USC’s Powell Breaks Her Collegiate Hurdle Mark

Virginia Powell broke the women’s collegiate 100-meter hurdle record for the second time in three days Friday, ending her USC career with a 12.48-second victory at the NCAA Division I track and field championships at Sacramento.

Powell, who broke the record she shared with Gail Devers with a 12.55 in the semifinals Wednesday night, repeated as the event’s champion and won her fourth NCAA title overall.

The senior warmed up for the event by running the first leg of USC’s third-place 400-meter relay team an hour earlier.

In the hurdles, she bolted from the starting blocks well ahead of the competition and was never in trouble.

Priscilla Lopes of Nebraska was second in a personal-best 12.60.

With the impressive performance, Powell has the top two times in the world this year, 12.48 and 12.55.

Lopes’ 12.60 is third-fastest, followed by Powell’s 12.61.

Devers set the American record at 12.33 at the Olympic trials on the same Sacramento track in 2000.

The world record of 12.21 was set by Yordanka Donkova of Bulgaria in 1988.

Aries Merritt of Tennessee won the men’s 110 hurdles in 13.21, matching the fastest time in the world this year -- by Liu Xiang of China -- and breaking the NCAA meet record of 13.22 set by Greg Foster of UCLA in 1978.

Reese Hoffa led an American sweep in the shotput at the Meeting Lille Metropole at Villeneuve d’Ascq, France. Hoffa set a meet record of 71 feet, 2 1/2 inches.

Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi of Kenya ran the best time this year in the 3,000 steeplechase, finishing in 8:14.71.

British sprinter Dwain Chambers will compete Sunday in the Norwich Union British Grand Prix at Gateshead, England, running for the first time since his two-year drug ban ended in November.

Chambers, the former European 100-meter champion, became the first athlete to be required to pay back past winnings and appearance fees after he admitted to using the steroid THG.

OLYMPICS

U.S., China Agree to

Sharing of Expertise

In a move that underscores the U.S. Olympic Committee’s focus on international relations, senior USOC and Chinese Olympic Committee officials announced an agreement to share expertise in coaching, research, sports management and other areas.

The agreement, finalized in a signing ceremony at the USOC’s recently opened West Coast office in Irvine, also calls for recurring visits by a “high-level delegation” of each country.

-- Alan Abrahamson

MOTOR RACING

Rookie Hamlin Wins

Pole for Pocono 500

Denny Hamlin had never seen Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., until he arrived at the triangular-oval track.

The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series rookie proved to be a fast learner, turning a lap of 169.638 mph in a Chevrolet only hours later to take the pole for Sunday’s Pocono 500.

Kurt Busch joins Hamlin on the front row after a fast lap of 169.485 in a Dodge.

Todd Bodine passed pole-sitter Mike Skinner on the last lap for his only lead to win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Sam’s Town 400 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Bodine made the winning pass on what was an extra lap because of a late caution that erased the 4 1/2 -second lead Skinner had built. The final margin was .116 seconds, the closest finish for a Texas truck race.

Longtime Indianapolis Motor Speedway public address announcer Tom Carnegie is retiring after working 61 consecutive Indy 500s. The 86-year-old Carnegie said he told speedway CEO Tony George this week that he would make cameo appearances at the track in the future.

SOCCER

Yallop Fires Three

Galaxy Assistants

Frank Yallop, in his first week as coach of the Galaxy, fired assistant coaches Billy McNicol, Steve Rammel and Gerhard Benthin on Friday.

Yallop will evaluate coaching candidates and wants to select replacements as soon as possible, according to a team statement. The three coaches had all been with the Galaxy for less than two years.

-- Jonathan Abrams

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Colvin’s Slam Gives

Clemson an 11-8 Victory

Tyler Colvin’s ninth-inning grand slam rallied top-seeded Clemson to an 11-8 victory over Oral Roberts in the opener of their NCAA Division I super-regional at Clemson, S.C.

Andrew Miller, drafted sixth overall by the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, pitched seven dominating innings to lead North Carolina to an 11-5 victory over host Alabama in Game 1 of their super-regional. Miller struck out 11 and yielded five hits.

Jeff Kindel and Matt Wieters hit home runs and Kindel threw out a runner at the plate in Georgia Tech’s 5-0 victory over College of Charleston in Game 1 of their Atlanta super-regional.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Nevada’s Fazekas Will

Return for Senior Year

Nevada star forward Nick Fazekas announced that he would return for his senior season because he has received no assurances he would be picked in the first round of the NBA draft.

PASSINGS

Former USC Hurdler

J. Walter Smith, 86

J. Walter Smith, a standout hurdler at USC in the 1940s, died of pneumonia on May 31, the school said. He was 86.

Smith placed sixth at the NCAA championships in the 220-yard low hurdles. He attended Glendale College and Santa Ana Junior College before earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from USC. He returned to Glendale College to teach and coach track.