Prep Transfer Bills Rejected by Panels

In a double victory for the California Interscholastic Federation, two state legislative committees rejected bills Wednesday in Sacramento that would have made it easier for high school athletes to transfer and gain immediate eligibility without changing residences.

The Senate Education Committee voted, 8-2, to reject the bill, which would have allowed athletes a one-time transfer if both school principals signed a statement acknowledging no recruitment was involved. The Assembly Education Committee voted, 7-1, to reject a similar bill.

Rules in most of the CIF’s 10 regional sections require athletes who transfer without moving to sit out one varsity season unless a hardship waiver is granted.

The bills were opposed by numerous school districts, administrators and coaches who expressed concerns that the legislature would be taking away local control and clearing the way for extensive movement of students for athletic reasons.

“Having this one-time pass leads to a professionalization of high school sports,” said Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), who voted against the bill.

-- Eric Sondheimer

TENNIS

Serena Williams Confirms Absence

Former No. 1 Serena Williams, who has played three matches in 2006, confirmed that a chronic knee injury will extend her indefinite absence, raising questions about her future.

“What I can tell you today based on what I am being told by my doctors is that I should be in a position to be playing again by the end of this summer,” she said in a statement.

That would mean missing the French Open and Wimbledon, backing up what WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott told Bloomberg News in an interview published Tuesday. Williams, 24, added that she “fully” intends to compete in the “coming months.”

-- Lisa Dillman

Venus Williams won her first match since being out nearly four months because of an elbow injury, beating Urszula Radwanska, 6-3, 6-3, in the opening round of the J&S; Cup in Warsaw, Poland, to set up a second-round meeting with former No. 1 Martina Hingis.

Top-seeded Kim Clijsters beat Julia Vakulenko, 6-3, 6-2.

VOLLEYBALL

UCLA, UC Irvine Begin NCAA Play Today

Thanks to a 12-match winning streak that included a victory over Long Beach State on Saturday in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title match, the second-seeded UCLA men (24-12) will play third-seeded Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (23-6) in a national semifinal today at State College, Pa.

UC Irvine (27-4), awarded the top seeding despite losing to Long Beach State in a MPSF semifinal, plays fourth-seeded Penn State (20-8) in the other semifinal. The winners meet Saturday for the championship.

Meanwhile, UC Irvine junior outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky was named the national player of the year by the American Volleyball Coaches Assn.

-- Ben Bolch

SOCCER

Injured Hejduk Replaced by Albright

Less than 24 hours after being named to the U.S. roster for this summer’s World Cup, Columbus Crew and former UCLA defender Frankie Hejduk was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right knee. Hejduk, a starter in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, was replaced on the 23-man squad by Galaxy defender Chris Albright.

Hejduk was injured during the Crew’s 1-0 home loss Saturday to the Kansas City Wizards.

-- Grahame L. Jones

Barcelona clinched its second straight Spanish league title when second-place Valencia lost to Mallorca, 2-1, in Madrid.

PRO FOOTBALL

Vick Will Try Out for the Dolphins

Former Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick will try out with the Miami Dolphins during their three-day rookie minicamp beginning Friday.

The Minnesota Vikings fired personnel director Fran Foley, who plans to sue the franchise after a tumultuous three-month tenure that included an inaccurate resume and a draft that has been widely criticized.

MISCELLANY

Ozolinsh Arrested on DUI Charge

New York Ranger defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh, who spent time this season in the NHL’s substance abuse program, was arrested on a drunk driving charge in White Plains, N.Y, police said. Ozolinsh was traded by the Ducks in March.

Aaron Corp, a quarterback who will be a senior at Orange Lutheran next season, has committed to USC. Corp, 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, averaged 163 yards passing and 59 running in his junior season. As a sophomore, he led his team to a Southern Section championship.

Nike Inc. signed Matt Leinart to a multi-year contract that calls for the former USC quarterback to wear its footwear and apparel when he takes the field this fall as a rookie with the Arizona Cardinals.

Nike also confirmed that it had signed a deal with Jay Cutler, the former Vanderbilt University quarterback selected by the Denver Broncos.

Former 100-meter world-record holder Tim Montgomery pleaded not guilty in New York to charges that he was connected to a multimillion-dollar bank fraud and money laundering scheme.

Michelle Wie’s bid to make the cut in a major men’s tour event got off to a solid start with a two-under-par 70 in the first round of the SK Telecom Open in Incheon, South Korea, earlier today.

The Coliseum Commission approved an environmental impact report addendum, a key step before the stadium proposal goes before NFL owners May 23 in Denver. The commission’s action would limit signs near the Natural History Museum.

The UCLA men’s and women’s tennis teams earned spots in the NCAA championships beginning next week. The defending champion men are seeded 10th and will play host to a four-team regional beginning May 13. The women are unseeded and will be part of a four-team regional beginning May 12 at Pepperdine.

PASSING

Globetrotter Levitt, 96, Was a Free-Throw Ace

Harold “Bunny” Levitt, who played for the Harlem Globetrotters and was famous for accurate free-throw shooting, died in Ocala, Fla., Sunday of natural causes, his wife said. He was 96.

Shooting underhanded, Levitt made 499 consecutive free throws in a 1935 event.