By Times Staff and Wire Reports
Published March 6, 2004
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A record 87 teams hit the trail today for the world's longest sled dog race.
Thousands of fans were expected to descend on Anchorage to watch the ceremonial start to the 1,100-mile Iditarod race to Nome.
The serious racing won't begin until Sunday, at the official restart in Willow.
The Iditarod normally takes top mushers at least nine days. Only four-time champion Martin Buser has done it in less. He holds the course record of 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, set in 2002.
Buser and Doug Swingley are trying to join Rick Swenson, the only five-time winner.
COLLEGES: Allegations at Iowa
An independent investigator will look into a newspaper report that an Iowa football prospect received sexual favors during an official visit last fall. The Manhattan (Kan.) Mercury reported quarterback Nick Patton, who committed to Kansas State, said he had consensual sex with a woman he met on the Iowa campus. Patton wasn't certain whether the encounter was arranged by his player host, Abdul Hodge, or if football officials were involved. ... Texas running back Cedric Benson gave up pro baseball, choosing to stay with the Longhorns for his senior season. The Dodgers drafted Benson in the 12th round in 2001 and were paying for his education. He'll go on scholarship. ... Colorado State is tightening its recruiting policies amid scandals at the Colorado and elsewhere. Proposed changes have been given to coaches to review and will take effect after they respond, spokesman Gary Ozzello said.
BASEBALL: Pinch-hitter Derrick Smith's run-scoring triple broke an eighth-inning tie and gave Florida State a 5-3 win over Nebraska at the Dairy Queen Classic in Minneapolis. ... Matt Maley's ninth-inning double drove in the winner and gave host Florida a 8-7 win over Purdue. ... Brian Baisley went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs to lead host USF past Illinois 11-5. ... Danny Figueroa got the go-ahead run on a seventh-inning passed ball, giving host Miami a 6-3 win over Elon.
SOFTBALL: Jessica van der Linden pitched a perfect game as Florida State beat Penn State 8-0 at the Seminole Challenge. The Seminoles' Casey Hunter pitched a no-hitter in an 11-0 win against Rhode Island. ... South Florida defeated Purdue 8-0 in a game shortened by the run rule and Illinois-Chicago 5-4 at the Speedline Invitational in Clearwater. ... Eckerd lost 3-2 to Southern Virginia and 8-0 to host Savannah College of Art and Design in five innings at the SCAD Smash Hit Spring Break Tournament.
TENNIS: The USF women lost their match 7-0 to visiting Miami. ... Eckerd lost 6-1 to West Florida. ... Host Florida handed Vanderbilt its first loss 6-1. ... The Gator men dropped their match 5-2 to the host Commodores.
TRACK: Florida men's coach Mike Holloway and women's coach Tom Jones were named South Region Indoor coaches of the year, the United States Track Coaches Association announced.
TRACK AND FIELD: Devers halfway to double
Gail Devers won the 60-meter sprint at the indoor world championships in Budapest, Hungary, moving within a victory in the hurdles of becoming the first to complete a double at the event. She won in a season-best 7.08 seconds.
TENNIS: Unseeded Hanescu wins
Unseeded Victor Hanescu upset second-seeded Martin Verkerk 7-5, 6-4 to advance to his first semifinal at the Franklin Templeton Classic in Scottsdale, Ariz. For the first time in three tries, top-seeded Andy Roddick beat Jan-Michael Gambill 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-3. No.4 Vincent Spadea beat sixth-seeded James Blake of Tampa 6-4, 2-6, 7-5.
DUBAI OPEN Top-seeded Roger Federer beat Andrei Pavel 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the semifinals in the United Arab Emirates.
ET CETERA
ARENA FOOTBALL: The Storm activated receiver/linebacker David Saunders from injured reserve, making him available for Sunday's game at New Orleans. Saunders, the Storm's MVP in 2002, missed two games with a right shoulder injury.
CYCLING: World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound said he never accused five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong of using banned substances but stood by his comments that the sport remains tainted by drugs. Armstrong released a statement Thursday sharply criticizing Pound for saying "the public knows that the riders of the Tour de France and the others take forbidden substances."
HORSES: Former Tampa Bay Derby winner Burning Roma is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the $65,000 Budweiser Challenge Stakes today at Tampa Bay Downs.
SOCCER: Julie Foudy scored in the 87th minute to give the United States a 3-2 victory over Mexico in the championship of an Olympic qualifying tournament in San Jose, Costa Rica.
