Sports digest

ysu

Swim team falls

YOUNGSTOWN — Penguin freshman Samantha Roberts won the 200-yard breaststroke but the YSU swim team lost to Ohio by 52 points Friday, 146-94.

The Penguins had nine second-place individual finishes in the dual meet at the Beeghly Center Natatorium.

Roberts’ time lowered her school record to 2:27.31 and she placed second with a time of 2:19.34 in the 200 IM.

In the 200-yard butterfly, junior Caitlin Cook placed second with a time of 2:13.32 and sophomore Nishani Cicilson posted a time of 24.84 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle.

AREA

Mooney in final for national title

YOUNGSTOWN — The Cardinal Mooney High football team can’t win a national title on the field, but the Cardinals are one win away from capturing the virtual crown.

Mooney, which finished 15-0 and won the Div. III state title, will square off with Don Bosco (N.J.) Prep in the championship game of the Massey Virtual National Championship.

The tournament, sponsored by Gannett’s HighSchoolSports.net and USA Today, featured 64 teams nationwide pitted in a virtual tournament bracket.

Mooney entered the tournament ranked seventh among participating teams but had 58-1 odds of winning. Don Bosco was second, with 1-3 odds.

For more details, visit www.highschoolsports.net.

Prep football

YOUNGSTOWN — The state championship football teams from Ursuline and Cardinal Mooney high schools will be celebrated on Jan. 23 at 10 a.m. at the Covelli Centre.

Youngstown mayor Jay Williams and Youngstown City Council will present commendations and resolutions to the teams.

The public is invited.

For details call (330) 742-8710.

nation

Japanese fisherman ties bass record

DANIA BEACH, Fla. — A Japanese man is being credited with tying the 77-year-old world record for catching the biggest largemouth bass.

The International Game Fish Association announced Friday that it had confirmed the 22-pound, 4-ounce fish caught by Manabu Kurita. The Florida-based group said Kurita caught the fish July 2 on Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake.

Kurita’s fish tied the record of George Perry, who caught his bass on Georgia’s Montgomery Lake on June 2, 1932.

Boxing stalemate

While Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s camp insists his prospective bout with Manny Pacquiao can be saved, Pacquiao’s promoter says he’s moving on.

After six weeks of contentious negotiations failed to produce a compromise on Mayweather’s insistence on stringent drug testing for the bout, Pacquiao has made plans to fight welterweight Joshua Clottey in mid-March, Top Rank boss Bob Arum told The Associated Press on Friday.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who works with Mayweather, isn’t ready to give up.

world

Sainz, Despres extend leads in Dakar Rally

SANTIAGO, Chile — Carlos Sainz and Cyril Despres have extended their leads after the seventh stage of the Dakar Rally, a 370-mile leg through the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.

VW driver Sainz finished third in Friday’s stage, 4 minutes, 21 seconds behind winning teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah. Sainz leads Al-Attiayah by 11:03 overall.

American Mark Miller finished fourth in a VW and is third overall, 22:06 off the pace.

Two-time motorbike champion Despres won the stage on his KTM, 29 seconds ahead of defending champ and teammate Marc Coma. Despres leads Coma by 1:06:50 overall.

Rocca injured in slalom training

MILAN — Former World Cup slalom champion Giorgio Rocca pulled a muscle in training and may miss the Vancouver Olympics.

The Italian Winter Sports Federation said Rocca injured the thigh-groin area while training in Domobianca. He was taken to a hospital in Milan for tests and will miss this weekend’s races in Adelboden, Switzerland.

The 34-year-old Rocca entered the 2006 Turin Olympics as a heavy favorite for slalom gold, only to fall in the opening run. Rocca was hoping for one more shot at the Olympics before retiring after this season.

Chan and coach split

World silver medalist Patrick Chan has split with coach Don Laws on the eve of the Canadian championships and a month before the Olympics.

Laws, who guided Scott Hamilton to four world titles and the 1984 Olympics gold medal, has decided to take on a full-time role at a new skating facility in West Palm Beach, Fla. Chan will be coached at his nationals and at the Vancouver Games by choreographer Lori Nichol and technical adviser Christy Krall.

Vindicator staff/wire reports