Four arrested in Taylor’s slaying

The Miami-Dade Police Department arrested four people Friday in connection with the shooting death of Washington Redskins Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor.

Police spokeswoman Linda O’Brien identified the men as: Venjah K. Hunte, 20; Eric Rivera Jr., 17; Jason Scott Mitchell, 17; and Charles Kendrick Lee Wardlow, 18. O’Brien said the charges for each had not yet been determined, but “we are talking murder and burglary.�

The four men were arrested in southwest Florida, about 100 miles from Miami. They will be booked into the Lee County Jail and eventually will be returned to Miami, she said. O’Brien did not have any information on when they would appear in court or if they had attorneys.

Taylor, 24, died Tuesday, one day after being shot at his home in an affluent Miami suburb during what officials said appeared to be an attempted burglary.

The suspects weren’t expecting Taylor to be home, police director Robert Parker said, but Taylor was recuperating from a knee injury and had returned to Miami from Washington.

“They were certainly not looking to go there and kill anyone,� Parker said. He added authorities had more than one confession but would not elaborate.

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Two of Michael Vick’s co-defendants were sentenced to 18 months and 21 months in prison on federal dogfighting conspiracy charges. Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace could have received up to five years in prison -- the same maximum Vick faces when he is sentenced Dec. 10.

Peace, Phillips and Tony Taylor pleaded guilty last summer and agreed to testify against Vick, prompting the suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback to enter his own plea agreement a few days later. Taylor will be sentenced Dec. 14.

WINTER SPORTS

Walchhofer wins World Cup downhill

Austria’s Michael Walchhofer edged Steven Nyman by 0.05 of a second to win a World Cup downhill at Beaver Creek, Colo., breaking the American men’s four-year victory streak at home.

Nyman, of Provo, Utah, was followed by Didier Cuche. Bode Miller, of Bretton Woods, N.H., a two-time winner of this race, was sixth.

Walchhofer ended an embarrassing slump for Austria’s men, who had failed to win a World Cup race this season. The last Austrian man to win was 2006 overall champion Benjamin Raich at the season’s final slalom in March.

Walchhofer benefited from slightly lighter snowfalls to complete the Birds of Prey downhill in 1 minute 13.74 seconds. It was his 12th World Cup victory, his ninth in downhill.

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Ronny Ackermann won the Nordic Combined season opener at Kuusamo, Finland, for his 25th World Cup victory. He finished the 15-kilometer cross-country ski race in 40 minutes 54.8 seconds. Johnny Spillane of Steamboat Springs, Colo., moved from 13th after the ski jumping portion to second place, 13.4 seconds behind, to edge Christoph Bieler by 0.9 of a second.

BASEBALL

Rogers decides to return to Tigers

Kenny Rogers is staying right where he is. The 43-year-old left-hander ended his free agency and will return to the Detroit Tigers for a third season. He agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $8 million, representing himself in contract negotiations. He was 3-4 with a 4.43 earned-run average in an injury-shortened 2007 season

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Free-agent infielder Cesar Izturis agreed to terms on a $2.85-million, one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, a sign they have decided to abandon trying to re-sign shortstop David Eckstein. The Cardinals have to decide by today whether to offer arbitration to Eckstein, who has filed for free agency.

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The Tampa Bay Devil Rays signed reliever Troy Percival to a two-year contract. The 38-year-old right-hander, who came out of retirement to go 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 34 appearances for St. Louis in 2007, will make $8 million over the next two seasons.

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Catcher Brian Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church were traded to the New York Mets by the Washington Nationals for outfielder Lastings Milledge.

BOXING

Pacquiao agrees to fight Marquez again

Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines has agreed to a March 15 rematch against Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez, who holds the World Boxing Council super-featherweight title.

The fight will be held at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Pacquiao (43-3-2, 34 knockouts) will try to hand another Mexican fighter a defeat on the heels of his second victory over Marco Antonio Barrera in October (by decision), and last year’s pair of winsover Erik Morales by knockout and technical knockout.

Marquez (48-3-1, 35 KOs) survived three first-round knockdowns at the hands of Pacquiao in their May 2004 bout.

-- Lance Pugmire

GOLF

Rose (65) shares lead with Immelman

Justin Rose shot a seven-under-par 65 to share the lead with Trevor Immelman after the second round of the Nedbank Challenge at Sun City, South Africa.

Rose and Immelman (66) are at 11-under 133, three strokes ahead of Ernie Els (67) at the Gary Player Country Club.

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Frank Lickliter II followed his two opening 62s with a four-under 68 for a five-stroke lead after the third of six rounds in the PGA Tour national qualifying tournament at Winter Garden, Fla. He is at 23-under 192.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Fresno State beats New Mexico State

Anthony Harding had a career-high 121 yards rushing on a slippery field to help Fresno State beat New Mexico State, 30-23, at Las Cruces, N.M. The Bulldogs (8-4, 6-2 Western Athletic Conference) improved to 14-0 against the Aggies (4-9, 1-7).

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Nebraska interim athletic director Tom Osborne refused to comment on an ESPN.com report that Louisiana State defensive coordinator Bo Pelini will be introduced as the school’s coach next week.

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Penn State accepted a bid to play in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29 in San Antonio against a Big 12 team -- probably Texas Tech or Texas A&M.;

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Bobby Bowden and Florida State are finalizing a deal that would keep him as Seminoles coach next season, and maybe longer. The agreement allows Bowden, 78, to coach for as long as he wants.

MISCELLANY

Phelps returns to winning ways

Michael Phelps won his first competitive race since breaking a bone in his wrist in October, taking the 200-yard freestyle at the U.S. short course national championships in Atlanta.

The race was nearly an all-Club Wolverine final, with five of the eight swimmers from the Michigan-based team. Phelps and his training partners led a sweep of the top three places. Peter Vanderkaay was second and Chris DeJong third.

Vanderkaay briefly pulled ahead of Phelps going into the final 50 yards before Phelps won in 1:32.13, second-fastest by an American.

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Seattle Storm Coach Anne Donovan resigned, ending a five-year stay that included the 2004 WNBA championship.

Donovan coached the Storm to a regular-season record of 93-77 (.547) and to four playoff appearances.