Tucson – Arizona center Shawntinice Polk, a three-time Pac-10 selection and two-time All-American honorable mention, collapsed at the McKale Center on Monday and later died. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound senior had not been working out or practicing when she collapsed about midmorning.
“There was not a workout involved. There was not a practice involved, she just was not feeling well” when she arrived, athletic director Jim Livengood said.
Polk, 22, had asthma, according to Livengood, but he declined to say whether the collapse was related to that ailment and said it was premature to talk about a cause of death.
Polk’s body was taken to the Pima County medical examiner’s office for an autopsy, a spokeswoman said.
Polk was the driving force behind a team that went 20-12 last season and earned an NCAA Tournament berth. She led the conference in blocked shots with 2.1 per game last season and was third in rebounding at eight per game.
NBA
Wizards draftee shot in carjacking
Washington Wizards rookie forward Andray Blatche was shot during an attempted carjacking and remained hospitalized.
“The information that we have received is that Andray was a victim of a carjacking,” president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld said. “We have spoken to Andray and the doctors have informed us that he is in good condition and is doing well.”
Blatche’s mother, Angela Oliver, told The Post-Standard of Syracuse, N.Y., her son was shot once in the chest while riding in a car near his home in Alexandria, Va., but that the bullet did not hit any vital organs. He is being treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Va.
Police said the shooting occurred Sunday morning after two men in masks approached from a van that had been following the car in which Blatche was a passenger.
The Minnesota Timberwolves signed guard Richie Frahm, who averaged 3.8 points and 11.6 minutes in 43 games for the Portland Trail Blazers last season.
First-round draft pick Yaroslav Korolev signed a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. Selected 12th overall, Korolev is the highest Russian draft pick in NBA history. He averaged 16.3 points and 7.5 rebounds for the under-18 Russian national team in July’s European Championship.
SOCCER
Americans ousted from U-17 tourney
The United States was eliminated from the FIFA Under-17 World Championship, losing 2-0 to the Netherlands in quarterfinals in Trujillo, Peru.
Midfielder Jeffrey Sarpong scored a goal late in each half and the Netherlands advanced to a Thursday meeting against Mexico, which beat Costa Rica in its quarterfinal Sunday. Brazil beat North Korea 3-1 in the last quarterfinal and advanced to face Turkey, a 5-1 winner over China on Sunday.
HORSE RACING
Suit over Hemings name dismissed
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by a thoroughbred owner who sued to name one of his fillies after Sally Hemings, the slave who was reputed to be Thomas Jefferson’s mistress. In a ruling dated Sept. 16, U.S. District Senior Judge Karl Forester sided with The Jockey Club and the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, who had asked that the suit be thrown out. Garrett Redmond, the Paris, Ky., farmer who sued, said he plans to appeal the decision.
FOOTNOTES
Brewster to face German heavyweight
World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion Lamon Brewster (32-2) fights Luan Krasniqi in Germany on Wednesday – a job made tougher because the country will celebrate the 100th birthday of boxing idol Max Schmeling that day. The Germans hope Krasniqi (28-1-1) will become the second heavyweight champion from the country after Schmeling, who died Feb. 2 at 99.
“I promised Max I will bring the title back to Germany,” Krasniqi said.
Fred Couples and John Daly were given exemptions to play in the Target World Challenge, the year-end event hosted by Tiger Woods that pays $1.3 million to the winner. Woods is the defending champion at his tournament, to be played Dec. 8-11 in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Former Montana State point guard Frank Brown was sentenced to 90 days in jail for rape. He also was given a six-year deferred sentence, and ordered to undergo treatment and register as a sexual offender. Brown, 21, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty in August to twice raping a 15-year-old girl, at least once when she was passed out after drinking with him. Brown was suspended from the basketball team after his arrest last November and left school.
