YSU

YSU
Zips add Williams, Ferri
AKRON -- The University of Akron completed its football coaching staff by hiring Jim Pry and Terrell Williams.
Williams, who spent the past two seasons at Youngstown State, has been in the coaching ranks for only eight years, but has experience in the collegiate and professional ranks. He will coach the defensive line.
A graduate of East Carolina and a Los Angeles native, Williams also coached for three years at North Carolina A & amp;T. Williams, 29, spent the 1999 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars as part of the NFL minority coaching internship program, assisting on the defensive line, and was the defensive line coach in 1998 at Fort Scott Community College (Kan.).
Pry will serve as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Also, Akron hired Reno Ferri, a graduate of Cardinal Mooney High and the United States Military Academy, has joined the staff as a graduate assistant. Ferri will assist with the defense.
Four Titansearn honors
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Four Youngstown-area high school graduates and student-athletes at Westminster College have made the Presidents' Athletic Conference Academic Honor Roll for the Fall 2003 semester.
Felicie Reid (South Range), Jim Chaney (Hubbard), Reese Robinson (Lakeview) and Candice Anderson (Mercer) are among 28 at the college who made the academic list for student-athletes with 3.6-or-better grade-point averages.
Reid is a junior on the women's cross country team majoring in environmental science.
Chaney is a senior on the football team majoring in history.
Robinson is a sophomore on the women's cross country team studying elementary education.
Anderson is a sophomore on the volleyball squad majoring in Spanish.
Sanko earnsletter at Case
CLEVELAND -- Megan Sanko of Lowellville, a graduate of Cardinal Mooney High, won her second letter with the Case Western Reserve volleyball team.
Sanko, a 5-8 junior outside hitter, played in 37 games this past season and had 27 digs, three assists and three kills.
The Spartans posted a 17-21 record, including 4-8 in the University Athletic Association.
Sanko is majoring in psychology and art history.
Raiti, Meadowspicked by magazine
BETHANY, W. Va. -- Matt Raiti (Sharon) and Aaron Meadows (Wellsville), members of the Bethany College baseball team, have been named "Players to Watch" for the 2004 season by Collegiate Baseball magazine.
Raiti, a senior pitcher and outfielder, made the All-Presidents Athletic Conference First Team last season with a .412 batting average. He led Bethany in eight offensive categories and the PAC in five categories.
At the plate, Raiti had a .522 on-base percentage and a .656 slugging average. As a pitcher, he had six saves to rank No. 18 in NCAA Division III. He also averaged 8.87 strikeouts per nine innings and a 14-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Meadows, a sophomore outfielder, batted .365 last season and had a ,692 slugging average with 18 RBIs and a .484 on-base percentage.
Bethany will open the season March 6 in Fort Pierce, Fla., against Delaware Valley at 3 p.m. during the Bison's annual Spring Break trip.
REGION
James likelyto miss third game
CLEVELAND -- LeBron James will likely miss his third straight game with a sprained ankle.
The Cleveland Cavaliers said their star rookie was at Friday's practice, but did not take part in running drills. The Cavs play the Philadelphia 76ers tonight at Gund Arena.
James has been out since injuring his ankle Jan. 17 at Utah.
James is the team's leading scorer at 20.4 points per game. He also averages 5.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists.
The Cavs are 1-1 without James.
Rangers acquireJackets' Pushor
COLUMBUS -- The New York Rangers got help for their injured defense Friday by acquiring Jamie Pushor from the Columbus Blue Jackets for an eighth-round pick in this year's draft.
Pushor didn't score in seven games with the Blue Jackets this season, and had one goal and four assists in 24 games with Syracuse of the AHL.
Rangers coach and genera manager Glen Sather has been looking for defensemen this week following serious leg injuries to Greg de Vries and Darius Kasparaitis.
The Rangers have also been without Tom Poti (back spasms) the past two games, and Joel Bouchard only recently returned from a hamstring injury.
Pushor had three goals and 16 assists with Columbus in two previous stints, dating to the 2000-01 season. He has also played for Pittsburgh, Dallas, Anaheim and Detroit. He has 13 goals and 44 assists in 510 NHL games.
Pushor spent nearly five years in the Red Wings' organization, and played for Detroit's 1997 Stanley Cup-winning team.
NATION
Jagr tradedto Rangers
WASHINGTON -- Jaromir Jagr was traded to the New York Rangers on Friday, capping more than six months of off-and-on negotiations that brought to an end a disappointing 2 1/2-year stay with the Washington Capitals.
Jagr was traded for forward Anson Carter, but most of the negotiations centered on how much of Jagr's $11 million-per-year contract the Capitals would continue to pay.
Staff/wire reports