Ring dinner Feb. 8

On Sunday, Feb. 8 Youngstown State will hold its 19th annual Scholarship Ring Dinner at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman.

This year’s special honorees as Penguins of the Year are well known to the area.

Being honored this year are Jim and Ellen Tressel along with Frank and Norma Watson for their tremendous commitment to the university.

The doors will open at 5 p.m. and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m. The event, which was originally scheduled for Feb. 10, was switched recently to Feb. 8.

Also being honored that night will be YSU’s 2008 Horizon League Indoor and Outdoor women’s track and field championship teams.

Proceeds to scholarships

Proceeds from the dinner will be used to not only fund the University’s athletic scholarship program, but also to provide championship rings for outstanding athletes and coaches.

Tressel was the successful head football coach of the Penguins for 15 seasons, winning four national championships, advancing to the title game six times and compiling a record of 135 wins, 57 losses and two ties. His record during the 1990s was an unbelievable 130-30-2 and was named Ohio College Coach of the year six times and national coach of the year three times.

After the 2000 YSU season, Tressel took over the head coaching duties at Ohio State University and his success has never slowed down.

He has just concluded his eighth season with the Buckeyes and has amassed an 83-18 record. In January he will lead his team to the school’s seventh BCS Bowl game when it plays Texas in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. In these eight seasons Tressel has led the Buckeyes to one national championship and been to the BCS title game three times. The Buckeyes finished 10-2 this season and won a share of the Big Ten championship for the fourth straight season.

But Tressel and his in-laws, the Watsons have meant so much more to the Penguins than just wins and losses and national championships.

In July of 2007 the Tressels and Watsons donated $1 million toward the University’s new indoor facility, which currently has costs estimated at $9.5 million. The new facility will be named the W.A.T.T.S. Center in honor of the two families.

Fans can get a special chance to spend time with Tressel beginning with a reception at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 8. Those who purchase a Scholarship Dinner package get two special reception passes for an opportunity to meet with Tressel. Anyone who purchases the Scholarship Dinner package gets preferred seating, eight dinner tickets, eight YSU mini helmets and a commemorative football.

Those interested in purchasing tickets can call Tom Morella at (330) 941-2351. If someone wishes to order a congratulatory page in the in program for Tressel, contact Rick Love at (330) 941-7227.

YSU camps

The Youngstown State baseball coaching staff will hold instructional camps on eight dates this winter.

Camp sessions will be held for players aged 6-17, beginning with a holiday camp on Dec. 29. The camp series will also feature an advanced showcase camp for pitchers and catchers and a session that will occur over four Saturdays in January.

Each camp session will be held at the Valley Sports Indoor Facility in Struthers.

For further details, read the camp brochure on the baseball page of YSUsports.com or call assistant coach Tom Lipari at (330) 941-2124.

Academic standouts

Five Youngstown State student-athletes were named to the Horizon League’s Fall Academic All-League Teams.

Men’s cross country runners Justin Dickman and J.D. Sheppard, women’s cross country runners Lauren Blase and Layla Witmer and women’s soccer player Jodi Bowlen were named to the squad.

Bowlen, a junior, owns a 4.0 grade-point average in criminal justice while Dickman, a junior, carries a 3.95 grade-point average in political science. Witmer, a sophomore food and nutrition major, boasts a 3.84 grade-point average while Blase, a junior, carries a 3.78 grade-point average in exercise science and Sheppard, a senior, owns a 3.68 grade-point average in exercise science.

XPete Mollica covers YSU athletics for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.