that they must provide the IOC and IAAF with documents in the Young case by Feb. 24 or the USOC will begin decertification proceedings.
Young tested positive for steroids in 1999, but was cleared on appeal and went on to win a relay gold medal for the United States at the 2000 Sydney Games. USATF has not explained why Young was cleared, despite repeated requests from world governing bodies.
Bryant leads voting
NEW YORK -- Kobe Bryant was selected by fans to start in the NBA All-Star game. The Los Angeles Lakers star led Western Conference guards with 1,759,717 votes in final results, fourth among all players.
He was picked to start in front of his hometown fans at Staples Center on Feb. 15 in the 53rd NBA All-Star game.
Bryant's teammate, Shaquille O'Neal, was beaten out for the second straight year by Houston's Yao Ming. Joining Bryant and Yao on the Western Conference squad were Rockets guard Steve Francis, San Antonio forward Tim Duncan and Minnesota forward Kevin Garnett.
Toronto Raptors forward Vince Carter led all players with 2,127,183 votes.
Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal will be the other starting forward for the Eastern Conference.
The center is Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons, and the guards are Philadelphia's Allen Iverson and Orlando's Tracy McGrady.
Pitino returnsfrom medical leave
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Rick Pitino returned to Louisville and resumed his coaching duties after a two-day medical leave.
The 51-year-old Pitino underwent tests at the Cleveland Clinic on Tuesday and Wednesday to determine the cause of a "urological pain" that's persisted in his left side for months.
Vindicator staff/wire reports