Seahawks’ Smith Pleads Guilty to Vehicular Assault in ’94 Crash

Seattle Seahawk running back Lamar Smith pleaded guilty Friday to vehicular assault, saying he made “a terrible decision” by drinking and driving before a 1994 car crash that left teammate Mike Frier paralyzed.

Smith’s plea in King County Superior Court at Kent, Wash., averts a second trial, which had been set for March 2. Sentencing is scheduled Feb. 6.

County prosecutors said that under a plea agreement, they would seek a four-month jail sentence, with 30 days converted to community service. The state’s standard sentencing range for the crime is three to nine months in jail.

Smith also will lose his driver’s license for a year under the felony plea.

Smith said he decided to plead guilty because he didn’t want to put others--including Frier--through another trial and he wanted to eliminate uncertainty that might affect his future in the NFL.

Boxing

Evander Holyfield’s next fight could be a “command performance” for Nelson Mandela, president of South Africa. It would match Holyfield against Francois Botha of South Africa, perhaps in May.

“The fight has the support of Nelson Mandela, who has personally called Evander Holyfield,” said Jay Larkin, executive vice president for sports for Showtime, which would telecast the fight in the United States on SET, its pay-per-view arm.

Holyfield is scheduled to make a mandatory International Boxing Federation defense against Vaughn Bean May 6 and a mandatory World Boxing Assn. defense against Henry Akinwande June 28.

Swimming

A Chinese swimmer and coach were sent home from the World Championships at Perth, Australia, after tests confirmed the athlete tried to import a banned growth hormone.

A substance found in swimmer Yuan Yuan’s baggage Thursday “is or contains a growth hormone--it is a prohibited import,” Australian Customs Minister Warren Truss said.

Yuan, a 1994 World Championship silver medalist who could be banned internationally for four years, was told to leave, along with coach Zhou Zewen.

Baseball

Veteran pitcher Mark Gubicza said he is close to signing a minor league contract with the Dodgers. Gubicza, limited to two starts with the Angels last season because of a shoulder injury, said he had talked with the Angels but couldn’t reach an agreement.

Free agent Norberto Martin signed with the Angels. The infielder batted .300 with the Chicago White Sox last season.

Left-hander Mark Davis, 37, the National League’s 1989 Cy Young Award winner, signed a minor league contract with the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks.

Former Kansas City Royal relief ace Dan Quisenberry, who underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, was upgraded from critical to serious condition. Quisenberry, 44, may be able to go home early next week. Quisenberry reported headaches and blurred vision to doctors about week ago.

Cuban pitcher Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez and two players who defected with him will be able to negotiate next week with major league teams.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Mo Vaughn was arrested and charged with drunken driving in Norwood, Mass. State Police said Vaughn’s 1997 Ford pickup truck hit a car parked in the breakdown lane on Interstate 95, about 10 miles from his home.

Tennis

Andre Agassi reached the semifinals of the Australian Men’s Hardcourt Championships at Adelaide with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory over New Zealand’s Brett Steven. In the semifinals, Agassi will play Lleyton Hewitt, a 16-year-old Australian who beat American Vince Spadea, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.

Australia’s Todd Woodbridge, the defending champion, will face countryman Jason Stoltenberg in the other semifinal.

In the Australian Women’s Hardcourt at Gold Coast, fourth-seeded Ai Sugiyama of Japan beat Taiwan’s Shi-Ting Wang, 6-4, 7-5, to reach the final for the second straight year. Sugiyama will face Venezuela’s Maria Vento, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Austria’s Sylvia Plischke.

In the Hopman Cup at Perth, Cedric Pioline assured France of a berth against Slovakia in today’s final with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 victory over South African Wayne Ferreira. Pioline’s win followed Mary Pierce’s 6-3, 6-3 triumph over Amanda Coetzer and gave France an insurmountable 2-0 lead.

Third-seeded Dominique van Roost of Belgium defeated sixth-seeded Silvia Farina of Italy, 4-6, 7-6 (11-9), 7-5, to win the New Zealand Classic at Auckland.

Rain forced postponement of matches in the National Collegiate Tennis Classic at Sherwood Country Club. Play resumes today at 8 a.m., weather permitting.

Names in the News

Harry Usher, chief operating officer for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, was named the chief executive officer for the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals, the men’s pro tour. . . . A memorial service will be held Sunday for kickboxer Redone Bougara, who died Tuesday of head injuries suffered in a bout Saturday at the Great Western Forum. The service is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Redwood’s Martial Arts Academy, 12243 Venice Blvd. in Mar Vista. . . . Lia Manoliu, an Olympic gold medal winner in the discus who competed in six Games, died in Bucharest of a heart attack. She was 65. . . . Two-time Olympian Julie Parisien returns to World Cup skiing after a three-year absence today when she competes in a giant slalom at Bormio, Italy.