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December 04, 2006

For The Record

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Set
By Danny Woodhead of Chadron ( Neb. ) State, the NCAA all-division record for single-season rushing yards. The junior ran for 252 yards and four touchdowns in the Eagles' Division II playoff win over West Texas A&M last Saturday, bringing his season total to 2,740. (The previous mark was 2,653 by Kevin Gailliard of American International in 1999.) Woodhead (above), who runs a 4.43 40, still has time to add to his record. His 12--0 team will face Northwest Missouri in the D-II quarterfinals on Saturday.

Apologized
For inviting North Dakota to a hockey tournament, Dartmouth director of athletics Josie Harper. After receiving complaints from Native American students about North Dakota 's nickname, the Fighting Sioux , Harper wrote in the Dartmouth student paper that she was sorry for "the pain [the tournament] will cause.... Let me state clearly that UND's position is offensive and wrong." North Dakota , which is suing the NCAA for the right to keep using its nickname, is scheduled to play at Dartmouth on Dec. 29.

Fired
By the University of Miami , head football coach Larry Coker . Coker was 59--15 with a national championship and three BCS bowl game appearances in six seasons as the Hurricanes' coach—but 12 of the 15 losses came in the last three years. This season the Hurricanes were 6--6 and had 13 players suspended after a brawl with Florida International. "We need a new start," said Miami president Donna E. Shalala . Coker was one of several high-profile coaches let go in recent days: Mike Shula ( Alabama ), Chuck Amato ( N.C. State ) and Dirk Koetter ( Arizona State ) were also fired.

Benched
For violating a team rule by wearing a headband, Bulls center Ben Wallace . Two minutes into a win over the Knicks last Saturday, Chicago coach Scott Skiles yanked Wallace , who stayed on the bench until he removed the offending garment with two minutes left in the quarter. He was benched again at the start of the second half when he put the headband back on. Wallace , who signed a four-year, $60 million deal in the off-season, has struggled in his first season with the Bulls . In the game before he was benched, he was held without a point or a rebound in a loss to Philadelphia .

Canceled
The title game of the women's U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam between No. 13 Arizona State and No. 18 Rutgers , following the death of Sun Devils forward Aubree Johnson's 15-year-old brother. According to police, Jordan Johnson, who was in St. Thomas to watch his sister play, died in his sleep of unknown causes. The Scarlet Knights could have forced Arizona State to forfeit by showing up for the game, but the team chose not to, so neither team will be given a loss.

Returned
To the track last week, former Formula One driver Alex Zanardi , 40, who lost both his legs in a 2001 crash. Zanardi (above), a two-time CART champ, took a modified BMW -Sauber for a spin on Thursday in Valencia , Spain . (The car had a hand-operated throttle.) His best lap averaged 177 mph, and his time on the 2.5-mile Cheste circuit was less than a second slower than that of BMW -Sauber's test driver. "It was really fun," Zanardi said. "If another opportunity presents itself, I would definitely not step back from taking it."

Rode
To their soccer game on the London Underground after their bus got stuck in traffic, members of Coventry City. The Sky Blues, who play in the Championship (one level below the Premiership), were forced to scramble last Saturday when it became apparent they weren't going to make it to their game against Queens Park Rangers on time. "We bought 23 single tickets at Hanger Lane station, and our unsung hero was midfielder Jay Tabb, who knew we had to change at Hammersmith," manager Micky Adams said. "I felt a bit sorry for him, as I did not even put him in the team." Adams also said the players "took a bit of stick" from fans of rival teams on the train, but they made it to the park 40 minutes before kickoff and won 1--0.

Missed
By Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt , 74, his team's Thanksgiving-night game against Denver . Hunt, who has lobbied the NFL for a holiday game in Kansas City for more than 30 years, was hospitalized in Dallas with a partially collapsed lung. To make matters worse, the hospital did not have the NFL Network , so Hunt couldn't watch the game on TV. "Lamar fought so hard to get this game, and for him not to be here, the least we could do is win it for him," receiver Dante Hall told the Kansas City Star . "Sometimes, a happy heart will make you feel better. Hopefully we did that for him."

Died
At age 64, one day after he learned he had leukemia, former pitcher Pat Dobson (left), who was part of the last major league staff with four 20-game winners. In 1971 Dobson went 20--8 for the Orioles , whose Dave McNally , Jim Palmer and Mike Cuellaralso hit the milestone. (The only other team with four 20-game winners was the '20 White Sox .) Dobson, who pitched for six teams in his 11-year career, had a record of 122--129. For the past nine years he worked for the Giants as a scout and a special assistant to the general manager. "He had a great curveball," said Frank Robinson , a former Baltimore teammate. "He didn't give in to anybody."

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