YSU

YSU
Baseball
DAYTON -- Senior Brandon Caipen became the first YSU player to earn first team All-Horizon League honors for the second straight season and sophomore Erich Diedrich made the team for the first time. Caipen is the third YSU player to be named first team all-conference twice. Senior Justin Banks and freshman John Koehnlein earned second team honors, and Koehnlein was named to the all-newcomer team.
UW-Milwaukee's Mike Goetz was named player of the year, Joe Smith from Wright State was pitcher of the year honors, UIC shortstop Chad Schroeder was newcomer of the year, and UIC's Mike Dee was coach of the year.
Football
YOUNGSTOWN -- Junior Leon Edwards was one of 352 student-athletes selected as current or future leaders on their college campuses invited to attend the NCAA Leadership Conference.
The conference, which serves as a forum to enhance leadership and decision-making skills and provides an opportunity to discuss key issues in intercollegiate athletics, will take place May 28 through June 1 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
LOCAL
Lordstown's Kellarto Notre Dame College
SOUTH EUCLID -- Lordstown High senior Ashley Kellar signed a NAIA letter of intent to participate in track and field at Notre Dame College.
Kellar was a four-year varsity performer for the Red Devils. She competed in the 4x100 and 4x200-meter relays, as well as the high jump. She earned such team awards as MVP, Best Field Performer and the Coaches' Award. She also earned Team Most Improved and all-district as a volleyball player.
Thiel baseball
GREENVILLE, Pa -- Three Youngstown-area players on the Thiel College baseball team -- senior designated hitter Mark Nightingale, senior outfielder Brett Bell (Badger) and freshman outfielder Dan Morrison (Maplewood) -- were selected to the All-Presidents' Athletic Conference team.
Nightingale made the All-PAC first team for the second time while Bell and Morrison made the second team along with Thiel teammate Bob Flukas, a senior third baseman. Bell was named to the second team for the third time.
Sharon Speedway
HARTFORD -- After a rainout and the World of Outlaws Sprint Series race, the Fantastic Five returns to the 3/8-mile oval at Sharon Speedway on EELLS Used Cars night Saturday.
In the Warren Harley Davidson Sprint Car Division, Jarod Larson maintains his 36-point lead over Mike Kekich. Brian Swartzlander retains his 32-point lead over Rex King in the Gibson Governor Insurance Modified Division. Alan Dellinger leads Howard Fraley by 13 in the Coy Bros. Trucking E-Mod Division. Sonny Wisler leads the points after four races in the Tom's Sewer in Drain Service Stock Division. Guy Griffin holds a 16-point margin over Nate Stein in the Green Flag Sprints.
Saturday will mark the first night of Spectator Drags. Fans are also encouraged to come out for the Pit Stop Challenge from 5-7 p.m.
Gates open at 4 p.m., with cars hitting the track at 6 p.m. Admission is $11 for adults, $5 for teens and kids 11 and under are free. Pit passes are $22.
REGION
Cleveland wantsSuper Bowl
CLEVELAND -- Cleveland City Council members Monday night approved a proposal to request Super Bowl L (50) be held in Cleveland. As part of the deal, the city will install a retractable dome on the Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Approving the proposal to request the Super Bowl is the first step in a rather lengthy process of getting one of the most popular championship games in sports, television station WEWS reported.
The cost of putting a retractable dome on the Stadium is estimated at $90 million, but the debate remains on how the project will be funded.
The retractable roof would also permit the stadium to be used year-round for functions other than football.
The developer of the project has created a Web site that shows photos of the roof model and has a downloadable petition.
The petition is available at www.superbowlforcleveland.com.
Steelers
PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter is expected to have arthroscopic knee surgery as early as today, less than a year after having loose cartilage removed from his left knee.
The Steelers did not say which knee requires surgery.
Vindicator staff/wire reports