LSU Athletes Investigated for Cheating

Louisiana State University athletes had tutors write, rewrite and type papers, read books, and look up test answers for them in violation of NCAA and school rules, according to a university memo.

The Jan. 22 memo from Roger Grooters, director of LSU’s Academic Center for Student-Athletes, to the athletic department’s NCAA compliance officer listed seven alleged violations.

LSU released the memo after blacking out names and anything else that might identify the people involved. LSU has been investigating the allegations since January.

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Roy Kramer will decide if the NCAA should get involved.

LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman has said the investigation centers on five to 10 student-athletes, including football players. LSU has notified the NCAA of its investigation, associate athletic director David Bahnsen said recently.

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College Sports

Diving brothers Troy and Justin Dumais of Ventura led Texas to its third consecutive NCAA men’s swimming and diving title at Athens, Ga.

Stanford had more points in the pool than Texas, but the Longhorns outscored the Cardinal, 113-0, in diving for a 512-501 edge and the school’s ninth overall title.

USC’s Erik Vendt, national swimmer of the year, earned a meet-best 57 points, two more than Stanford’s Markus Rogan. Troy Dumais, the diver of the year, and Stanford’s Peter Marshall each scored 54 points. USC finished fifth overall with 272 points.

Anthony Ervin of California, 50-meter freestyle gold medalist at the Sydney Olympics, set a meet, American and U.S. open records with a 41.62 in the 100 freestyle.

Vendt won the 1,650 freestyle in 14:37.48 to go along with his victory in the 400 individual medley.

The second-ranked Pepperdine men’s volleyball team took sole possession of first place in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with a 30-27, 30-27, 30-23 victory over top-ranked UCLA before 3,037 at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu. Brad Keenan, a 6-foot-8 junior from Fountain Valley, had 12 kills and eight blocks to lead the Waves (21-4, 16-2). UCLA (23-4, 15-3) had a nine-game winning streak ended. Chris Pena led the Bruins with 15 kills.

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Motor Racing

Juan Montoya clinched the pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix at Sao Paulo in his Williams-BMW, fending off a late charge from the new Ferrari of world champion Michael Schumacher. Schumacher’s younger brother Ralf took his Williams-BMW to the third spot on the grid, ahead of Scotland’s David Coulthard in a McLaren-Mercedes. Montoya, who dueled with world champion Schumacher in last year’s race, clocked the fastest lap at the 2.677-mile Interlagos circuit in 1 minute 13.114 seconds.

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Miscellany

Nicaragua’s Ricardo Mayorga won the WBA welterweight title, flooring champion Andrew Lewis of Guyana in the fifth round at Reading, Pa. Mayorga (24-3-1) knocked down Lewis (21-1-1) with a six-hook combo, prompting referee Rudy Battle to stop the fight at 1:08 of the fifth round.

Boxer Stevie Johnston is serving a two-month jail term in Denver for failing to pay child support, but his family said he will be released in time for an April 20 fight with Alejandro Gonzalez in Las Vegas. Johnston was sentenced and jailed Monday on a charge of contempt of court and was not scheduled to be released until May 18.

China prevailed in the 5,000-meter relay and won the men’s World Short Track Speedskating Team Championship at West Allis, Wis. South Korea won the women’s title, and was followed in the standings by China, Canada and the United States at the Pettit National Ice Center. In the men’s competition, China rallied from a two-point deficit by winning the final relay. Following China in the men’s standings was Canada, South Korea and Italy.

Despite two goals by Jeff Attard and one from Jamie Sokolsky, the Ice Dogs lost, 4-3, in a shootout to the Bakersfield Condors in a West Coast Hockey League game at the Long Beach Arena.

Cancer survivor Dan Perkins helped Oxford defeat Cambridge in a come-from-behind victory in the 148th Boat Race at London--one of the closest duels in memory. It was only the second victory in the last 10 races for Oxford on the 41/4-mile stretch of the Thames. Oxford finished in 16 minutes 54 seconds, with Cambridge across in 16:56--a three-quarter length advantage.