WHL board awards franchise to Edmonton
The Western Hockey League’s board of governors granted an expansion franchise to Edmonton in 2007-08, commissioner Ron Robison said Thursday from Calgary, Alberta.
The owner will be the Edmonton Investors Group, current owner of the Edmonton Oilers. A number of conditions must be met before final approval is granted.
The new team will increase the WHL to a total of 22 member clubs. Edmonton will join the Central Division of the Eastern Conference.
The WHL also announced new division and conference alignments for 2006-07, including the Kootenay Ice returning to the Central Division.
The board also approved the sale of the Portland Winter Hawks to a group of investors including Jim Goldsmith of New York, John Bryant of Dallas and Jack Donovan of Tucson.
Skiing
Miller takes Super-G
Bode Miller and Daron Rahlves led a 1-2 American finish in the World Cup super-G finale at Are, Sweden, after both failed to medal at the Turin Olympics last month.
Miller covered the Olympia course in 1 minute, 27.78 seconds for his first super-G win of the season and second podium finish at the World Cup finals.
Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway clinched the super-G title with a third-place showing.
Janica Kostelic of Croatia captured the women’s World Cup overall title with a fourth-place finish in a super-G won by Nicole Hosp of Austria.
Golf
Bryant shares lead
Bart Bryant surged to the top of a crowded leaderboard at the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando, Fla., with a 6-under-par 66 to tie Dean Wilson.
Ernie Els shot 67 and was joined by former British Open champion Ben Curtis, Chad Campbell, Lucas Glover and Jason Gore.
Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett shot 73.
•Aree Song shot an 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Sarah Lee and Maria Hjorth in the LPGA’s Safeway International at Superstition Mountain, Ariz.
Annika Sorenstam, the two-time defending champion, shot a 69. Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., carded a 73.
Tennis
Federer breezes
Two-time defending men’s champion Roger Federer needed only 66 minutes to finish off Ivan Ljubicic 6-2, 6-3 in the Pacific Life Open quarterfinals at Indian Wells, Calif.
On the women’s side, Justine Henin-Hardenne downed Gisela Dulko 6-3, 6-2, and Elena Dementieva beat Ana Ivanovic 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to make the semifinals.
Miscellany
Hall of Famer dies
William C. “Bill” Hartman, a College Football Hall of Fame member who spent much of his life supporting athletics at the University of Georgia, died one day shy of his 91st birthday at Athens, Ga.
•Hampton coach Bobby Collins resigned, two days after his team lost the NCAA tournament play-in game.