sports in brief

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Oct 30, 2006

Local & state: Governor's Cup girls competitive tourney concludes

The Governor's Cup girls competitive tournament concluded Sunday with 12 age groups playing championship games at the Sunflower Soccer Complex.

In the under-19 division, KC Bayern Munich defeated Topeka Select Galaxy, 3-1; KC Bayern Munich defeated Topeka Select Azzuri, 3-1, in under-17; the Cholita Strikers beat LASC Indians, 1-0, in overtime in the under-16 division; Chili Peppers defeated Topeka Select Rockets, 3-0, in under-15; Gladiator beat Prodigy Pegasus, 4-0, in under-14; Kaw Valley Force defeated Avellino FC Storm, 1-0, in under- 13 division two; KC Mystics defeated EFC Attack, 4-3, in a shootout in under-13 division one; KC Outlaws Black defeated Hays Blaze, 5- 4, in under-12 division two; Gladiator Blue defeated Prodigy Extreme, 3-0, in under-12 division one; Arsenal beat Prodigy Lady Blaze, 3-0, in under-11; KCFC Alliance United beat Cholita Strikers, 4-3, in under-10; and WFC Strikers defeated Prodigy Impact, 11-2, in under-9.

The University of Kansas women's golf team finished in 15th place at the Derby Invitational at Auburn, Ala.

Senior Amanda Costner was the top-Jayhawk finisher. She shot 156 for the 36-hole tournament for 39th place. Freshman Emily Powers tied for 58th place.

The tournament was the last action of the year for the Jayhawks, who will begin the spring season Feb. 5-6 at the Baja Invitational in Ensenada, Mexico.

Auto racing: Stewart wins Atlanta; Johnson moves to within 26 of lead

At this point, Tony Stewart is racing only for pride and wins. On Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he stole the spotlight from the title contenders with a win that clearly made him proud.

Stewart, who failed to qualify for the 10-race Chase for championship after winning his second Nextel Cup title last season, held off Chase driver Jimmie Johnson for his fourth victory of the season and second in the first seven races of the 2006 playoffs.

Afterward, he literally grabbed the checkered flag after a somewhat perilous climb up the flagstand in celebration.

"It's better than last year," said Stewart after jumping out of his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet. "We were in it last year and couldn't win any of these, so it's a lot of fun.

The runner-up finish was just fine with Johnson, though, as he moved within 26 points of series leader Matt Kenseth with three races remaining.

Johnson got off to a slow start in the Chase and was eighth, 156 points behind then-leader Jeff Burton just four weeks ago. But a second-place finish at Charlotte followed by the wins in Martinsville and second place here have put him right back into the mix for a shot at winning the one honor that has escaped him in his first four seasons in NASCAR's top stock car series.

Michael Schumacher, the seven-time Formula One champion who retired from racing last week, will stay on at Ferrari as an assistant to new chief executive Jean Todt.

"The basis of my future will be that of a super assistant to Jean," Schumacher said Sunday at the Ferrari World Finals, the racing team's traditional season-closer.

He did not elaborate on his new role, saying he needed to reflect on what he might be able to offer Ferrari.

"At the moment, I don't have a definite answer," Schumacher said. "I want to take myself away from the world of Formula One for a few months to think about my life. Then I'll have a better idea of what I can do for Ferrari."

Todt, who was appointed Ferrari chief executive on Wednesday following a stint as team principal, praised Schumacher's expertise.

Football: Baylor QB Bell done for the season with torn ligament

Record-setting Baylor senior quarterback Shawn Bell is done for the season because a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, coach Guy Morriss said Sunday.

Bell got injured late in the fourth quarter of Baylor's 31-21 loss to No. 21 Texas A&M on Saturday night. He took a hard hit near the sideline after his last pass and didn't return for the final series of the game.

Redshirt freshman Blake Szymanski will make his first career start Saturday when the Bears (4-5, 3-2 Big 12) play at Texas Tech. Baylor needs to win two of its last three games to be eligible for its first bowl since 1994.

Rutgers' defense and special teams showed they can carry the Scarlet Knights when running back Ray Rice and the rest of the offense can't.

With the nation's second-leading rusher held in check by Connecticut (3-5), the No. 15 Scarlet Knights (8-0) held off the Huskies 24-13 on Sunday night to remain one of the nation's six undefeated teams.

Rice scored on a 5-yard run on the first drive of the game, Manny Collins returned a fumble 11 yards for a score and Quintero Frierson scored on a blocked punt in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

Rutgers can now turn its attention to its showdown with No. 5 Louisville a week from Thursday.

West Virginia was a precarious No. 3 in the Bowl Championship Series standings Sunday, leading a tightly packed group of nine teams trailing Ohio State and Michigan.