Young Edges Leinart for AP Honors

Vince Young can claim at least one victory over USC.

The Texas quarterback was selected to the Associated Press All-America team released Tuesday, relegating USC’s Matt Leinart to second team.

Young was runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting to Trojan tailback Reggie Bush and was one of four Longhorns on the first team. Bush was one of three All-Americans from top-ranked USC and a unanimous first-team selection.

USC and Texas play for the national title Jan. 4 in the Rose Bowl.

Young didn’t hide his disappointment when Bush won the Heisman in a landslide Saturday night.

“This should give me a little bit more edge to show the world what a good team the University of Texas is,” he said.

Receiver Dwayne Jarrett and safety Darnell Bing were the other USC All-Americans. Leinart was joined on the second team by offensive lineman Taitusi Latui. Tailback LenDale White and offensive lineman Sam Baker were on the third team.

UCLA’s Maurice Drew was the all-purpose All-American. He led the nation in punt returns. Tight end Marcedes Lewis was a second-team pick.

The Pacific 10 had the most first-team All-Americans with seven. The Big 12 had five. The Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten each had four and the Big East one.

Arizona State Coach Dirk Koetter will have his contract extended after leading the Sun Devils to a bowl for the second consecutive season.

Athletic Director Lisa Love said that terms of the extension, including the length, were being discussed, but Koetter said he is authorized to tell recruits he will be the coach through their time at the school. Koetter’s current contract is set to expire after the 2007 season.

Josh Portis, a freshman quarterback at Florida from Woodland Hills Taft, has decided to transfer and will not be with the team for the Outback Bowl on Jan. 2 against No. 25 Iowa.

Peter Shinnick, who guided Azusa Pacific to a 53-22 record in seven seasons, has resigned as coach of the Cougars to accept a similar position at North Carolina Pembroke.

Alabama Birmingham Coach Watson Brown is giving up his duties as athletic director to give the football team his undivided attention.

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BASEBALL

Ausmus and Astros Agree to New Contract

Houston catcher Brad Ausmus agreed to a $7.5-million, two-year contract that will keep him with the National League champions.

Ausmus, 36, batted .258 with three home runs and 47 RBIs in 134 games for Houston during the regular season and hit a tying two-out, ninth-inning homer in Game 4 of the first-round series against Atlanta, a game the Astros won in a postseason-record 18 innings to move on to the NL championship series.

The Atlanta Braves may be on the market.

A statement released by the team said Time Warner is exploring the possibility of selling the Braves and the Turner South cable network, which carries many of the Braves’ games.

Forbes magazine estimated the Braves’ value at $374 million in 2004.

Cincinnati outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. has agreed to play in next year’s inaugural World Baseball Classic if he is picked for the U.S. team.

His father, Ken Griffey Sr., will be the first base coach for the U.S. team during the 16-team tournament, to be played from March 3-20.

Baseball will not accept a new Nationals ballpark next to RFK Stadium as an alternative to a site south of the Capitol, Major League Baseball’s No. 2 official told District of Columbia council members.

Bob DuPuy, Major League Baseball’s chief operating officer, outlined the sport’s opposition to the RFK site in a letter to council chairwoman Linda W. Cropp as council members held a hearing on a stadium lease agreement reached last week for the stadium site along the Anacostia River waterfront.

Florida President David Samson said the Marlins are “exploring relocation” in the event the team can’t get a baseball-only stadium in South Florida.

During an annual meeting with season-ticket holders, Samson declined to specifically address an offer of land and money by Miami Dolphin owner Wayne Huizenga to help build a ballpark next to Dolphins Stadium. He did say, however, the team remained open to all options.

Reliever Jason Grimsley agreed to a one-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks worth about $825,000. He was 1-2 with a 5.73 earned-run average in 22 appearances with Baltimore last season.

The Chicago White Sox’s trade for Rob Mackowiak became official, with the utilityman going from Pittsburgh to the White Sox in exchange for left-hander Damaso Marte. Mackowiak batted .272 last season with nine homers in 463 at-bats.

The Hiroshima Carp of Japan’s Central League signed former Cleveland right-hander Sean Douglass to a one-year, $500,000 contract.

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MISCELLANY

Mistrial Declared in Suit Against Williams Sisters

A judge in West Palm Beach, Fla., declared a mistrial in a lawsuit by promoters who contended Venus and Serena Williams reneged on a deal to play men in a proposed “Battle of the Sexes” tennis event in 2001.

Judge Jeffrey A. Winicoff granted a request for a mistrial by John Romano, attorney for promoters Carol Clarke and Keith Rhodes, after almost three weeks of testimony. It was not immediately clear whether the case would return to court.

A former Ohio State official challenged Jim O’Brien’s reasoning for why he shouldn’t have been fired, testifying that the basketball coach acknowledged a $6,000 loan to a recruit was a rules violation.

Former athletic director Andy Geiger testified that O’Brien told him in April 2004, less than two months before he was fired, that he wanted Geiger to know about the loan to Aleksandar Radojevic.

“First of all, he said he committed a violation,” Geiger said. “Secondly, he gave the money to a prospective student-athlete.”

O’Brien contends the loan of his money was not an NCAA violation because he knew Radojevic, a 7-foot-3 prospect from Serbia, already lost his amateur status by playing professionally.

Former Baltimore pitcher Sidney Ponson turned himself in to the District Court in Baltimore to begin serving his five-day jail sentence for driving while impaired. Ponson also was ordered to pay a $500 fine, plus court costs and fees.

Three high school soccer players were among 30 Americans invited to next month’s U.S. Under-20 training camp in preparation for qualifying for the world championships.

Coach Tim Schulz invited senior forwards Lauren Cheney and Kelley O’Hara and midfielder Whitney Engen.

Ryan Brown, former coach of the women’s water polo team at Pacific, will join the U.S. men’s national team as a full-time assistant coach next month.

Columbia cross-country standout Caroline Bierbaum and Maryland field hockey standout Paula Infante have been voted the nation’s most outstanding athletes in their respective sports by the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program.