A roundup of the week May 26-June 1
BASKETBALL—The U.S. National team routed the Finnish squad 110-76 in Helsinki to end its 23-day tour with an 8-3 record, going 6-3 against the Russians and winning both games in Finland.
The Russian national women's team crushed the American All-Stars 81-51 before a sparse 3,115 in San Antonio, Texas, to end its series victorious in all of the five games against the All-Stars.
BOATING—HOWIE BENNS won the $30,000 Champion Spark Plug unlimited hydroplane regatta, opening race of the Gold Cup Series, at Miami Marine Stadium. Benns drove Miss Budweiser 100.87 mph to beat out Danny Walls in Just A Pest and E. Milner Irvin in Miss Madison.
GOLF—BOB MENNE sank a 30-foot putt on the first hole of sudden death against Jerry Heard and won the $50,000 top prize in the Kemper Open at Charlotte, N.C. Menne, who had to qualify to play in the tournament, fired a final 67 that tied Heard at 270 for 72 holes and forced the playoff that gave him his first tour victory.
Judy Rankin shot a 2-under-par 36-hole total of 144 for a one-stroke victory worth $5,700 and her second straight Baltimore Championship, after steady rains rendered the Pine Ridge course unplayable for the final round.
HARNESS RACING—OTARO HANOVER ($22.60), driven by Herve Filion, nosed out favored Armbro Nesbit to take the $96,562 Realization Pace at Roosevelt Raceway, covering the 1[1/16]-mile course in a world record time of 2:04[2/5].
Baron's Boy ($9.60), driven by Michael Guitard, and TARO HANOVER ($82.20), Vernon Dancer at the reins, won the divisions of the $112,500 Battle of the Brandywine Stake for 3-year-old pacers at Delaware's Brandywine Raceway, going the mile in 1:58[3/5] and 1:59[2/5] respectively.
HORSE RACING—CHRIS EVERT ($7.60), Jorge Velasquez up, held off Maud Muller in the stretch for a½ length victory in the $89,625 Mother Goose Stakes, second leg of the Triple Crown for fillies, covering the 1‚⅛ miles in 1:48[3/5] at Belmont Park, one-fifth off the track record.
Gerland Gallitano guided long shot SHARP GARY ($28.40) over the 1‚⅛-mile course in 1:50 to take the $105,100 Illinois Derby at Sportsman's Park by three lengths over Sr. Diplomat.
LACROSSE—JOHNS HOPKINS defeated Maryland 17-12 in the final for its first NCAA championship since tournament play began (page 20).
MOTOR SPORTS—Briton BRIAN REDMAN averaged 99.02 mph in his Haas Lola T332 on his way to victory in the $58,000 Mid-Ohio Formula 5000 road race, overtaking Mario Andretti on the 24th lap and gunning past second-place finisher Brett Lunger, for his fifth straight series win.
ROWING—An impressive WISCONSIN varsity heavyweight crew scored a decisive three-length victory over the field to secure its second straight national intercollegiate championship, covering the 2,000 meters in 6:33 over a windy course on Onondaga Lake at Syracuse, N.Y. The COAST GUARD ACADEMY doubled in the four-oars, with and without coxswain, and Karen Brunke became the first woman to help win a championship in the 77-year history of the IRA regatta by coxing the PENN pair, which finished in front of Cornell.
SOCCER—The Eastern Division race was the one to watch, with both Baltimore and Miami nipping away at once-beaten Philadelphia. The Atoms scored a 2-0 win over Rochester, but Baltimore rammed the Boston Minutemen 3-2 and Miami defeated San Jose 1-0 in a tiebreaker to keep the competition keen. Washington and Vancouver also registered 1-0 tiebreak wins, over Seattle and Denver, although Vancouver could not surge against Los Angeles, losing 3-0. The undefeated Aztecs now have sole possession of the Western Division lead. Denver was stampeded by St. Louis 3-1, with Star Midfielder Pat McBride accounting for two goals. Other NASL games saw San Jose trip Rochester 2-1 and Boston frustrate Seattle 1-0.
TENNIS—CHRIS EVERT easily defeated Martina Navratilova of Czechoslovakia 6-3, 6-3 in the women's singles final of the Italian Open in Rome. The victory marked Evert's first major international title. In the men's final, BJORN BORG needed only 90 minutes to get by defending champion Ilie Nastase 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
TRACK & FIELD—The ITA closed its season before a record 16,621 fans at Madison Square Garden, and BEN JIPCHO ran the fourth-fastest indoor mile in history and the fastest pro mile this year, a blazing 3:56.6. The distance king of the tour finished as the leading money-winner with $19,760. Earlier, former Olympian WYOMIA TYUS equaled her world record with a 6.5 in the 60-yard dash, her 15th straight win. Bob Seagren failed to clear a height in the pole vault and hinted at retirement after archrival STEVE SMITH won at 17'8". Average attendance for the 14 meets was 12,411.
Jamaican sprinter DON QUARRIE nipped favorites Ivory Crockett and Steve Williams at the tape as all three were clocked at 9.4 in the featured 100-yard dash at the Kennedy Games in Berkeley, Calif. Quarrie repeated in the 220 with a 20.7 on the slow cinder and clay track. Bettering the American mark of 56'1½" that she had set one week earlier, MAREN SEIDLER put the shot 56'7", and AL FEUERBACH took men's honors with a put of 69'11". The 440-yard relay went to the University of California over the Philadelphia Pioneers.
Russia's FAINA MELNIK gained a world record in the women's discus with a 229'4" throw at a Czechoslovakia vs. U.S.S.R. meet in Prague, beating the old mark of 227'11".
MILEPOSTS—ACQUITTED: DEL INSKO, president of the National Association of Harness Drivers, and seven other drivers, after a jury trial on charges of sports-bribery and conspiracy to fix superfecta races at New York tracks. The same jury convicted horse dealer Forrest Gerry Jr. and his betting partner Richard Perry on two counts of sports bribery conspiracy.
HIRED: To coach the still unnamed NBA New Orleans franchise, SCOTTY ROBERTSON, 44, who compiled a 165-86 record in 10 seasons as head coach at Louisiana Tech.
NAMED: As Most Valuable Player in the WHA for 1973-1974, GORDIE HOWE, 46, and as WHA Rookie of the Year, MARK HOWE, 19, both of the champion Houston Aeros. The elder Howe, who won six Hart Trophies as MVP in the NHL when he was with Detroit, finished third in regular-season scoring with 31 goals and 69 assists, while his son amassed 79 points on 38 goals and 41 assists.
HIRED: As the first coach of the new NHL Washington Capitals, JIM ANDERSON, 43, late of the Boston Bruins, where he was a scout.
RESIGNED: BEP GUIDOLIN, as coach of the Boston Bruins, after the team lost to Philadelphia in the Stanley Cup final.
WITHDRAWN: ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY, from the Missouri Valley Conference, citing limited participation in league sports, and seeking more flexibility in scheduling.
DIED: GEORGE (Skipp) WALTHER, 27, unlimited hydroplane racer and older brother of Indy racer David (Salt) Walther; when his Red Man overturned in a test run at Miami Marine Stadium.
DIED: ALVIN CLARENCE THOMAS, 82, better known as Titanic Thompson, self-styled hustler, pool shark, poker player, golfer and champion trapshooter; in Euless, Texas.
DIED: R. MAX RITTER, 87, former Olympic swimmer and past treasurer of the United States Olympic Committee; in Jenkintown, Pa.
