Skiing
U.S. SKI TABS ASHLEY: Alan Ashley, who took over the U.S. cross-country ski program at the start of the Nineties, took over Wednesday as athletic director of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), which governs 14 national teams spread over six snow sports.
Ashley, who was a cross-country skier at the University of Colorado and later CU's head coach (for both alpine and cross-country), was chosen to replace Paul Major, who resigned last month, in the post which is officially listed as vice president of athletics.
Football
IRVIN WANTS OUT: Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin, highly scrutinized through a year of off-the-field troubles, has asked to be traded, The Dallas Morning News reported today.
The newspaper, which said it could not reach Irvin for comment, cited three sources it did not identify for the report.
BEN LOMOND VACANCY: Gary Walker has resigned from the head football coaching position at Ben Lomond High to assume a similar position at South Summit High. Ben Lomond is now taking applications for the vacant head football coaching job. For more information, call 625-8899.
Baseball
Hockey
CANADA WINS: Canada is the world hockey champion for the 21st time, capturing the title with a 2-1 victory over Sweden to complete a stirring comeback in Helsinki, Finland.
Goalie Sean Burke stopped 31 shots and Owen Nolan scored the winning goal as Canada won the championship after dropping Sunday's opener of the best-of-3 series.
Tennis
WILANDER, NOVACEK SUSPENDED: Mats Wilander of Sweden and Karel Novacek of the Czech Republic were suspended for three months by the International Tennis Federation after withdrawing appeals for failing drug tests.
Sweden's Wilander and Novacek, who tested positive for cocaine at the 1995 French Open, must also return all prize money earned since May 1995 to the ITF. For Wilander that means $289,005. Novacek must hand back $185,765.
GERMAN OPEN: Steffi Graf defeated Ruxandra Dragomir 6-3, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals of the German Open in Berlin.
No. 3 seed Lindsay Davenport lost to France's Sandrine Testud 7-6 (11-9), 7-6 (9-7). No. 9 Karina Habusdova of Slovakia withdrew with stomach problems and No. 11 Brenda Schultz-McCarthy of the Netherlands pulled out with a hamstring injury.
ITALIAN OPEN: Third-seeded Thomas Muster was upset by Australia's Scott Draper 6-7 (7-4), 7-5, 5-7 in the second round of the Italian Open in Rome.
No. 5 seed Richard Krajicek and No. 14 Tim Henman were also ousted. Advancing were No. 6 Goran Ivanisevic, No. 7 Marcelo Rios, No. 8 Carlos Moya and No. 12 Boris Becker - all in straight sets.