Virginia Tech’s Vick Reportedly Set for NFL Draft

Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick will give up his final two seasons of eligibility at Virginia Tech to make himself eligible for the NFL draft, according to published reports.

Vick will announce his decision Thursday afternoon in his hometown of Newport News, the Daily Press of Newport News reported Tuesday night. The Roanoke Times also reported that Vick would go pro.

Vick, who led Division I-A in passing efficiency as a redshirt freshman in 1999, would be one of the top picks in the draft, probably No. 1. The San Diego Chargers own the first pick.

Also, Georgia quarterback Quincy Carter, who completed fewer than half of his passes in an injury-plagued 2000 season, Clemson linebacker Keith Adams, Nebraska center Dominic Raiola and Oklahoma State running back Reggie White also said they would leave school early to turn pro.

Tennis

The 22-match winning streak in tennis doubles by Venus and Serena Williams ended with a three-set loss to Martina Hingis and Monica Seles.

The Williams sisters squandered four match points in losing, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2), in the first round of the Adidas International at Sydney, Australia, a tuneup for the Australian Open.

Hingis and Seles, in their first match as partners, defeated the Olympic and Wimbledon doubles champions. Hingis split with longtime partner Anna Kournikova after they had won the Chase Championship title in November.

U.S. Open champion Marat Safin of Russia, slowed by a sore elbow, lost to Nicolas Escude of France, 6-2, 6-1, and Pete Sampras lost to Spanish Davis Cup star Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-2, 6-4, in the Colonial Classic at Melbourne, Australia. . . . Greg Rusedski of Britain, working his way back from injuries, defeated Mark Nielsen of New Zealand, 6-4, 6-4, in the Heineken Open at Auckland, New Zealand. . . . Top-seeded Amy Frazier struggled to a 7-6 (3), 7-5 second-round victory over Rita Grande of Italy in the Tasmanian International at Hobart, Australia. . . . Top-seeded Mary Pierce of France returned to tournament tennis after a four-month absence and easily defeated Amanda Grahame of Australia, 6-1, 6-2, in the Canberra International at Canberra, Australia. . . . Martina Navratilova, 44, said she will play doubles with Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in at least seven tournaments this year. . . . Franklin R. Johnson of Los Angeles is the new secretary-treasurer of the United States Tennis Assn.

Miscellany

Testimony concluded in Charlotte, N.C., in the murder trial of former NFL player Rae Carruth, accused of plotting the killing of a woman who was eight months pregnant with their son.

If convicted in the November 1999 murder of Cherica Adams, Carruth, 26, could get the death penalty.

Both sides rested their cases, and Judge Charles Lamm scheduled closing arguments to begin Thursday morning, after a day off.

Brazil’s Supreme Sports Tribunal ruled that Vasco da Gama and Sao Caetano must play a rematch to decide the Brazilian soccer championship. The tournament was suspended 20 minutes into the Joao Havelange Cup final’s second leg Dec. 30, when a fence at Vasco’s Sao Januario stadium collapsed and more than 100 fans were injured. The score was 0-0. . . . Hossam Hassam of Egypt broke Lothar Matthaeus’ world record, making his 151st international appearance as Egypt defeated Zambia, 3-1, in an exhibition game at Cairo.

After losing at home to lowly Napoli, Sven-Goran Eriksson resigned as the coach of Italian champion Lazio, clearing the way for him to take over the English national team. He was replaced by Dino Zoff, the team’s general manager and former Italian national star player and coach. . . . Major League Soccer promoted Ivan Gazidis to deputy commissioner from his previous role as executive vice president of player relations and league operations.

Three weeks after undergoing brain surgery to remove a blood clot, boxer Paul Ingle has begun walking in Sheffield, England. Surgeons operated on the fighter minutes after he lost his IBF featherweight title to Mbulelo Botile of South Africa. . . . Harry Simon of Namibia, 20-0 with 15 knockouts, will defend his WBO light-middleweight title against Puerto Rico’s Daniel Santos (24-2-1, 19) on Feb. 10 at Widnes, England. . . . Middleweight Laszlo Papp of Hungary, the first three-time Olympic boxing champion, was among 16 people selected for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame at Canastota, N.Y.

Hermann Maier of Austria broke a dramatic slump and beat Swiss rival Michael Von Gruenigen to win a World Cup skiing giant slalom at Adelboden, Switzerland, and keep his title hopes alive.

The world and Olympic champion had two aggressive runs and finished with a combined time of 2 minutes 15.53 seconds. Von Gruenigen was second in 2:16.06.

Once the world’s fastest man, sprinter Donovan Bailey of Canada was charged with driving close to 120 mph near Toronto.

Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik was assured a place on Europe’s Ryder Cup team by captain Sam Torrance, more than eight months before the start of the tournament.

Torrance will name his two wild-card selections for the 12-man team Sept. 2, three weeks before the biennial contest against the U.S. in England. If Parnevik fails to finish in the top 10 of Europe’s Ryder Cup standings, the captain will pick him.

Jutta Kleinschmidt of Germany won the ninth stage of the Dakar rally, a 320-mile circuit in El Ghallaouiya, Mauritania. Kleinschmidt, driving a Mitsubishi, was timed in 5 hours 22 minutes 42 seconds. He beat Frenchman Jean-Louis Schlesser by 35 seconds.

Some college athletes soon will be able to sign contracts and play for professional teams without jeopardizing their college eligibility in the same sport.

The NCAA said that delegates from more than 260 Division II schools overwhelmingly approved allowing students to participate in certain activities previously forbidden under the organization’s amateurism bylaws.

The new legislation goes into effect Aug. 1, the NCAA said.

Division I schools are considering a similar package of legislation.

USA Cycling, which produced three medal winners at the Sydney Olympics, has cut nine staff positions, one of them women’s road coach Henny Top.

The cuts, which also included men’s endurance track coach Craig Griffin and resident athlete coach Matt Cramer, were made after the loss of two of the federation’s biggest sponsors.

Deanna Stellato, who finished ninth in last year’s U.S. figure skating championships, withdrew from this year’s event next week at Boston because of a hip injury.