U.S. snowboarders victorious in halfpipe events

Americans Kelly Clark and Louie Vito won the halfpipe events in snowy conditions at the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix on Saturday at Copper Mountain, Colo.

Clark and Vito are the defending champions in the Grand Prix series.

Soko Yamaoka of Japan was second in the women’s halfpipe and Hannah Teter of the U.S. finished third. Gretchen Bleiler came in sixth after stumbling on her final run.

However, 14-year-old Madeline Schaffrick stole the show in her first Grand Prix event with a fourth-place finish.

“I’m overwhelmed right now,” she said. “I can’t believe it’s happening. I just wanted to have fun out here. That’s like my dream run right there. I just went for it.”

Clark was impressed, even if she did date herself in a conversation with Schaffrick.

“She said this was her first Grand Prix,” the 25-year-old Clark said. “I said, ‘My first Grand Prix was in Copper about 10 years ago.’ She laughed at me.”

American Steve Fisher was second in the men’s halfpipe and Finland’s Antti Autti took third.

Copper Mountain was the first of three stops in the Grand Prix series this season. The next competition begins Jan. 28 at Boreal in Truckee, Calif.

•Vonn disqualified in giant slalom: Lindsey Vonn was disqualified for running off the course and Tanja Poutiainen of Finland won the giant slalom at La Molina, Spain, overtaking the American in the overall standings.

Vonn will have to wait in her bid to become only the fifth female skier to win events in all five disciplines. Vonn will go for her second slalom victory today.

Poutiainen had the fastest second run down the course for a combined time of 2:16.76.

Julia Mancuso of the United States finished 18th.

•American men struggle in giant slalom: Carlo Janka of Switzerland won a World Cup giant slalom race, while Americans Ted Ligety finished 12th and Bode Miller was 24th after nearly falling in Val D’Isere, France.

Janka finished in a two-run time of 2 minutes, 22.73 seconds, beating Massimiliano Blardone of Italy by 0.20 seconds.

Ligety, the reigning World Cup giant slalom champion, lost time on the bottom section and missed out on a fifth straight podium finish in the event.

•Americans third in bobsled: Thomas Florschuetz of Germany guided his team to a two-man bobsled victory at Igls, Austria, for his first World Cup victory. Steven Holcomb and Justin Olsen of the United States finished third.

Florschuetz and partner Marc Kuehne led after the opening heat and finished the two runs in 1 minute, 44.62 seconds at the Olympia track.

Golf

Sorenstam drops off

Annika Sorenstam shot a 3-over 75, hurting her chances of ending a stellar career by winning the Dubai Ladies Masters at Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for a third straight time.

Sorenstam held a one-shot lead going into the third round but had four bogeys and one birdie to fall four shots behind leader Anja Monke of Germany.

Monke shot 68 for a 9-under 207 total, two shots ahead of Iben Tinning of Denmark (70) and Veronica Zorzi of Italy (71).

Sorenstam, a winner of 72 LPGA titles and 10 major championships, plans to retire after this tournament.

•Perry, Hoch lead shootout: Kenny Perry had eight birdies and an eagle and he and partner Scott Hoch finished with a 12-under 60 in the better-ball format at the second round of the Merrill Lynch Shootout in Naples, Fla.

They hold a four-shot lead over J.B. Holmes and Boo Weekley at the Tiburon Golf Club.

Baseball

Wood deal finalized

Kerry Wood wasn’t concerned the Cleveland Indians would find a red flag in his massive medical records.

He was certain the elbow X-rays, MRI results on his shoulder and confidential documents would meet approval, clearing him to sign his first free-agent contract.

“With what I’ve gone through and what I’ve come back from, there was no doubt in my mind,” Wood said. “I was just worried they would need a dolly or two to get it over to them.

“You play for 10 years and a lot can happen.”

Wood would know.

The former Cubs right-hander, who has revived his injury-riddled career as a reliever, finalized a $20.5 million, two-year deal on Saturday with the Indians, whose high expectations in 2008 crashed in a succession of early season blown saves by an underachieving and unpredictable bullpen.

In 10 years, Wood, who saved 34 games in his first season finishing for Chicago, has gone from rising star to a question mark, from the front of the rotation to the back of the bullpen, and now from one league to the other.

•Farnsworth signed: Reliever Kyle Farnsworth and the Kansas City Royals completed a $9.25 million, two-year contract.

The 32-year-old Farnsworth has a 30-48 record and a 4.47 ERA in 612 career appearances in 26 starts for the Chicago Cubs, Detroit, the Atlanta Braves and the Yankees.

Since the 2003 season, he has posted 441 strikeouts, the seventh-most in the majors among relievers.

Miscellany

Griz guard disciplined

University of Montana point guard Ceylon Elgin-Taylor has been placed on probation and will miss at least two games for violating a team policy.

Coach Wayne Tinkle would not say what the violation was.

Tinkle says no time limit has been set for the probation, but he did leave open the possibility that Elgin-Taylor could return in time for the Big Sky Conference opener Dec. 20 at Portland State.

•U.S. women win soccer exhibition: Tina Ellertson scored her first international goal to give the United States a 1-0 victory over China in a women’s soccer exhibition at Carson, Calif.

Goalkeeper Hope Solo made four saves for her 13th shutout of the year.

The United States extended its unbeaten streak to 12 games and has conceded only one goal in the past eight.

•Grambling State wins SWAC title: Greg Dillon threw three touchdowns and rushed for another score as Grambling State (11-2, 7-0) defeated Jackson State (7-5, 6-1) 41-9 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference football championship game in Birmingham, Alabama.

Dillon was 12 of 17 passing for 137 yards and one interception.

The victory was the 10th in a row for Grambling State.