Sports in brief

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Apr 9, 1999

Baseballn Wood's surgery successful -- Kerry Wood, last season's National League Rookie of the Year, underwent reconstructive elbow surgery Thursday, with Dr. James Andrews transplanting a ligament in what's known as "Tommy John surgery." Wood will miss the 1999 season. The 21-year-old right-hander went 13-6 for the Cubs last season and struck out 20 batters against Houston last May, tying a major league record. During the surgery, Wood's torn ulnar collateral ligament was repaired and wrapped with a graft from his right forearm.

- Ripken still sidelined -- Cal Ripken missed a second straight start Thursday, but he said his sore back feels much better and he has no intention of going on the disabled list for the first time in his 19-year career. Ripken, 38, left the Baltimore Orioles' opener against Tampa Bay on Monday with stiffness in his back. He then sat out Wednesday's game, the first time he missed a game due to injury since 1982.

- Eighteen up, eighteen fanned -- Tony Adler, a high school pitcher for Greenhill (Texas) High School, struck out all 18 Episcopal School of Dallas batters he faced in an 8-0 six-inning victory Tuesday. He did it with 75 pitches 55 of them strikes. Basketballn Benedictine signs former Trojan -- Woody Carter, a 1998 All-City performer at Topeka High, has signed to play at Benedictine College, Ravens coach Joe Brickner announced. Carter, a 6-foot-1 guard/forward, will have three years of eligibility at Benedictine after playing this past season at Seward County Community College. - Rural girls headed to Johnson County -- Two members of Washburn Rural's Class 6A state championship girls team, Rachel Austin and Jackie Whitt, will sign letters of intent Monday with Johnson County Community College. Whitt was a second-team All-City selection and Austin was honorable mentionAll-City. - Brand reportedly headed for NBA -- Duke's Elton Brand has decided to skip his final two years of eligibility and will enter this year's NBA draft, CNN-Sports Illustrated reported. Without citing any sources, CNN-SI said an official announcement will be made next week. Duke sports information director Mike Cragg told The Associated Press that as far as he knows, Brand still hasn't made up his mind. - Wojciechowski new Duke assistant -- Former Duke guard Steve Wojciechowski has been hired to succeed Quin Snyder as an assistant coach for the Blue Devils. Snyder left to become head coach at Missouri. Wojciechowski, who played at Duke from 1994-98 and was All- ACC as a senior, spent the past year playing pro ball in Poland and was involved in business in Durham. - Peterson takes Bears' job -- Appalachian State coach Buzz Peterson has accepted the job at Southwest Missouri State, the school announced. Peterson, who was 56-30 at ASU, replaces Steve Alford, who left to become head coach at Iowa. Terms were not announced, but Peterson said he had been offered a four- to five-year contract worth from $250,000 to $300,000 a year. BOXINGn Reed fight cancelled -- Topeka pro boxer Damon Reed will have to wait a while longer to make his 1999 debut. Reed's fight Thursday night in Jefferson City, Mo., was cancelled after the Missouri Boxing Commission refused to approve Reed's opponent. Reed received the word that his fight had been cancelled about an hour before he was scheduled to leave for Jefferson City. "I'm very disappointed," said Reed, 24-3 as a heavyweight/cruiserweight. "I was definitely ready for a fight." Reed's next fight could be next Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo., on a card at the Station Casino. - Embattled judge testifies -- The boxing judge criticized for her scoring in the Evander Holyfield-Lennox Lewis heavyweight title fight told a federal grand jury no one attempted to sway her decision, her lawyer said. Eugenia Williams also answered "absolutely not" when asked if anyone had ever offered her bribes or tried to influence her in any bout, said the lawyer, Louis B. Priluker. - WBC proposes new points system -- The World Boxing Council proposed a new system to announce judges' points after the fourth and eighth rounds of title fights to avoid controversies like the one that marred the Holyfield-Lewis bout. The WBC hopes that announcing points at the end of the fourth and eighth rounds will diminish the chances of controversy over decisions. Footballn NFL looks into Cowboys' cap manipulating -- The NFL is investigating complaints from other teams that the Dallas Cowboys may have violated the league's salary cap rules by locking up players they have not yet signed. League spokeswoman Leslie Hammond said the league was looking into allegations involving center Mark Stepnoski, wide receiver Raghib Ismail and linebacker Quentin Coryatt. Last month, it was reported that the Cowboys had come to terms on multiyear contracts with the three free agents, but did not actually sign them. - NFL prospect pleads guilty -- NFL prospect Cecil Collins avoided prison by pleading guilty to charges he fondled two women in their apartments. The running back who dazzled football fans during a brief career at LSU will be on probation for four years -- but will probably also play in the NFL during that time. Generaln Explorers draft four players -- The Kansas City Explorers of the World Team Tennis league drafted four players to join Monica Seles, who previously was named to the team. Chosen in the WTT draft were Marianne deSwardt and John-Laffnie de Jager, who played for the Explorers in 1997 and '98, along withLiezel Horn and Alistair Hunt. The Explorers' season runs from July 6-25 with the schedule to be announced April 15. - Molleken made Blackhawks coach -- The Chicago Blackhawks made Lorne Molleken their permanent coach after six weeks as interim coach. Molleken replaced Dirk Graham Feb. 22 and currently has a six- game home winning streak. He began the season as an assistant coach with the Blackhawks. THE LAST WORDn Mike Shanahan, Denver Broncos coach, on the topic of coaching burnout: "It always seems to me that the guys who have burnout have a lot of money in the bank. I've never seen assistant coaches have burnout, have you?"From staff and wire reports