YSU

YSU
Softball
ASHWAUBENON, Wis. -- Youngstown State, the No. 8 seed, lost to top-seeded Illinois Chicago 13-4 in the opening round of the Horizon League tournament.
YSU (19-33) was to play No. 4 Loyola in an elimination game today at 10 a.m.
The Penguins trailed 3-0 before scoring an unearned run in the third inning and two in the fourth.
Bethany Hafley singled and scored on Becky Hibner's triple. Lacey Hess, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, followed with a single to tie the score at 3.
The Flames regained the lead with a four-run fourth inning. YSU added another run in the sixth on Hess' bases-loaded single, but the Flames scored six runs, five of them unearned, in the bottom of the inning.
Women's basketball
YOUNGSTOWN -- Coach Tisha Hill announced the signing of Nikita LaFleur of Scarborough, Ontario, to a letter of intent.
A 6-foot-2 post, LaFleur averaged 17 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks per game during her senior campaign at Mother Teresa High. During her AAU season, LaFleur averaged 13 points nine rebounds and four blocks per game.
LaFleur was named second team All-Canada and was in the national all-star game.
Sharon racing
HARTFORD -- Some unusual vehicles will take laps at Sharon Speedway Saturday.
School buses, representing Badger, Brookfield, Hubbard and Sharpsville, will compete on the 3/8-mile oval in the Stanwade Tanks & amp; Equipment/Eells Used Cars Night.
Sharon's regular racing -- Warren Harley-Davidson Sprints, Gibson-Governor Insurance Modifieds, Coy Brothers Trucking E-Mods, Tom's Sewer & amp; Drain Pure Stocks and Green Flag Sprints -- will also be conducted.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids 12-15 and free for children 11 and under. Pit passes are $22. Gates open at 4 p.m. with racing at 6.
Call (330) 772-5481 or visit www.sharonspeedway.com for more information.
Warren boxing
WARREN -- The Lake Erie Junior Olympic qualifying boxing tournament will be at H.B. Turner Middle School.
There are 14 bouts scheduled tonight and 16 Saturday. The event is sanctioned by the Lake Erie Boxing Association.
Trainer P.C. Torres of the Warren Boxing Club will have six boxers in the tournament and Jack Loew's Southside Boxing Club will have one participant. He is Alejandro "Popo" Salinas, who is scheduled to fight Marvelle Ross of Cleveland tonight for the Bantam Division's 65-pound championship.
Two other Southside fighters, Aaron Allen at 106 pounds, and Juan Salinas at 100 pounds, were declared walkover champions because of the lack of opponents.
Two Warren Boxing Club fighters, Devontae Wesson and Mark Givens, will be in semifinal bouts tonight.
Wesson will face Vraimone Parker from Cleveland's Glenville Recreation in an 80-pound Junior Division bout and Givens will be in a 119-pound Intermediate Division battle with John Barnett from Cleveland's Old School Boxing Gym.
Westminster golf
HOWEY IN THE HILLS, Fla. -- Westminster tied for 16th place at the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships on the El Campion course at the Mission Inn Golf & amp; Tennis Resort.
The Titans fired a 72-hole total of 317-324-304-313-1258 to tie Allegheny (325-320-309-304).
Guilford won the team championship by 25 strokes.
Leading the Titans was junior John Matune who finished tied for 53rd with 78-81-76-77--312. He was followed by Matt Kurtz, 57th, with 75-85-75-78--313.
Academic all-district
Westminster College senior catcher Ricky Straw was selected to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II College Division Baseball second team, announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Grove City's Mike Gundy and Mike Ritter were also named to the second team.
Bethany softball player Romney Waters was named to the third team for her sport.
Correction
Dominic Drummond was incorrectly identified as Don Drummond in the recap of the KO Drugs High School Boxing Tournament.
NATION/WORLD
NBA defensive team
NEW YORK -- Center Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons, previously selected Defensive Player of the Year for the third time, heads the NBA's All-Defensive team.
Wallace was joined Thursday by forward Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves, forwards Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen of the San Antonio Spurs, and guard Larry Hughes of the Washington Wizards.
Vindicator staff/wire reports