Komen Sets World Record in 3,000

Kenya’s Daniel Komen lowered the world record for 3,000 meters by more than four seconds and Wilson Kipketer of Kenya missed the 800 mark by one-tenth of a second Sunday at the Rieti Grand Prix II track and field meet in Rieti, Italy.

Komen was timed in seven minutes, 20.67 seconds bettering Algerian Noureddine Morceli’s previous record of 7:25.11, set at Monte Carlo in 1994.

Morceli failed in his bid to better his 1,500-meter mark of 3:27.37, winning in 3:29.99.

Kipketer was timed in 1:41.83 in the 800 just failing to erase Sebastian Coe’s 15-year-old mark of 1:41.73, set in Florence.

College Football

Seven former football players were involved in NCAA violations that resulted in the Mississippi State football team being placed on probation, unedited records obtained by a newspaper reveal.

An unedited version of the NCAA letter of inquiry letter obtained by The Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger shows that quarterback Sleepy Robinson, tailback William Prince, linebacker Marc Woodard, defensive ends Herman Carroll and Kevin Henry received impermissible bonuses, cash, loans or meals from Starkville businessman Steven Wells during the 1991-92 and 1992-93 school years, the NCAA ruled. Defensive backs Kelvin Knight and Charlie Davidson received impermissible meals from Wells.

Nebraska, which opens the season Saturday at home against Michigan State, retained the top spot in The Associated Press’ Top 25 college football poll, with 49 first-place votes and 1,642 points. Tennessee, which hosts UCLA Saturday, was second.

Florida State was third, followed by Florida, Colorado, Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas, Syracuse and Ohio State.

USC, which was idle last weekend, was 19th and Arizona State 20th.

Soccer

Israel upset 1994 semifinalist Bulgaria, 2-1, in qualification for the ’98 World Cup Sunday while England beat Moldova, 3-0, at Kishinev, Moldova.

In other qualifying matches, Russia overpowered Cyprus, 4-0, at Moscow, Greece beat Bosnia-Herzogovena, 3-0, Hungary edged Finland, 1-0, and Sweden beat Latvia, 2-1.