Enquirer wire services

Steve Nester, who coached Turpin High School to the Ohio Division I girls cross country state championship in 2001, resigned Thursday to become coach of the men's and women's programs at Xavier University.

The announcement, on the eve of the season, caught Turpin by surprise, but Nester is leaving on good terms.

"It's a great opportunity for Steve," said Tony Hemmelgarn, Turpin athletic director. "He wouldn't leave us at this point if it weren't a great situation for him at Xavier."

The Xavier job opened recently when Scott Swain resigned to take a job at the University of Colorado.

Nester, 36, followed the 2001 championship by coaching Turpin to a state runner-up finish in 2002. Boys coach Jim Gossett will also coach the girls while a replacement is sought.

"It was a painstaking decision," Nester said. "The girls were surprised but very supportive when I told them. I told them their success is 99 percent effort and maybe 1 percent coaching."

Turpin's team will be led by senior Carolyn Rauen, the Division I individual state runner-up in 2002. The Spartans expect to be a state contender again.

Mike Bobinski, Xavier athletic director, said Nester's appointment will be made official today.

"Steve is an energetic and enthusiastic coach who will provide great leadership for our men's and women's cross country student-athletes," Bobinski said in a statement.

Tom Groeschen

Basketball

BRYANT CASE: The 911 call Kobe Bryant made the day before he surrendered to police on a sexual assault charge was for medical assistance for his wife, city documents showed.

Police found no criminal conduct, and no report was taken, according to the documents released Wednesday by the city attorney's office.

The documents also indicated Bryant's mother was at the home at the time. Officials provided no additional details.

Bryant is free on $25,000 bail.

WIZARDS: Milt Newton, who has spent the last three years working in the NBA's developmental league, was hired Thursday as director of player personnel for the Washington Wizards, replacing Fred Whitfield, who resigned in May.

Hockey

STARS: Free agent Richard Matvichuk was awarded a one-year, $2.2 million contract with the Dallas Stars by a Toronto arbitrator Thursday.

Matvichuk is one of only two current Stars to have played with the club before it moved to Dallas from Minnesota. The other is Mike Modano.

Soccer

U-17 CHAMPIONSHIPS: Freddy Adu scored three goals as the United States routed South Korea 6-1 to open the championships.

Adu, the 14-year-old sensation, had just the second hat trick in U.S. history in the event.

Pan-Am Games

ROWING: Argentinian rower Ulf Lienhard tested positive for cocaine, costing his country a silver and a bronze medal.

The incident was the third failed doping test of the games.

U.S. sprinter Mickey Grimes, the 100-meter gold medalist, tested positive for ephedrine, a banned stimulant. He was stripped of that medal, and the U.S. 400-meter relay team also lost its gold medal.

Letitia Vriesde of Surinam, who won the women's 800 run, was caught with excessive levels of caffeine in her system. She also was stripped of her medal, the only one her country has won here.