IN BRIEF

COLLEGES

North Carolina claims women's soccer title

Casey Nogueira scored two second-half goals, including the winner with 2:06 remaining, and North Carolina defeated Notre Dame 2-1 on Sunday in the championship game of the NCAA Women's College Cup in Cary, N.C.

The Tar Heels (25-1-2) overcame the fastest goal in Notre Dame history to win their 19th women's soccer championship in the 27-year history of the tournament.

Nogueira, who had a goal and an assist in UNC s 2-1 victory over Notre Dame in the 2006 championship game, tied Sunday's game on a free kick in the 52nd minute. She put the Tar Heels ahead to stay with a shot from the left flank that sailed over the head of Notre Dame goalkeeper Kelsey Lysander on its way to the right side of the net.

Kerri Hanks gave Notre Dame (26-1-0) the early lead, finding the back of the net 16 seconds into the contest.

Also: Shea Buckner scored three goals, including one on a penalty shot, and Southern California beat host Stanford 7-5 to win the NCAA men's water polo championship.

It was the fourth title for USC (29-0).

Freshman Anthony Tucker, Iowa basketball's leading scorer, was suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules.

Tucker, a guard, was averaging 13.1 points per game for the Hawkeyes (7-2).

RUNNING

Kenya's Kibet captures Singapore Marathon

Kenyans ruled the Singapore Marathon, with world champion Luke Kibet setting a course record in leading a 1-2-3 finish for his country, as Edith Masai captured the women's race.

Kibet was timed in 2 hours, 13 minutes, 1 second. He was more than a minute faster than the mark of 2:14:22 set last year by Elijah Mbogo.

Kibet was followed by Johnstone Chepkwony and Amos Matui in the 26.2-mile run. About 50,000 runners took part in the marathon, half-marathon and 10-kilometer races.

Masai finished in 2:34:15, with Silvia Skvortsova of Russia second and Kenyan Rose Chesire third.

Also: Olympic bronze medalist Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia won the Fukuoka International Marathon in Tokyo, breaking the event record with a personal best of 2 hours, 6 minutes, 10 seconds.

Kebede's time bettered the mark of 2:06:39 set last year by Olympic gold medalist Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya. Kebede's previous best was 2:06:40.

Japan's Satoshi Irifune was second in 2:09:23.

WINTER SPORTS

Austria's Raich wins World Cup giant slalom

Benjamin Raich of Austria captured a World Cup giant slalom title in Beaver Creek, Colo., edging Ted Ligety of the United States by 0.01 seconds.

Raich won in a combined time of 2 minutes, 24.61 seconds. Ligety led after the first leg but couldn't make up ground on Raich at the bottom of the Birds of Prey course.

Also: Nadia Fanchini of Italy won the season-opening super giant slalom on the women's circuit in Lake Louise, Alberta, for her first World Cup victory. Lindsey Vonn, the defending overall World Cup and downhill champion, was ninth.

Fanchini won in 1 minute, 20.97 seconds. Fabienne Suter of Switzerland and Andrea Fischbacher of Austria shared second in 1:21.25.

MISCELLANEOUS

Father of former NFL QB great Marino dies

The father of Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino has died at age 71.

Dan Marino Sr. died in Weston, said Linda Elachko of the John N. Elachko Funeral Home in Pittsburgh. She didn't immediately know the cause of his death.

"My dad was the most loving father, grandfather and husband," Dan Marino said. "He was also a friend to everyone and best coach anyone could ever have."

Marino Sr. was a longtime newspaper delivery driver in his hometown of Pittsburgh and moved to Florida after he retired.

Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga said in a statement that the team was saddened to learn of Marino Sr.'s death.

"A visible member of the Dolphins family, he was one of the team's biggest fans ever since we drafted Dan in 1983," Huizenga said. "Along with his wife, Veronica, Dan Sr. instilled a sense of character in his son and raised him to be a model husband, father and citizen. We want to extend our sympathies to Veronica, Dan and the entire Marino family."

Also: Darren Oliver has decided to accept the Angels' offer of arbitration, his agent told the Los Angeles Times, assuring that the veteran left-hander, who was one of the team's most consistent and effective relievers last season, will return in 2009.

Oliver, who turned 38 in October, went 7-1 with a 2.88 ERA in 54 games, holding opponents to a .254 average, and he figures to receive a sizable raise from his $2 million salary.

Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang will make a "full recovery" after surgery on the Achilles injury that forced him out of the Beijing Olympics, his Web site said.

Doctors removed three calcified materials from Liu's Achilles tendon and a bone spur on his right foot in Houston two days ago, the Web site said. Tom Clanton, who treated basketball player Yao Ming's foot injury in March, also operated on Liu.

The 25-year-old, who will remain in the United States for three months, was advised that he should avoid "hurrying back" to competition, Feng Shuyong, deputy head of the Chinese Athletic Administrative Center, said on the Chinese Athletic Association's Web site.

Top-seeded Parker Bohn III beat Mike Scroggins 242-198, and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard edged Stefanie Nation 208-204 to win titles at the PBA Tour's Cheetah Championship in Cheektowaga, N.Y.

Bohn, of Jackson, N.J., made $25,000 by defeating the No. 3-seeded Scroggins, of Amarillo, Texas.

Dorin-Ballard, of North Richland Hills, Texas, got her second career PBA Women's Series title and $10,000 by throwing a clutch strike on the first shot of the 10th frame. She then spared a 1-2-4-10 washout to force Nation to strike the first shot in the 10th frame. Nation left a stubborn 10 pin to give Dorin-Ballard the title.

The United States captured the women's under-20 World Cup in Santiago, Chile, beating defending champion North Korea 2-1 on first-half goals from Sydney Leroux and Alex Morgan.