Olympic Champion Shea Retires

Jim Shea Jr., a third-generation Olympian who recited the athletes’ oath at the Salt Lake City Games and won the men’s skeleton gold medal with a dramatic finish, announced his retirement after failing to make the U.S. national team for the World Cup season.

With the U.S. squad for the Turin Games in February to be chosen based on World Cup results, Shea, 37, couldn’t have defended his title and chose to leave the sport he helped restore to the Olympic program.

At the U.S. team trials, which were split over two weekends between Shea’s hometown of Lake Placid, N.Y., and Calgary, Canada, Shea finished eighth, 10th, seventh and 11th in four races. In his finale, he was more than 4 1/2 seconds behind Eric Bernotas of Avondale, Pa., who qualified for the World Cup squad.

Also named to the team Monday by the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation were Zach Lund of Salt Lake City, Caleb Smith of Lake Placid and Kevin Ellis of Dallas. Chris Soule of Trumbull, Conn., the 2003 world champion and seventh-place finisher at Salt Lake City, was designated a discretionary pick. He can be added if any of the World Cup sliders fail to have a top-12 finish in a World Cup race.

Shea was instrumental in getting skeleton back in the Olympics after an absence of more than 50 years. After winning the 1999 world championship, he gave his trophy to Mitt Romney, then president of the Salt Lake City Organizing Committee. Romney’s interest was piqued, and he pushed for the inclusion of skeleton, which has been compared to hurtling down an icy track on a cookie sheet.

The women’s World Cup team, also announced Monday, was led by three-time U.S. champion Katie Uhlaender of Breckenridge, Colo., daughter of former baseball player Ted Uhlaender. Also named were Katie Koczynski of Nyack, N.Y., and Lyndsie Peterson of Taylorsville, Utah.

The final spot went to defending World Cup champion Noelle Pikus-Pace of Orem, Utah, who is recovering from a compound fracture in her right leg. Lea Ann Parsley, the silver medalist at Salt Lake City, was designated a replacement in case one of the team members falters during the World Cup season.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Tennessee Running Back Riggs Sidelined for Rest of the Season

Tennessee running back Gerald Riggs Jr. will sit out the rest of the season after injuring his right lower leg and ankle.

Riggs, the team’s top rusher, was hurt in last week’s 6-3 loss at Alabama. A statement from the team said, “Riggs definitely will miss the remainder of the 2005 football season.” The school did not reveal the extent of his injuries.

Riggs’ backup, redshirt freshman Arian Foster, will start Saturday against South Carolina.

Arizona Coach Mike Stoops has promoted backup quarterback Willie Tuitama to starter, with former starter Richard Kovalcheck heading to the bench as the top backup.... North Carolina State Coach Chuck Amato said that Marcus Stone would start at quarterback in Saturday’s game against Southern Mississippi instead of Jay Davis.

HIGH SCHOOLS

Former Pacifica Coach Weil Part of Booster Funds Investigation

Former Garden Grove Pacifica softball coach Rob Weil is being investigated in the possible misappropriation of booster club funds, a Garden Grove police officer said.

Weil was fired Oct. 14 after 16 seasons, during which he raised the softball program to national prominence.

“We’re not naming him as a suspect but a subject of interest involving possible commingling or misappropriation of moneys between the Pacifica boosters and a club team organization that Mr. Weil and others are part of,” said Lt. Mike Handfield, the investigation commander of the Garden Grove Police Department.

Weil’s attorney, Steve Tornay, said that the focus of the investigation was on distribution of proceeds from the sales at two fireworks stands, one of which was operated by the booster club and the other operated by the club team.

The ABC Unified School District hopes to finish its investigation of the Lakewood Artesia boys’ basketball program before the start of practice Nov. 12, district spokeswoman Kathy Frazier said.

The district hired an outside investigator to investigate allegations involving players residing at an apartment complex near the school.

MISCELLANY

Gaudio Defeats Clement in France; Blake Loses to Ancic in Straight Sets

Third-seeded Gaston Gaudio beat France’s Arnaud Clement, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, to advance to the second round of the Grand Prix of Lyon Open at Lyon, France.

Seventh-seeded Mario Ancic also advanced, beating James Blake, 6-2, 7-6 (5).

Seventh-seeded Jelena Jankovic was eliminated in the first round of the Generali Ladies’ Open at Linz, Austria, losing to Vera Dushevina, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-0. Also, former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez defeated Marion Bartoli, 6-1, 6-1.... Third-seeded Max Mirnyi and sixth-seeded Jarkko Nieminen lost in the first round of the St. Petersburg Open at Russia.... Julia Schruff beat fifth-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-2, 6-1, in the opening round of the Gaz de France Stars at Hasselt, Belgium.

Minnesota will choose first in the WNBA’s 2006 draft after winning the league’s lottery. Phoenix will chose second, followed by Charlotte, San Antonio and Washington.

Five-time NHRA champion Dick LaHaie will retire as crew chief of Larry Dixon’s top-fuel dragster, Don Prudhomme Racing announced. Assistant crew chief Don Bender will take over in 2006.