IN BRIEF

SOCCER

Beckham angling to remain in Italy

David Beckham has the support of AC Milan's coach and management if he wants to get out of his Los Angeles Galaxy contract to stay in Italy.

Beckham is halfway through a three-month loan with Milan that will end March 8, and he has told the Italian media he has enjoyed his return to Europe more than he expected. While he respects the five-year contract he signed with Los Angeles in 2007, Beckham said playing for Milan was "something special."

The Galaxy has reiterated that it wants Beckham, who has two goals in five games, back when the loan ends.

But Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti, who has been surprisingly impressed by Beckham, would like the England midfielder to remain with the team.

Also: Arsenal completed the signing of Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St. Petersburg on Tuesday, hoping the Russian star can boost it back into the top four in the English Premier league and a berth in next season's European Champions League.

COLLEGES

UNLV men's golf takes fourth in Arizona event

The UNLV men's golf team tied for fourth at the Arizona Intercollegiate in Tucson, Ariz.

The 17th-ranked Rebels shot 3-under-par 281 in the suspended second round, then followed with a 10-over 294 in the third round for a 14-over 866 total, tied with East Tennessee State.

Pepperdine won at 3-over 855, with San Diego State three shots back.

Freshman Derek Ernst paced UNLV, shooting 3-under 68 in the final round to tie for ninth at par 213. Tennessee's Chris Paisley (67) won at 12-under 201.

Also: UNLV's Kier Maitland and Zsuzsanna Jakabos claimed Mountain West Conference Swimmer of the Week honors.

Maitland took the men's award after winning the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyle events in a victory over UC Santa Barbara.

Jakabos won three events against UCSB, breaking the long-standing school record in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4 minutes, 18.46 seconds.

A Penn State football player and his former teammate each must serve a year's probation after being charged last fall with possessing a small amount of marijuana.

The Centre County, Pa., district attorney said defensive linemen Abe Koroma and Maurice Evans were entered into a program for first-time offenders.

Koroma and Evans were key contributors last season. Koroma started four games and has two years of eligibility left.

Evans declared for the NFL Draft last month, bypassing his senior season. He had three sacks in 2008 and a team-high 121/2 in 2007.

Former Kentucky and New Mexico State football coach Hal Mumme has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Mumme's agent, Russ Campbell, confirmed the diagnosis to The Associated Press. He says the prognosis is good because the illness was detected early.

Mumme will undergo a procedure today at the University of Kentucky's Markey Cancer Center.

BASKETBALL

Swoopes' WNBA career might be finished

Sheryl Swoopes might have played her last game.

The Seattle Storm waived the three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player and three-time Olympic gold medalist a day before her 2009 contract would have become guaranteed.

Swoopes is 37 and might now pursue something she has talked about since September -- coaching and being a full-time mother.

Also: The WNBA All-Star Game will return to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., the second visit to the resort casino in four years.

League president Donna Orender said the arena, home of the Connecticut Sun, was chosen in large part because of the state's dedicated women's basketball fan base. The top-ranked Connecticut Huskies play about 40 minutes away. The game will be played July 25.

The Continental Basketball Association ended its season early, forced to shut down two months ahead of schedule because of financial difficulties.

The regular season was scheduled to end March 15, but CBA commissioner Dennis Truax said the decision was made last weekend to halt it now, with the league's owners having trouble selling tickets in an uncertain economy.

The CBA hopes to return for another season in December, but Truax acknowledged that his league could be gone for good.

MISCELLANEOUS

American Vonn skis to victory at worlds

American skier Lindsey Vonn won the super-G at the World Championships in Val d'Isere, France, for her first major gold medal.

Vonn trailed early starter and local favorite Marie Marchand-Arvier midway down the Rhone-Alpes course but made up time on the Frenchwoman in the technical lower section.

Vonn finished in 1 minute, 20.73 seconds. Marchand-Arvier was second, 0.34 seconds behind, and Andrea Fischbacher of Austria was third, 0.40 back.

Also: Olympic gold medalist Carly Patterson got an early birthday present, being selected to the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame a day before her 21st birthday. She and 12 other members of this year's class will be inducted Aug. 14 during the national championships in Dallas, where Patterson trained.

Patterson won the all-around gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics, becoming the first U.S. woman since Mary Lou Retton to win gymnastics' biggest prize.

Thomas Dold of Germany and Suzy Walsham of Singapore repeated as winners of the Empire State Building Run-Up in New York City.

In his fourth consecutive victory, the 24-year-old Dold raced up the 86 flights in 10 minutes, 7 seconds, beating his previous best by one second. The course record is 9:33, set by Paul Crake in 2003.

The 35-year-old Walsham got her third consecutive win, climbing the 1,576 steps in 13 minutes, 27 seconds.