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Derby LaneClassic is tonight

ST. PETERSBURG - The $100,000 Distance Classic, the richest stakes race of the season, will be held tonight at Derby Lane. The three-eighths-mile race is 10th on the program.

Black Magic, the points leader in qualifying rounds and one of the favorites, is running out of the No. 4 box. He will be challenged by Narmada (No. 1), Perpetual Smiler (No. 2) and Dotties Dynamo (No. 3). Perpetual Smiler belongs to Bahama Mama Kennel, which owns last season's Classic winner, Talentedmrripley. The kennel's other top greyhound, Caymen Went, was among points leaders before a season-ending leg injury in March.

Originally scheduled for March 29, the final was postponed after the third round of qualifying because kennel cough spread to more than 300 greyhounds. The disease forced the track to suspend live racing two weeks.

Men's coach Larry Eustachy, already suspended by Iowa State for his behavior at student parties, was suspended one game by the NCAA for a secondary rules violation. The NCAA found Iowa State guilty because Eustachy twice paid players for making free throws. And assistant coach Steve Barnes denied using threats or intimidation to rally support for Eustachy. The university suspended Barnes with pay Thursday for making threatening remarks against school and athletic officials in a telephone call to a player's parents.

COACH HIRINGS: St. Bonaventure chose Notre Dame assistant Anthony Solomon as coach, the Associated Press reported. Solomon has not signed a contract and will be St. Bonaventure's first black head coach in any sport, the school said. Also, Tony Shaver left Hampden-Sydney after 17 years to coach William & Mary.

Faculty from SEC schools agreed to become the third league to endorse academic reforms for collegiate athletics, joining the Big Ten and Pac-10. The SEC faculty also said faculty should have a "significant" role in overseeing athletic departments' activities, policies and personnel decisions. They recommended scheduling be based on academics around tests and classes rather than on revenues from TV contracts.

FOOTBALL: Florida State linebacker Michael Boulware is among 36 named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watchlist. The award honors the nation's top defensive player. Boulware was second on the team in tackles last season (127).

GOLF: FSU men's coach Nicky Goetze, who plans to resume his pro playing career, will resign after the Atlanta Intercollegiate on May 8-10. Goetze played on the Canadian and Asian pro tours.

TENNIS: South Florida's Uli Kiendl and Paco Antelo are first-team All-Conference USA and Jorge Escallon third team.

Venus Williams dropped the first set and trailed 3-0 in the second before winning 12 of 15 games to beat Francesca Schiavone in a J&S Cup quarterfinal in Warsaw. The top-seeded Williams needed almost two hours for the 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory. She faces Denisa Chladkova in the semifinals.

CROATIAN BOL LADIES OPEN: Samantha Reeves of Monona, Wis., reached her first WTA Tour semifinal when Gala Leon Garcia quit with back pains. The 23-year-old Reeves, ranked 123rd, faces third-seeded Vera Zvonareva in the semifinals.

HOCKEY: The United States earned its first victory at the World Championships, beating Slovenia 7-2 in the relegation round at Tampere, Finland.

SARS EFFECTS: The world track cycling championships scheduled for China July 30-Aug. 3 will be moved to Europe because of severe acute respiratory syndrome. In soccer, the United States will play Ireland instead of South Korea on June 14 in Salt Lake City because SARS postponed Asian qualifying for the Women's World Cup. Asian qualifying, first set for April in Bangkok, Thailand, was pushed to June 10-22.