Marathon to close Mill Creek Park roads

March 3, 2016 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Mill Creek Park roads will be closed on Sunday from 6:30 a.m. to noon during the when the Youngstown Road Runners Club Distance Classic Half Maratho.

Roads to be closed are New Cross Drive, Bears Den Drive, Cross Drive, West Drive, Memorial Hill Drive, West Glacier Drive, Robinson Hill Drive, West Cohasset Drive, High Drive, Chestnut Hill Drive, East Park Drive, Valley Drive and East Glacier Drive.

Sellout expected for Poland-Salem

BOARDMAN

Doors will open tonight at 6 for the Poland-Salem basketball game at Boardman High School.

Denise Gorski, Boardman athletic director, said a few tickets will be available at the door and encourages fans to purchase advance tickets at Poland and Salem high schools from 8 a.m.-noon.

Advance tickets cost $6 for adults and $4 for students. Gate price is $6 for everyone.

The winner will play Ursuline on Saturday in the district final at 4 p.m.

Tickets for that game will be sold at the schools on Friday.

Vonn ends season after latest spill

Lindsey Vonn’s season started late after she broke her ankle in a training crash. It wrapped up much earlier than anticipated because of another wipeout.

This latest spill came with her popularity peaking — she appeared in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue — and another overall World Cup title right there for the taking, too.

Now, the big questions loom: How bad is she hurt and how can she stay healthy for a full season?

After all, Vonn’s ailments are piling up like her accomplishments. She announced Wednesday that she was leaving the racing circuit early after an MRI revealed three significant breaks where the shinbone meets the knee joint. She hurt it in a crash over the weekend and competed the next day, when she thought it was only a hairline fracture.

With eight races to go, Vonn leads the overall World Cup standings with 1,235 points, followed closely by Lara Gut of Switzerland with 1,207. Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany is third with 914.

Kessel not yet picked for Team USA

Phil Kessel has to wait to find out if he plays for the United States at the World Cup of Hockey, and P.K. Subban will have to remain in a holding pattern on getting the call about representing Canada.

Kessel and Subban were among the most notable players left off the initial 16-man World Cup rosters unveiled Wednesday. There’s still time for them to be added as each team must fill out its 23-man roster by June 1.

“It’s not just Phil Kessel,” general manager Dean Lombardi said, noting that forward Bobby Ryan and defenseman Justin Faulk also didn’t make the first cut. “It’s imperative that we get this right.”

Among the nine forwards, four defensemen and three goaltenders selected to the U.S. roster, no player’s presence was more surprising than Justin Abdelkader of the Detroit Red Wings, who adds a tough physical presence that should suit coach John Tortorella well.

The same goes for big defenseman Dustin Byfuglien of the Winnipeg Jets, while Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks brings the skill up front.

Canada will have a very familiar feel for coach Mike Babcock as 12 of the first 16 players selected to the roster won gold with him at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, including goaltender Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens, who has been out of NHL action with an injury.

General manager Doug Armstrong said he gave Price — “the No. 1 goalie on the planet” — his choice of how to proceed with the roster, and the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner wanted to be on it.

Behind Price are Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals, who’s on pace to break Martin Brodeur’s single-season wins record, and Corey Crawford of the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks.

Staff/wire report