YSU

YSU
Academic honors
INDIANAPOLIS -- Youngstown State University volleyball player Abby Ettenhofer and cross country runner Emily Schnitkey were named to the 2004 Horizon League All-Academic Team.
Schnitkey, a two-time first-team All-Horizon League selection, placed sixth in both the 2002 and 2004 Horizon League Cross Country Championships and owns a 3.81 grade-point average in food and nutrition.
Ettenhofer, who owns a cumulative grade-point average of 4.0 in middle childhood education, averaged 2.06 kills per game for the Penguins in 2004.
LOCAL
Phantoms fan gets car
BOARDMAN -- As part of the Youngstown Phantoms playing host to the North American Hockey League's North Division Showcase at The Ice Zone, Naaman Moorman Sr. of Chicago won a two-year lease on a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox by participating in a slap-shot contest.
As a part of every Phantoms home game, 10 fans are chosen to compete in a preliminary "Chuck-a-Puck" contest. Moorman was one of those selected at random, and won the preliminary contest that allowed him to compete for the vehicle.
He was given one chance to shoot a puck from the center red line through a target hole, placed in front of a hockey goal made specifically for the contest.
The contest was created in partnership with Sweeney Chevrolet of Boardman and WFMJ TV-21.
The Phantoms' next home game is Friday, when they face the U.S. National Under-17 Team at 7 p.m.
REGION
Indians sign McDonald
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians signed outfielder Darnell McDonald to a minor-league contract Wednesday with an invitation to spring training.
McDonald spent most of last season with Ottawa, Baltimore's Triple-A affiliate. He batted .234 with seven homers and 44 RBIs in 107 games. In four stints with the Orioles, the 26-year-old hit .156 (5-for-32) in 17 games.
McDonald was a first-round draft pick of the Orioles in 1997. He was a high school teammate of Indians backup catcher Josh Bard. McDonald's older brother, Donzell, has played professionally for 10 seasons and was invited to the Indians' training camp in 2002.
NATION
More NHL talks
There is no secret that time is running out to save the hockey season. How the NHL and the players' association are working to prevent that has become a big mystery.
Representatives from both sides met for about 51/2 hours in small groups for the third time in a week on Wednesday. All that is known about the meeting is that it took place somewhere in Toronto. The location was kept secret, and neither side would reveal what was discussed or if any progress was made.
The only news that came out was that more talks will be held soon.
"We will meet again this week," NHL chief legal officer Bill Daly said. "We have no further comment at this time."
No time or place for the next meeting was set up by Wednesday night, but the sides were leaning to a New York session on either today or Friday.
The lockout reached its 133rd day Wednesday and has wiped out 713 of the 1,230 regular-season games, plus the 2005 All-Star game.
Five share Hope lead
LA QUINTA, Calif. -- Duffy Waldorf rolled in eight birdie putts, didn't make a bogey and still had lots of company atop the leaderboard.
Waldorf's 8-under 64 in Wednesday's opening round of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic was only good enough to put him in a five-way tie for the lead.
Fred Funk, Robert Damron, Ted Purdy and Joe Ogilvie also opened the five-day tournament with 64s.
Defending champion Phil Mickelson, who also won the event in 2002, shot a 66.
Only 13 of the 128 players went over par over the first 18 holes of the 90-hole event.
Lewis is sentenced
ATLANTA -- Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis was sentenced to four months in prison Wednesday for using a cell phone to try to set up a cocaine deal about 41/2 years ago.
The penalty, worked out with prosecutors in October, should allow Lewis to return to the Ravens well before the start of the 2005 season. At most, he could miss the opening of training camp.
He also will spend two months in a halfway house and perform 500 hours of community service following his prison term.
Lewis pleaded guilty to trying to set up the drug deal a few months after the Ravens chose him No. 5 overall in the 2000 NFL draft. No drugs ever exchanged hands.
"I'm truly sorry for what I did," Lewis said to U.S. District Judge Orinda Evans.
Mets get Mientkiewicz
NEW YORK -- The Mets acquired first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz from the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday for minor-league first baseman Ian Bladergroen.
New York made the decision to obtain Mientkiewicz after Carlos Delgado accepted the Florida Marlins' $52 million, four-year offer Tuesday, spurning a $52 million proposal from New York.
Mientkiewicz, 30, came up to the major leagues with Minnesota in 1998 and was dealt to the Red Sox last July 31. A career .272 hitter, he slumped to a combined .238 with six homers and 35 RBIs last year for Minnesota and Boston.
Bladergroen hit .342 with 13 homers and 74 RBIs in 269 at-bats last year for the Capital City Bombers of the Class A South Atlantic League.
Vindicator staff/wire reports