Sport Briefs: Anderson wins Top Fuel crown

Tuesday, Aug. 6, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Shelly Anderson won the Top Fuel title in the rain-delayed Northwest Nationals in Kent, Wash., on Monday, beating Mike Dunn in the quickest race in NHRA history.

Anderson of Ontario, Calif., covered a quarter-mile at Seattle International Raceway in a career-best time of 4.663 seconds at 308.00 mph for her second victory of the season. Dunn finished in 4.710 at 308.85.

Mike Edwards, driving a car fielded by Las Vegas businessman John Kight, used a superior reaction time to the starting light to edge Kurt Johnson in Pro Stock. Edwards finished in 7.046 at 196.24 in an Oldsmobile Cutlass and Johnson trailed in 7.042 at 194.76 in a Pontiac Firebird.

Las Vegas' George Marnell was eliminated in the second round of Pro Stock eliminations by Kurt Johnson. Marnell actually was faster, with a speed of 195.39 mph to Johnson's 195.31, but was slightly slower off the line. Johnson's E.T. was 7.023; Marnell's 7.055. Marnell also posted the weekend's top speed of 196.80 mph.

John Force won his ninth Funny Car title of the year, beating Tony Pedregon with a track-record run of 4.965 at 302.11 in a Firebird. The blower belt broke on Pedregon's car near the finish line, and he trailed in 5.028 at 292.01 in a matching Firebird.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway marketing executive Gordie Bonin failed to qualify for the Top Fuel round of 16.

In other motor sports news:

* David Green, the Busch Grand National Series leader, will be the designated relief driver for injured Dale Earnhardt in the Bud at the Glen race this weekend at Watkins Glen, N.Y. Earnhardt fractured his left collarbone and sternum in a crash July 28 at Talladega, Ala. The seven-time series champion needs to at least start every race in order to be credited with championship points.

Bullets re-sign Howard

Five days after the NBA rejected his seven-year, $100 million deal with the Miami Heat, free agent Juwan Howard re-signed with the Washington Bullets. However, a Florida court decision will determine whose uniform the 6-foot-10 forward will wear this fall. The Bullets signed Howard to a seven-year deal after agreeing to forfeit their first-round selection in next year's college draft.

In other NBA news:

* Dennis Rodman, who helped the Chicago Bulls to a record 72-10 mark and the NBA championship, signed a one-year, $9 million contract to remain with the team. Rodman, 35, averaged 14.9 rebounds last season while winning his fifth straight NBA rebounding title.

* The Detroit Pistons signed forward Rick Mahorn to a one-year contract reportedly worth $400,000. Mahorn, 38, who helped the Pistons win the 1988-89 NBA championship, spent the last four seasons with the New Jersey Nets.

Edberg honored at ATP

Stefan Edberg, making his farewell tour, was honored at the ATP Championship in Mason, Ohio. Edberg, 30, has played the tournament 14 consecutive years, winning twice and reaching the final six times. In first-round matches, No. 12 Todd Martin defeated Michael Joyce 6-0, 6-4; 10th-seeded Thomas Enqvist of Sweden routed Zimbabwe's Byron Black 6-1, 6-2; 16th-seeded Jason Stoltenberg of Australia beat Jim Grabb 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), and Czech Daniel Vacek topped Alex Corretja of Spain 6-4, 6-4.

CFL kicker makes 8 field goals

Mark McLoughlin tied a CFL record Monday when he booted eight field goals to lift the Calgary Stampeders to a 38-11 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The record for field goals in a single game was held by Saskatchewan's Dave Ridgeway, who set it in 1984 and tied it in 1988. McLoughlin, who leads the league in scoring with 91 points, split the uprights from 15, 24, 32, 35, 39, 42, 48 and 52 yards out. His 26 points were the fifth highest single-game total in CFL history.

Weber to impose sanctions

Weber State will announce on Wednesday the sanctions it will impose on its men's basketball program for violating NCAA rules, school President Paul H. Thompson said. The NCAA last spring investigated the Ogden, Utah school's program over allegations that it had violated recruiting rules, including charges that coach Ron Abegglen gave cash to at least one player, coaches bailed out another out of jail and that assistant coach Mark Coffman used the credit card of an assistant's relative to pay a $600 bill for a player's correspondence courses. Coffman, 38, with WSU's coaching staff for the past five seasons, resigned earlier this month.

Go for Wand in Hall

Go for Wand, who took a fatal spill in the stretch run of the 1990 Breeders' Cup Distaff, was enshrined in the Hall of Fame's National Racing Museum at Saratoga, Springs, N.Y. Also inducted were former jockey Don Brumfield, late trainer James Conway, 1989 Kentucky Derby winner Sunday Silence, 19th-century jockey George Barbee and Sun Beau, an equine star of the late 1920s and early '30s.