Sports briefs for July 16, 2004

Friday, July 16, 2004 | 10:59 a.m.

Danton pleads guilty in murder plot

Former St. Louis Blues player Mike Danton admitted today that he sought to have his agent killed as part of a plot that unraveled when the would-be hit man turned out to be a police informant.

Danton pleaded guilty to a federal murder-for-hire conspiracy charge and could face seven to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 22.

Danton was to have been tried in September with co-defendant Katie Wolfmeyer, and was scheduled for a pretrial hearing next week.

Danton, 23, and Wolfmeyer, a 19-year-old college student from a St. Louis suburb, faced identical conspiracy charges, with Wolfmeyer accused of trying to hire the would-be killer of Danton's agent, David Frost.

Two court-martialed

Two Air Force Academy football players accused of using steroids will be court-martialed, the military says.

Junior running back Matthew Ward, charged with wrongful use and possession of the anabolic steroid methandrostenolone, will be court-martialed Aug. 18, the academy said Thursday.

A date has not been set for the court-martial for junior linebacker Overton Spence Jr. on charges of wrongful use, distribution and possession of methandrostenolone.

Miller and Kurt Kittner join Rohan Davey and Kliff Kingsbury in the competition for the No. 2 job.

WBC settles suit

The World Boxing Council announced in Mexico City that it had reached a tentative agreement with German fighter Graciano Rocchigiani that would keep the governing body from collapse. Rocchigiani won a $31 million judgment against the WBC after he lost his light heavyweight title in 1998.

WNBA names starters

The WNBA selected the five starters for the U.S. women's Olympic team: forward Nykesha Sales and center Taj McWilliams-Franklin of the Connecticut Sun, guards Anna DeForge of the Phoenix Mercury and Nikki Teasley of the Los Angeles Sparks, and forward Cheryl Ford of the Detroit Shock.

Agassi in quarters

Andre Agassi defeated Julien Benneteau 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the Mercedes-Benz Cup to reach the quarterfinals. Agassi has won 21 of 22 matches at the tournament, including titles in 1998, 2001 and 2002.

Ex-PGA tour pro dies

Former PGA Tour player Jeff Julian died at his family's farm in Norwich, Vt., nearly three years after being diagnosed with ALS. He was 42.

UNLV adds assistant

Stephanie Rigmat, a former member of the defunct WUSA's Washington Freedom professional team, was hired as an assistant women's coach at UNLV.