Booster in Michigan Probe Reportedly Had Ties to Iowa

The athletic booster at the center of the investigation into alleged NCAA violations at Michigan also had ties to the Iowa basketball program, according to a report published Saturday.

The Ann Arbor News said documents it obtained show booster Ed Martin asked for and received complimentary tickets to several games at Iowa during the 1980s.

The documents also say Martin was described by former USC coach George Raveling, once the coach at Iowa, as someone he “tried to keep his distance with” but who had influence in Detroit recruiting, and that Michigan Coach Steve Fisher believed Martin was involved with potential Iowa recruits.

In addition, a report in Saturday’s Detroit Free Press said former Detroit Southwestern High Coach Perry Watson warned Fisher about Martin’s involvement with local players six years ago after Watson had joined Michigan as an assistant.

Michigan’s investigation into its program began more than a year ago but so far has revealed only two minor violations involving Martin.

A Kansas law firm is preparing a report on its investigation into the program to turn over to the NCAA, which can either accept the findings or make its own investigation.

Tennis

Martina Hingis of Switzerland advanced to her ninth WTA Tour final in nine tournaments this year by defeating fourth-seeded Lindsay Davenport, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2, at the Bank of the West Classic in Palo Alto.

Hingis, 16, the winner at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, improved to 50-1 this year. Her only loss was to Iva Majoli in the final of the French Open.

Hingis will play sixth-seeded Conchita Martinez of Spain, who routed No. 3 Amanda Coetzer of South Africa, 6-4, 6-0.

Top-seeded Sergi Bruguera of Spain reached the final of the Croatia Open with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over countryman Alberto Martin. Spaniard Felix Mantilla, seeded third, defeated compatriot and defending champion Carlos Moya, 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-3. . . . Tenth-seeded Filip Dewulf and unseeded Spaniard Julian Alonso, 20, advanced to the final of the Generali Open clay-court tournament at Kitzbuehel, Austria.

Pro Basketball

Toronto Raptor center Sharone Wright broke his left arm in four places and fractured his collarbone in a car crash in his hometown of Macon, Ga.

Wright, 24, and two friends were on their way to a basketball clinic at a Boys and Girls Club on Friday when his Mercedes-Benz skidded off the road and rolled about 200 feet, Bibb County police officials said.

Anthony Johnson, the Sacramento Kings’ second-round pick in the NBA draft, has signed a contract. Terms were not disclosed. . . . The Houston Rockets signed forward Joe Stephens, who played in two games last season before his 10-day contract was voided by the NBA because of the league’s agreement with FIBA, the international basketball federation. Stephens had played in Argentina.

Boxing

American Steve Johnston won a split decision over Hiroyuki Sakamoto in Japan, successfully defending his World Boxing Council lightweight title in his first title fight since winning the championship in March.

In another 12-rounder at Yokohama Arena, Antonio Cermeno of Venezuela knocked out Japan’s Yuichi Kasai in the final round and retained his World Boxing Assn. junior-featherweight crown.

Miscellany

Olympic champion Josh Davis won the 200 meters in the Phillips 66 National Swimming Championships at Nashville with a time of 1 minute 49 seconds, the second-fastest in the world this year.

Davis of Austin, Texas, edged Chad Carvin of Laguna Hills by 0.17 seconds in the first day of competition at the Tracy Caulkins Pool.

Jenny Thompson defeated four-time Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken, 54.96 seconds to 55.66, in the 100-meter freestyle to win her 18th national title.

The Omni arena in Atlanta has been demolished to make way for a new $215-million arena for the NBA’s Hawks and Atlanta’s NHL expansion team. It is scheduled to open in 1999.

Olympic champion Balazs Kiss was wild but still won the hammer event at 258 feet 10 inches at a meet in Budapest, Hungary.

His first throw almost hit a lawn mower by the medal podium. His third hit the podium, broke the Spanish flagpole and punched a hole in the Jamaican flag.

Ralph Goldstein, a member of three U.S. Olympic fencing teams, died at 83 after his car collided with a propane truck near Bennington, Vt.