Two-time Super Bowl champion Jim Plunkett will be the featured speaker at The Greater Augusta Sports Council's Greater Augusta Sports Awards Gala on May 23.

The gala will include the inaugural induction ceremony for the American Football Kicking Hall of Fame.

In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Roger Federer lost his second match in a row, falling to Andy Murray 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-4 Monday in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

This was Federer's first match since he lost to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals in January and his first opening-round defeat in 31/2 years.

This was Murray's second career victory over Federer.

It is just the second time since 2003 that Federer lost two consecutive matches.

In Salisbury, N.C., junior All-American Roberto Diaz shot an opening-round, three-under-par 68, helping USC Aiken to grab a four-stroke lead at the Richard Rendleman Invitational. The Pacers won the event last year.

In the 18-team, Division II field, USC Aiken shot a team total of even-par 284. Georgia College & State is second at four over par going into today's final round.

Diaz led four Pacers in the top 20. He sits in second place alone, one stroke back of the lead.

USC Aiken junior outfielder Gary Owens was named the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week on Monday.

The Greenville, S.C., native batted .563 and had a slugging percentage of 1.125 in four games last week.

In Aiken, sophomore Toni Flessate scattered six hits in a complete game, 7-0 victory for USC Aiken over Wingate.

Wingate (11-9) won Game 1 of the doubleheader, 13-2.

USC Aiken improved its record to 8-13 on the season.

l Augusta State's non- conference doubleheader against Lenoir-Rhyne, scheduled for today, has been re-scheduled for March 17 at 1 p.m. at Jaguar Field because of the threat of inclement weather.

In Charlotte, N.C., a NASCAR appeals committee overturned all the penalties levied against Rusty Wallace Racing for an infraction discovered on David Stremme 's car before the season-opening Nationwide Series race.

Previously, Stremme and car owner Ed Rensi were docked 25 points, and crew chief Steve Darne was suspended six races and fined $15,000 because NASCAR said the cover on the oil tank was not securely fastened.

In New York, Roger Gill , a sprinter who competed for Guyana at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, was killed in a Brooklyn car crash. He was 35.

The car in which Gill was riding hit an unoccupied box truck early Sunday. He died at a hospital, police said.

In Anchorage, Alaska, Gerry Willomitzer took the early lead at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Willomitzer, of Whitehorse, Yukon, was jockeying for first place with defending champion Lance Mackey .