YOUNGSTOWN

YOUNGSTOWN
NAHL delaystourney decision
YOUNGSTOWN -- The North American Hockey League board of governors will announce on Thursday where they will stage their annual tournament set for April.
Bruce Zoldan, owner of the NAHL's Mahoning Valley Phantoms, wants the tournament to be staged at the four-month old Chevrolet Centre with the Phantoms as hosts.
But Herb Washington, owner of the Youngstown SteelHounds, has not give permission for the tournament to be staged there.
As part of the Steelhounds' contract, Youngstown gave Washington the right for one year to deny other professional sports promoters from staging events in the Chevrolet Centre.
Last Friday, Washington issued a statement that he wouldn't allow the tournament because the SteelHounds might still be playing in the playoffs.
With 14 games remaining, the SteelHounds trail Wichita by 12 points in the race for the Central Hockey League Eastern Conference's final playoff berth. The CHL regular season ends on March 25.
Zoldan offered a counterproposal to Washington's rejection, saying that if the NAHL event was staged in Youngstown and the SteelHounds were still playing, then the junior hockey tournament would move conflicting games to Boardman's Ice Zone. Zoldan says Washington has not responded to the compromise.
Zoldan said the NAHL is considering several regional sites for the tournament, including Wheeling, W. Va.; Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland; Columbus; and Alpena, Mich.
YSU
Penguins to hosttrack at KSU
KENT -- Youngstown State will serve as the host for the 2006 Horizon League Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend at the Kent State Field House.
Events will begin at 9 a.m. both days and will last until 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $10 per day.
"Kent has a great facility, and having the Championship there will give us a huge home-field advantage," Coach Brian Gorby said. "Fans have been a big key to our success, so we're hoping the community will c ome out to rally behind us."
YSU's women's squad will be looking to win its fifth straight league title at the meet while the men will look to win its first title since 2003.
Both squads feature a large group of local athletes. The women's squad includes Katie Betts (Lakeview High), Jacquline Clonch (Newton Falls), Lindsay Cobey (Canfield), Jen Grayson (Maplewood), Stephanie Jarvis (Canfield) Genevieve Jerome (McDonald), Gina Mavrikis (Boardman), Nicole Robenolt (Struthers) and Darla Wilson (Boardman).
Local athletes on the men's squad include Justin Carolyne (South Range), Clarence Howell (Chaney), Adam Lewis (McDonald), Luke McCluggage (Western Reserve), Dave Mealy (Springfield), Aaron Merrill (Leetonia), Dan Nemergut (South Range) and Scott Streiner (Poland).
REGION
Hiram coach resigns
HIRAM -- Hiram basketball coach Tim Rice has resigned.
Rice came to Hiram in October 2003 and also coached the women's golf team (2004) and the men's and women's cross country teams (2005).
In three seasons as a head coach, Rice's teams posted a 13-62 (.173) overall record, finishing ninth or tied for ninth in the NCAC each year.
Beedle, Williamsare honored
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- Two Thiel College basketball players have been selected to the All-Presidents' Athletic Conference team as honorable mentions. Picked were freshman guard James Beedle (McDonald High) and senior forward Damien Williams.
Beedle started seven games and ranked No. 15 in the PAC in scoring average (10.2), No. 6 in free throw percentage (81.0), No. 8 in steals (1.68 per game) and was tied for No. 9 in 3-point field goal percentage (36.7).
Williams started 14 games and ranked No. 13 in the PAC in scoring average (10.9). Williams' 42 points against Westminster College on Feb. 15 ranked No. 6 on Thiel's all-time single-game scoring list, while his 17 field goals made in that game tied him for No. 4.
Graf honored
DELAWARE -- Steffi Graf, a sophomore guard on the Ohio Wesleyan University women's basketball team from Poland High, has been named a "W" Association Athlete for the week of Feb. 20, the school's athletic department announced.
Graf turned in a sharp-shooting performance as she scored a career-high 26 points with nine rebounds to lead the Bishops to an 83-75 win over Denison last Saturday in their regular-season finale.
She made 7-for-8 from the field, including 6-for-7 from 3-point range, and was 6-for-7 from the line.
Graf opened the week with five points and four assists in an 84-55 win at Wooster.
Meanwhile, the OWU men's basketball team also was named a "W" Association Athlete of the Week for upending No. 1-ranked Wooster, 86-83, in the regular-season finale.
The "W" Association is an OWU alumni organization which includes nearly 4000 former student-athletes from around the world. The "W" Association Athletes of the Week are selected by a committee of OWU coaches.
Vindicator staff/wire reports