Krzyzewski to address Durham Sports Club today

DURHAM -- Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will be the featured speaker at today's meeting of the Durham Sports Club at Croasdaile Country Club.

The meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m., which is 30 minutes earlier than usual. Club members and guests are reminded that speakers will not provide autographs.

Donovan wins Honda award

LOS ANGELES -- The busiest and in many ways most difficult year in Landon Donovan's increasingly storied soccer career ultimately could be the most satisfying.

That was his judgment Tuesday after claiming an unprecedented sixth Honda Player of the Year Award given annually to the U.S. national team's top player in a luncheon at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Donovan, 27, was instrumental in the Americans' successful qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup and its trek to the Confederations Cup championship match.

"I think this year was, aside from 2002 (when the U.S. reached the World Cup quarterfinals), as long as I've been part of the national team, the best year the national team's had," said Donovan, who won the Honda Award for the third successive year after winning three in a row in 2002-04. "Maybe including 2002. So to be part of it, to be recognized for that, is very cool."

Donovan received 424 points in balloting by 221 media members, finishing ahead of two England-based teammates, goalkeeper Tim Howard (267 points), who plays for Everton FC, and 19-year-old forward Jozy Altidore (178), who is with Hull City on loan from Spanish power Villarreal.

Donovan has scored a leading 42 goals during his 120 games with the U.S. national team.

Men's soccer

Duke 3, Navy 0 -- Freshman Ryan Finley, junior Cole Grossman and sophomore Christopher Tweed-Kent posted goals to lead No. 19 Duke past Navy and give Coach John Kerr his 100th victory in non-conference action at Koskinen Stadium. The Blue Devils are 8-1 overall at home this season with five shutouts.

"Navy came out and played a great first 25 and 30 minutes," Kerr said. "They were buzzing all over the field, they were moving the ball quickly and causing us all kinds of problems defensively, and we weren't sharp enough in the first 25 minutes. But once we got into the game, we understood what they were trying to do and we stepped up our pressure and we dominated the second part of the first half."

Women's volleyball

NCCU 3, N.C. A&T 0 -- Junior outside hitter Shantel Moore put on her best hitting performance of the season to lead N.C. Central to a road victory over N.C. A&T, 29-27, 25-22 and 25-15.

Moore notched a match-high 16 kills to tie her career-high with a .406 hitting percentage. Belinda Behncke-Biney had her fourth double-double of the season with 13 kills and a match-high 12 digs to go with five aces.

Women's soccer

Duke's Redmond Shares honor -- Duke senior forward Elisabeth Redmond has been named ACC co-player of the week after guiding Duke to victories over Miami and Clemson. She shares the award with Florida State sophomore Tiffany McCarty. Duke hosts Virginia on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Field hockey

UNC's Forword Honored -- North Carolina senior forward Danielle Forword was selected the week's ACC player of the week for her efforts in two wins, including the game-winner in a league game against Virginia.

MLS earns high marks again for diversity

NEW YORK -- Major League Soccer again earned high marks for its racial and gender hiring.

The league received its third consecutive A for racial hiring on Tuesday from the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport. Its gender grade improved to a B from a C-plus last year and a D-plus in 2007.

"The sport of soccer is such a diverse sport between our athletes and fan base," MLS executive vice president JoAnn Neale said. "We're really striving to make our front offices reflective of that diversity."

The league office's A-plus for gender countered a D-plus for team professional positions and a C-minus for team senior administrators.

MLS's combined race and gender grade of B-plus was the same as last year, but its points total increased to 86.5 from 85.7.

"A number of years ago, they made a commitment they would really address this, and they adopted a number of diversity initiatives," said Richard Lapchick, the institute's director.

White players increased from 59 percent in 2007 to 62 percent in 2008, while African-Americans dropped from 22 percent to 20 percent.

There were four minority coaches among the 15 teams in 2008 -- Denis Hamlett, Cobi Jones, Juan Carlos Osorio and Fernando Clavijo -- but only Hamlett and Osorio held onto their jobs for part of 2009. Minority assistant coaches declined from 17 percent to 9.5 percent.

Three teams had minority presidents or chief executives in 2009, the same as the previous year.

The percentage of women among the professional staff in the league office rose to 48 percent from 42 percent, while the percentage of minorities remained at 43 percent.

Among team vice presidents, women rose from two to three and Latinos increased from one to two. The percentage of women among team senior administration went up to 24.8 percent from 20.4 percent, but the percentage of minorities declined from 20.5 percent to 18.9 percent.