Washington State Picks N.C. Wilmington Coach

Kevin Eastman, who was 59-53 in four seasons as basketball coach at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, has agreed in principle to a five-year contract worth more than $1 million to coach at Washington State.

Eastman told Seahawk players of his decision Sunday before leaving for Pullman, Wash., where a news conference was scheduled today to announce the hiring.

“They invited him out to review the contract and if everything is there that they told him, he will be their new coach,” said Paul Miller, Seahawk athletic director.

Kelvin Sampson left Washington State to coach at Iowa State.

Hockey

Luc Robitaille of the Kings scored the decisive goal as Canada beat Finland in a shootout to win the World Ice Hockey Championships at Milan, Italy.

It was Canada’s first gold medal in the tournament in 33 years.

The Canadians, who lost to Sweden in a shootout in the Olympic final, ended Finland’s bid for its first gold medal.

Earlier, Sweden won the bronze medal with a 7-2 victory over the United States, spoiling the Americans’ chance for their best finish in 32 years.

In the championship game, regulation play ended with the score 1-1, with no scoring during the sudden-death overtime.

Tennis

Top-seeded Conchita Martinez defeated second-seeded Martina Navratilova, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, to win her second consecutive Italian Open in Rome. . . . Jared Palmer won his first tournament, beating top-seeded Todd Martin, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), in the USTA Clay Court Classic at Pinehurst, N.C. . . . At Hamburg, Germany, Ukrainian Andrei Medvedev defeated his former doubles partner, Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, to win the German Open.

Soccer

The father of Brazilian soccer star Romario was freed unharmed from a kidnaper’s hideout in Rio de Janeiro. No ransom was paid by the player’s family. Edevair Souza de Faria, 62, was found after a resident of a housing complex in the city’s Sao Carlos district tipped off state police. He was kidnaped Monday as he was leaving the bar he owns in Rio’s northern zone and a ransom of $7 million was demanded.

Derby, the English team on which U.S. midfielder John Harkes plays, clinched its spot in the English League promotion playoffs by finishing sixth in the First Division with a 20-15-11 record. That means Harkes, who is from Kearny, N.J., will be unable to join the U.S. national team until Derby wins the playoffs or is eliminated. The playoff final is May 29. . . . At Burgos, Spain, Real Betis, the club on which U.S. midfielder Tab Ramos plays, gained promotion to the Spanish First Division with a 2-0 victory over Burgos, meaning Ramos can join the U.S. national team immediately.

Track and Field

Carl Lewis ran a 10.04 100-meter dash in beating the University of Houston’s Sam Jefferson and Santa Monica Track Club teammate Mark Witherspoon at the Houston Invitational on Saturday. Lewis’ time was the second-fastest in the world this year, behind SMTC teammate Mike Marsh’s 10.00 last month. . . . At Mito, Japan, on Sunday, American Dennis Mitchell won the 100 meters in 10.49 and the 200 in 21.37 in the Mito International meet, bringing his record in Japan to four victories in nine days.

Miscellany

Sun Shuwei, 18, won the 10-meter platform event, giving China five of a possible six gold medals in the Alamo International Diving Championships at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Tan Shuping, 16, completed a gold medal sweep for Chinese women by winning the three-meter springboard competition. . . . Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes defeated Troy Tanner and Wes Welch, 15-0, in the final of a pro beach volleyball tournament at Dallas. . . . Peter Verbeken led a 1-2-3 finish for his Belgian team during the 131-mile fourth stage of the Tour DuPont bicycle race, and Malcolm Elliott of Britain extended his race lead by two seconds. Verbeken covered the 131-mile fourth stage from Richmond and Lynchburg, Va., in 5 hours 59 minutes 41 seconds.