IN BRIEF

MOTOR SPORTS

Kentucky track seeks 2010 Sprint Cup date

Speedway Motorsports Inc. officials said Monday they have asked NASCAR to add Kentucky to the 2010 Sprint Cup Series schedule.

Any chance SMI has is contingent on the former owners of Kentucky Motor Speedway dropping an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corp., its sister company.

SMI chairman Bruton Smith, who traveled to the Kentucky Derby last weekend to make a case for dropping the suit, has so far been unsuccessful in his efforts.

Smith said he is willing to give up a race date at one of his seven other facilities to get Kentucky on the schedule. He would not reveal which track he is considering, and SMI president Marcus Smith said no decision has been made on which track would lose a date if NASCAR adds Kentucky to its 36-race schedule.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway is among SMI's facilities.

SWINE FLU

Virus' spread affects preps in two states

The spread of the swine flu has affected high school sports in two more states, with New Mexico postponing athletic events and Florida granting athletes pulled from a state track championship the chance to compete in a separate meet later.

South American soccer's governing body also suspended Chivas defender Hector Reynoso from the Copa Libertadores for pretending to cough and spit in an opponent's face as if he were trying to spread the disease.

The swine flu outbreak already had forced the cancellation or postponement of sporting events across the country last week, affecting everything from prep contests in Texas and Alabama to a college baseball road trip in Delaware.

This week, Florida's Hillsborough County School District closed Freedom High School in Tampa and two middle schools because students from those schools are among the five suspected cases of swine flu in the county. None of the cases has been confirmed.

Freedom High's athletic director decided to cancel all sporting events, including participation by about 10 athletes in the 3A state track meet in Orlando on Friday.

MISCELLANEOUS

UNLV men's golf nets NCAA regional berth

The UNLV men's golf team, ranked 21st, earned the No. 5 seed in the Austin Regional beginning May 14 in Austin, Texas, the team's NCAA-record 21st straight appearance in an NCAA regional.

Austin is one of six regional sites -- three will have 13 squads, and three will have 14. The top five teams in each regional advance to the NCAA Championships beginning May 26 in Toledo, Ohio.

Also: UNLV's Ryan Thornton was named Mountain West Conference baseball player of the week after going 9-for-24, with two home runs, a double, seven RBIs and seven runs.

Thornton had game-winning hits Saturday and Sunday at New Mexico.

Alabama receiver Julio Jones had surgery to repair a sports hernia. He is expected to be back for the team's fall camp. Jones was the Crimson Tide's leading receiver as a freshman, with 58 catches for 924 yards.

The United States got two goals from defenseman Ron Hainsey but lost to Switzerland 4-3 in overtime at the hockey world championships in Bern, Switzerland, wrapping up second-round play.

The Americans will face Finland in the quarterfinals, avoiding a possible matchup with Canada by extending the game against the Swiss to overtime.