YSU

YSU
Schedule changes
YOUNGSTOWN -- This weekend's baseball series between YSU and UW-Milwaukee has been pushed back a day due to rain in the forecast.
The series will now start Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. and will wrap up Sunday at 1 p.m. The Panthers are two games ahead of the Penguins for second place in the Horizon League standings.
YSU will now play a doubleheader against Cleveland State on May 19 at 12:10 p.m. The finale will be May 20 at 1 p.m.
Academic honors
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State senior Brandon Caipen was named to the CoSIDA Academic all-district team and sophomore Josh Page earned second-team honors.
Caipen is the first player in school history to earn first-team accolades, and the pair became the first Penguins to be on the team since Ty Furino was named second-team all-district in 2003.
Caipen, a catcher from Tallmadge, is hitting a career-best .332 with five home runs and 40 RBIs this season. A first-team All-Horizon League selection last season, Caipen holds a 3.71 grade point average in integrated social studies education.
Page, a native of Plain City, leads the Penguins in batting average (.370) and hits (68). The sophomore second baseman has committed just four errors in 223 chances. He holds a 3.92 GPA in middle childhood education.
LOCAL
State football finalsstay in Stark County
COLUMBUS -- The Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Control voted unanimously on Thursday to keep the state football finals in Stark County through 2009, with options for 2010-11.
Cincinnati and Columbus also bid to host the finals.
The finals have been split between Canton Fawcett Stadium and Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium since 1998.
Brothers win races
Bill Pintaric Jr. of Liberty moved into first place in the Northeast Division of the Sports Car Club of America after winning a race at the New Hampshire International Speedway recently. Pintaric is going for his third straight division championship.
His brother, David Pintaric of Canfield, placed second in a race at Gingerman Race Course in Michigan last week and is in third place in the standings.
The brothers will compete at Nelson Ledges in Garrettsville on Memorial Day weekend.
ICL track
BERLIN CENTER -- Lowellville junior Rachel Mariotti won MVP honors to lead the Rockets to their second league title in three years at the final Inter-County League track and field championship Wednesday at Western Reserve High School.
Lowellville edged Mineral Ridge 107-96.
South Range won its second straight boys title, edging McDonald 136-109.
The ICL will merge with the Tri-County League this fall.
Bowling
AUSTINTOWN -- The Youngstown Women's Bowling Association will hold its reorganizational meeting tonight at Wedgewood Lanes at 7 p.m.
Agenda items include changing the organization's name, establishing new by-laws and election of various directors and delegates.
All YWBA members are urged to attend.
College roundup
*ALLIANCE -- Mount Union sophomore infielder Katie Olive, a Mineral Ridge High graduate, earned first team all-Central Region honors on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association team.
Olive was second on the team in batting average (.388), slugging (.478) and on base percentage (.474).
*ALLIANCE -- Eleni Halkias, a junior member of the Mount Union College tennis team from Warren Harding High, was selected to the All-Ohio Athletic Conference second team for the second straight year.
Halkias was 11-8 at No. 2 doubles, teaming with sophomore Nicole Camardo from Canfield High. Halkias also finished 6-12 at No. 1 singles. Camardo went 12-7 at No. 6 singles, including 7-2 in the OAC.
This marked the third time that Halkias made All-OAC. She was an honorable mention as a freshman.
Also making All-OAC this year for Mount Union were junior Erin Meglich, who was 13-6 at No. 3 singles and 8-6 in No. 3 doubles.
*ASHLAND -- Chad Fender, a 2005 graduate of Poland High, will continue his basketball career with Ashland College.
A three-time Metro Athletic Conference player of the year, Fender was twice the Northeast Inland District player of the year and a two-time first-team all-Ohio selection.
Fender is Poland's career scoring leader (1,525 points). As a senior, he averaged 19.2 points, five assists and four rebounds. He also holds the Bulldogs' record for consecutive free throws made (26).
The son of Holly and Tom Fender, he originally committed to attend Youngstown State.
"But with the coaching change there, he decided to change," Ashland coach Roger Lyons said.
Vindicator staff/wire reports