Fanfare 12/9/02

Baseball

Left-hander Chuck Finley has been offered salary arbitration by the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing an extra month for negotiations.

St. Louis declined to offer arbitration to catcher Mike DiFelice, pitchers Andy Benes, Dave Veres, Rick White and Jamey Wright.

Finley has until Dec. 19 to accept or reject the offer and can re-sign through Jan. 8.

Colleges

Christine Sinclair scored her second goal in the second overtime period Sunday, sending Portland to a 2-1 victory over Santa Clara for the NCAA women's soccer national championship in Austin, Texas.

Sinclair, a Canadian national team player who tied the game at 1-1 with a goal in the 61st minute, put back a rebound of her own shot for the win in sudden-death overtime.

It was Sinclair's 26th goal of the season and her 10th of the NCAA tournament.

Portland finished 20-4-2 and Santa Clara 20-5-1.

Cycling

Lance Armstrong was chosen Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year for 2002 after becoming the first American to win a fourth Tour de France.

The 31-year-old Armstrong has dominated cycling's most prestigious race since 1999 -- three years after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, co-MVPs for the 2001 World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks, shared last year's Sports Illustrated honor.

The issue featuring Armstrong hits newsstands Wednesday.

Golf

Padraig Harrington shot a 1-under 71 Sunday for a two-stroke victory over Tiger Woods and a $1 million payoff in theTarget World Challenge, an exhibition event hosted by Woods in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Harrington finished at 268.

Woods earned $500,000 for second place, which he donated to his foundation. He now takes four weeks off, returning to the season-opening Mercedes Championships at Kapalua.

Davis Love finished third at 272, followed by Colin Montgomerie (68) and Bernhard Langer (69).

-- From wire reports