area

area

Berendt gets an ace

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Emily Berendt of Struthers scored a hole-in-one on the ninth hole at Tupelo Bay Golf Course on Feb. 27.

She used a 5 wood on the 120-yard par-3. Witnesses were Martin Berendt, Cecil Taylor and Jerry Boyd.

Mrs. Berendt is a member of the Mill Creek Ladies 18 Golf League

Spring schedules

YOUNGSTOWN — All area high schools are requested to send a copy of their spring sports schedules to The Vindicator.

They can be sent by fax to (330) 747-6712 or e-mailed to sports@vindy.com.

Basketball tickets

EAST PALESTINE — East Palestine High School is selling tickets for its boy’s basketball against Ursuline.

The game is at Salem High School tonight at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets at the school are on sale from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The Rock prevails

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Denell Stephens led four double-figure scorers with 20 points as the Slippery Rock men’s basketball team defeated Indiana (Pa.), 86-69.

Maurice Douglas added 18 points for The Rock, 21-7, 11-3. Gerald Brooks scored 32 points for Indiana, 21-7, 10-4.

Salituro a Colonial

MOON TOWNSHIP, PA — Mahoning Valley Phantoms forward Stefan Salituro committed to play college hockey at Robert Morris Univ. next season.

Salituro, the Phantoms’ third-leading scorer with 12 goals and 29 assists is in the midst of a scoring hot streak that has seen him register at least one point in 12 of Mahoning Valley’s last 13 games.

He’s tallied 20 of his 41 points in those 13 contests.

nation

Search ends for boaters off Fla. coast

CLEARWATER, Fla. — After three days of combing 24,000 miles of ocean, the Coast Guard on Tuesday stopped searching for two NFL players and a third man lost in rough, chilly Gulf of Mexico waters off the Florida coast.

Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent defensive lineman Corey Smith, who played with the Detroit Lions last season, and former South Florida player William Bleakley, had been missing since Saturday when their boat capsized during a fishing trip.

Bleakley’s father said he thought the Coast Guard did everything it could and that his expectations lowered after only one survivor was found Monday, nearly two days after the four friends were knocked out of their 21-foot boat.

USOC tightens belt

The rough economy forced leaders of the U.S. Olympic Committee to approve cutting the federation’s work force by up to 15 percent as a way of saving more than $7.1 million in the 2009 budget.

Chief executive officer Jim Scherr said the decision Tuesday was more of a pre-emptive move than a reflection on the USOC’s less-than-full slate of sponsors. But he conceded the bad economy was too big an issue to ignore.

Miller takes time off, ponders retirement

Bode Miller won’t ski again this season but has yet to decide on retirement.

“At this time I find more happiness doing other things than being on tour,” the defending overall World Cup champion said Tuesday in his online diary.

The New Hampshire skier has not won a race this season and already sat out the last two weekends. He was visiting his 1-year-old daughter in San Diego and resting his ankle, injured in a crash in December.

Wooden’s family: No autographs please

LOS ANGELES — The family of John Wooden has a request for his many fans: Please stop sending items for the 98-year-old coaching great to autograph.

Wooden, who coached UCLA to a record 10 national basketball titles, is recovering from pneumonia that put him in the hospital.

Wooden’s daughter said Tuesday the family appreciates the support and respect of fans across the country, but certain steps need to be taken.

world

Tickets selling fast

JOHANNESBURG — FIFA says it has received 506,000 online applications for tickets from 140 countries to the 2010 World Cup since they went on sale Feb. 20.

The total doesn’t include paper applications made by South African residents.

FIFA said Tuesday that 15 percent of the 3 million tickets will cost $20 — well below the top price of $900. The low-priced tickets will be available only to those living in South Africa, a nation with high unemployment and poverty.

Tickets will be sold in several phases and are available on FIFA’s Web site.

Ronaldo makes debut

SAO PAULO — Ronaldo’s much anticipated comeback could happen earlier than expected.

Ronaldo will be on the bench for Corinthians’ Brazilian Cup match against Itumbiara on Wednesday, and his coach said the veteran striker was likely to enter the match some time in the second half.

Vindicator staff/wire reports