AREA

AREA
Witham namedfootball coach
YOUNGSTOWN -- Eddy Witham of Alliance has been named the first head football coach at Youngstown Christian School.
The Eagles will begin Ohio High School Athletic Association play this fall.
A graduate of Alliance High and Wright State University, Witham has held assistant coaching positions at Fairborn in Dayton, Alliance and Marlington.
Witham was an All-Federal League selection for the Aviators' playoff team in 1996.
Mooney/Ursulinedefeats Hopewell
BOARDMAN -- Allan Neher had three goals and one assist as the Mooney/Ursuline club ice hockey team defeated Hopewell 8-5 at the Ice Zone.
Justin Umbs added two goals and two assists while Jake Secich, Billy Burns and Jeff Hayat each added one goal for the winners.
Goalie Joe Carothers made 32 saves for Mooney/Ursuline (9-14-3).
Hopewell was led by Justin Baker's four goals and one assist.
Evans earnsPatriot honor
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- For the third straight year, Lehigh University sprinter George Evans, a senior from Boardman, has been awarded an All-Patriot League honor in indoor track by coming in first in the 60-meter dash in 6.86 seconds at the league championships held at Bucknell University.
In the semifinals, Evans broke his own school record in the 60 with a time of 6.83 seconds. He also finished third in the 200 and has qualified to run both events in Boston in March at the ECAC Division I championships.
DeMonaco namedtop PAC player
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Westminster College men's basketball player Mark DeMonaco, a graduate of New Castle High School, has been named player of the week for the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
DeMonaco averaged 27.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2 steals per game as the Titans won twice.
The Titans (13-12, 8-2) will play a PAC league tournament game at home on Thursday.
Buckeyes' Smithto visit Niles
NILES -- Will Smith, who played defensive lineman on the Ohio State 2002 national championship football team, will sign autographs at the Eastwood Mall on March 6.
Smith will be at the mall's center court from 7-8:30 p.m. For details, call (330) 652-6980.
Nemergut sistersare honored
NORTH LIMA -- Sisters Kim and Julie Nemergut, graduates of South Range High School, received honors for their running achievements.
Kim, a junior at Coastal Carolina, placed third in the mile run (5:05) and was named all-conference at the Big South indoor meet.
Julie, a sophomore at Edinboro, placed fourth in the 3,000 (10:23) at the Kent State tune-up meet.
Also, Marilyn Testa, a senior at Coastal Carolina and a graduate of McDonald High, won the pole vault and anchored the 4x400 relay team that took second at the Big South meet.
REGION
Brathwaiterejoins Jackets
COLUMBUS -- The Columbus Blue Jackets recalled goaltender Fred Brathwaite on Tuesday from a three-game conditioning assignment with the club's AHL affiliate in Syracuse.
To make room for him, the Blue Jackets sent Pascal Leclaire to Syracuse.
Brathwaite, 31, has appeared in 16 games for the Blue Jackets this season. He has a 2-9-1 record and 3.41 goals-against average. During his conditioning assignment, Brathwaite stopped 78 of 85 shots for Syracuse.
Before appearing with Syracuse, the Ottawa native played just three times since injuring his groin Dec. 27 against Dallas.
Leclaire, Columbus's first pick and the eighth overall in the 2001 draft, started two games with the Blue Jackets, including his NHL debut Feb. 20 in Phoenix. The 20-year-old is 15-10-3 with a 2.85 goals against average for Syracuse.
WORLD
British sprinterChambers banned
LONDON -- British sprinter Dwain Chambers was suspended for two years and banned for life from the Olympics, the first athlete punished for testing positive for the designer steroid THG.
THG, which was undetectable until last year, is at the center of the scandal surrounding a San Francisco-area lab accused of supplying dozens of professional athletes with banned substances. Chambers' coach, Barry Bonds' personal trainer and two others were indicted this month.
Chambers, the European 100-meter champion, tested positive in an out-of-competition drug test in August. UK Athletics suspended him, and under British Olympic Association rules, he is barred from ever competing in the Olympics.
Chambers, who finished fourth in the 100 at the 2000 Sydney Games, had been considered a potential gold medal contender at the Athens Olympics in August. His suspension will end Nov. 7, 2005.
Darlington getssoft walls
DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Darlington Raceway is getting "soft walls" in time for the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 next month.
Installation of the SAFER barriers already is under way at NASCAR's oldest superspeedway, track officials said Tuesday. The race is scheduled for March 21.
Earlier this year, NASCAR said all facilities hosting Nextel Cup series events would be fitted with the Steel And Foam Energy Reduction system by next January.
Staff/wire reports