Aikman Might Sit Out 12 Weeks

Dallas Cowboy quarterback Troy Aikman is expected to be out six to 12 weeks after back surgery Saturday for a herniated disk, his neurosurgeon said.

Robert Watkins, who performed the surgery in Los Angeles, said it would be safest for Aikman, the most valuable player in the Super Bowl, to stay out at least 12 weeks.

“Six weeks would be absolutely the soonest he could return to a physical football situation,” Watkins said.

Watkins said he removed a disk fragment, measuring about one inch wide and 1 1/2 inches long.

“It’s a relief to have the surgery completed and to know that I’m not going to have any more problems with my back,” said Aikman, who suffered the injury to his back lifting weights in May.

“I won’t know when I’ll be able to return to practice for at least a couple of weeks. But from everything I’ve heard, I feel good about being ready for the season.”

The season opens Sept. 6.

Auto Racing

Eager to repeat its victory last year, Peugeot surged to the top two positions in the annual 24-hour Le Mans endurance race early today at Le Mans, France, with racers from challenger Toyota falling behind.

Twelve hours into the race, the No. 3 Peugeot 905, the sixth-fastest qualifier, was in the lead, with the No. 1 Peugeot 905 17 seconds behind. Peugeot’s third car was in fifth place. No. 3 was being driven by Australian Geoff Brabham and Frenchmen Christophe Bouchut and Eric Helary. No. 1 was being driven by Frenchman Yannick Dalmas, a member of last year’s victorious team, and Belgian Thierry Boutsen and Italian Teo Fabi.

Jeff Purvis passed Bob Schacht three laps from the end and went on to win the ARCA GM Goodwrench 200 stock car race at Michigan International Speedway.

Soccer

Ecuador, getting goals from Raul Aviles and Eduardo Hurtado, beat the United States, 2-0, before about 50,000 in Quito and became the first team to qualify for the America Soccer Cup quarterfinals.

Aviles scored in the 10th minute and Hurtado in the 35th for Ecuador. Angel Fernandez assisted on both goals.

The United States must defeat Venezuela on Tuesday to avoid elimination.

“We made a good effort, but failed to score against a strong team,” Coach Bora Milutinovic of the United States said.

Miscellany

Wesley Parson’s 20 points led the United States to a 92-86 victory over Argentina in the World Under-22 basketball qualifying at Rosario, Argentina. Earlier in the day, the United States beat Brazil, 93-90. The United States will play Canada and Argentina will play Brazil today, with the winners meeting Tuesday for the tournament title. . . . Red Auerbach, the 75-year-old Boston Celtic president, was in stable condition a day after six hours of open-heart surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Bowler Walter Ray Williams Jr. became the first three-time winner this year when he beat Bryan Goebel, 258-254, in the championship match of the $125,000 Northwest Classic at Kennewick, Wash. Williams finished with seven consecutive strikes to defeat Goebel. The victory, his ninth, was worth $18,000.

Orlando Canizales retained his International Boxing Federation bantamweight title when his bout against Derrick Whiteboy in Houston was stopped 1:23 into the third round after an accidental head butt by Whiteboy opened a severe cut above Canizales’ left eye.

Jonas Carney and Rebecca Twigg were the criterium winners at the national cycling championships in Columbus, Ohio. Carney pulled away in the last 100 meters to win the 50-mile men’s race in 1 hour 54 minutes 16 seconds. Twigg pulled away with four laps remaining to win the women’s 31.25-mile criterium in 1:13:58.

Names in the News

Third-seeded David Chapman, a 17-year-old senior from Long Beach, defeated Randy Morones, 22, of Pico Rivera, 21-9 and 21-11, at the United States Handball National Championships at Baltimore to become the youngest man to win the pro singles title. . . . The Raiders’ Alexander Wright won his second consecutive NFL’s Fastest Man Competition, running 60 yards in 6.19 seconds to edge the Atlanta Falcons’ Michael Hayes (6.20) at the Empire Polo Club in Indio.