LOCAL

LOCAL
Vlajkovich a finalistfor Valvano award
BETHANY, W. Va. -- Bethany basketball player Nicole Vlajkovich of Canfield has been selected as a finalist for the fifth-annual V Foundation Comeback Award.
Six days after her mother's death last November, Vlajkovich returned to the basketball court. She averaged 13 points and 16.5 rebounds in the Bethany College Holiday Classic.
A starter, the sophomore guard averaged 7.3 points and a team-best 9.2 rebounds.
The award is presented in memory of Jim Valvano, the former North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator who died of cancer.
Israel sisterschoose Notre Dame
SOUTH EUCLID -- Sisters Alycia and Christa Israel of Lordstown will continue their volleyball careers at Notre Dame College.
The two standout athletes will sign letters of intent to attend the NAIA member Falcons starting next fall year.
South Range boostershold garage sale
NORTH LIMA -- The South Range Athletic Boosters will hold their fourth garage and bake sale on April 2 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at South Range High School.
Proceeds will benefit the school's athletic programs.
For details, call Frank at (330) 549-2021.
Nori signs dealwith Scranton
WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Washington and Jefferson College's Rocco Nori, a Niles native, has signed a professional football contract with the Wilkes-Barre-Scranton Pioneers of the Arena2 Football League.
The 6-foot, 2-inch, 300-pound athlete was a four-year letterman for the Presidents. He played in 47 career games, made 148 tackles, including 45 for a loss and finished with 14 sacks.
The Presidents advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2004 NCAA Division III playoffs.
NATION
Karatantcheva wins
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) -- Bulgarian teenager Sesil Karatantcheva rallied past Germany's Marlene Weingartner 6-7 (5), 6-0, 6-2 Thursday, advancing to the second round of the Pacific Life Open and a matchup with top-ranked Lindsay Davenport.
It's a situation similar to last year, when then 14-year-old Karatantcheva made her WTA Tour debut by reaching the quarterfinals against Maria Sharapova and threatened to "kick her butt off" because of a perceived slight during training in Florida.
Karatantcheva, who lost to Sharapova in three sets last year, said they've never talked about it, and she isn't sure it's necessary.
"Besides, I was 14. I have a right for one strike," said Karatantcheva, who is ranked No. 89 on the WTA Tour.
The first round finished Thursday with Americans Angela Haynes, Lindsay Lee-Waters and Jessica Kirkland advancing in early matches. Also advancing were Daja Bedanova, Ludmila Cervanova, Yoon Jeong Cho, Antonella Serra Zanetti, Alonya Bondarenko, Viktoriya Kutuzova, Emilie Loit and Maria Sanchez Lorenzo.
The tournament, which concludes March 20, continues Friday with second-round women's matches and first round men's matches.
Baffert eyes victoryin Louisiana Derby
NEW ORLEANS -- Trainer Bob Baffert will try to make it two Louisiana Derbys in a row, and Bobby Frankel is looking to win the race for the second time in three years.
But while Baffert has Sort It Out and Frankel saddles unbeaten High Limit, trainer Patrick Biancone may send out the most exciting horse in Saturday's $600,000 race: Scipion, a 3-year-old colt by A.P. Indy who seems to be improving with every stride.
"I think he will be better with every day that passes," Biancone said. "The more he ages, the better he will be. He is a work in progress."
Scipion put on a dazzling show the last time he showed up at the Fair Grounds, rocketing from seventh to first in the stretch under Gary Stevens and winning the Risen Star on Feb. 12.
The victory put Scipion back on the Kentucky Derby trail after three subpar efforts followed a last-to-first maiden win at Saratoga last summer. With the Kentucky Derby seven weeks away, Biancone should learn all he needs to know about his long-striding colt, a $1.9 million yearling purchase by Virginia Kraft Payson, in this key 1 1-16th mile prep.
Baffert and Frankel are both saddling their starters for the first time. Baffert took over for Allen Iwinski after Sort It Out won his third straight race, the Whirlaway at Aqueduct, and Bob McNair's Stonerside Stable bought a majority interest in the horse. Frankel took over for Tony Dutrow, after High Limit won his first two races at Delaware Park by a combined 18 1/2 lengths.
World Cup skiing
LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland -- Bode Miller felt good during the final World Cup downhill of the season.
So good, he thought he would win the race. Instead, he placed second -- but came away with an even better feeling. Miller increased his cushion over Austrian Benjamin Raich for the overall World Cup title.
Thanks to his runner-up finish, Miller now has a 108-point lead over Raich, who placed 11th in the downhill. Miller, trying to become the first American overall winner since Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney in 1983, upped his point total to 1,428, while Raich has 1,320.
On the women's side, American Julia Mancuso tied Janica Kostelic for fourth and registered her best career downhill result.
Staff/wire reports