Sports briefs for July 13, 2005

Wednesday, July 13, 2005 | 10:21 a.m.

Fresno State transfer arrested, suspended

Senior wide receiver Terry Furlow has been suspended indefinitely by UNLV head football coach Mike Sanford following his arrest over the weekend for burglary and attempted theft.

A Fresno State transfer, who was the team's fifth-string quarterback during most of an injury-plagued spring practice, Furlow started two games at wide receiver as a junior and caught just two passes. He was switched to quarterback in the spring by Sanford but was moved back to wide receiver after it became apparent he had little chance of even quarterbacking the scout team in the fall.

"As per university athletic department policy, we are suspending him indefinitely until the legal matter is resolved," Sanford said.

-- Steve Guiremand

Mizzou player collapses and dies

Missouri linebacker Aaron O'Neal died Tuesday after collapsing during a voluntary workout with teammates, a hospital official said.

University Hospital spokeswoman Mary Jenkins confirmed the death of O'Neal, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman from the St. Louis suburb of Creve Coeur.

Cause of death was not revealed.

"I can't begin to express how deeply saddened we are by this loss," coach Gary Pinkel, who was out of town Tuesday, said in a statement. "Aaron was a quality young man who was well-liked and respected by his teammates and coaches.

"We are all very shocked and hurt right now, but the most important thing we can do is to focus on Aaron's family and to assist them any way we can."

Wreck at finish line kills racer

At Portland, Ore., A cyclist died when he crashed headfirst near the finish line during a road race at Portland International Raceway.

The 29-year-old cyclist from Milwaukee, whose name was withheld pending family notification, was 300 yards from finishing the 40-mile race when he lost control of his bike, said Lt. Allen Oswalt, a spokesman for Portland Fire and Rescue.

The cyclist slammed headfirst into a steel post filled with concrete.

UNR coaching great dies

John Cook, who coached UNR track teams that dominated the Big Sky Conference in the 1980s and developed an early reputation for recruiting overseas, has died at the age of 87. Cook died Saturday at a Phoenix hospital.

Cook coached 23 All-Americans at Nevada. His team won the NCAA Division II national cross-country title in 1968 before the school moved into Division I in 1970.

-- Sun wire services