Sports briefs

Ferris finishes sixth at qualifier

Former Ohio State gymnast Ronald Ferris, 27, of Austintown, finished sixth at Saturday’s USA Gymnastics Men’s Summer Qualifier. More than 80 gymnasts competed.

In August, Ferris will compete for one of the top 16 spots in at the U.S. Visa Championships which make up the U.S. Senior Men’s Team.

An employee at the Ohio Gymnastics Institute, Ferris was 2005 NCAA national champion and five-time NCAA All American. He retired from competitive gymnastics in 2005 then returned in April 2010 in an attempt to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Trials.

Fitch golf team seeking members

Any boy wishing to try out for the Austintown Fitch golf team must contact coach Ed Santor at 330-793-6760 or fitchgolfcoach@yahoo.com as soon as possible.

Golfers must have a current physical exam on record before practice and tryouts.

Tryouts will be Aug. 1, 2, 4 and 5 and attendance is mandatory.

Austintown golfer 7UP winner

Dom Ignazio, a freshman Fitch golfer, won the 13-14 division of the 7UP Junior Tournament at Mill Creek Golf Course June 21-22.

In the 36-hole tournament, Ignazio shot 176 and beat out J. Autbach (177), M. Standohar (178) and N. Snyder (181).

YSU running back makes Payton list

Youngstown State junior tailback Jamaine Cook is one of 20 Football Championship Subdivision standouts on the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award, sponsored by fathead.com.

The award honors the the top Offensive Player in the FCS. Cook is one of seven running backs on the preseason watch list, which includes 11 quarterbacks and two wide receivers.

Cook had a breakout campaign in 2010 as a sophomore. A second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection, he rushed for 1,276 yards on 241 carries and scored 11 touchdowns.

Dinner set for Fitch football

The Austintown Fitch Football Kickoff Dinner is set for Aug. 5 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Center at 6:30 p.m.

The cost is $75 per ticket and $125 per couple. A table of eight is available for $500. The cost includes dinner, dessert, open bar and entry into reverse raffle. Checks can be made to the Austintown Touchdown Club and sent to Don Sherwood at 6939 Winterpark Ave. Youngstown, OH. 44515.

For information call Don Sherwood at 330-559-9548.

Yeager strikes gold in Florida

Recent Austintown Fitch graduate Donald Yeager competed in the AAU age group national gymnastics championships at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports.

He won six gold medals, including an all around score of 80.3, besting his nearest opponent by more than three points. He took first place on floor exercise (13.55), pommel horse (13.4), still rings (13.2), parallel bars (13.3) and horizontal bar (13.65).

Yeager trains at the Ohio Gymnastics Institute.

Scrappers tickets benefit food bank

To benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley, Mahoning Valley Scrappers invite all faiths to attend the 2011 Faith Night series at Eastwood Field.

The food bank will receive $1 for each ticket purchased through pre-sale only. To purchase Faith Night tickets, call the Mahoning Valley Scrapper’s Group Sales Department at 330-505-0000 or visit www.mahoningvalleysecondharvest.org to download the ticket flier. Faith Night games are scheduled for Friday, Aug. 5, and Aug. 26. Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley provides food to 153 hunger relief organizations in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.