YSU

YSU

Men’s cross country

RIVERDALE, N.Y. — Freshman Jake Lape finished 76th and the men's cross country team tied its best-ever finish at the Iona Meet of Champions on Saturday morning.

Lape (Boardman High) was one of three freshmen among YSU's five scoring runners. He covered the hilly 8K course at Van Cortlandt Park in 27:09.9 to lead the Penguins to a 10th-place finish.

Lauren Blase led the women's team to a 16th-place finish with her 137th-place time of 25:59.4.

Justin Dickman finished one spot behind Lape with a time of 27:11.1, and freshman Jim Ramson was 82nd with a time of 27;19.8. Dan Nemergut placed 93rd in 27:34.9, and freshman Joe Copploe was 124th with a time of 28:16.8.

For the women's squad, Dawn Goodwin was 143rd (26:13.1), Lisa Lee was 154th (26.33.6), Madelyn McGhee finished 156th (26:38.3) and Kelcie Witmer placed 157th (26:40.3).

LOCAL

Schulteis may be out

POLAND — Tanner Schulteis, a halfback-inside linebacker for the Poland High football team, suffered a neck stinger in Friday’s game at home against East Liverpool, and may not play Friday at Niles.

Schulteis was removed from the field and taken by ambulance to a hospital as a precaution, but then was released after being examined.

“They put a neck brace on last night but today he took it off,” said Poland coach Mark Brungard. “It was either a neck sprain or a whiplash.”

Brungard said Schulteis’ playing status is uncertain this week.

“He’s pretty stiff so I’m not sure he will play this week. It’s a day-by-day thing,” said Brungard.

Phantoms win, 3-2

BLAINE, MN. — The Mahoning Valley Phantoms closed out the NAHL Showcase with a 3-2 shoot-out win over the Topeka Roadrunners Saturday.

Phantoms goalie Mark Lee stopped 29 of 31 shots in regulation, while Miles Winter, Grant Blakey, Scott Moser, and Derek Graham each scored in the shoot-out, propelling the Phantoms out to a 3-1-0 record to start the season.

The power play got the Phantoms going early in the first period as Winter picked up a rebound at the top of the crease and chipped the puck over Topeka goaltender Bryce Merriam, giving Mahoning Valley a 1-0 lead. The goal was Winter’s second of the season.

Steelhounds plan
Meet ‘N’ Greet

YOUNGSTOWN — On Oct. 13th, the Youngstown SteelHounds will hold their second annual “Beginning Of The Year” Meet 'N' Greet party at the Draught House, presented by the Youngstown SteelHounds Booster Club.

Festivities will get underway at 6 p.m. beginning with a buffet dinner and will open to the public at 7:30 p.m.

Fans can meet the team, coaches and front office staff, and can get pictures taken with players. For information visit www.steelhoundsboosters.com.

Drivers recognized

YOUNGSTOWN — Area drivers who competed in the Sports Car Club of American races throughout the 2007 season have been recognized for their efforts.

Bill Pintaric, Jr. of Liberty, who won four races in a row to finish the season, driving a Nissan 200xx in the GT Lite class won the Northeast Division championship for the fourth straight year.

David Pintaric of Canfield finished second in a Dodge Viper in the Touring 1 class.

Absen Yelkin of Canfield placed first in the Formula Atlantic class driving a Swift. He had two wins. Also, Atahan Koymen of Youngstown finished fourth driving a Swift in the Formula Atlantic class and Christina Libecco of Warren placed fifth in the Formula 500 class.

Curbstoners start with
evening session

BOARDMAN — The Curbstone Coaches Association begins another season of business with a 6 p.m. dinner on Monday at the Blue Wolf Catering Center on Lockwood Blvd.

Youngstown State Univ. football coach Jon Heacock and YSU athletic director Ron Strollo will be the guest speakers.

NATION

Matta gets big raise,
extended contract

COLUMBUS — Ohio State gave men’s basketball coach Thad Matta a raise of almost $500,000, boosting his salary to just under $2.5 million a year and adding another year to his contract through the 2016 season.

In an addendum approved by the Ohio State Board of Trustees on Friday, Matta, in his fourth year as head coach, picked up another year on his contract by virtue of winning the 2007 Big Ten regular-season title.

He was paid almost $1.9 million a year ago under terms of a contract he signed in 2006. The contract addendum announced Saturday morning bumps his base salary $100,000 to $475,000 and the money he receives for “media, promotions and public relations” by $380,000 to $830,000.

Matta’s salary now approaches that of football coach Jim Tressel, who makes more than $2.6 million a year leading the program that is far and away the university’s biggest athletic money-maker.

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said he was not considering renegotiating Tressel’s contract. He also said Matta’s new deal wasn’t based on how much the football coach was making.

“I don’t do a comparison between Thad and Jim,” Smith said. “I do comparison to the marketplace. Thad’s is compared to the basketball coaches in the Big Ten. Right now his compensation package places him second in the Big Ten, which is the focus — to make sure that we continue to have our coaches paid at the top of the conference consistent with our expectations.”

U.S. beats England,
in World Cup semis

TIANJIN, China — Abby Wambach and Kristine Lilly held a players meeting in their hotel room a day before the United States played England in the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup.

All meetings should be so productive.

Having aired any grievances, the U.S. went on to defeat England 3-0 Saturday on second-half goals from Wambach, Shannon Boxx and Lilly during a 12-minute span.

“We came together and we said: ’Everybody get off your shoulders what you want to say,”’ defender Cat Whitehill said. “It was just kind of an open forum for us. Just to say this is what I think is working, and this is what I think isn’t working. I think it really helped us.”

The No. 1-ranked Americans advanced to Thursday’s semifinal in Hangzhou. The final is Sept. 30 in Shanghai, with the U.S. seeking a third title to go with the ones from 1991 and ’99.

Vindicator staff⁄wire reports