Colleges

FSU QB Sexton quits football

By wire services
Published January 15, 2006

Florida State quarterback Wyatt Sexton, who sat out the season as he received treatment for Lyme disease, announced Saturday that he was giving up football.

"This has been the most difficult decision I have ever had to make in my entire life," Sexton said in a statement. "But after consultation with my doctor and my family, I've decided not to rejoin the football team. I will focus on regaining my health and my academic pursuit of getting an MBA."

Sexton, 21, a fourth-year junior, started seven games in 2004 and was penciled in at the top of the depth chart. But in June, police responded to calls that Sexton was acting erratically and took him to the hospital.

Sexton later was diagnosed with Lyme disease and began a lengthy recovery.

- BRIAN LANDMAN, Times staff writer

USF: Campus police have asked the state attorney's office to file a misdemeanor charge against receiver Jackie Chambers and another man after an altercation Tuesday at a campus dormitory. Chambers, 21, and Cedel Thomassin, 27, were arguing about the condition in which Thomassin was leaving the apartment. In the ensuing fight, a window was broken and Thomassin cut his arm, requiring a trip to University Community Hospital, campus police said.

MORE FOOTBALL: Webber International named Chad Barnhardt offensive coordinator. He was an offensive graduate assistant coach at USF. ... Tennessee defensive tackle Tony McDaniel, Ohio State strong safety Donte Whitner and USC guard Fred Matua will forgo their senior seasons and enter the NFL draft.

SWIMMING: Host Florida State beat the Miami women 146-95. ... The Florida men led the Dallas Morning News Classic on Friday with 168.5 points. The Seminoles were fourth with 128.

TENNIS: The host men beat William & Mary 4-3 at the USF Spring Classic. ... The Gators' Alexis Gordon advanced to the women's consolation final of the National Collegiate Classic in Indian Wells, Calif. Gordon and Whitney Benik defeated Texas 8-4 in the quarterfinals of the main draw. ... The USF women beat the host 5-3 at the FIU Spring Classic in Miami.

TRACK: Georgia Tech's Ashlee Kidd clocked a NCAA provisional time of 54.09 seconds to win the women's 400 meters at the Kentucky Invitational in Lexington. The St. Petersburg native was fourth in the 200 (24.28).

Nextel Cup champio n Tony Stewart injured his right arm when he flipped his car during a qualifying race Friday for the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla. His X-rays and a CT scan were negative, but Stewart was fitted with a cast until a more extensive evaluation.

Daron Rahlves became the first American in more than a decade to win the men's downhill on the Lauberhorn course in Wengen, Switzerland. Rahlves finished in 2:30.54. Teammate Bode Miller , who spent part of last week apologizing for comments he made about skiing "wasted," was 11th.

WOMEN'S SKIING: Olympic medalist Janica Kostelic won her first World Cup downhill in 1:37.96 in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria, and built her lead in the overall standings.

SPEED SKATING: Claudia Pechstein took the overall lead halfway through the European Championships in Hamar, Norway. She was third in the 500 in 39.60 and second in the 3,000 (4:08.47) for 81,011 points.

Brother Derek beat Stevie Wonderboy by 11/2 lengths in the $150,000 San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita, muddling the early Kentucky Derby picture. Stevie Wonderboy, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile champion, was making his 3-year-old debut.

TAMPA BAY DOWNS: Above the Wind earned his third straight Pelican Stakes victory, beating Morine's Victory in a photo finish in Oldsmar. Pies Prospect rallied to capture the feature on Friday's card, setting the track record in 1:43.27.

BASEBALL: Arizona and catcher Johnny Estrada agreed to a $2-million, one-year contract. ... Pittsburgh and outfielder-first baseman Craig Wilson agreed to a one-year deal worth about $3.5-million.

BOXING: Denmark's Mikkel Kessler retained his WBA super-middleweight title when Canadian Eric Lucas quit in the 10th round in Copenhagen.

NFL: Bills general manager Marv Levy , 80, clarified he's not a candidate for the team's vacant coaching job.

[Last modified January 15, 2006, 07:15:17]