Ohio State to Explore Report About Clarett

Ohio State’s athletic department will investigate a report that running back Maurice Clarett received special assistance to help him pass a class before the Buckeyes played in the Fiesta Bowl.

In a story Sunday in the New York Times, an associate professor said Clarett was allowed to take two oral exams for the African American and African studies class after he walked out of the fall midterm.

It wasn’t clear whether university or NCAA rules were broken. The associate professor, Paulette Pierce, said she has taken similar steps with students who are not athletes.

“We recognize that the spotlight will always be on the national champion,” university President Karen Holbrook said at a news conference Sunday. “Being in the spotlight makes it even more important for us to respond quickly and appropriately to these allegations.”

Athletic Director Andy Geiger said he was not aware of any NCAA violations, and that Clarett -- then a freshman on the Buckeyes’ national championship team -- was not given preferential treatment.

“There are no special considerations for student-athletes,” Geiger said.

Holbrook said Geiger and incoming interim Provost Barbara Snyder will lead the investigation, which will examine athletes’ academic performance, tutors who work with the program and the relationship between athletes and faculty members.

Despite several injuries, Clarett set Ohio State freshman records with 1,237 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.

Tennis

Fourth-seeded Robby Ginepri beat eighth-seeded Jurgen Melzer, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1, in the Hall of Fame Championships at Newport, R.I., to win his first ATP Tour title.

Wimbledon champion Roger Federer had his 15-match winning streak ended by Jiri Novak in the final of the Swiss Open at Gstaad. Novak won, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, for his first tour title since winning the Swiss Open in 2001.... Fifth-seeded Mariano Zabaleta defeated sixth-seeded Nicolas Lapentti, 6-3, 6-4, in the final of the Swedish Open at Bastad for his second tour title.... Dinara Safina, the 17-year-old sister of Russian star Marat Safin, beat Katarina Srebotnik, 6-3, 6-4, in the final of the Palermo International at Sicily.

Track and Field

Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia set a world outdoor pole vault record of 15 feet 9 3/4 inches in the Norwich Union Super League meet at Gateshead, England, to break the mark held by Olympic champion Stacy Dragila.

The 21-year-old Isinbayeva set the record on her second try. The bar shuddered but held. Dragila cleared 15-9 1/4 in June 2001.

Dwain Chambers won the 100 meters in a race that was rerun only seven minutes after Kim Collins, Bernard Williams and John Capel did not hear the recall gun and raced the entire distance.

The five other runners pulled up. Chambers won the second race in 10.27. Capel finished fourth, Williams sixth and Collins last.

MacKenzie Hill, a June graduate of Long Beach Wilson High, placed third in the girls’ 400-meter low hurdles in the World Youth (age 14-17) track and field championships at Sherbrooke, Canada.

Hill, who has signed with UCLA, clocked 59.15.

In other events, Gayle Hunter of Riverside North placed sixth in the girls’ heptathlon with a career-best total of 5,291 points and Kyle Davis-Hammerquist of Claremont Webb finished eighth in the boys’ discus with a career-best 189-1.

Miscellany

Washington Wizard guard Jerry Stackhouse was arrested and charged with assault after he was accused of grabbing a woman at a house he was renting in Atlantic Beach, N.C.

Stackhouse was told by a female employee of the property manager that he and his guests had to leave around 2:30 p.m., but he apparently believed he had rented it until today, Atlantic Beach Police Chief Scott Kilpatrick said.

He attempted to grab the lease from the woman, but grabbed her instead, Kilpatrick said.

Anthony Gonzales, a senior infielder for Cal Poly Pomona, concluded his collegiate baseball career with an award for being the toughest hitter to strike out in NCAA Division II last season -- only four times in 208 plate appearances.

Chris Dufresne is on vacation.