IN BRIEF

FOOTBALL

Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by a woman in Nevada.

According to online court records, a defamation lawsuit was filed in Washoe County on Friday. Andrea McNulty is listed as the plaintiff.

Details of the suit were not available late Monday night. Roethlisberger was one of nine defendants listed in the online court docket report.

Roethlisberger's attorney released a statement Monday night saying the two-time Super Bowl winner was accused of sexual assault in the lawsuit by McNulty. Atlanta-based attorney David Cornwell denied Roethlisberger sexually assaulted McNulty.

"This weekend Andrea McNulty served Ben Roethlisberger with a civil complaint accusing him of sexually assaulting her in July 2008. Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone; especially Andrea McNulty. The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct. If an investigation is commenced, Ben will cooperate fully and Ben will be fully exonerated," Cornwell said.

Also: Authorities say former NFL star Steve McNair had a blood-alcohol level twice Tennessee's legal limit for driving when his girlfriend shot him to death.

Tennessee Assistant Medical Examiner Feng Li said a toxicology report showed a trace amount of marijuana in the body of Sahel Kazemi. Police say the 20-year-old Kazemi shot McNair July 4 in a Nashville condo before killing herself.

Former NFL place-kicker Tony Zendejas sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, claiming he was harassed for seven years before facing rape charges on which he was eventually acquitted.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has signed a seven-year contract that will keep him with the Hawkeyes through 2015.

Ferentz is in his 11th season at Iowa, with a record of 70-53.

MOTOR SPORTS

Mayfield's attorneys seek to keep injunction

Attorneys for Jeremy Mayfield said a federal judge correctly granted an injunction that lifted the drivers' indefinite suspension for failing a random drug test.

In a motion filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, N.C., Mayfield's lawyers contended Judge Graham Mullen properly ruled when he granted a July 1 injunction. The filing is a response to NASCAR's request that Mullen's order be put on hold as the decision is appealed to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va.

Also: Joie Chitwood, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced he will step down after this weekend's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, the second top administrator to depart the speedway in a month.

MISCELLANEOUS

Nadal training again with right knee healthy

Rafael Nadal returned to training for the first time since being sidelined by a knee injury.

Nadal has been out of action with tendinitis in his right knee since losing to Robin Soderling in the fourth round of the French Open, where the Spaniard had been the four-time defending champion.

Nadal is hoping to resume playing at next month's Montreal Masters.

Also: Lauren Lappin homered to start a three-run rally in the third inning, and the United States beat Australia 3-1 Monday night in the World Cup of Softball championship game.