IN BRIEF

MOTOR SPORTS

Carpentier released by Sprint Cup team

Patrick Carpentier was released Tuesday by Gillett Evernham Motorsports and will not drive the No. 10 Dodge beginning with Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race outside Charlotte, N.C.

The Las Vegas resident competed in 24 of 30 Cup races for the team this year. He was told early last month that he would be replaced by Reed Sorenson at the end of the season.

Carpentier, a veteran of IndyCar racing, ranks third in Cup rookie standings and is 37th overall in the series. He won one pole and had a best finish of 14th.

Mike Wallace will drive the No. 10 this weekend, and A.J. Allmendinger will be in the car for the final five races.

Also: The Canadian Grand Prix was dropped from the 2009 calendar, leaving North America without a Formula One race.

Governing body FIA ratified its calendar for the coming season and omitted the Canadian GP, which was first held in 1967. It's the first time since 1987 that the Canadian GP won't be on the F1 schedule.

The United States GP was dropped from the F1 schedule last year.

PRO BASKETBALL

Woman charged with stalking Lakers' Walton

A woman has been charged in Manhattan Beach, Calif., with stalking Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton.

Stacy Elizabeth Beshear of El Segundo, Calif., was arrested Sept. 18 after she pulled up to Walton's car and pretended to fire gunshots at him with her hand, police Sgt. Steve Tobias said.

Beshear, 34, has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor count of stalking. A Nov. 6 trial date has been set in the case.

Also: Lakers coach Phil Jackson missed the team's preseason opener against the Utah Jazz because of soreness and swelling in his lower legs.

Assistant coach Kurt Rambis ran the team in place of Jackson, who remained home and watched the game with his legs elevated. Jackson, 63, had been experiencing discomfort the past few days and was examined Monday by a team doctor.

Utah won the game 99-90 in Anaheim, Calif.

The Orlando Magic picked up its $2.8 million option on former Duke star J.J. Redick for next season.

Redick, the team's first-round pick in 2006, has struggled to work his way into the backcourt rotation and last season asked for a trade. He was the first guard off the bench in the Magic's loss to Atlanta in the preseason opener Monday, scoring 12 points, and drew praise from coach Stan Van Gundy for his play in practices.

Washington Wizards center Brendan Haywood will have his sprained right wrist examined by a specialist in New York today.

Haywood was injured last week at training camp and was ruled out of Tuesday's preseason opener against the Dallas Mavericks.

Haywood averaged 10.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in 80 games for the Wizards last season.

Wizards forward Antawn Jamison left his team's preseason opener against the Mavericks with a sprained right knee.

Jamison had to be helped to the locker room by teammates and missed the rest of the game.

The two-time All-Star averaged 21.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in 79 games for the Wizards last season.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Florida receiver Harvin should play vs. LSU

Florida receiver Percy Harvin missed his second consecutive practice, but coach Urban Meyer said he expects the speedster to play Saturday against No. 4 Louisiana State.

Harvin sprained his right ankle Saturday at Arkansas and had his foot and ankle placed in a protective boot.

Also: Ball State receiver Dante Love, recovering from a career-ending spinal injury, might be released from a rehabilitation center this week.

Love took a head-on hit during the Cardinals' 42-20 win over Indiana on Sept. 20 and underwent surgery a day after the game.

No. 25 Ball State (6-0), which was ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time this week, plays at Western Kentucky (2-4) on Saturday. The Cardinals are off to their best start since going 9-0 to begin the 1965 season.

Virginia Tech wide receiver Ike Whitaker is scheduled to appear in court next month in Blacksburg, Va., after being charged with two misdemeanors.

According to the Virginia courts case-information Web site, Whitaker was charged Friday with public swearing and intoxication. A Nov. 6 hearing is scheduled in Montgomery County General Court.

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer announced last week that Whitaker was suspended indefinitely for a violation of team policy.

Tennessee offensive linemen Ramone Johnson and Darius Myers were suspended for the Volunteers' games against Georgia and Mississippi State.

Coach Phillip Fulmer announced the suspensions. He said the two are being punished for lack of academic effort and violation of team rules.

Johnson is a sophomore left tackle who has played in every game this season as a backup to starter Chris Scott.

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh was reprimanded by the Pac-10 for criticizing conference officials following Saturday's loss at Notre Dame.

Colorado coach Dan Hawkins and the university agreed to a contract extension that could keep him with the Buffaloes through 2012.

Hawkins is 11-19 in his third year at Colorado, and the Buffaloes are 3-2 this season.

MISCELLANEOUS

Venus Williams upset in Kremlin Cup opener

Venus Williams was beaten in the first round for the second time in 12 tournaments this season, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 to Flavia Pennetta of Italy at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.

Williams, who also lost in the first round at Memphis in March, dropped to 1-3 against Pennetta.

Also: Alex Ovechkin left practice early, but the reigning NHL Most Valuable Player is expected to play in the Washington Capitals' season opener Friday at Atlanta.

Ovechkin skated off the ice at the team's home arena after less than 15 minutes. Coach Bruce Boudreau would not disclose Ovechkin's injury, other than to say it was nothing serious.

The Los Angeles Kings re-signed restricted free-agent center Patrick O'Sullivan to a three-year contract. Terms were not announced.

O'Sullivan had 22 goals, 31 assists and 36 penalty minutes playing all 82 games for the Kings last season. He ranked fourth on the team in points (53), goals and assists, and he tied for the club lead with three short-handed goals.

Injured New York Islanders defenseman Chris Lee flew back to New York after being hospitalized overnight in Florida following a hard hit in a preseason game Monday against the Panthers.

Lee was removed from the ice on a stretcher with 11:02 left in the third period of the Islanders' 6-0 loss after being checked into the boards from behind by Rostislav Olesz.

The Las Vegas Wranglers came to terms with rookie forward Jimmy Kilpatrick.

Kilpatrick joins the team after a four-year career at Colorado College. In 132 games with the Tigers, he had 37 goals and 72 assists for 109 points.

The UNLV women's golf team finished a rough outing at the Windy City Invitational with a 31-over-par 319 in the third round, taking last in the 13-team field in Skokie, Ill.

The Rebels, without top players Natasha Krishna and Therese Koelbaek, had an 83-over 947 total. Purdue won at 27-over 891.

Purdue's Junthima Gulyanamitta was the medalist at 4-under 212. Kristen Schelling led UNLV, taking 39th at 18-over 234.