Seizinger Wins World Cup Overall Title

Twice, Katja Seizinger had lost the overall World Cup title in the last race of the season, by some of the narrowest margins in the history of the competition.

She had plenty to spare Wednesday.

Seizinger, 23, became the first German to win the overall title since Rosi Mittermaier in 1976 by finishing third in the last downhill of the season, on the slope at Kvitfjell, Norway, where she won the Olympic gold medal in 1994.

“I had more luck this year,” said Seizinger, who has won six races this season. “I didn’t do anything differently.”

Her overall victory stole the show from Heidi Zurbriggen, a 28-year-old Swiss veteran who may delay her retirement after winning her first World Cup race.

Lasse Kjus of Norway won the men’s downhill later in the day for his fourth victory of the season and padded his overall lead by 20 points to 183 over Guenther Mader of Austria.

Seizinger has 1,292 points, with Anita Wachter 943 and Martina Ertl 934.

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Former Olympic champion Donna Weinbrecht won a tight moguls final at Salen, Sweden, for the 42nd World Cup victory of her career. She collected 24.27 points with her run down the Hundfjallet course. France’s Candice Gilg was second with 23.98.

The men’s competition was even closer, with Stephane Rochon of Canada and Jesper Ronnback of Sweden both finishing with 25.12 points. Ronnback was 1.59 seconds faster than Rochon, but four of the five judges gave the Canadian better technical marks.

Jurisprudence

Virginia Tech asked a federal judge in Roanoke, Va., to dismiss a sex discrimination suit filed against the university by former student Christy Brzonkala, who contended she was raped by two football players in their dormitory.

A Clemson judicial board recommended football player Christopher Rice be kicked off campus and Eric Williams, Adrian Dingle and Bennie Ziegler suspended for varying periods of time after they were arrested and charged in an incident in which an 18-year-old woman says she was assaulted in their dormitory on Feb. 15.

Schoen La Bombard, a former member of the U.S. bobsled team who admitted tricking people into giving him money for the team when he was no longer a member, has been sent to jail in Batavia, N.Y., for violating his probation.

At least 12 people were arrested before Ajax Amsterdam beat Borussia Dortmund, 2-0, in a European Champions Cup soccer quarterfinal in Dortmund, Germany. Most of the arrests were for minor fights in the city before the game.

A charge against former King commentator Randy Hahn for possession of a controlled substance has been dismissed, a spokeswoman for the Cook County (Ill.) state’s attorney’s office said. Hahn, now an announcer for the San Jose Sharks, was arrested at his home in Orland Park, Ill., last year.

College Football

The NCAA Committee on Infractions said it will announce its decision on possible penalties against Mississippi State today.

Alleged infractions identified July 18 after the NCAA’s 11-month investigation included improper recruiting inducements, unauthorized direct contact with recruits, improper payments, bonuses and loans to athletes and refusing to allow the NCAA to examine bank records.

Michigan State said it has received a letter of inquiry from the NCAA about possible rules violations.

The case stems from a 17-month investigation of 68 allegations made in October 1994 by Roosevelt Wagner, a player from 1988 to 1991. He alleged that grades were changed to preserve eligibility and boosters gave players payments of up to $700.

Miscellany

Manuel Sol’s second-half goal on a free kick gave Mexico’s under-23 men’s soccer team a 3-2 victory over the United States at Cal State Fullerton. Imad Baba and A.J. Wood scored for the United States in the first half.

Dee Dee Jonrowe, taking a 24-hour rest at the abandoned mining camp of Ophir, Alaska, led the Iditarod Sled Dog Race nearly halfway through the 1,150-mile trek to Nome. Three former champions were taking their 24-hour layovers in Takotna, 38 miles back: Jeff King, Martin Buser and Doug Swingley.

Top-ranked Pete Sampras struggled to beat No. 57 Tomas Carbonell of Spain, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5, in the first round of the ABN AMRO indoor tennis tournament in Rotterdam.

Pepperdine basketball Coach Lorenzo Romar has selected Randy Bennett, an assistant at the University of San Diego, to his staff, joining Darwin Cook and Kenny Ammann as assistants.

Names in the News

The Los Angeles Blades of Roller Hockey International have named Mark Hardy coach. . . . Walker Racing will enter cars driven by Robby Gordon and Scott Goodyear in the inaugural U.S. 500, which will be run at Michigan International Speedway and compete against the Indianapolis 500. . . . Free agent Quinn Early, who caught 81 passes for 1,087 yards for the New Orleans Saints last season, agreed to a four-year contract with the Buffalo Bills.