Alabama tops coaches’ poll

Defending national champion Alabama sits atop the preseason USA Today coaches’ football poll.

Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram returns at running back for the Crimson Tide, but nine starters are gone on defense.

Alabama received 55 of the 59 first-place votes and 1,469 points from a nationwide panel of coaches. Ohio State picked up the other four first-place votes and is second with 1,392 points.

Florida is third, followed by Texas, which lost to Alabama in last season’s BCS title game. Boise State, which like Alabama was undefeated last season, will start this season fifth.

Virginia Tech is sixth and is followed by Texas Christian, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa. Oregon is the only Pacific 10 Conference team in the top 20, at No. 11.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

AVP postpones next event

The AVP beach volleyball tour has postponed the event scheduled for San Francisco next weekend so it can have more time to get its finances in order.

The tour has been trying to reach an agreement with new investors that will allow it to complete its season. AVP Chief Executive Jason Hodell has expressed optimism that a deal will be reached.

The event scheduled for AT&T Park on Aug. 15-16 is now scheduled for Little Marina Green Park on Sept. 11-12.

The next event on the tour’s schedule is the Manhattan Beach Open on Aug. 19-21.

ETC.

Bonds’ trial is set for March

Barry Bonds, baseball’s all-time home run leader, will stand trial on federal perjury charges on March 21, it was announced Friday.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston agreed to the schedule proposed by federal prosecutors and lawyers for Bonds.

The 46-year-old slugger faces 11 felony charges of perjury and obstruction of justice after his 2003 testimony to the grand jury in the BALCO case.

It’s down to the final 16 after Friday’s action at the U.S. Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach.

Jadson Andre,a 20-year-old from Brazil, recorded the day’s highest heat total — 16.53 out of 20 — which included the day’s highest single-wave score, 9.0 out of 10.

Brett Simpson, a 25-year-old Huntington Beach native and the defending Open champion, also advanced, as did surfing legend Kelly Slater.

All will be competing for the $100,000 first prize.

Saturday’s action begins with the men’s round of 16, in which there will be two-man heats. The women’s Open champion, who will win $50,000, will be crowned Saturday; the men’s final is Sunday.

--Baxter Holmes

Andy Macdonald, the most decorated skateboarder in X Games history, finished a solid third place in vert preliminaries at the Maloof Money Cup in Costa Mesa and is in position to make a run at the $75,000 top prize Saturday.

Pierre-Luc Gagnon, who won the inaugural Maloof Money Cup title in 2008 and is coming off his third consecutive gold in skateboard vert at the X Games, scored 175.6 points during runs on the halfpipe and then the mini-mega ramp with rainbow rail to take a slim lead over Bob Burnquist (175.2).

Tyson Gay upset world-record holder Usain Bolt in the 100 meters in 9.84 seconds at the DN Galan meet in Stockholm.

The American always looked in complete control against Bolt, who was second in 9.97, well off his world mark of 9.58.

In other events, American Bershawn Jackson set a stadium record of 47.65 in the 400 hurdles.

Isiah Thomas was rehired by the New York Knicks as a consultant, two years after he was fired as their coach and president. He will remain the coach at Florida International University.