In brief: Kwan won’t skate in Spokane

Skating: Michelle Kwan won’t be coming to Spokane, at least not to compete.

The nine-time U.S. champion announced Friday she will not return to competitive skating in hopes of making the Vancouver Olympics. Instead, she will begin classes for a master’s degree in international affairs at Tufts University. Kwan, who recently graduated from the University of Denver, has already made several trips as a public diplomacy envoy for the State Department.

Kwan had until September to enter U.S. competitions leading to January’s national championships in Spokane, which also serve as the Olympic trials.

The 29-year-old skater hasn’t competed since an injury forced her to withdraw from the Turin Olympics after her first practice.

Kwan won the silver medal at the Nagano Olympics in 1998, and a bronze at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

Associated Press

Charges dropped against Justin

WSU football: Felony possession of stolen property charges against Washington State sophomore cornerback Tyrone Aire Justin were dropped Friday during a scheduled pretrial hearing.

Whitman County prosecutor Denis Tracy said he recommended the dismissal because he felt a conviction was unlikely and Justin had agreed to cooperate with the prosecutor’s office in the cases of former WSU teammates Romeo Pellum and Kevin Frank, if their cases go to trial Sept. 21 as scheduled.

Justin had been charged with second-degree possession of stolen property, a Class C felony.

Pellum is charged with two counts of residential burglary, a Class B felony in Washington state, and two counts of second-degree theft, a Class C felony. Frank is charged with one count of both. The alleged crimes related in part to electronics taken from the dorm room of two WSU football players.

Maximum sentences for Class B felonies are 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine, while Class C felonies carry a maximum of five years and $10,000.

Vince Grippi

Pacific hires ex-UI assistant

Football: Former UC Davis assistant Keith Buckley has been named the new football coach at Pacific as the Forest Grove, Ore., school prepares for a return in 2010.

Pacific last fielded a football team in 1991. School officials decided this spring to revive the program as a way to increase enrollment.

Buckley served as graduate assistant at the University of Idaho while earning his master’s. He coached outside linebackers and defensive backs.

Associated Press