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Malone hires Grimes

CANTON — Malone College has hired Charlie Grimes as its new Director of Athletics.

Previously Grimes served as the school’s men’s and women’s track field coach for 11 years.

Grimes replaces Hal Smith who held the AD position for 21 years.

Smith will stay on as Malone’s men’s basketball coach.

Lawler to appear

NILES — Jerry Lawler will help the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in their Salute to Wrestling night on July 12 at Eastwood Field.

A 2007 WWE Hall of Fame inductee, Lawler will throw out the first pitch and sign autographs during the New-York Penn League game.

For details call (330) 505-0000.

Game of Hope

NILES — Nominations are now being accepted for the Game of Hope softball contest at Eastwood Field, scheduled on August 16.

The game will send a Mahoning County softball team against a squad from Trumbull County.

The group hopes the celebrity benefit softball game will benefit chronically/terminally ill children so they may have the experiences generally afforded healthy youth.

For details call (330) 728-2669.

Courage competes

OMAHA, Neb. — Grove City College senior Caleb Courage competed in the preliminaries of the 50- and 100-meter freestyle swimming at the United States Olympic Trials last week.

In the 100 preliminary, Courage posted a time of 51.8 seconds to place 107th.

He then captured 68th place in the 50 free with a time of 23.31.

Tigers win, 40-6

CANFIELD — Quarterback Ray Marrow threw five touchdown passes as the Penn-Ohio Tigers football team defeated the Beaver County Warriors 40-6.

The Pittsburgh Colts play the Penn-Ohio Tigers at Canfield High Saturday at 7 p.m.

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Steelers looking to restructure ownership

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney and his son, team president Art Rooney II, want to buy Dan Rooney’s brothers’ shares in the team.

The team says some of Dan Rooney’s four brothers want to focus their business efforts elsewhere.

The Rooney family owns racetracks in New York and Florida and they’ve added forms of gaming that are inconsistent with NFL gambling policy.

The team says the NFL is working with the Rooneys on an agreement on separation of gambling interests and on restructuring of ownership if part of the team is sold.

Art Rooney II says the discussions should have no affect on the team or its fans.

Steelers sign tackle

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to contract terms with their fourth-round draft pick, offensive tackle Tony Hills of Texas.

Hills is the first of the Steelers’ seven picks to agree to contract terms.

A team official says the Steelers are not commenting until Hills signs a contract.

Hills (6-foot-5, 304-pounds) is scheduled to report for training camp at St. Vincent College on July 27.

Penguins ink pair

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Janne Pesonen and defenseman Ben Lovejoy to one-year contracts on Monday.

Pesonen, of Suomussalmi, Finland, had 34 goals and 44 assists with Oulu Karpat to lead the Finnish Elite League last season. The 26-year-old helped lead Karpat to its fifth league championship with seven goals and nine assists during the postseason.

He was originally drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Lovejoy signed to a one-year entry-level contract with the Penguins. The Canaan, N.H., native played last season in 72 games for the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who acquired him on June 14, 2007.

Vindicator staff/wire reports