Area Digest: Curbstoners

area

Curbstoners

BOARDMAN —Dave Smith, general manager of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, will be the guest speaker of the Curbstone Coaches, Monday at noon at the Blue Wolf Banquet Center on Lockwood Blvd.

JFK tennis recipients

WARREN — Warren JFK’s Jenna Alloush and Alison Rossi received the gold racquet award, while Gina Fredericka, Marissa Nocera and Mia Rubano received silver racquet awards from the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association.

Alloush and Rossi are seniors, while Fredericka, Nocera and Rubano are juniors.

To qualify, tennis players must have received two varsity letters and maintained a 3.75 GPA for a specified period.

Last year JFK (17-2) was the Steel Valley Conference champion.

Steelers sign receiver; Bryant fails physical

PITTSBURGH — Rookie free agent wide receiver Kevin Marion signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday after another receiver failed his physical.

The 5-foot-10 Marion caught 44 passes for 485 yards and one touchdown during his career at Wake Forest, making 18 catches for 192 yards as a senior in 2007.

Dorien Bryant, a wide receiver from Purdue who likely would have competed to be one of the Steelers’ kick returners, was released. The Steelers did not say why he failed his physical.

Bryant caught at least 80 passes in each of the last three seasons, making 87 catches for 936 yards and eight touchdowns in 2007 and 87 for 1,068 yards and six touchdowns in 2006. He had 80 catches as a sophomore in 2005.

nation

Hucles hits winner

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Angela Hucles scored in injury time and Abby Wambach had two more to push closer to the 100-goal milestone, giving the U.S. women’s soccer team a 5-4 win over Australia in Saturday’s friendly.

Cat Whitehill’s free kick went to Wambach, who headed it to Hucles coming up from behind. She poked it in between goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri and the left post for her first goal since 2004 with about 30 seconds left in the added time and the second straight survival win over Australia.

It was the most goals the U.S. had ever allowed in a win.

Good advice

IRVING, Texas — Emmitt Smith has some advice for suspended cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones: Stay out of trouble.

“As long as you’re not killing anybody, getting anybody shot at and going to jail, then I don’t have any issues,” said Smith, NFL career rushing leader. The former star running back for Dallas was visiting Cowboys rookie minicamp Saturday.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Jones last year for repeatedly violating the league’s personal conduct rules. He’s been arrested six times and has been involved in 12 matters requiring police intervention.

The Cowboys acquired Jones from the Tennessee Titans last week, and Smith said he thought it was a good trade to bolster the Dallas secondary.

“Pacman is a grown man,” Smith said. “He understands the do’s and don’ts, the rights and wrongs.”

world

Ethiopian women sweep 10K race

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopian women swept the 10,000-meter race Saturday at the African Athletics Championships in a repeat of the men’s success.

Tirunesh Dibaba edged out her older sister Ejegayehu Dibaba by one second to finish in 32 minutes, 49 seconds. Ayalew Wude of Ethiopia was third, five seconds behind the winner.

“We are very proud,” Ejegayehu Dibaba said. “I’m happy to get the silver medal while my sister gets gold.”

On Wednesday, Gebregziabher Gebremariam, Ibrahim Jeylan and Eshetu Wondimu took 1-2-3 for Ethiopia in the men’s race.

Ilchenko retains crown

SEVILLE, Spain — Larisa Ilchenko of Russia defended her 10-kilometer open-water world crown on Saturday and amputee Natalie Du Toit of South Africa qualified for the Beijing Olympics by finishing fourth.

Ilchenko swam the four loops of the Guadalquivir River course in 2 hours, 2 minutes, 2.7 seconds. Last year, she won the title at Melbourne, Australia.

Britain’s Cassandra Patten finished 3.1 seconds behind in second, while Yurema Requena of Spain was 4.5 seconds back in third.

Du Toit was only 5.1 seconds behind Ilchenko. The 24-year-old lost her left leg after being hit by a car in 2001.

Henrythenavigator wins 2,000 Guineas

NEWMARKET, England — Henrythenavigator won the 200th running of the 2,000 Guineas by a nose on Saturday.

Johnny Murtagh steered the 11-1 shot to victory over 14 rivals in the 1-mile classic for 3-year-olds at Newmarket.

Another Irish horse, the 11-8 favorite New Approach, was second and 100-1 shot Stubbs Art was third, four lengths further back.

De Bonis claims stage

ZINAL, Switzerland — Gerolsteiner rider Francesco De Bonis earned his first win in the 70-mile mountain stage Saturday and Andreas Kloeden retained the overall lead of the Tour De Romandie.

The 26-year-old Italian won stage four from Sion to Zinal in the Valaisan Alps in 3 hours, 28 minutes, 6 seconds. The first-year pro outsprinted John Gadret of France to win by three seconds and Manuel Beltran of Spain was five seconds behind in third.

Arslan retains title

STUTTGART, Germany — Firat Arslan earned a convincing decision against American Darnell Wilson in the first defense of his WBA cruiserweight title on Saturday.

The German pressed the fight form the opening seconds, hitting Wilson with regularity from the second round when a left hook sent the American to the ropes.

All three judges ruled the fight 117-111.

The best round for Wilson (23-7-3, 20 knockouts) was the seventh when he picked up the pace, catching the German several times and getting him to back off for a while.

Vindicator staff/wire reports