Tarpley Accused of Constantly Failing Drug Tests at Michigan

Roy Tarpley, banned from the NBA for drug and alcohol use, repeatedly failed drug tests while he was at the University of Michigan, a former teammate charged.

Leslie Rockymore, who played at Michigan from 1981-85, told The Detroit News in a story published Sunday that despite his drug use, Tarpley was allowed to play by former coach Bill Frieder.

“There was a statement made by Coach Frieder that if any of his guys’ urine came up positive for drugs, that they would be suspended,” Rockymore said. “Fact of the matter is, Roy Tarpley never passed a drug test. Never. And he never was suspended for that.”

In an interview with AP, Frieder denied Rockymore’s accusations, but declined to elaborate on specifics.

Tennis

Fourth-seeded American Lindsay Davenport defeated Nathalie Tauziat of France, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, to win the $926,000 European Indoor Championships at Zurich, Switzerland. It was Davenport’s fifth title of the year, and moved her to a career-high world ranking of No. 4. The championship also was Davenport’s first title outside the United States in 1997.

Zimbabwe’s Byron Black upset French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), in the final of the $725,000 Marlboro Tennis Championships at Hong Kong.

Fabrice Santoro of France captured the first ATP Tour tournament of his career, the $750,000 Grand Prix, by beating German Tommy Haas, 6-4, 6-4, at Lyon, France.

Karol Kucera of Slovakia beat Magnus Norman in the final of the $975,000 ATP Czech Indoor tennis tournament at Ostrava when the Swede retired after losing the first set because of an injury.

World Sport

Khalid Khannouchi of Morocco made a stunning marathon debut by winning the Chicago Marathon with the fourth-fastest time ever, while Jerry Lawson set an American record.

Khannouchi’s time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, 10 seconds, also set a course record, breaking the mark of 2:07:13 by Steve Jones in 1985. Lawson of Jacksonville, Fla., was timed in 2:09:35 in finishing seventh. He set the American record for a loop course, a mark he tied last year at Chicago at 2:10:04 that matched the mark set by Pat Petersen at London in 1989.

Bob Kempainen’s 2:08:47 at Boston in 1994 is the American best. But Boston is a point-to-point course with too steep a drop in elevation.

Only one of five U.S. fighters won at the World Amateur Boxing Championships at Budapest, Hungary. Middleweight Jeff Lacy of St. Petersburg, Fla., needed less than two minutes to beat Thapelo Setlalekgosi of Botswana, reaching the round of 16.

An elegant and polished Victor Petrenko won the U.S. Professional Figure Skating Championships at San Jose. Kristi Yamaguchi won the ladies’ competition.

Jurisprudence

The city of St. Louis may be a winner even if it loses its suit against the NFL. Just by walking into the courtroom of Chief U.S. District Judge Jean Hamilton on Oct. 6, the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission pocketed more than $13 million.

The regional commission, an agency of St. Louis and St. Louis County, is asking for $130 million in its lawsuit. The no-lose $13 million is a result of an agreement in June 1996. In that deal, the Rams agreed to forgo money the convention commission owed them if the commission would press its antitrust case against the NFL.

John Montefusco, the NL rookie of the year in 1975, is in jail and accused of sexually assaulting and threatening his ex-wife. The 47-year-old former pitcher is charged in two separate incidents, one Thursday and one on Oct. 2, said Monmouth County (N.J.) prosecutor John Kaye.

Wil Cordero turned down a plea bargain that would have kept him out of jail. Now the former Boston Red Sox outfielder faces spousal abuse charges in court as jury selection is expected to begin today in Cambridge, Mass.

Names in the News

Cory McClenathan of Anaheim won the Top Fuel title in the NHRA’s Revell Nationals in Ennis, Texas, overpowering the field with a performance that included the first 320 mph run in drag racing history. . . . Two-time NHRA Winston Top Fuel Champion Scott Kalitta said he will end his 16-year professional driving career after this season. . . . South Alabama missed last week’s self-imposed deadline to fill its basketball coaching vacancy so officials could interview former Memphis coach Larry Finch and recently fired Michigan coach Steve Fisher. . . . Paul Cayard’s EF Language held a 109-mile lead as it neared victory in the first leg of the Whitbread Round the World yacht race. . . . Mike Ewanitsko of North Babylon, N.Y., won his fourth NASCAR Featherlite Modified title of the year, and Mike Stefanik of Coventry R.I., finished 10th to clinch the season championship at Thompson, Conn. . . . Lisa Ann Coole, a swimmer at the University of Georgia, was named the NCAA’s woman of the year in Kansas City in honor of her academic and athletic achievements and community service. . . . Walter Turner, an 18-year-old Florida Atlantic University basketball player, collapsed during stretching exercises at practice and died.