National Sports Briefs: App. State player ineligible
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Associated Press
BOONE ó Appalachian State starting defensive end Gary Tharrington has been ruled academically ineligible for the 2008 season.
Coach Jerry Moore said Tuesday he hopes Tharrington will learn from his mistakes and regain his eligibility next year.
The 6-foot-1, 275-pound redshirt junior was projected to anchor the defensive line at right end this season. He was fifth on the team last year with 84 tackles, including a team-high 18 for a loss. The Mountaineers won their third straight Football Championship Subdivision title this past year.
The Spring Hope, N.C., native tied for the team lead with five sacks and forced two fumbles.
– TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ó Alabama linebacker Jimmy Johns has been arrested on drug charges.
Authorities said he was arrested Tuesday in Tuscaloosa and taken to the county jail. He was charged with selling cocaine and possessing ecstasy pills found at his home. Undercover investigators allegedly bought drugs from the Crimson Tide senior.
– CLEMSON, S.C. ó Clemson’s DeAndre McDaniel has been arrested on charges he assaulted his girlfriend this past weekend.
– COLUMBIA, S.C. ó Ray Ray McElrathbey just wants to play football.
The Clemson running back who earned awards for raising his younger brother said Monday he plans to resume his injury-halted football career at Howard.
Clemson said in March that McElrathbey, 22, would not play next fall. He was offered a graduate assistantship with the athletic department that would have paid for his schooling, but McElrathbey wasn’t ready to give up the game. He has two years of eligibility left.
WIMBLEDON
WIMBLEDON, England ó With Wimbledon devolving into a fashion contest, former champion Lindsay Davenport’s retro getup may have trumped all other outfits.
Her sleeveless white top and pleated skirt were very 1980s, and the wrap on her right leg ó with bandages extending from mid-thigh to mid-calf ó looked like something out of the British Museum.
Playing her first match at Wimbledon since 2005, Davenport whacked enough winners to compensate for a sore knee Tuesday, and she hobbled past Renata Voracova 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
Moving more comfortably into the second round were Maria Sharapova. Other winners in straight sets included defending champion Venus Williams, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick on a second successive mild, dry day at the All England Club.
CWS
OMAHA, Neb. ó Fresno State kept its amazing postseason run alive Tuesday night thanks to an offensive performance that was nothing short of, well, amazing.
After spotting Georgia a five-run lead in the third inning, Fresno State struck for 15 runs over the next three innings for a 19-10 victory in Game 2 of the College World Series finals.
Tommy Mendonca put Fresno State in front with his record-tying fourth home run of the CWS in his team’s six-run third inning.
The Bulldogs from Fresno State (46-31) and Bulldogs from Georgia (45-24-1) will meet in Game 3 on Wednesday night to determine college baseball’s top dog.CLEMENS
NEW YORK ó Brian McNamee’s lawyers plan to file a new motion to dismiss the defamation suit Roger Clemens filed against his former personal trainer.
Clemens filed suit in January, and McNamee’s lawyers first moved to dismiss the case in early March. When they responded to the motion on May 27, Clemens’ lawyers added a new claim of “intentional infliction of emotional distress” and two additional claims of defamation.
TRACK
PENSACOLA, Fla. ó A federal judge now says sprinter Justin Gatlin cannot compete in this weekend’s U.S. Olympic track and field trials.
NHL
RALEIGHó The Carolina Hurricanes have announced they have re-signed Tuomo Ruutu to a one-year contract worth $2.25 million.