AUTO RACING
Hamlin, Logano keep title contenders off front row
Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano crashed the championship by sweeping the front row in qualifying Friday for the NASCAR finale Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The championship will go to the highest finisher among the final four of defending series champion Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.
Busch posted the third-fastest lap, best among the Chase finalists.
Gordon was fifth in qualifying for the final race of his career. The four-time NASCAR champion is retiring at the end of the season.
BASEBALL
U.S. beats Mexico 6-1 to reach Premier 12 final
The United States scored five runs in the fourth inning to beat Mexico 6-1 and reach the Premier12 baseball final on Friday.
The U.S., made up of players not on 40-man MLB rosters, takes on South Korea in the final on Saturday.
Mexico took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a solo homer by Humberto Sosa, but the U.S. quickly rallied at Tokyo Dome.
After Adam Frazier’s two-out RBI single, Dan Rohlfing hit a two-run double to make it 3-1.
Elliot Soto followed with a single to right, driving in Rohlfing and advancing to third on an error.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Havlicek, Scott among the Hall of Fame inductees
It never occurred to Charlie Scott that he would make history when he accepted a scholarship offer from Dean Smith to play basketball at North Carolina in the late 1960s.
His coach knew becoming the first black scholarship athlete at the school was a big deal.
On Friday, the two-time All-American who helped to break down what remained of the racial divide joined his late coach in the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
Joining Scott in the class were four other players: Kansas State’s Rolando Blackman, Indiana’s Quinn Buckner, Ohio State’s John Havlicek and Long Beach State star Ed Ratleff.
SOCCER
Platini appeals to CAS against FIFA suspension
Suspended UEFA president Michel Platini has lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against his 90-day ban.
Platini lost his appeal to FIFA’s appeals committee this week against the ban that halts his candidacy for the FIFA election on Feb. 26.
Platini’s legal team, which needs expected cooperation from FIFA to fast-track the case, said “we are confident that CAS will issue a ruling very quickly given what is at stake.”
Sepp Blatter has also been suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee pending a full investigation into a $2 million payment Blatter approved for Platini in 2011 as backdated salary.
Blatter and Platini are expected to appear before FIFA ethics judge Joachim Eckert in December.
SPEED SKATING
Russia’s Kulizhnikov breaks world 500 record
Russia’s Pavel Kulizhnikov broke the world 500-meter record for the second time in a week Friday, finishing in 33.98 seconds in a World Cup speedskating event.
Kulizhnikov set the previous mark of 34.00 on Sunday in Calgary, Alberta, breaking the record of 34.03 set by Canada’s Jeremy Wotherspoon in 2007.
American Mitchell Whitmore was second in 34.19.
The Netherlands’ Kjeld Nuis won the 1,500 in 1:42.14. American Joey Mantia was second in 1:42.45, and teammate Shani Davis third in 1:42.90.
China’s Hong Zhang won the women’s 500 in 36.56. American Brittany Bowe followed in 37.03,The Czech Republic’s Martina Sablikova won the women’s 5,000 in 6:47.42.
Associated Press
