Fast Break
Figure skating
Belbin, Agosto drop nationals
Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto will have to share the record for U.S. dance titles a little while longer.
Belbin and Agosto withdrew from this month’s U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Thursday because of his back injury. It’s the same injury that knocked the Olympic silver medalists out of last month’s Grand Prix final.
Belbin and Agosto were favored to win a record sixth title at nationals, which begin Jan. 19 in Cleveland. They still intend to compete at the world championships in March in Los Angeles. Results there determine how many entries countries get at next year’s Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
College football
Western drops football program
Western Washington University announced it is dropping football from its sports program because of costs.
The Division II school said the move was necessary to protect 15 other sports from budget cuts. Western Washington is a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
Current athletes will keep their scholarships if they stay at Western Washington. Transfers will be eligible to play immediately. The current roster includes Erick Cheadle, Adrian Milsap, McKenzie Murphy and Anthony Zackery, all from Ferris; David Johnson of Odessa and Will Davis of Central Valley.
The school began playing football in 1903, stopping only for World War I and World War II.
The Vikings had a 383-380-34 record in 98 seasons, reaching the division championship in 1996. They finished 6-5 this past season, beating Colorado School of Mines in the Dixie Rotary Bowl.
NFL
Chiefs sign ex-Coug Collins
The Kansas City Chiefs signed fullback and tight end Jed Collins to a two-year reserve future free agent contact.
The 6-foot, 249-pound Collins entered the NFL from Washington State as a rookie free agent with Philadelphia before this season, but was released prior to the regular season and added to the practice squad. Collins also spent time on Chicago’s practice squad, and was on Cleveland’s active roster for two weeks before finishing the season on the Browns’ practice squad.