LOCAL

LOCAL

Hardhats post shutout
win over Tigers, 30-0

YOUNGSTOWN — Nate Logan threw a pair of touchdown passes and wound up with 295 yards in the air on 17-for-26, to lead the Mahoning Valley Hardhats to a 30-0 win over the Mahoning Valley Tigers in an inter-league football game Saturday at South field. The Tigers are 0-2.

Logan’s scoring passes were to Twon Ahart (78 yards) and Kevin Peoples (64), while Walt Wright and A.J. McGee ran 22 and 14 yards, respectively, to touchdowns to also lead the Hardhats (3-0) of the Mid Ohio Football League.

McGee also contributed a safety when he tackled the quarterback in the end zone, while Logan and Antonio Owens both ran for conversions.

Owens rushed for 78 yards in 16 carries and Wright 56 yards in eight attempts.

The Hardhats’ next outing is July 14 against the Springfield Tigers in Dayton.

Niles Seniors post
come back win, 8-3

NILES — After giving up three runs in the first inning, pitcher Jake Seelbaugh regrouped to pitch a five-hitter with six strikeouts as the Niles Seniors baseball team defeated the Classics, 8-3, in the 50-Plus League Sunday at Wilder field.

Mark Elston had two hits and three RBIs, Dan Roberts two RBIs and Al DeVengencie, Aden Weaver, Ken Ellsworth and Dave Elston two hits apiece to spark Niles.

Nick Tate, Skip Feigent and Jerry Deal each had one RBI for the Classics.

Boxing at Ball Park
scheduled Aug. 4

ERIE, Pa. — Acri Boxing Promotions and the Erie Seawolves in association with Budweiser will present Boxing at the Ball Park Aug. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Jerry Uht Park.

This unique set up will feature the ring at home plate.

Headlining the show will be unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Durrell Richardson (10-0, 5 KOs) of Youngstown.

Richardson is the nephew of former bantamweight champion Gregg Richard and was the 2002 National Golden Gloves champ.

Richardson will box Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Keenan Collins (12-1-1, 8 KOs). Collins is an aggressive fighter while Richardson is a classic southpaw boxer.

The undercard will feature Erie heavyweight Rocky Mullooly (1-0), Nicolai Firtha (10-3-1), a Russian heavyweight residing in Akron and Buffalo’s welterweight Taylor Atkinson making his debut.

Tickets can be purchased at the Seawolves box office

NATION

Olympic Committee takes tougher stand

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The U.S. Olympic Committee will take a more aggressive approach with its anti-doping strategy, putting more emphasis on testing athletes in high-risk sports such as track and cycling, increasing unannounced testing and pumping more money into research.

Not satisfied with the progress in the increasingly high-profile fight against doping, the USOC signed a new agreement with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency through 2010 that gives the USOC a more active role in expanding research.

The USOC created USADA as an independent anti-doping agency in 2000 in an attempt to avoid appearances of conflicts of interest. Now, the USOC again plans to call more of the shots, especially with research. It still will depend on USADA for some components but also will look into other sources, including possible corporate support, for financial help.

Even before the new contract, details of which will be made public Monday, the USOC and USADA had what is largely regarded as the most extensive anti-doping system in American sports.

“I don’t think the USOC ever intended to fully remove itself from the fight,” said Jim Scherr, chief executive officer of USOC. “The USOC has always had a responsibility for the anti-doping process. We’ve always been in the fight. We want to make sure that in the new agreement that we’re actively involved.”

Under the new contract, USADA will receive about $2 million a year from the USOC, which represents about 17 percent of its approximately $12 million annual budget, USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel said. The rest comes from the federal government. USADA will remain the tester and prosecutor of American athletes suspected of doping.

Athlete testing will be retooled to more effectively target high-risk sports, which will be identified and reviewed on an annual basis.

Vindicator staff/wire reports