Sports digest 5/8/02

AREA

SOUTHEAST WOMEN SIGN EIGHTH BASKETBALL RECRUIT

Tiffanne Ryan signed a national letter of intent with Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball program on Tuesday.

Ryan, a senior at Westmoore High School in Oklahoma City, Okla., is the first high school player signed by first-year Otahkians coach B.J. Smith, who previously landed seven junior-college recruits.

Ryan, a 5-foot-8 guard, played on Westmoore's Class 6A state championship team that was nationally ranked last season. Primarily a defensive specialist, she averaged three points, three assists and two steals per game while shooting 56 percent from the field.

Central tops Notre Dame, qualifies 2 for state meet

Central's girls' swim team had two state qualifiers to go along with its 118-66 victory Tuesday over Notre Dame.

The Tigers' 200-meter relay team (Cassie Kipper, Brett Ford, Terra Herzberger and Katie Maginel) and 400 freestyle relay team (Lauren Sulser, Kipper, Maginel, Herzberger) both qualified for state in times of 2:01.56 and 4:03.25, respectively.

Notre Dame's Lindsay Kuper had her best times of the season in the 200 freestyle (2:01.90) and 100 freestyle (56.34) as the state-bound swimmer won both events.

Herzberger won the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly. Her time in the 200 IM (2:24.28) missed a state cut by 0.01 of a second.

Central wins consolation; Hudson nears record

Seth Hudson improved to 2-1, went 2-for-2 and neared a school record for stolen bases in Central's 7-5 consolation title win in Monday's SEMO Conference Tournament.

Hudson had two stolen bases Monday and is 22-of-24 in stolen base attempts, one short of the record. Teammate Josh Ford was 3-for-3; Ford, Chris Conrad and Aaron Dohogne had doubles for Central (8-13).

Kohlfeld Scorpions finish season with 67-7 win

The Kohlfeld Scorpions Rugby Club defeated the Principia College Thunderchickens 67-7 Saturday to finish the season at 8-2, its best record in eight years.

Principia scored first before the Scorpions took over. Jimmy Randle led all scorers with six trys. T.J. Abner had two, and Ben Woddicker, Joey Hann and Alan Kloss had one apiece. Sean Hagan had six conversion kicks. Walter Denton had three assists and three blocked kicks in the first half.

ELSEWHERE

COLLEGES

Missouri athletic director Mike Alden has been contacted informally about becoming the athletic director at Clemson, The Kansas City Star reported, citing unnamed sources.

Horse racing

Seattle Slew, who won the 1977 Triple Crown and became one of racing's greatest sires, died in his stall in Lexington, Ky., at the age of 28. The stallion's death came on the 25th anniversary of his Kentucky Derby victory. Seattle Slew was the only living Triple Crown winner.

Tennis

Pete Sampras' drought stretched to 25 tournaments without a title when he lost 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3 to Felix Mantilla in the first round of the Italian Open.

-- From staff, wire reports