In Brief

GYMNASTICS

Schwikert, U.S. teammates
finally get Olympic medals

Ten years later, America's gymnasts from the Sydney Olympics received their bronze medals.

At a ceremony Wednesday in Hartford, Conn., the U.S. women's team was awarded the third-place medals that were stripped from China because a member of that team was found to be underage.

Among the new bronze medalists is Las Vegas native Tasha Schwikert, who followed her appearance in the 2000 Sydney Games by winning back-to-back U.S. national all-around titles.

Also getting long-overdue medals were Amy Chow, Jamie Dantzscher, Dominique Dawes, Kristin Maloney and Elise Ray. The team combined to finish fourth in Sydney but was bumped up after an investigation into a Chinese gymnast's age.

They learned of the International Olympic Committee's decision to give them the medals in April. And even though the ceremony came 10 years late, Schwikert said it was still memorable.

"Tonight, when they put the medals around our necks, it was super emotional. It was water works from everyone," Schwikert, 25, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Basically, we were here to be honored, and to right a wrong. The IOC did that, and it's definitely closure for that chapter of my life."

The team will appear this morning on the "Today" show, which begins at 7 on NBC (3). Schwikert said it was expected the squad would be on in the 8 or 8:30 block.

COLLEGES

Libonati resigns from position
with Thomas & Mack Center

Daren Libonati resigned his position as executive director of the Thomas & Mack Center on Wednesday to become chief operating officer of a new events promotions business based in Las Vegas.

The longtime resident of Southern Nevada and UNLV graduate began running the Thomas & Mack along with Sam Boyd Stadium and Cox Pavilion in 2001.

Also: Wyoming suspended place-kicker Ian Watts and two other players for the first game of the season against Southern Utah.

Coach Dave Christensen said Watts, reserve cornerback Kenny Browder and freshman running back Nehemie Kankolongo had violated team rules. He declined to provide further details.

Watts ranked third in the Mountain West Conference last season in field-goal percentage, making 12 of 15 as a freshman.

Nebraska senior offensive lineman Mike Smith, a former Palo Verde High School standout, is out for the season because of a broken leg. Smith started 14 games at left tackle last season.

Southern California freshman running back Dillon Baxter was suspended for the season opener at Hawaii. Trojans coach Lane Kiffin told reporters that Baxter was suspended for violating team rules, but he gave no details.

MISCELLANEOUS

Sprint Cup driver Menard
will move to Childress team

Paul Menard is taking his father's sponsorship money to Richard Childress Racing next season, giving that organization the financial security it needs to expand to the NASCAR-mandated maximum of four cars.

RCR ran four cars last season, but let Casey Mears go at the end of the year when it failed to secure financing to keep that team running.

Also: A California woman sued the governing body of U.S. competitive swimming and her former coach, claiming he sexually abused, humiliated and harassed her when she was a teenager training under his supervision.

The suit is one of several around the country alleging USA Swimming covered up wrongdoing and allowed a culture of abuse to exist in its coaching ranks. The lawsuit claims swim coach Norman Havercroft sexually abused Jancy Thompson over a five-year period in the 1990s, beginning when she was about 15.

The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of alleged sexual abuse. But the now 28-year-old Thompson has chosen to speak publicly.

Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield plans to fight in November against journeyman Sherman Williams at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena.

Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 knockouts) will be 48 when he fights for the first time since knocking out 41-year-old Frans Botha in the eighth round in April at the Thomas & Mack Center. The 37-year-old Williams (34-11-2, 19 KOs) is coming off a 10-round loss by decision to Manuel Charr in October.

Top-ranked Rafael Nadal survived a lengthy first set, then rolled through the second to shake Swiss challenger Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (12), 6-3 in the Spaniard's first match at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.

Stroke-play medalists Erynne Lee, Rachel Rohanna and Jaclyn Sweeney advanced from the first round of match play at the U.S. Women's Amateur in Charlotte, N.C. The field was cut from 64 to 32, with second- and third-round matches today.