St. Petersburg Times Online: Sports

Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies

College sports roundup

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 24, 2001


Player charged with domestic battery

Player charged with domestic battery

GAINESVILLE -- Florida women's basketball forward Naomi Mobley was arrested Monday night on a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery. Mobley got into a fight with another student about a laptop computer at their Gainesville apartment, according the police report.

Mobley was released on Tuesday morning on her own recognizance.

"This an ongoing police investigation that needs to run its course," a statement from the University Athletic Association said. "This matter will be reviewed student judicial affairs and the UAA."

Mobley started 26 games last season and is a two-time SEC-leading rebounder. The senior was suspended for two exhibition games and the regular-season opener.

Maryland rewards Williams

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland has rewarded Gary Williams for leading the Terrapins to their first Final Four appearance.

The school announced Wednesday that the coach's base salary for next season would be nearly $190,000 and that it would go to nearly $200,000 in 2002-03. Williams made $175,000 in base salary last season, according to associate athletic director Dave Haglund.

"I intend to finish my coaching career at the University of Maryland, and this contract allows me to do that," said Williams, a Maryland alum who has coached the Terps for 12 seasons.

Williams has a 242-139 record and an NCAA Tournament mark of 13-8 at Maryland. The Terrapins were 25-11 last season, losing to eventual national champion Duke in the national semifinals.

School officials only would discuss the base salary portion of the contract, but the Washington Post reported on its Web site that the total guaranteed portion of the contract, including a shoe and apparel endorsement contract with Nike, paid radio and television appearances on behalf of the university and a summer basketball camp, approached $1-million.

"By continuing to guide the Terrapin men's basketball program to new levels of competitive achievement, capped off by our recent appearance in the Final Four, Coach Williams has clearly earned this new contract," athletic director Debbie Yow said in a statement.

Yow said Williams will qualify for bonuses based equally on the academic and athletic achievements of his players, will continue receiving a $50,000 annuity and will earn a car stipend. Williams earned $50,000 for the Final Four appearance last season. Also, there is no buyout clause if Williams leaves the university.

Williams, 56, signed an extension in December 1998 that ran through 2008.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: The Big South Conference will add football at the NCAA Division I-AA level for the 2002 season.

The football league will begin with three current Big South members -- Charleston Southern, Elon and Liberty. Coastal Carolina University is adding football as a varsity sport and will become the fourth member in 2003.

The Big South will continue to pursue other possible full or associate members to reach the minimum number of six teams required for an automatic bid to the NCAA I-AA championships.

The remaining Big South schools are Birmingham-Southern, High Point, Radford, UNC-Asheville and Winthrop.

WOMEN'S TENNIS: Three Florida players were eliminated in the second round at the individual event of the NCAA Championships at Stone Mountain, Ga.

Jessica Lehnhoff lost to defending champion Laura Granville of Stanford 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1. Third-seeded Whitney Laiho was beaten by Kathy Sell of Duke 6-4, 7-6 (7-1). And Lindsay Dawaf lost 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-1) to Kristina Kraszewski of Washington.

In doubles, Laiho and Lehnhoff beat Duke's Amanda Johnson and Megan Miller 6-0, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.

MEN'S TENNIS: Georgia won the NCAA team title on in Athens, Ga., beating Tennessee 4-1 in a battle of SEC rivals.

Georgia won its fourth title, to go with crowns in 1985, 1987 and 1999. Stanford, UCLA and Southern Cal are the only other teams to have won the title since the team format was adopted in 1977.

The individual tournament begins today. Marco Baron of Mississippi State is seeded first.

WOMEN'S GOLF: USF shot 314 for the second day in a row at the NCAA Championships at Howey-in-the-Hills, and stands 23rd of 24 teams with 36 holes to play.

Duke and Oklahoma State are tied for the lead at 592.

Kelly Lagedrost shot 74 for a two-day 154, 16 strokes off the pace of individual leader Laura Moffatt of UCLA. Celeste Troche of Auburn shot 68 and is second at 140.

Jessica Hayes, who led the Bulls with a 75 on Tuesday, shot 79 and is tied with Lagedrost at 154.

Others for the Bulls: Fany Schaeffer 77-81-158, Jill Crowe 82-80-162 and Kelly Martin 86-82-168.

OBITUARY: Ed Weaver, a former Ohio State athletic director known for feuding with football coach Woody Hayes and forcing basketball coach Fred Taylor to resign, died in Columbus, Ohio, at age 90. During his tenure, Ohio State's football team won at least a share of the Big Ten title every season but one and tailback Archie Griffin became the only player to win the Heisman Trophy twice.

© Copyright, St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.