Iowa State names new football coach
AMES, Iowa, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Former Auburn University defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads was named head football coach at Iowa State Saturday.
The hiring comes five days after Auburn officially named Iowa State's last coach, Gene Chizik, to head its program.
Rhoads agreed to a five-year contract with the Cyclones worth $5.75 million in guaranteed money with incentives available to increase the total compensation.
Chizik was announced as the new Auburn head coach Monday after compiling a 5-19 record during his two-year stay in Ames. Chizik had ties to the Tigers program dating back to his job as defensive coordinator from 2002-2004, a job Rhoads had rejected, opening the door for Chizik.
Rhoads instead stayed put as defensive coordinator with the Pittsburgh Panthers, where he worked for eight seasons (2000-2007) before taking the Auburn defensive coordinator position the second time it was offered prior to this season.
Rhoads was an inside linebackers and secondary coach with the Cyclones in the 1990s.
Valuev beats Holyfield to keep WBA heavyweight title
ZURICH, Switzerland, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Russian Nikolay Valuev kept his WBA heavyweight title Saturday with a majority decision victory over 46.-year-old Evander Holyfield.
Holyfield had not been in the ring since losing a unanimous decision to Sultan Ibragimov in October 2007. The former four-time heavyweight champ held his own in the title bout before ultimately losing on two scorecards -- 116-112 and 115-114 -- while the third card called it a draw.
The 7-foot, 311-pound Valuev (50-1) has yet to face a true test in the ring and his lackluster performance against Holyfield (42-10-2) hurt his standing in the rankings.
Valuev captured the vacant WBA title in August with a 12-round unanimous decision over John Ruiz.
Kim leads World Challenge golf
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Anthony Kim shot a 5-under 67 Saturday and took the third-round lead at the World Challenge after Jim Furyk double-bogeyed the 18th hole.
Kim, closing out a season that included two wins and an appearance in the Ryder Cup, will carry a one-shot advantage over Furyk into the final round after posting an 8-under 208 for 54 holes.
Furyk, the first- and second-round leader, hit a bad tee shot on the final hole and wound up at 70-209.
Vijay Singh shot a 67 and moved into a three-way tie for third place with Steve Stricker (68) and Camilo Villegas (69) at 6-under 210.
Lee Westwood leads South Africa Open golf
PAARL, South Africa, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- England's Lee Westwood used his second straight 4-under-par 68 Saturday to build a two-stroke lead through 54 holes at the European Tour's South Africa Open.
Westwood's three-round total, 14-under 202, gives him a chance to become a 19-time winner on the European Tour in Sunday's final round at the Pearl Valley Estates in Paarl, South Africa.
He quickly put pressure on overnight leader Michael Lorenzo-Vera of France with birdies at the first and third holes and his birdie at the par-five 18th led to his two-stroke cushion.
"You want to be leading, so I'm pleased with the position," said Westwood, the world's 10th-ranked player.
"I'm just pleased with the way I played the last three days. I've been very solid and made just one bogey, I think."
Lorenzo-Vera's third round included two double-bogeys and an eagle at the fifth. His even-par 72 left him tied for second place at 12-under 204 with Northern Ireland's Gareth Maybin (69).
