UPI NewsTrack Sports

Ingram, McCoy among 5 Heisman finalists

NEW YORK, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Running back Mark Ingram of top-ranked Alabama and quarterback Colt McCoy of No. 2 Texas are among five finalists named Monday for the 2009 Heisman Trophy.

The other three are Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the Heisman as a sophomore in 2007, Stanford running back Toby Gerhart and Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony in New York Saturday.

The Heisman goes each year to the player considered tops in college football.

Ingram and McCoy, the runner-up to Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford in the Heisman competition last year, will compete against one another in the BCS national championship game Jan. 7 in Pasadena, Calif.

If Ingram wins, he'll be the third sophomore to get the award, joining Tebow and Bradford.

Ingram ran for 1,532 yards and scored 15 touchdowns this season.

McCoy passed for 3,521 yards and 37 touchdowns and ran for 348 yards and three scores.

Tebow threw for 2,413 yards and 18 touchdowns, and ran for 859 yards and 13 TDs.

Gerhart ran for 1,736 yards and 26 touchdowns, and Suh had 82 tackles, 12 sacks and an interception.

Troy Merritt leads PGA Tour qualifiers

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Troy Merritt finished at 22-under par in West Palm Beach, Fla., Monday, leading a group of 25 players who earned PGA Tour cards for 2010.

Merritt, 24, of Osage, Iowa, a winner this year on the Nationwide Tour, closed the Q-School qualifying competition with a 3-under 69 for a six-round score of 410.

Three-time PGA Tour winner Jeff Maggert (67) was second at 411, Matt Jones (66) third at 413, Martin Flores (65) fourth at 414 and Neal Lancaster (67) and Brendon de Jonge (66) tied for fifth at 415.

Others who qualified included J.P. Hayes, Jay Williamson, Omar Uresti and Joe Ogilvie, all familar names on the big tour.

Among PGA Tour veterans who failed to earn cards were 13-time winner and former world No. 1 David Duval , 2004 British Open champion Todd Hamilton and Tom Pernice, who won twice on the PGA Tour and once on the Champions Tour.

Vikings' Henderson has leg surgery

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Minnesota Vikings middle linebacker E.J. Henderson had surgery to repair a broken left leg, Coach Brad Childress said Monday.

Henderson was injured in the fourth quarter of the Vikings' 30-17 loss to Arizona Sunday and carried off the field. He had the operation at a hospital in the Phoenix area. The injury was described as a fractured left fibula (calf bone).

Childress said it was too early to know Henderson's long-term prognosis, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

"He's a great rallying force," Childress said. "He's a good football player, he's a good leader, a quiet leader. But you get past that. You may not replace him physically. But you get past that. You have to get past it because we have a quarter of the regular season left."

Ryne Sandberg is now a Triple-A manager

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg has been hired as manager of the Chicago Cubs' Class AAA affiliate, the minor league club announced Monday.

Sandberg, 50, a 10-time National League all-star and nine-time Gold Glove winner, previously managed farm clubs in Illinois and Tennessee.

"We are very happy and excited to welcome Ryne Sandberg to the Iowa Cubs as he continues his managerial career," General Manager Sam Bernabe said. "We know our fans are excited too and will be supportive in what we hope will be a successful season."

Sandberg retired as a player in 1997. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.