AREA

AREA
Runners readyfor league crowns
YOUNGSTOWN -- Seven league cross country championships (boys and girls) are scheduled this week.
Tuesday, the Steel Valley Conference meet will be at Mill Creek Park, the Inter-County League at McDonald, the Trumbull Athletic Conference at Champion and the Northeast Athletic Conference at Maplewood. All four are set for 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, the Metro Athletic Conference meet is set at Salem and the Tri-County League meet is at East Palestine. Both will start at 10 a.m.
The Western Reserve Invitational, a non-league run will get under way at 10 a.m.
Martial artscompetition set
YOUNGSTOWN -- The 19th U.S. Martial Arts Championships will be Saturday at Youngstown State University Beeghly Center.
Grand Master Moon S. Park, championship director, has competitors coming from California, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Indiana.
The day-long event will get under way at 9 a.m. with grand champions competition from 7:30-8 p.m.
Events are form competition, breaking, weapon, grappling, sparring, self-defense and demonstration.
For additional information, call (330) 965-9000.
Mooney runnercaptures first
COLUMBIANA -- Mooney High School's Colin Durina took first place in 16 minutes, 2 seconds and Sean Finnerty (16:13) placed second in the Columbiana Clipper Invitational cross country meet Saturday.
The Cardinals placed fourth with 128 points in the meet won by Copley with 30 points in the field of 19 schools.
In the girls 5000-meter run, freshman Lauren Agnew of Boardman won in 19 minutes, 12 seconds. Lauren Fithian (19:50) of Poland was second.
Copley captured team laurels with 48 points, Mooney was second with 81, Boardman third with 81 and Poland fourth with 92.
REGION
Penguins send Fleury to minors
PITTSBURGH -- Marc-Andre Fleury, the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NHL draft and the Pittsburgh Penguins' starting goalie at the beginning of that season, was reassigned to the team's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) farm club Saturday.
The move means Sebastian Caron will begin the season as Jocelyn Thibault's backup in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins traded for Thibault two months ago to become their starter. Caron was the Penguins' primary starter in 2003-04, going 9-24-5 with a 3.74 goals-against average.
The Penguins want Fleury to play regularly rather than sit the bench in the NHL, especially with Thibault expected to get the majority of the starts. Pittsburgh will close exhibition play Sunday night against Washington before opening the season Wednesday at New Jersey.
Fleury went 4-14-2 with a 3.64 goals-against average with Pittsburgh in 2003-04, splitting time between the Penguins -- the NHL's worst team that season -- and his junior team in Canada.
Bengals stop security pat-downs
CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals scrapped plans to have security guards give pat-downs to fans attending today's game against the Houston Texans when local officials refused to foot the bill.
The team, which had hired a private security firm to conduct the searches outside Paul Brown Stadium, announced Wednesday it would follow an NFL mandate to perform the searches.
But the Bengals pulled back Friday when Hamilton County commissioners complained that the team billed taxpayers $60,000 for the additional security. The Bengals lease the county-owned stadium.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said the pat-downs could be construed as unlawful if they're taxpayer-funded.
Bengals executive Troy Blackburn said the team will meet with NFL officials and local authorities next week to resolve the issue of who pays for the security guards. Searches could start at the next home game, Oct. 23, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
NATION
Bruins win, 5-2
BOSTON -- Glen Murray scored twice and Joe Thornton and Sergei Samsonov added their first goals of the preseason to lead the Bruins past the New York Rangers 5-2in Boston's final exhibition game.
The Bruins (4-3-1) jumped to a 3-0 lead midway through the first period. Thornton opened the scoring 5:44 into the game with a power-play goal on a putback from just outside the goalie box. The Bruins' power play struck again, 8:31 into the first, on rookie Brad Boyes' fourth goal in six exhibition games.
Murray extended the lead to 12:44 into the first period, then put the Bruins up 4-0 6:46 into the second with a breakaway goal.
New York (1-3-1) finally got on the board on Marcel Hossa's power-play goal 9:12 into the second.
Samsonov, making his debut after battling a strained back throughout camp, gave the Bruins a 5-1 lead 6:42 into the third period. Jason Ward brought the Rangers within 5-2 on an unassisted short-handed goal in the third.
Rangers defenseman Dale Purinton received a game misconduct early in the third period following a scuffle with Boston's Colton Orr.
Boston hosts Montreal in its regular-season opener Wednesday. The Rangers wrap up the preseason at home against New Jersey on today before opening the season at Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Zimmer plansto return for 58th
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Don Zimmer will be back next year, not ready for retirement.
The Devil Rays senior adviser plans to return in 2006 for his 58th year in pro baseball. Zimmer is completing his second season with Tampa Bay and has a contract that runs through next year.
"I don't want to go anywhere but here," Zimmer said Saturday. "They've treated me well. I don't know how anybody could be treated any better. This is where I want to be, and I'm not going anyplace."
Zimmer has been mentioned as one of the potential replacement for departing Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella, who will manage his final game with the Devil Rays on Sunday.
Zimmer, 74, has lived in nearby Treasure Island for almost 50 years. He has been part of six World Series championship teams, including four as the bench coach for New York Yankees manager Joe Torre.
Vindicator staff/wire reports