local

January 17, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

local

Thunder adds Williams

BOARDMAN — The Mahoning Valley Thunder, in conjunction with the arenafootball2 League Office, announced that defensive back/wide receiver Ray Williams, (6’3, 204), has been assigned to the team. Williams enters his second season in the af2, both as a member of the Thunder.

Last year Williams established himself as one of Mahoning Valley’s most dynamic and talented players, starting every game.

He had 44 tackles, 13 pass-breakups (second on the team), one interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, one blocked kick and two catches resulting in 30 yards and a score.

state

Indians sign pitchers Herges and Cassel

CLEVELAND — Right-hander Matt Herges and Jack Cassel — the older brother of New England quarterback Matt Cassel — agreed Friday to minor league contracts with the Cleveland Indians.

The 38-year-old Herges has a 40-34 career record in the majors with seven organizations spanning 17 seasons. He and Steve Finley are the only two players to have played on every team within a five-team division. Herges went 3-4 with a 5.04 ERA in 58 games for the Colorado Rockies last season.

Cassel made three starts last year, going 1-1 with a 5.64 ERA in four stints with the Houston Astros. The 28-year-old was 7-1 with a 1.98 ERA at Triple-A from April through July.

nation

Cycling to be offered

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin will be the site for cycling competition in Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics.

Gov. Jim Doyle said Friday the Madison area would hold the road race, individual time trials and mountain bike events. The cyclists would be housed at the University of Wisconsin.

The road cycling and individual time trials would start at the campus, head downtown and finish about 25 miles away in Blue Mound State Park. The mountain bike course would be at Tyrol Basin, a popular ski and snowboard area.

Chicago is competing with Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Games.

Women’s soccer

ST. LOUIS — The commissioner of the Women’s Pro Soccer League insists the time is right to try again, even in an economy in turmoil.

The league is aiming low and for the long haul, hoping to prosper with modest aims while learning from the mistakes of the big-budget Women’s United Soccer Association. That league folded in 2003 after failing to capitalize on a popularity spike following the 1999 World Cup.

The WPS begins March 29 with franchises in Boston, Chicago, the San Francisco area, Los Angeles, New Jersey-New York, St. Louis and Washington. Franchises in Atlanta and Philadelphia have signed letters of intent to join in 2010.

Oaklawn has hopes

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Larry Jones might have one of the top Kentucky Derby hopefuls this year, and he’s set to bring his horse to Arkansas.

“It’s a good spot to get ’em started and go,” said Jones, who trains undefeated Old Fashioned. “They always seem like they come out of there and do well.”

In recent years, horses like Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex and Curlin have come through Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs before going on to success in Triple Crown races.

Hot Winter Nights

The pro beach volleyball tour is bringing the sand indoors for the second straight winter, and this season has something the first go-round couldn’t offer: gold medalists fresh off the podium and an Olympian at every stop.

The AVP’s Hot Winter Nights begins today at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Conn., the first of 15 stops that the domestic pro tour is hoping will benefit from the popularity gained when the Americans swept the men’s and women’s gold medals in Beijing.

Kljestan to train with Glasgow Celtic

CARSON, Calif. — Midfielder Sacha Kljestan left the U.S. national soccer team training camp to train for a week with Scottish Premier League champion Glasgow Celtic.

Kljestan left Los Angeles on Thursday and was due to arrive in Scotland on Friday, U.S. team spokesman Michael Kammarman said.

The 23-year-old, a member of last year’s Olympic team, is to return in time for a Jan. 24 exhibition game against Sweden.

world

Cross-country races

WHISTLER, British Columbia — Emil Joensson of Sweden and Alena Prochazkova of Slovakia won World Cup cross-country ski races Friday at Whistler Olympic Park, a venue for the 2010 Games.

Joensson captured a 1.6-kilometer classic sprint for the second World Cup victory of his career. Norway’s Ola Vigen Hattestad was second and Germany’s Josef Wenzl was third.

Prochazkova won the women’s 1.3-kilometer classic sprint for her first World Cup victory. She was followed by Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland was Anna Olsson of Sweden.

Vindicator staff/wire reports