Semenya sets Prefontaine meet mark

UCLA players reach tennis semifinals

Caster Semenya of South Africa set a meet record in the 800 meters Saturday at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., while controversy swirls about a rule that could limit her from competing at the distance.

Semenya defended her title in the event in 1 minute 55.92 seconds, the top mark in the world this year. American Ajee Wilson was second in 1:56.86.

Semenya is the two-time Olympic and three-time world champion in the 800 but could be affected by a rule that takes effect Nov. 1 and will limit entry for all international events from 400 meters through the mile to women with testosterone levels below a specified level.

South Africa has said it may challenge the hyperandrogenism rule by the IAAF, track and field’s international governing body, in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Also at the meet, Ronnie Baker won the men’s 100 meters in a windassisted 9.78 seconds, with fellow American Christian Coleman in second place.

Ivory Coast teammates Marie Josee Ta Lou and Murielle Ahoure finished first and second in the women’s 100 in 10.88 and 10.90, respectively.

American Noah Lyles won the men’s 200 in 19.69, a personal best and the fastest time in the world this year, and Shaunae MillerUibo of the Bahamas won the women’s 400 in 49.52.

Shelby Houlihan of the United States ran a personal best 3:59.06 in the women’s 1,500 and Janieve Russell of Jamaica won the women’s 400 hurdles in 54.06.

Jenn Suhr, the American record holder in the outdoor pole vault, won the event with a meetrecord leap of 15 feet 11 inches.

Christian Taylor won the men’s triple jump (58-2) and fellow American Ryan Crouser won the shotput with a meet record throw of 73-11. Top-seeded Martin Redlicki of UCLA defeated Mazen Osama of Alabama 6-4, 7-5 to advance to a semifinal match of the NCAA men’s singles championships at Winston-Salem, N.C. Redlicki teamed with Evan Zhu to beat Nuno Borges and Strahinja Rakic of Mississippi State 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (7) moments before teammates Austin Rapp and Keegan Smith defeated William Blumberg and Robert Kelly of North Carolina 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (4) to reach the doubles semifinals.

Dominic Thiem of Austria warmed up for the French Open with a 3-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1 victory over Gilles Simon of France in the Lyon Open final in France . ... Johanna Larsson of Sweden won her first WTA singles title in three years by beating American Alison Riske 7-6 (4), 6-4 in the final of the Nuremberg Cup in Germany . ... Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia won the Strasbourg International in France after laboring to a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6) victory over Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.

Deanna Hill and Twanisha Terry of USC finished first and second in the women’s 200 meters in 22.67 seconds and 22.74, respectively, in the West regional at Sacramento State to advance to the NCAA track and field championships. Terry’s time is a school record for a freshman.

Jessie Maduka of UCLA advanced to the championships for the third time with a 44-5 leap in the triple jump.

Cole Madey and Hidetoshi Yoshihara each shot even-par 72s at the NCAA Championships in Stillwater, Okla., to help UCLA tie for 23rd (plus-16, 592).

The top 15 teams after Sunday’s third round advance to Monday’s final round of stroke play.

Brad Keselowski overcame a humid afternoon and an hour-long rain delay at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., to become the first repeat winner on the Xfinity Series this season.

Keselowski held off Cole Custer and Christopher Bell, who finished second and third, respectively.

Candace Parker, who sat out the Sparks’ season-opening, threegame trip because of a back injury, has been listed as probable for the home opener against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.

The Sparks (2-1) are coming off a 102-94 loss to the Connecticut Sun. The Mercury (2-1) are coming off an 87-82 loss to the Seattle Storm.