LOCAL

LOCAL
Curbstone Coachesto recognize all-stars
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Curbstone Coaches Association's weekly noon luncheon and meeting won't be held Monday.
The Curbstoners, are holding their all-league recognition banquet for football all-stars tonight at 6 p.m. at Mount Carmel Church Hall. The affair will honor all-stars from the City Series, Steel Valley Conference, Metro Athletic Conference and Inter-County League.
Brookfield-Libertygame rescheduled
The Brookfield at Liberty boys basketball game, postponed Friday night, has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 2. The junior varsity game will begin at 6 p.m. at Liberty High.
Scrappers Backersto meet Wednesday
The Scrappers Backers will hold its 2004 kickoff meeting Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Damon's in Niles.
Members will have the opportunity to meet new general manager Dave Smith.
For more information call Pat McBride (330-219-0711) or Gail Drushel (330-847-6488).
OHSAA rules meetingfor baseball, softball
The Ohio High School Athletic Association will conduct its mandatory rules meeting for baseball and softball coaches and umpires, at Fitch High School, Thursday. The softball meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and the baseball meeting at 7:15.
Contact John Mang (330-502-6665) for more information.
Crowell earns letter
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- McKenzie Crowell, a senior on the Westminster College volleyball team this past season from Crestview High, won her fourth letter.
Crowell was among seven area players who won letters for the Titans, who posted a 12-21 record and placed second in the Presidents' Athletic Conference under coach Tammy Swearingen.
Winning their second letters were Lauren LaLama, a junior from Columbiana High; Erin Hinks, a sophomore from Mineral Ridge High; and Candice Anderson, a sophomore from Mercer High.
Winning their first letters were Katie McDermott, a freshman from Austintown Fitch; Heidi Kracker, a freshman from Lakeview High; and Rachael Cooper, a freshman from Laurel High.
Havaich wins twice
BEREA -- Stacey Havaich of Austintown Fitch, a senior on the Baldwin-Wallace women's indoor track team, was involved in two wins at the annual Mid-January Meet Friday.
Havaich won the 1,000-meter run in 3 minutes, 11.38 seconds, and led off the winning 4x400-meter relay (4:39.15)
Honor roll athletes
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Three area student-athletes at Bethany College, Kristy McGrew, Eric Day and Michael Skrinjar, were selected to the Fall 2003 Presidents' Athletic Conference Academic Honor Roll.
The recognition is for student-athletes who have earned a grade-point average of 3.6 or better.
McGrew (Liberty), a senior on the women's cross country team, is majoring in economics.
Day (Western Reserve), a senior on the men's cross country team, is majoring in education.
Skrinjar (Southern), a junior on the football team, is majoring in education.
NATION
Red Sox sign Womack to minor league deal
BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox signed free-agent infielder Tony Womack to a minor league contract Saturday.
The 34-year-old Womack, a 10-year major league veteran, started last season with Arizona before being traded to Colorado on July 18 and then to the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 19. He batted a combined .226 with two homers and 22 RBIs.
Womack played for the Diamondbacks from 1999-03, and was with the Pirates during the 1993 and '94 seasons, and from 1996-98.
Womack played the last five weeks of last season with an injured right elbow. He was hurt on Aug. 24 while sliding into home. He had surgery in early October and is expected to be ready for spring training.
The left-handed hitting Womack has a career average of .270 hitter with 30 home runs, 310 RBI and 309 stolen bases in 1,022 major league games.
Top rookie scorers fill YoungStars rosters
NEW YORK -- Rookie scoring leaders Michael Ryder of Montreal and Trent Hunter of the New York Islanders were selected Saturday for the NHL YoungStars game, to be played during All-Star weekend.
Ryder had 14 goals and a rookie-best 36 points while playing in 48 of the Canadiens' first 49 games this season. Hunter has also emerged as a rookie of the year contender by scoring 16 goals -- including an NHL-high six winners -- in 43 games.
Both Ryder and Hunter will play for the Eastern Conference team, made up entirely of rookies.
The Western Conference boasts seven rookies on its 11-man roster that features center Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who will represent the host Minnesota Wild in the Feb. 7 game.
Joining Bouchard up front for the West are, Jonathan Cheechoo of San Jose, Edmonton's Raffi Torres, and rookies Matthew Lombardi of Calgary, Joffrey Lupul of Anaheim, Tuomo Ruutu of Chicago, and Columbus right wing Nikolai Zherdev.
The defensive unit will be made up of Alexei Semenov, a second-year player from Edmonton, and rookies Christian Ehrhoff of San Jose, and Nashville's Dan Hamhuis. Rookie Philippe Sauve, the backup in Colorado to David Aebischer, will be the goalie.
New Jersey defenseman Paul Martin, a member of consecutive NCAA championship teams at Minnesota, was also chosen for the East.
He will be joined on defense by Garnet Exelby of Atlanta, Brooks Orpik of Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia's Joni Pitkanen. Andrew Raycroft, who posted 15 wins and two shutouts in 33 games for Boston, will be in goal.
The remaining East forwards are 18-year-old Patrice Bergeron of Boston, Eric Staal of Carolina and Ryan Malone of Pittsburgh.
Bergeron is the game's youngest player. Staal, Bouchard and Zherdev are the other teenagers at 19.
The teams, chosen by the NHL's hockey operations department in consultation with general managers, will skate four-on-four for three 10-minute periods of running time. If the game is tied after regulation, a sudden-death shootout will determine the winner.
South beats North
MOBILE, Ala. -- North Carolina State's Philip Rivers passed for 213 yards and directed all the South's scoring drives in a 28-10 victory over the North in the Senior Bowl on Saturday.
Rivers completed 12 of 19 passes, two for first-quarter touchdowns, to earn Most Valuable Player honors.
Florida State's Greg Jones added his second touchdown, a 4-yarder, to end the drive. The 250-pounder showed off his bruising style by breaking several tackles on a 22-yarder and some agility on the next play, cutting back toward the middle for the touchdown.
He also had a tackle-breaking, 16-yard touchdown in the first quarter and was the South's offensive MVP. Florida State's Darnell Dockett, who set up a touchdown with a fumble recovery, was the team's defensive MVP.
Ohio State receiver Michael Jenkins was picked as the North's offensive MVP after catching seven passes for 69 yards.
Vindicator staff/wire reports