LOCAL

LOCAL
Umpires meeting
The Youngstown Metro Umpire Association will hold an OHSAA baseball/softball meeting Sunday beginning at 1:15 p.m. at St. Nicholas Activity Center, Shady Run Road.
Breakout sessions will be held for both sports and a representative of POS will be on hand to sell equipment and apparel.
Umpires must attend at least four local meetings to meet state requirements.
Call John Mang (330-502-6665) for more information.
NAHL team to move
FRISCO, TEXAS -- The North American Hockey League announced Thursday that its Board of Governors approved the relocation of the Santa Fe RoadRunners to Topeka, Kansas, for the 2007-08 season.
The team will be called the Topeka RoadRunners and play its home games out of the Kansas Expocentre, Landon Arena.
STEELHOUNDS
ESPN personalitiesto appear March 17
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown SteelHounds will welcome ESPN personalities Barry Melrose and Steve Levy at the March 17 game against the Colorado Eagles at the Chevrolet Centre. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
"Sports fans connect Barry and Steve with hockey," said SteelHounds general manager Joe Gregory.
"[SteelHounds coach] Kevin Kaminski has known them for a while and we are happy he has made it possible for them to be on hand at one of our games. They will both be dropping the first puck and who knows what else they will get involved in as the night progresses."
Melrose is a studio analyst for the NHL on ESPN and ESPN2.
Levy has been a sports anchor on SportsCenter since joining ESPN in 1993.
REGION
Winslow hasmore surgery
CLEVELAND -- Kellen Winslow underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee last month, a more extensive procedure than was initially revealed and one that will require a longer recovery.
The Browns' tight end, who tied a team record for receptions last season despite being slowed by a bad knee, remains on crutches following the Jan. 30 operation to remove scar tissue and repair cartilage .
Winslow's microfracture surgery, first reported by the Akron Beacon Journal, was confirmed by the club Thursday.
Morrison beginscomeback bid
CHESTER, W.Va. -- Former WBO heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison stopped John Castle in the second round Thursday night in his return to the ring 11 years after testing positive for the virus that causes AIDS.
The 38-year-old Morrison, who claims he has no trace of the AIDS virus after taking several HIV tests, dropped Castle with a left hook to the head midway through the second of the scheduled four-round fight at Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort.
Castle slowly got up and referee Dave Johnson counted to eight before stopping the match.
NATION
Dennis Johnson dies
AUSTIN, Texas -- Dennis Johnson, the NBA guard who was part of three championship teams, died Thursday after collapsing at the end of practice. He was 52.
Johnson, coach of the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League, died at a hospital.
Johnson, a five-time All-Star, played 14 seasons and retired after the 1989-90 season. He played on title teams with the Boston Celtics in 1984 and 1986 and with Seattle in 1979 when he was the NBA finals MVP.
Match Play golf
MARANA, Ariz. -- Tiger Woods had an easy time advancing Thursday in the Accenture Match Play Championship. And with Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and the other top seeds no longer around, his road to an eighth straight PGA Tour victory started looking easier, too.
Woods was 5-up through six holes and never serious challenged by Tim Clark, the South African recovering from a neck injury and playing his first tournament of the year. The result was a 5-and-4 victory, the shortest match of the second round.
Mickelson's up-and-down West Coast Swing came to a stunning end with an incredible up-and-down by Justin Rose.
Lefty figured the match would be all square going to the par-3 16th tee after Rose, who was 1-up, hit into the desert brush and had to chip out backward to the fairway, hitting this third shot 30 feet short of the flag.
Rose's par putt dropped on the last turn, however, keeping the lead and momentum on his side. Mickelson felt he had no choice to go after what he called a "carnival" pin on the 16th, and it went a 3 yards too far and off a shelf, leading to bogey.
Rose closed him out with a birdie on the 17th to win, 3 and 1.
Vindicator staff/wire reports