Cheruiyot, Prokopcuka will be at Boston

ROAD RUNNING
Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot and Jelena Prokopcuka are bringing their race for $500,000 bonuses back to the Boston Marathon April 16. Cheruiyot, a two-time Boston winner from Kenya, and Prokopcuka, a Latvian who finished second in the women's race last year, lead the standings in the World Marathon Majors, the two-year points race that awards twin $500,000 bonuses for the man and woman with the top performances at the distance. Cheruiyot leads the men's standings with 50 points after winning in Boston and Chicago in 2006. After earning 15 points for finishing second in Boston, Prokopcuka won in New York last fall to give her 40 points.

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was indicted yesterday in Phoenix on charges of drug possession and driving under the influence of drugs. The 40-year-old was indicted on felony drug possession and paraphernalia possession counts and two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of drugs. If convicted of all four charges, he could be sentenced to up to 7 1/2 years in prison, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said. The charges stem from Tyson's Dec. 29 arrest in Scottsdale. He was pulled over after leaving a nightclub, and an officer found bags of cocaine in his back pocket and another in a package of cigarettes in his car, according to court records. Tyson was convicted of rape in Indiana in 1992.

Mark Sweeney insists he never had any amphetamines in his locker for San Francisco Giants teammate Barry Bonds to take. Sweeney, a Holliston native, said he was shocked to learn that Bonds apparently mentioned his name in connection with the slugger's failed amphetamine test last summer. The New York Daily News reported Thursday that Bonds failed the test and initially attributed it to a substance he took from Sweeney's locker. Later Thursday, Bonds said he never got anything from Sweeney and apologized to him. "There was nothing I had for him to take or for me to give to him," Sweeney told the Associated Press. Sweeney moved forward after being told by Gene Orza, the union's chief operating officer, that his name had come up after a failed test for the stimulants. "That was kind of a shock," Sweeney said. "I heard my name was mentioned. I didn't know who mentioned it. I didn't know how or why. I was angered and hurt a little bit that however it came out, someone didn't know the facts." Sweeney said he has never failed a drug test . . . The Red Sox avoided arbitration with righthander Kyle Snyder, agreeing to a one-year, $535,000 contract. Snyder made $335,000 in 2006.

Andy Roddick snapped out of his doldrums against Roger Federer -- though only unofficially, since it was an exhibition -- when he beat the world's top-ranked male tennis player, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, today in the final of the invitational Kooyong Classic at Melbourne. Officially, Roddick is 1-12 vs. Federer . . . Kim Clijsters beat Jelena Jankovic, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, in the Sydney International final. Earlier, defending men's champion James Blake cruised into the final when Jurgen Melzer could not start because of illness. The third-seeded Blake will go for the title against Carlos Moya, who beat Richard Gasquet, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 . . . Todd Graham was hired as football coach at Tulsa, just three days after he signed a contract to remain with Rice through 2012 . . . Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has been called to a hearing by the French anti-doping agency to determine whether he can race again in France. Landis, who tested positive for elevated testosterone levels during last year's Tour, did not immediately say whether he would attend the hearing in Paris Feb. 8.. . . Minnesota Timberwolves forward Eddie Griffin was suspended five games for violating the NBA anti-drug program . . . NBA referee Rodney Mott was suspended three games for making an obscene gesture toward a fan . . . Los Angeles Kings goalie Dan Cloutier underwent hip surgery and will be out indefinitely.