European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 28, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday March 28 2007 stars and stripes Page 27 Arkansas fires Heath despite berth in Mcaa sports briefs the associated press Little Rock Arkansas fired Stan Heath on monday after five seasons As basketball coach the Razorbacks made the Mcaa tournament thanks to a lat season run but  save heaths Job the Razorbacks 2114 lost 7760 to Southern Cali fornia in the first round Arkansas spokesman Kevin Trainor said Heath and athletic director prank Broyles met Mon Day morning and Broyles in formed Heath of the decision after Heath led Kent state to the round of eight in the Mcaa tournament in 2001 he took Over at Arkansas in 2002 when Nolan Richardson was fired the Razorbacks missed the tournament his first three seasons but made it in 2006 and 2007 losing in the first round each time Arkansas went 919 in 200203 then improved its win total for three straight seasons heaths record at the school was 8271 but he went 3149 in Southeastern conference play when the Razorbacks struggled toward the end of the regular season reports surfaced that Heath would be fired if Arkansas did not make the Mcaa tournament the Razorbacks then won five straight games and reached the Sec tournament final Arkansas made the Mcaa tournament As a no 12 seed before losing to us Utah to hire Michigan state assistant Boylen Salt Lake City Utah is set to hire Michigan state Assis Tant Jim Boylen As its mens basketball coach according to a source close to Boylen the source spoke on condition of anonymity because the hiring want expected to be announced until tuesday Boylen who never been a head coach has been an assistant under Tom Izzo for two seasons after 13 years As an no assistant with Houston Golden state and Milwaukee Boylen would replace Ray Gia Coletti who resigned after three seasons and took a Job As an Assis Tant at Gonzaga the utes went 1119 last season idles widow sues me life los Angeles the widow of new York Yankees Pitcher Cory Lidle has sued me life inc claiming Shes owed More than million under baseballs Benefit plan Lidle 34 died in the crash of his Small plane last oct 11 and was covered by the Benefit plan of major league baseball and its players association which had a life insurance Benefit and an accidental death Benefit of million however the plan which applies to All players with major league contracts contains an exclusion for any incident related to travel in an aircraft while act ing in any capacity other than As a passenger the suit claims me life will try to claim that ladles death occurred while acting in the role of Pilot Crew member or another capacity and not a passenger Melanie Lidle is entitled to the million payout because the life insurer cant prove that Cory Lidle was piloting the Singlee Gine Cirrus sr20 plane that crashed into a Manhattan High Rise her lawyer Stacy King said me life had no comment the National transportation safety Board investigation of the Accident  determine who was at the controls of the plane no Mascot Dies Hackensack no Jason Ray the North Carolina student who performed As a Mascot for the schools basketball team died three Days after he was struck by a car hours before an Mcaa tournament game he was 21 Ray died monday morning said Steve Kirschner the universe Tys associate athletic director for communications Ray had been in critical Condi Tion since he was hit from behind while walking on a Highway Shoul Der near his hotel in fort Lee n j the Driver of the Sun want cited Georgetown assistant Broadus hired by Binghamton Vestal by Kevin Broad us  stay Long when Bing Hamton announced he would be their new mens basketball coach Hes still an assistant at George town and the hoyas Are headed to the final four i look Forward to coming to Binghamton said Broadus who joined the Georgetown staff three years ago i believe the program is untapped with All the support it has we should be gunning to win the America East championship that my goal Ive just fulfilled one goal to get to the final four and Well begin to strive for that next goal i think All the necessary elements Are in place to do that Broadus is the schools second basketball coach since Bingham ton began playing at the division i level in 2001 Al Walker was re assigned after a 1316 season Mckay to Liberty Lynchburg a Ritchie Mckay fired last month after five season at new Mexico was hired monday As the mens basketball coach at Liberty he succeeds Randy Dunton whose con tract was not renewed after Post ing a 6685 record in six seasons Liberty was 1417 this season Mckay was 8269 at new mexi co but got into the Mcaa tournament Only once losing in the open ing round in 2005 the Lobos have had two losing seasons since going 1517 this year Mckay previously coached Portland state Colorado state and Oregon state sex sooner Star Heath Dies Oklahoma City former Oklahoma football ail american Leon Heath died Friday at 78 Heath died from natural causes after an illness said Alice Stephenson a representative of Winslow Georgetown assistant Kevin Broa dus shown helping Cut Down the net after the hoyas advanced to the final four was hired monday As head coach at Binghamton Mcray funeral Home in Chick Asha which is handling the Funer Al services Heath was living in Chickasha before his death Heath played fullback under coach Bud Wilkinson from 1948 to 1950 earning Al America Hon ors in 1950 when Oklahoma won the first of its seven National championships he scored two touchdowns one on an 86yard run in pacing Oklahoma to a 350 Victory Over leu in the 1950 sugar bowl Heath played three seasons in the nil before an injury ended his playing career Isaaf wants staffer ban Mombasa Kenya the International association of athletics federations reiterated its Call for an increase in doping bans from two to four years the Isaaf wants the proposal to be included in the next version of the world anti doping code which will be ratified in november currently firs time doping of fenders get an automatic two year ban athletes would be Able to re Duce the fou year ban if they can prove exceptional circumstances the Isaaf said monday however exceptional Circum stances will be considered to apply Only in cases where the circumstances Are truly exceptional and not in the vast majority of cases the federation added the Isaaf Council met in mom Basa where the world Cross coun try championships were held sat urday us out of water Polo medal round Melbourne Australia Germany beat the United states 63 monday in a fight marred mens water Polo game ending the americans chances of win Ning a medal in the world championships Germany outscored the americans 42 in the opening Quarter then relied on the goal keeping of Alexander Tchi Gir to Advance to the quarterfinals against 2004 olympic Champion Hungary cubs Wood shelled Arm issues May keep him off Active roster the associated press the Chicago cubs Arent sure if Kerry Wood is fit to be on the opening Day roster and he certainly didst help himself in his latest Outing the of injured Wood is trying to regain his form after switching from starting Pitcher to reliever but he failed to protect a Sev a thinning Lead sunday giving up three runs that allowed the los Angeles Angels to beat the Chicago cubs 32 in Mesa Ariz the 1998 no Rookie of the year trying to stay off the disabled list and open the season with Chicago gave up a two run Homer to Kendry Morales after the Angels tied it 11 in one in Ning Wood yielded three hits while striking out one he want As Sharp today obviously cubs manager Lou Piniella said the fastball didst have the life of the last time Well see How he feels tomorrow Ted Lilly pitched six scoreless innings and Cliff Floyd homered for Chicago Wood who rehabbed this win Ter from a shoulder injury strained his right triceps March 11 and didst pitch again until Fri Day for the Spring he has thrown five innings giving up seven runs and seven hits including two homers the cubs Haven decided whether Wood will Start the sea son on the Active roster or if he needs More time to build up Arm strength Dmitri Young however definitely has a major league Job again after a tumultuous 2006 marked by of Thefield prob lems Young found out sunday hell be the starting first baseman for the Washington nationals on opening Day because his chief remaining Competition Travis Lee asked to be released i was at the Bottom of the Mountain the Bottom of mount Everest and i climbed my Way up one Day at a time knowing that i had to work Young said in Kissimmee Fla i did every thing it would take to earn it two months ago Young was pondering retirement a week ago he was stuck in Washington minor league Camp trying to prove his personal demons Are in the past and he can still swing a mean Bat so already 2007 is looking much better than 2006 for the 33yearold Young a former Allstar who was As Low As Low can be not All that Long ago in the Span of one Calendar year he faced an assault charge treatment for alcoholism and de pression a divorce and hospitalization for diabetes he also was Cut by the Detroit tigers with less than a month left in the regular season now hell fill in for Nick Johnson the nationals incumbent first baseman who expected to miss at least the first two months of the season while recovering from a broken leg baseball Roundup Ive had my whirlwinds be fore Young said with a Hearty laugh this is not a whirlwind this is just take it one step at a time getting Back to playing professional baseball at the big league level at Jupiter Fla st Louis Cardi nals Center fielder Jim Edmonds took a big step toward being ready for opening Day by playing in his first Spring training game Edmonds hit second in the Bat Ting order drawing a walk and grounding out in a 65 loss to Balti More he was removed in the fourth inning an nighttime Gold Glove win Ner Edmonds has spent the Spring recovering from of season operations on his shoulder and toe it was an easy Day Edmonds said didst have to run too much didst take too Many bad swings the cardinals Hope Edmonds will be ready for the april 1 opener at Home against the new York mets we dont know what to expect manager Tony la Russa said you work out and youre under control he May make one break today and his toe would be sore and that the end of it who knows at port st Lucie Fla the mets finally settled on five starting pitchers for their suspect Rota Tion tabbing top Prospect Mike Pelfrey for one spot John Maine and Oliver Perez As expected will fill the other slots behind Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez its always Good to hear hey you made the team said Pel Frey unable to conceal his smile Ive still got a lot of work to do and Ive got to continue to get bet Ter Pelfrey the ninth Overall pick in the 2005 draft out of Wichita state allowed four runs and six hits in five innings of an 113 loss to Houston but he pitched Well throughout Spring training and that was enough to win a Job Hes matured mets manager Willie Randolph said you can see where Hes Learned a lot from last Spring obviously he has Good stuff but Hes worked hard to execute for the most part what we wanted him to do this Spring Zack Greinke is Back in Kansas cites rotation 13 months after he left royals Camp to Deal with so Cial anxiety the right hander will be the clubs no 3 starter and pitch in the season opening series against Boston manager buddy Bell said after Greinke five inning stint in a 76 loss to Milwaukee at sur prise Ariz he Doest need to do any More than he is doing now Bell said i just Hope he stays this Way and Hes encouraged by All this