LOCAL

LOCAL

New Castle names
Mark Stanley coach

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — The New Castle Area School Board named Mark Stanley varsity boys basketball coach.

The school board, at a special meeting Tuesday, entered into a two-year contract with Stanley, setting his salary at $5,913 the first season and $6,120 the second year.

Stanley, a Union Area High graduate, was boys basketball coach at Union for the past seven seasons. He replaces John Sarandrea, who is leaving the district to accept a position as superintendent of Sharon City Schools. Sarandrea also was New Castle High School principal.

World of Outlaws
at Sharon Speedway

HARTFORD — The World of Outlaws Sprint Series returns to Sharon Speedway Friday.

General admission tickets will cost $25 for adults and $5 for kids ages 6-13. Reserved seats are an additional $2 and pit passes are $32.

For tickets call the track at (330) 772-1186 or log on to www.sharonspeedway.com.

Gates open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and qualifying at 7.

Phoenix soccer
has good weekend

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Phoenix Soccer Club of Youngstown sent seven teams to compete in the Virginia Rush Memorial Day Soccerfest Tournament.

All seven teams participated in the gold division of the prestigious tournament with four of the teams qualifying for the semifinals; U-11/12 girls, U-14/15 girls, U-15 boys and U-19 girls.

The U-19 girls lost 1-0 in their semifinal, but three other teams advanced to the finals. The U-14/15 girls and U-15 boys won their championship games, 2-0 and 3-1, respectively.

NATION

NCAA grants Duke
fifth year of eligibility

RALEIGH, N.C. — The NCAA has granted Duke’s request for an extra year of eligibility for its men’s lacrosse players following rape allegations that led to the cancellation of much of last season.

The decision affects 33 players who were not seniors during the 2006 season, and it grants them a fifth year of eligibility regardless of whether they play at Duke or another school. The announcement Wednesday came just two days after the Blue Devils lost to Johns Hopkins by a goal in the NCAA championship game for the second time in three seasons.

Irish narrow QB
competition to three

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The competition to replace Brady Quinn as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback was narrowed to three Wednesday instead of the two coach Charlie Weis wanted.

Evan Sharpley, Jimmy Clausen and Demetrius Jones will vie for the job, Weis said.

Weis had said before spring practice began that he wanted to narrow the competition to two QBs by late May.

Sharpley, Quinn’s backup last season, is the only one of the three with game experience. He was in eight games last season, but threw just two passes, completing a 7-yarder against Michigan.

Clausen is the most highly touted player to arrive at Notre Dame since Ron Powlus in 1993.

Group eyes starting
new football league

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is part of a group considering formation of a football league that would compete with the NFL for players drafted lower than the second round.

The league, still very much in the preliminary stage, would play its games on Friday nights. The NFL does not play then because of the potential conflict with high school football.

“It’s a pretty simple concept,” Cuban said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “We think there is more demand for pro football than supply.”

NASCAR might relax
testing policy

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR is considering opening up its restrictive testing policy, which several teams already have skirted this season.

Currently, rules limit teams to seven tests on Nextel Cup-sanctioned tracks, and crew chiefs help NASCAR decide the venues and dates.

But as the Car of Tomorrow was rolled into competition, the top teams found ways to test it outside of the rules.

NASCAR is having a hard time policing teams.

Vindicator staff/wire reports