Masters over, it's back to the books for Guan

AUGUSTA, Ga. | No matter what the leaderboard says, Guan Tianlang leaves the Masters a winner.

Looking like old pro, 14-year-old opens with 73

AUGUSTA, Ga. | Fourteen-year-old Guan Tianlang is the youngest golfer ever to compete at the Masters.

Louisville survives a jolt from Wichita State to advance

ATLANTA | Louisville's ugliest win was its biggest one yet.

Ware makes big, bad Louisville the people's choice

ATLANTA | Louisville already had the bigger names, the better team and some unfinished business after coming up short in last year's Final Four.

Ware's injury causes 'problems' for Louisville

ATLANTA | His full-leg cast and crutches aside, Kevin Ware is no different than the rest of his Louisville teammates this week. He's at team meetings. He's going to practice. He's riding the bus. He even put on his jersey to pose for the stock images that will be used during the Final Four t…

Louisville's Kevin Ware resting after surgery

Kevin Ware is already up and walking, and he's got a nice souvenir to keep him company until he's cleared to return to Louisville.

Smith's double-double leads Butler to win

LEXINGTON, Ky. | The cast of characters has changed.

Just being at worlds is a victory for Weaver-Poje

LONDON, Ontario | Kaitlyn Weaver hopped up and down, pumped her fist and let out a roar when she and Andrew Poje finished their free dance.

Douglas wins AP female athlete of the year honors

When Gabby Douglas allowed herself to dream of being the Olympic champion, she imagined having a nice little dinner with family and friends to celebrate. Maybe she'd make an appearance here and there.

Raisman finishes Olympics in style with floor gold

LONDON | Two Olympic gold medals are just fine with Gabby Douglas. Same for Aly Raisman, though that bronze was pretty sweet, too.

Mustafina wins bars gold, Tweddle gets 1st medal

LONDON | Aliya Mustafina couldn't take her eyes off the scoreboard, staring it with pride and delight.

Gymnastics gold slips away from Maroney, Smith

LONDON | McKayla Maroney didn't need to look at the scoreboard. Neither did Louis Smith.

Douglas wins all-around title, giving her 2nd gold

LONDON | Just 14, Gabby Douglas pleaded with her mother to let her move cross country, certain a new coach could help her get to the Olympics.

China wins 2nd straight Olympic gold in men's gymnastics

LONDON | Their closest rivals were still on the floor competing when the Chinese whipped out five big gold stars and held them up in the shape of their flag.

U.S. tops Russia, China in women's gym qualifying

LONDON | The U.S. women are atop the Olympic gymnastics standings, as expected, with little standing in their way — except themselves.

Leyva beats Orozco, both gymnasts going to London

SAN JOSE, Calif. | Danell Leyva and his family had little besides hope and determination when they arrived from Cuba almost 20 years ago.

Wieber halfway to London after 1st day of trials

SAN JOSE, Calif. | Jordyn Wieber looks ready for London. As for the rest of the U.S. women, they still have some work to do.

As Title IX turns 40, women -- and men -- tell of opportunity, acceptance, intangible benefits

Title IX was initially intended to give women more opportunities in higher education, with access to athletics a mere side effect. By opening the gates to gyms, stadiums and playing fields, however, Title IX changed the way women in America see themselves. Here, in their own words, are what …

No more retro look for Couples at Augusta National

AUGUSTA, Ga. | Well, that was fun while it lasted.

Masters fans not thrilled by Woods' latest tantrum

AUGUSTA, Ga. | Tiger Woods' latest temper tantrum did not go over well with some fans at the Masters.

Mickelson up early to see Big 3 off at Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. | Phil Mickelson did something he'd always wanted to do in 20 years of playing the Masters.

Mid-Amateur champ savoring 1st trip to Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. | Two double bogeys, five bogeys, never even sniffed a birdie. It was the best 81 of Randal Lewis' life.

Kentucky off to NCAA title game, beats Louisville

NEW ORLEANS | Bragging rights in the Bluegrass State are mighty nice.

9 years later, Kansas still special to Williams

ST. LOUIS | It's been nine years since Roy Williams left Kansas, and he knows the Jayhawks and their fans have gotten over him.

Barnes scores 5 in OT as UNC beats Ohio 73-65

ST. LOUIS | The last of the little guys gave North Carolina a massive scare.

Rugby about to be full-time job for some Americans

Playing rugby is about to become a full-time job.

Gray rushes for TD as No. 24 Irish hold off B.C.

SOUTH BEND | Ugly, grind-'em-out victories count just the same as a rout.

Floyd's season ending much better than it began

SOUTH BEND, Ind. | Ask the Notre Dame coaches what they'll miss most about Michael Floyd, and his stats are the last thing they mention.

Surprise! Notre Dame not passing up chance to run

SOUTH BEND | Turns out, Notre Dame offensive coordinator Charley Molnar was a little off on his preseason prediction that the Irish would have a 1,000-yard rusher.

Numbers show November is Kelly's favorite month

SOUTH BEND, Ind. | This is Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly's favorite time of the year.

Irish run over Navy

SOUTH BEND | Notre Dame needed less than two minutes to make a week's worth of problems — heck, maybe a season's worth — disappear.

Fighting Irish aim to torpedo Navy's historical streak

SOUTH BEND, Ind. | Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is not so different than all those zealous Irish fans.

Son of Raiders great off and running at Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND | Hard to believe, but there was a time George Atkinson III was the one being left in the dust.

USC trash talk doesn't concern Notre Dame's Kelly

SOUTH BEND, Ind. | Name-calling is the least of Notre Dame's worries these days.

Japan leads early qualifying at worlds, US 2nd

TOKYO | Japan has the advantage — for now.

Love and Olazabal like what they see at Medinah

MEDINAH, Ill. | Ryder Cup captains Davis Love III and Jose Maria Olazabal liked what they saw at Medinah Country Club, including the shortened No. 15.

Gymnast Johnson eager to compete for 1st time since 2008

CHICAGO | Shawn Johnson was standing in the hotel lobby, waiting for a ride to training, when she felt a familiar rush of excitement and adrenaline.

Bumpy road looking pretty good now for Americans

FRANKFURT, Germany | The bumpy, windy road got the Americans right where they wanted to go all along.

'99 team watching Americans with pride, nostalgia

FRANKFURT, Germany | Lauren Cheney was just 11 years old during the 1999 World Cup, watching from the stands and imagining what it would be like to be on that field with Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers and Julie Foudy and Brandi Chastain.

Wambach lifts United States to Women's World Cup finals

MOENCHENGLADBACH, Germany | Abby Wambach sure knows how to deliver.

Team USA ready for Women's World Cup semifinal vs. France

MOENCHENGLADBACH, Germany | The Americans feel just fine, thank you, not tired a bit. The high they were on after that epic Brazil game? That's so yesterday.

U.S. trying to stave off early elimination

DRESDEN, Germany | The U.S. is the No. 1 team in the world, a two-time World Cup champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist.

World's best player hasn't found a way to beat U.S. keeper

DRESDEN, Germany | Bent at the waist, her back to the goal, Marta buried her face in her hands.

Missed chances send U.S. to matchup with Brazil

WOLFSBURG, Germany | The Americans can't do things the easy way.

Team USA makes quarterfinals after routing Colombia

SINSHEIM, Germany | Anyone can sign autographs or pose for photos. The U.S. women found a better way to say "thank you" to the American military members who turned their World Cup match into a home game.

Sundhage brings European flair to American attack

SINSHEIM, Germany | The American women haven't looked the same since Pia Sundhage got her hands on them.

Imagine that, Cheney scores in 1st WCup appearance

HEIDELBERG, Germany | When 11-year-old Lauren Cheney and her teammates went to watch the United States play Nigeria at the 1999 World Cup, they brought along playbooks so they could write down what they would do when it was their turn on soccer's biggest stage.

Cheney, Buehler score as U.S. wins World Cup opener

DRESDEN, Germany | Once, twice, three times and then a fourth, Lauren Cheney launched a shot with her foot only to watch it go right into the hands of the North Korean goalkeeper.

Team USA determined to end title drought at Women's World Cup

The last time the United States won the Women's World Cup, Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy were still playing, Abby Wambach had just led Florida to the NCAA title and Alex Morgan was all of 10.

Hits in back-to-back games change player's life

OAK CREEK, Wis. | Hold an empty toilet paper roll to your eye and peer through it. Your view is confined to what's at the end of a narrow tunnel smudged by shadows.