In Brief
Rock soccer 4th in preseason pollLOCK HAVEN — Defending PSAC Tournament champion Slippery Rock University is picked fourth in the PSAC men's soccer preseason poll.Millersville is picked to win the league, followed by Mercyhurst, Gannon and SRU. Millersville received three first-place votes, Mercyhurst seven and SRU 2.The Rock has a new coach this season in Steve Small, who was an assistant at Millersville since 2007.
SRU football gets national rankingWACO, Texas — The Slippery Rock University football team has received its third preseason national ranking as The Rock is at No. 11 in the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll.SRU was previously listed at No. 9 in the Sporting News and Lindy's Sports preseason polls.
Doping informer fears for her safetyRIO DE JANEIRO — The runner who blew the whistle on the doping scandal in Russia fears for her safety and has switched residences after hackers breached a database that records her whereabouts.Yulia Stepanova and her husband, Vitaly, were the informers who detailed a state-run doping system in Russia that led to the ouster of the country’s athletes from the Olympic track meet.Stepanova was part of the Russian doping system for years, but after being cast aside by the country’s track team, she and her husband, a former worker for the Russian anti-doping agency, approached WADA with their information.They moved to the United States, fearing a stay in Russia could lead to harm.
Serena withdraws from tennis tourneyCINCINNATI — Top-seeded Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Western & Southern Open with a shoulder injury, the tournament announced.Williams, the tournament’s two-time defending champion, withdrew after a morning practice session, according to tournament officials.She accepted a wild-card berth in the tournament last week after being upset in the third round of the Rio Olympics.The withdrawal gives second-seeded Angelique Kerber an opportunity to earn the WTA No. 1 ranking if she were to win the W&S title.Williams has been ranked No. 1 for 183 consecutive weeks.
A-Rod won’t play again this seasonNEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez says he won’t play again this season.The three-time AL MVP was released Saturday by the New York Yankees, who owed him about $27 million for the rest of his contract, which runs through 2017.Any team could sign A-Rod for a prorated share of the major league minimum of $507,500, and Rodriguez’s hometown Miami Marlins said Sunday they were discussing whether to reach out to the 41-year-old.