area

area

Poland wins opener in state tournament

KENTON — The Poland 12-year-old team took full advantage of 17 walks to defeat Clyde, 15-6, Saturday in the state Little League softball tournament.

Phoebe Bush had two RBIs and scored twice as Poland won its tournament opener.

Meredith Tesone scored three runs while Leah Howard, Brielle Nocera and Taylor Miokovic scored two each.

Anna Barnhart had a key hit.

Jessica Rutana and Chloe Bush combined for the pitching win.

Today, Poland plays Wheelersburg in the seven-team double-elimination tournament.

Fall schedules are requested

The Vindicator requests area high school athletic directors to submit 2008 fall varsity sports schedules.

They can be sent by mail to Vindicator sports department, P.O. Box 780, Youngstown, 44501; fax (330-747-6712) or e-mail (sports@vindy.com).

Coaching course

BOARDMAN — A USA Track Field Coaching Certification Course will be held at Boardman High School on August 1-3.

The course offers a Level One national coaching certification from the USATF.

The 20-hour course lasts two-and-a-half-days.

For details call (330) 921-9583 or visit dspavlansky@hotmail.com.

Huddle July 27

WARREN — The Warren Sports Hall of Fame Coaches Huddle will take place July 27 at DiLucia’s.

Doors open at 6 p.m.; high school football coaches will make their presentations beginning at 7.

Participating schools will be Brookfield, Champion, Girard, Howland, Hubbard, LaBrae, Liberty, Mineral Ridge, Newton Falls, Niles, Warren Harding and Warren JFK.

nation

Stabler takes leave

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama football color analyst Ken Stabler has been granted a leave of absence for the upcoming season following his arrest on a drunken driving charge.

A star quarterback for Alabama in the 1960s, Stabler led the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl title in 1977.

He also played for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints during a 15-year NFL career.

Ex-Yankees star Bobby Murcer dies

NEW YORK — Bobby Murcer, a five-time All-Star outfielder who spent nearly four decades with the New York Yankees as a player, executive and announcer, has died.

He was 62.

The Yankees said Murcer died Saturday due to complications from brain cancer.

He was surrounded by family at Mercy Hospital in his hometown of Oklahoma City, the team said.

Curlin is second in Man o’ War

NEW YORK — Curlin made it close but finished second in his first test of the turf.

Red Rocks took the lead in the stretch and held off the reigning Horse of the Year by two lengths in winning the Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday.

Curlin dominated on dirt, winning nine times in 12 starts.

This was a chance to see if the 4-year-old colt could stick with the top turf horses with an eye on running in the Arc de Triomphe, Europe’s premier race, at Longchamp on Oct. 5.

Truth Rules at Monmouth feature

OCEANPORT, N.J. — Truth Rules rallied in the stretch to win the $150,000 Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday, beating the favored Atoned by a head.

Ridden by Stewart Elliott, the 3-year colt was dead last as the field of five rounded the final turn, but he circled the field on the outside and eventually overtook Atoned in the final strides.

Trained by Nick Zito, Truth Rules covered the 1 1-16 miles on the fast main track in 1:45 1‚Ñ5 and returned $35.80, $9.40 and $3.20. Atoned paid $3.40 and $2.10, while Z Humor finished 31‚Ñ4 lengths back in third and paid $2.10.

Gators lose pair

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida safeties Dorian Munroe and John Curtis will miss the upcoming season because of knee injuries.

Munroe tore the ACL in his right knee and will have season-ending surgery. The junior played in 26 games the last two years and was a key contributor on special teams. He led the Gators with 13 special teams tackles last season.

Curtis tore his left ACL for the third time. The senior already had two surgeries on that knee, and coach Urban Meyer said the latest injury could end his career.

Tennis hall of fame

NEWPORT, R.I. — Defending champion Fabrice Santoro advanced to the final of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships by beating Vince Spadea 7-6 (4), 6-1 on Saturday.

The matchup between the 35-year-old Santoro and 33-year-old Spadea was the oldest combined ages in a semifinal on tour since 1993, when 31-year old Brad Gilbert beat 40-year old Jimmy Connors in San Francisco.

world

Pole vault record

ROME — Russian Yelena Isinbayeva has improved her own pole vault world record to 16 feet, 6 inches.

The Russian cleared the record height (5.03 meters) with ease on her second attempt at the Golden Gala meet, nearly three years after her previous record of 16-51‚Ñ4 (5.01 meters) at the 2005 world championships in Helsinki, Finland.

Klitschko stops Thompson in 11th

BERLIN — Wladimir Klitschko stopped former sparring partner Tony Thompson with a right hand in the 11th round Saturday to defend his heavyweight title.

Klitschko (51-3, 45 knockouts) turned boos to cheers as the American went to the canvas 1:38 into the round.

He redeemed himself after an ugly 10th round in which he pushed Thompson to the canvas and fell upon him.

Klitschko won his ninth straight bout in a tougher-than-expected fight, surviving a second-round head butt that left both fighters with a bleeding right eye.

Premier Soccer

BIRMINGHAM, England — Brad Guzan could become the fourth American goalkeeper in the Premier League after Chivas USA and Aston Villa agreed to a transfer fee on Saturday.

The switch from Major League Soccer requires Guzan to obtain a British work permit, a hurdle that thwarted a deal in January.

Vindicator staff/wire reports