SPORTS digest

Trivia fund-raiser tonight at Lake Club

POLAND

The Potential Development Program is sponsoring the Mahoning Valley Sports Trivia Championship today from 6-10 p.m. at The Lake Club.

Celebrity participants will be: Troy Smith, Ohio State football; Maurice Clarett, Ohio State football; Robin Cole, Pittsburgh Steelers; Paul McFadden, Philadelphia Eagles; Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, boxing; Shane Montgomery, Youngstown State offensive coordinator; Chris Sammarone, Youngstown State; and Anthony Schlegel, Ohio State.

The grand prize is $10,000. Proceeds from the event will be used to install an elevator in the program’s high school for students with autism.

For more information, call 330-233-0721.

YSU edges Detroit

Youngstown

Sophomore Kyler Lum scored a goal and assisted on another to lead the Youngstown State women’s soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Detroit at Farmers National Bank Field.

The Penguins (6-10, 1-6 Horizon League) fell behind 1-0 when Phylisha Drayton scored in the 16th minute for the Titans (6-8-2, 2-4-1). Lum tied the match at the 22:29 mark after taking a feed from Katie Hackos and drilling a shot from 20 yards out into the lower left corner.

With less than five minutes before halftime, junior Tyesha Kizer’s header from a Lum corner kick found the right side of the goal.

Junior goalkeeper Katie Montgomery recorded nine saves, six in the second half.

Blue Jackets hire Tortorella to coach

COLUMBUS

After an 0-7 start, the Columbus Blue Jackets have fired coach Todd Richards and replaced him with John Tortorella.

Richards had been with Columbus since 2012, leading the Blue Jackets to only their second NHL playoff appearance in 2013-14, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in the opening round.

The team said Wednesday that Tortorella signed a three-year contract through the 2017-18 season. He will make his debut tonight when Columbus visits Minnesota.

The Blue Jackets were expected to contend for a playoff spot this season. They are just the sixth team to open with seven straight losses. They were shut out by the New York Islanders on Tuesday night, and Columbus has been outscored 18-7 in the third period this season.

Tortorella most recently coached Vancouver in 2013-14. He led Tampa Bay to a Stanley Cup title in 2004.

Michelle Obama, James push education

AKRON

LeBron James welcomed a high-profile guest to show kids in his hometown that they can grow up to be anything they want.

The NBA star appeared with first lady Michelle Obama to celebrate the importance of education and to challenge thousands of children in his family foundation’s program to finish college.

James and Obama took the stage together inside the University of Akron’s Rhodes Arena, a venue where the four-time league MVP played many times while in high school.

Obama pointed out to the children and their parents that she grew up on the south side of Chicago, “where we didn’t have a lot of money or a lot of resources.”

She then turned toward James, who wore a blue T-shirt with “We Are Family” — one of his foundation’s slogans — on the front.

James, who bypassed college by going straight to the pros, grew up in Akron, raised by a single mother. The father of three has spent much of his career giving back to his community and reminded the kids that he represents them every day.

And like his young fans, Obama referred to James as “Mr. LeBron” and said she and her husband appreciate the 30-year-old for being more than a great basketball player. “We love this man because of the man that he is, not because of the athlete he is,” she said. “He is a role model.”

Staff/wire report