Georgia tops preseason coaches' poll
MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 1 (UPI) -- The Georgia Bulldogs edged the Southern California Trojans for the top spot in the preseason USA Today coaches' football poll.
The poll, released Friday, showed Georgia was listed No. 1 by 22 of the 61 NCAA Division I-A football coaches who vote. The Bulldogs totaled 1,438 points. USC, first on 14 ballots, had 1,430 points. Both Georgia and Southern California were 11-2 last season.
Ohio State, which also received 14 first-place votes, was third (1,392 points) followed by Oklahoma, with three first-place votes and 1.329 points. Florida, with five first-place votes and 1,293 points was fifth.
Louisiana State, last year's Bowl Championship Series titlist, received the other first-place votes and had 1,163 points for sixth.
Missouri was rated seventh followed by, in order, West Virginia, Clemson and Texas.
The second 10 was led by Auburn at No. 11, Wisconsin at 12th, No. 13 Kansas, 14th-ranked Texas Tech and No. 15 Virginia Tech. Arizona State was 16th with Brigham Young in 17th, Tennessee 18th, Illinois 19th and Oregon 20th.
U.S. basketball rolls in Olympic tuneup
MACAU, China, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Dwyane Wade scored 19 points Friday in helping the U.S. Olympic basketball team to a 120-84 rout of Lithuania in an Olympic tuneup exhibition.
Wade made seven of his nine field-goal attempts and was supported by Dwight Howard's 17-point effort, Michael Redd's 16 points and 15 points from LeBron James. Kobe Bryant (13) and Carmelo Anthony (11) also reached double figures for the Americans, who shot 64 percent from the field.
The United States took control early, jumping out to a 12-2 lead 2:37 into the game with Howard scoring six of the team's first eight points. Lithuania was able to pull as close as 9 points just once in the second half.
While the United States outscored Lithuania 70-24 from the paint, the Americans were also effective from outside, hitting 11-of-25 (44 percent) of their 3-point shots.
Rimantas Kaukenas had 17 points to pace Lithuania, which also got 11 points each from Ramunas Siskauskas and Robertas Javtokas.
The United States plays Russia Sunday in Shanghai. The team's final exhibition is Tuesday against Australia before opening Olympic play Aug. 3 against China.
Women's British Open has co-leaders
BERKSHIRE, England, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- After matching 4-under-par 68s Friday, Yuri Fudoh and Ji-Ya Shin are co-leaders through two rounds at the Women's British Open in Berkshire, England.
Their 36-hole totals, 10-under 134, came after Fudoh bogeyed the 18th hole, costing her a chance to take the outright lead into Saturday's third round.
The pair has a one-stroke lead over the first-round front-runner, 48-year-old Juli Inkster, who shot 2-under 70 Friday and is 9-under 135.
Bo Bae Song (68) and Christie Kerr (65) share fourth place at 8-under 136.
Former world No. 1 and retiring Annika Sorenstam, playing in her last major, barely made the cut after shooting her second straight even-par 72 for a 36-hole total of even-par 144 to join Maria Jose Uribe (73), Lora Fairclough (74), Christina Kim (73), Becky Morgan (72) and Meredith Duncan (73) in a tie for 59th place.
Dushevina moves ahead in Sweden
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Agnieszka Radwanska and Vera Dushevina, last year's tournament finalists, each advanced Friday to the semifinals of the $145,000 Nordic Light Open in Sweden.
Radwanska, the defending champion and seeded first this year, was declared a winner Friday when Camille Pin retired in the second set. Radwanska was ahead 6-2, 1-0 when Pin was unable to continue.
Dushevina, unseeded this week, advanced on a 6-3, 6-3 decision over Iveta Benesova in the quarterfinals of the hard-court tournament.
Friday's other quarterfinals saw fourth-seeded Carolina Wozniacki breeze by fifth-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-1, 6-3; and No. 3-seeded Katarina Srebotnik post an easy 6-2, 6-0 win over Ruano Pascual.
Saturday's semifinal pairings could have Radwanska and Dushevina in the finals again as Wozniacki faces Radwanska and Srebotnik meets Dushevina. Radwanska won the only career meeting with Wozniacki in straight sets also on a hard court. Srebotnik has won two of the three times she has played Dushevina.
Nationals dump three veterans
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- The struggling Washington Nationals have waived veterans Paul LoDuca, Felipe Lopez and Johnny Estrada in the midst of a nine-game losing streak.
The players were released shortly after Thursday's 8-4 loss dropped the Nationals' major league worst record to 38-70 with 54 games left on their 2008 schedule.
The three players were having sub-par seasons and Washington failed in its attempt to deal them before Thursday's trading deadline.
"We are going to turn the page," General Manager Jim Bowden said on the team's Web site. "We are going to get younger the last two months of the season and we are going to continue to develop young players. We want players that are going to hustle, play the game hard and play the game right. We just feel we need to give younger players an opportunity. We are going to do that."
Among the youngsters getting more playing time is third baseman/outfielder Kory Casto.
