Gillooly's Sentencing Pushed Back To July 5

Sentencing for Tonya Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, has been moved back to July 5.

Gillooly was to have been sentenced Friday in Portland for his role in the attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. That date was changed to allow time for the others charged in the attack to have their cases resolved.

Gillooly pleaded guilty to racketeering. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to recommend he be sentenced to two years in prison and fined $100,000. Under Oregon sentencing guidelines, Gillooly would have to serve 19 months behind bars.

Ron Hoevet, Gillooly's attorney, said it's possible the sentence will change, depending on what happens to the other defendants.

-- A grand jury in Missouri City, Texas, refused to indict a man who shot a top high-school basketball player he found in bed with his 14-year-old daughter. Earl Russell shot Jason Williams on March 6. The grand jury declined to indict Russell on charges of attempted murder and declined to indict Williams on sexual-assault charges.

-- A jury was expected to begin deliberations today in the trial of heavyweight boxer Ray Mercer, who is accused of attempting to bribe opponent Jesse Ferguson to throw a fight last year in New York.

-- Herbie Hide, World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion, was ordered to stand trial in London on charges he assaulted a former girlfriend and stole her clothes Oct. 2 at her residence in Sutton, England.

College football

The merger of the Big Eight and four Southwest Conference schools might not necessarily bring a postseason playoff game to decide the league champion.

The 12 athletic directors, concluding a two-day meeting, made no decisions, although they appear willing to give up a championship game if they can get guaranteed berths in two New Year's Day bowl games.

Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor will join with the Big Eight in a new, still unnamed conference, which will begin playing football in 1995-96.

Tennis

Unseeded American Robbie Weiss rebounded from an 0-3 final-set deficit and upset No. 3-seeded Boris Becker 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 today in the first round of a $650,000 tournament in Osaka, Japan.

Top-seeded Pete Sampras, the world's top-ranked player, advanced with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Stephane Simian of France. Second-seeded Michael Chang breezed past Joern Rensenbrink of Germany 6-1, 6-0.

-- Chanda Rubin and Lori McNeil lost in the opening round of a tournament in Hilton Head Island, S.C., becoming the first seeded players to fall. Rubin, seeded 13th, was stopped by Caroline Kuhlman, 6-1, 6-4. McNeil, seeded 11th, was ousted by Emanuela Zardo of Switzerland 7-6 (7-2 ), 1-6, 6-4.

Bowling

Brian Voss, a 13-time PBA champion, has been elected to the PBA Hall of Fame. Voss, 35, a former Tacoma resident who lives in Atlanta, had his first $100,000 year in earnings in 1987, when he won $115,710. A year later, he earned a then-record $225,485.

- Seattle Times news services