YSU

YSU
Volleyball
Due to the devastation in Alabama from Hurricane Katrina, the University of South Alabama canceled its tournament scheduled for today and Saturday,
Instead, Murray State University will play host to the Penguins and South Alabama in the Helping Hands Classic in a double round-robin format this weekend.
YSU opens the tournament against South Alabama today at 1 p.m. and faces Murray State at 4.
Saturday, YSU takes on South Alabama at 10 a.m. and Murray State at 4 p.m.
LOCAL
Sharon Nationals
HARTFORD -- The 25th annual Sharon Nationals are tonight and Saturday at Sharon Speedway.
Tonight's races, sponsored by Packer Thomas and King Brothers, will include the drivers of the All Star Circuit of Champions sprints in a race that pays $4,000 to the winner, and the season's first appearance of the BRP Modified Tour drivers, who will compete in the Russ King Memorial.
On Saturday, sponsored by McCandless Ford and Car-Mate Trailers, the All Stars return to compete for a first-place prize of $7,500 and the MACS Late Models compete in a race that pays $5,000 to the winner. There also will be an open pit party during intermission and Vintage American Race Cars will feature sprint cars, midgets and coupes from the '40s and '50s, and super modifieds from the '50s and '60s. Fans also can see the vintage cars on the track during a heat race and 15-lap feature.
Friday's tickets are $24 for adults (14 and older), $10 for kids (6-13) and free for children 5 and younger. Saturday's tickets are $28 for adults, $10 for kids and free for children 5 and younger. Pit passes for each day are $32 (14 or older).
Gates open at 4 p.m. with racing at 6 p.m.
Mercer Raceway
MERCER, Pa. -- Mercer Raceway Park has rescheduled the "Sprint Slug-Out" for Monday, sponsored by Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic.
Sprint Cars will be featured in triple 15-lap features. Also on the card will be the Campbell-Peterson Trail & amp; Turf Modifieds, Tire Express Stock Cars, and Maurer's Trading Post Strictly Stocks.
Pit gates open at 2:30 p.m. with grandstands at 3:30 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 5:15 p.m. with heat races at 6. Adult admission is $15. Students 6-15 are $7. Children five and under are free. The family pass is $35.
Boxing roundup
*YOUNGSTOWN -- Middleweight Darnell Boone, fighting in an eight-round main event promoted by GYM Promotions at The Metropolis in Montreal, ran out of gas in the sixth round of his bout with Walad Smichet, when the fight was stopped at 1:58.
Smichet (13-1-2, 11 KOs) was in a lot of trouble in the early rounds as Boone (5-2-1, 3 KOs) was taking the fight to him. In rounds two and three Boone was nailing Smichet with head and body shots.
In the fourth round a solid right by Boone staggered Smichet.
In the fifth round Smichet began to have a decided advantage. In round six Smichet continued to be aggressive with Boone having problems protecting himself.
*CLEVELAND -- Devin Vargas, a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team, has been added to a seven-bout card Saturday at Gund Arena.
Vargas, who is managed by Pat Nelson, is 4-0 with three knockouts since turning pro. He will be in a four-round heavyweight bout with David Cleage (3-5-1, 1 KO) from Columbus.
The card, being presented by Don King Promotions, will have four 12-round bouts with two of them being eliminators and two for titles..
Randy Griffin and James Obede Toney will battle for the WBC International middleweight title and Luis Alberto Perez will defend his IBF Super lightweight title.
In a heavyweight 10-rounder, Cleveland's Ray Austin (22-3-3, 15 KOs) goes against Owen Beck (24-1, 18 KOs) from Nashville, Tenn.
Showtime is televising the card.
NATION/WORLD
Golf roundup
*SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Heather Bowie chipped in for an eagle and had a bogey-free 7-under 65 Thursday to take a one-shot lead after the opening round of the LPGA State Farm Classic.
*CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland -- Defending champ Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia opened with 5-under-par 66s Thursday, leaving them one stroke behind three leaders in the first round of the European Masters.
Garry Houston of Wales and former Ryder Cup players Jarmo Sandelin of Sweden and David Carter of England were in front with 65s. Peter Hedblom of Sweden joined Donald and Garcia at 66.
Vindicator staff/wire reports