A Key Test Is Failed by Tyson

Mike Tyson’s plans for early release from prison have been put on hold because he failed a high school equivalency exam.

Tyson, who is serving a six-year sentence for rape at the Indiana Youth Center, can retake the two-day test in 90 days, Phil Slavens, assistant superintendent of operations at the facility, said Friday.

If the former heavyweight champion had passed, he would have had three months deducted from his sentence, making him eligible for parole next February. Tyson is scheduled to be released in May of 1995.

Tyson’s supporters said he was more determined than ever now to pass the test, and still hopes to be released early.

“I just want to emphasize, that though we certainly had hoped to pass on the first time, many persons have had to take it two and three times,” said Muhammed Siddeeq, an Indianapolis Public Schools teacher who is tutoring Tyson.

Slavens said it was “reasonably common” for inmates to fail the test, but more than 50% of every testing group usually passes.

Tyson was convicted two years ago and sentenced to six years in prison for raping a beauty pageant contestant in 1991 in an Indianapolis hotel room.

Auto Racing

Twenty-six drivers broke the Darlington Raceway qualifying record and Bill Elliott won the pole position for Sunday’s NASCAR TranSouth Financial 400.

Elliott, driving a Junior Johnson Ford Thunderbird, turned a lap of 165.553 m.p.h., more than two miles an hour faster than the old mark of 163.067 set in March 1992 by Sterling Marlin.

Two cars to be driven by Al Unser, 54, have bee entered in the Indianapolis 500 on May 29.

Skiing

Eva Twardokens won the sixth national title of her career, overtaking Anna Parisien by .065 seconds to win the women’s giant slalom in the U.S. Alpine Championships at Winter Park, Colo.

World Cup and former Olympic champion Donna Weinbrecht won the women’s title and Evan Dybvig won the men’s division in moguls at the National Freestyle Skiing Championships in Snowbird, Utah.

Miscellany

Greg Burgess of Florida broke his record in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 3:40.64 at the NCAA men’s swimming and diving championships in Minneapolis. His previous record, 3:41.54, was set at the 1993 NCAA Championships.

Isaiah Rider of the Minnesota Timberwolves was charged with assault and disorderly conduct for allegedly kicking a bar manager, knocking over tables and throwing things in a dispute over his failure to appear for an autograph session at a Mall of America bar in Edina, Minn.

Steffi Graf, the top-ranked women’s player in the world, has withdrawn from the Family Circle Cup at Hilton Head Island, S.C., because of a sprained ligament in her left knee.

Arizona Cardinal safety Dave Duerson, who played for the Chicago Bears when they won the 1986 Super Bowl and for the ’91 Super Bowl champion New York Giants, has retired after 11 seasons.

Mike Miller, 29, an assistant basketball coach at Southwest Texas State for the past three years, was promoted to the head coaching job, four days after Jim Wooldridge left to coach Louisiana Tech.

The NCAA has granted a sixth season of athletic eligibility to Syracuse linebacker Dan Conley, who sat out all of last season after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery.

Rice, Southern Methodist, Texas Christian and Houston have been contacted by the Western Athletic Conference regarding that league’s potential expansion.

Bob Fontaine, 70, a San Francisco Giant executive and former general manager of the San Diego Padres, died in Poway, apparently of pneumonia. Fontaine spent 51 years in baseball, first signing with the Brooklyn Dodger system in 1941.