Jackie Moore, a 28-year-old assistant women’s basketball coach at Eastern Illinois, has died.

Moore was in her third season at the school. She graduated from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn., in 2005 and was from Windsor, Ontario.

Mike McLaughlin is the new women’s basketball coach at the University of Pennsylvania, joining the Ivy League school after winning more than 400 games at Division II Holy Family University.

Penn athletic director Steve Bilsky announced the hiring Friday. McLaughlin replaces Patrick Knapp, who was fired last month after going 48-90 overall and 28-42 in the Ivy in five seasons with the Quakers.

McLaughlin went 407-61 in 14 seasons at Holy Family and won his 400th game faster than any women’s coach in NCAA history. He reached the milestone in 459 games, beating former Louisiana Tech coach Leon Barmore, who needed 463.

That’s an incredible record. That said, it will take more than few miracles for McLaughlin to do the same at Penn.

SARASOTA — Cristina Noble, the first woman to cross the finish line at Sunday’s Sarasota Marathon, has been disqualified.

Race officials say she missed electronic checkpoints at mile 17 and 18 of the Sarasota race. Course monitors confirmed that she did not run a mile of the marathon on Ken Thompson Parkway.

The official women’s winner of the 2008 ABC-7 Sarasota Marathon is now Madeleine Zolfo, 43, of Treasure Island. She learned the news Monday night.

Madeleine Zolfo finished three minutes behind Sunday’s winner, but was named the winner Monday.

“It’s kind of a bittersweet phone call to get,” Zolfo said. “You know, to win because someone else got disqualified.”

Zolfo said the course was clearly marked on City Island, but she doesn’t know what happened with Noble.

Race officials didn’t elaborate. Noble is supposed to be a gifted runner with a similar time in last year’s Detroit marathon. Without her side of the story we can only guess what happened in Sarasota.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – The IOC formally stripped Marion Jones of her five Olympic medals Wednesday, wiping her name from the record books following her admission that she was a drug cheat.

The International Olympic Committee also banned the disgraced American athlete from attending next year’s Beijing Olympics in any capacity and said it could bar her from all future games.

Jones had already handed back the three gold medals and two bronze she won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Last month, the International Association of Athletics Federations erased all of Jones’ results dating to September 2000, but it was up to the IOC to formally disqualify her and erase her Olympic medals.

The decision was announced by IOC president Jacques Rogge at the end of a three-day executive board meeting.

Jones won gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 1,600-meter relay in Sydney, and bronze in the long jump and 100-meter relay. She was the first female track and field athlete to win five medals at a single Olympics.

*****

The IOC postponed a decision on redistributing her medals, including whether to strip her American relay teammates and whether to upgrade doping-tainted Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou to gold in the 100.

The IOC’s move comes as no surprise. One thing I find intersiting is Jones not being to be at any future Olympics. Can she still attend the games as a spectator or does it just forbid her from associating with athletes?

Also the IOC postponed any decision to take away Jones’ relay teammates medals. I don’t see how they can take Jones while not taking the others. This sounds unfair to the gold medalists, but the IOC can’t just go half way in my opinion.

Before the LPGA’s new South Florida stop could have its formal unveiling, the event has landed in court.

Organizers of an annual 10-day Passover vacation retreat at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle have sued the resort for breach of contract, alleging they are being kicked out to make room for the LPGA.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, asks the court to uphold the contract. Some 500 Orthodox Jews from around the world are expected in Aventura for the retreat.

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According to court papers, the Fairmont Turnberry Isle is in the final year of a three-year agreement to hold the Presidential Holidays package. Next year’s retreat is set for April 17-27.

The 2008 LPGA schedule features an April 24-27 stop in South Florida. Although details have been kept under wraps, Turnberry Isle’s role is central to the lawsuit.

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The Fairmont Turnberry Isle recently completed a $100 million transformation, including a $30 million redesign of its two championship courses. The resort held the ADT Skills Challenge earlier this month.

According to sources with knowledge of the negotiations, the LPGA event will be a celebrity pro-am in the mold of Pebble Beach.

Resort officials had no response to the lawsuit. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts manages the property for owners FHR TB LLC.

If Turnberry Isle has a contract with the Jewish group, I don’t see any way for the resort to get out of committment. That doesn’t mean the LPGA couldn’t still play in South Florida next April. It would just have to take place at a different golf course.

I do hope the tournament takes place. Like with the ADT Championship, I was hoping to cover it again as a credentialed member of the media.

BERLIN: German pole-vaulter Yvonne Buschbaum announced her retirement Wednesday, saying she had long felt as if she were “in the wrong body” and planned hormone treatment.

Buschbaum, 27, finished third at the European Championships in 1998 and 2002.

“I feel as if I am a man and have to live my life in the body of a woman,” Buschbaum said in a statement on her Web site announcing her retirement. “I am aware of the fact that transsexuality is a fringe issue, and I do not want to be responsible for it remaining on the fringe.”

Buschbaum asked for respect for her decision and urged observers “not to draw false conclusions.”

“I do not dope,” she said, adding that her “upcoming hormone treatment” contributed to her decision to quit, as did a persistent injury.

Anyone else note the irony in Buschbaum being a ‘pole’ vaulter.

Good luck to Yvonne or whatever name she takes in the future.

I was present when Christina slammed her club in the bag after her tee shot found the drink at that dangerous par 3. Golfers are people too, they rather forget their failures.

*- The Sarah Lee double mystery is solved. I spoke to Sarah’s father after the round.

Sarah who was born in London England and lived there for the first three and a half years of her life and is really named Sarah. That’s her official/legal name.

Today was a rough day for Sarah. She can burn up a course like few others on the LPGA Tour. Sarah will find the winner’s circle one day.

*- Scoring varied widely in the ADT’s final round. To have players spread out 16 shots from top to bottom is hardly unusual for a professional golf event. Except when there were so few players to start with. Who would have expected Karrie Webb to shoot a final round 84?

*- Several small tweaks to the ADT’s format may occur before next year’s event. $50,000 to the golfer who shoots the low round every day and an automatic invite back to the winner.

Good ideas though I seriously doubt Lorena will need the invite.

*- Natalie Gulbis is the ADT’s good luck charm. In 2006, she played with Julieta Granada in the final round, this year with Ochoa.

Expect a tug of war over who gets Natalie for a playing partner if she qualifies to the final eight again in 2008.

Only days after her 26th birthday, Lorena Ochoa got a million dollar birthday present. Taking the ADT Championship with a final round 68 to win by two shots . Natalie Gulbis finished a solo second with a round of 70. Paula Creamer finished third after shooting an even par round of 70.

Out of her million dollar winnings, Lorena will give $100,000 for flood relief in the State of Tabasco.

Lorena will make other donations.

“I don’t have a number, but whatever we(her foundation) need. Sí, just we’ll see. I want to make sure—we have plans to buy land and to start construction at the high school, so I want to find good things to do with the money.”

Lorena got things going early on Sunday morning. On the second hole, Super Mex hit a 50 degree wedge from 85 yards to fifteen feet. Lorena made the putt to go one under for the day.

A wedge to ten feet on the third, and a 7-wood to six feet on the fifth also resulted in birdies. After another birdie on six, Lorena was four under par for the tournament and four shots up.

Noone would get closer than three before hole 17. The seventh hole jumping up and grabbing several of Lorena’s closest pursuers. The par 3 hole playing an average of 4.75 strokes for the day.

Lorena seemed to be on cruise control till the 17th hole. Her 8-iron tee shot of 155 yards going over the green but without finding water. It took four more shots for Lorena to find the bottom of the hole.

By the time she walked off the 17th green, Lorena’s lead was down to one. Natalie Gulbis, playing in the same group as Lorena, had made birdie after hitting her tee shot to fifteen feet on 17.

Lorena admitted to being mad when she got to the 18th tee box. Then her tee shot cut it dangerously close to the water on the right side, landing in the rough. Natalie after a good drive, hitting her 3 rescue second shot to some fifteen feet from the hole.

Considering Lorena still faced a tough shot to a difficult hole, some may have thought Gulbis was thinking of a win but Natalie wasn’t.

“Playoff did. Lorena can make par from anywhere. But I thought I just wanted a chance to be able to make that putt to push it to a playoff. That’s what I was hoping for. I didn’t even consider that I would be able to win it outright.”

Lorena then smoothly hit her 6-iron approach shot to two feet from the cup. Effectively sealing her eigth win of the year.

Eight wins, almost five million and earnings, a major championship and player of the year. What did Lorena have to say afterwards when asked what’s next.

“No, there is always room to improve. I want to get much better in my short game, especially 100 yards, 110, 100, 90, 80. I hit them just okay, maybe 10 feet. But at the same time with a 9 iron, 8 iron, 7 iron, I need to improve on my short distances.”

An improved Lorena Ochoa is a scary proposition. A deserving winner for a wonderful tournament. Now we have to wait three months till the LPGA 2008 begins. I can hardly wait.

Morgan had a good front nine, ending with a 35, but her one lapse was a six on the par five 3rd. The 3rd is a birdie hole.

It was at hole 13 Morgan began to have trouble. Three bogeys, one a three putt from ten feet, doomed Morgan’s round. Afterwards Morgan wasn’t happy with her play, but it wasn’t her putting.

“No, ball striking made a big difference. I don’t even know, but I probably barely hit six greens. I never had opportunities to make birdies.”

Morgan hit only 33 greens in regulation. Out of the Sunday qualifiers, only Cristie Kerr hit less than 36, her total being 35.

Even with a win this year, Morgan felt sad because of today’s results. When asked how she would look back at 2007, even after being reminded of how she won a major, Morgan replied.

“It was a season of ups and downs and it’s sad that it’s over and it’s sad that it’s ending this way. ”

The ADT was just one tournament. Morgan will have more chances to win.

Paula Creamer
Lorena Ochoa
Karrie Webb
Cristie Kerr
Natalie Gulbis
Sarah Lee

A four way playoff was needed to determine the final two players

Sophie Gustafson- Bogey-out
Mi Hyun Kim- Birdie-in
Nicole Castrale- Par-Bogey-out
Christina Kim- Par-Birdie-in

So Christina and Mi Hyun Kim are the final players for Sunday’s Championship round. The winner gets 1 million dollars.

The pairings for tomorrow

930- Cristie Kerr
Christina Kim

940- Karrie Webb
Sarah Lee

950- Paula Creamer
Mi Hyun Kim

1000- Lorena Ochoa
Natalie Gulbis

Three Major champions- Ochoa, Webb, Kerr,
Winners in 2007- Ochoa, Webb, Kerr, Gulbis, Creamer, MH Kim
Only non-winner in LPGA career- Sarah Lee

A playoff will start on 17. If more holes are needed, the playoff goes to 18, then back to 17 etc etc. Unless someone has a full blown disaster, some kind of playoff will be needed today.

Update- After going double bogey-bogey on holes 16 and 17, Natalie Gulbis finished +3 also. There most likely will be a three way playoff for two spots.

2nd Update- Natalie Gulbis and Ai Miyazato advance to tomorrow’s third round. They both went par-par in the playoff. Annika Sorenstam is out after going par-bogey in the playoff.

Mi Hyun(or Peanut’s) round- Could be best described as a short game highlight reel. On holes 1-5, with the exception of hole 3 where she two-putted for par, Mi Hyun got up and from off the green. On the par four sixth, Peanut made a putt from about 10 feet for birdie to go -6. She gave back this stroke on the next hole by hitting it over the 7th green. A good pitch and run to 10 feet, and Mi Hyun couldn’t make the putt. Two ordinary pars resulted in a front nine 36 for Mi Hyun.

Christina’s round- She birdied the par five 3rd hole by two putting from 20-25 feet. Then on the Par three fifth, Christina looked ready to make another birdie. Her ten footer barely missing the hole, but the putt didn’t stop. A three putt bogey four was the final result.

A bogey five after an errant drive on hole #8, sent Christina to minus four for the tournament. Christina shot 37 for the first nine holes.

Overall Christina and Mi Hyun should make the cut comfortably. They remain -4 and -5 respectively through 11 holes. The cut at present would fall at +3.

At present the cut line(Low 16 and no ties) will fall at +2. There are 19 players at present with this score or better. If the leaderboard stayed as it is, there would be a four way playoff for exactly one spot.

I talked to Craig Dolch of the Palm Beach Post this morning. He’s of the opinion the cut will come at a score higher that +2. I’m inclined to agree. The weather is sunny but cool. At present there’s no mentionable wind but that could change rapidly.

As for predictions this week, I am not doing particularly well. Take for instance one of my two longshot picks, Angela Stanford. Through eight holes Angela stands +9 for the tournament.

My golf prognosticating needs work. I didn’t think Lorena Ochoa would win the British Open either.

Having the first round lead doesn’t matter as much under the ADT’s unique format, because scores will be reset at the end of today’s play. It does however take some pressure off the golfers who are at or near the top. They know their first round scores give them a considerable edge when it comes to making the cut.

Some assorted notes

*- Paula Creamer said she had the worst warmup in her life on the practice tee yesterday morning. If I was superstitious, I’d be hoping for a repetition all weekend.

*- Juli Inkster at age 47 is the oldest player in the field. When asked if she practices thinking this shot is for a million dollars, Juli replied.

“No, but my husband does. He practices for me (laughter).” I wonder if Juli’s daughters are practicing too.

*- Mi Hyun Kim has gone back to her old irons. That and her swing have her feeling confident at present.

*- Christina’s close call on the 6th hole(flirting with the water on the right) was a fade that got away from her.

I’ll be in attendance again today but not till the afternoon.

Listen to what happened to Reilley.

Her drive misses the fairway right
2nd shot lands in the woods on the left.
3rd shot is a punch 4-rion
From 132 holes, Reilley hits it into bunker
Then Reilley hits out of bunker into out of bounds area.
Drop back in bunker, then shot goes over green
A chip and two-putt follow. Reilley makes a ten on hole 12.

When interviewed Reilley hopes to play tomorrow like she did today without going into the twilight zone.

*- Lorena hits two tee shots in the water at 17. Final result is a quadruple bogey 7. Lorena goes from six under to two under in one hole.