Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) won its first NCAA Division III women’s golf title Friday in Destin, Fla.

While a breakthrough for a program that had been runner-up four times, what’s more remarkable is that the Crusaders are the first team other than Methodist (N.C.) to wear the crown.

The NCAA began conducting separate tournaments for Division II and Division III women’s golf in 2000, and every year Methodist walked away champion.

Including the last two years of the combined Division II and Division III tournament, Methodist had been champion each of the last 15 years.

That was the longest active title streak in all of NCAA sports and was third all time behind the 31 consecutive Division III men’s swimming titles by Kenyon (Ohio) and 17 consecutive women’s swimming titles by Kenyon.

Mary Hardin-Baylor won this year’s golf title eight strokes ahead of runner-up Texas-Tyler. Methodist was 20 strokes behind while finishing third. Texas-Tyler’s Laura Lindsey was individual medalist, carding an 8-over 296, four shots ahead of runner-up Kelsey Morrison of George Fox (Ore.).

To help put Methodist’s streak in perspective, consider:

The mantle of longest active title streak now belongs to Division II Drury (Mo.) with nine in a row in men’s swimming.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

The Charlotte Bobcats might be short on history, but they could revive the city’s basketball past.

CBSSports.com reported Friday that the Bobcats are actively trying to change the franchise’s name back to the Hornets. Charlotte’s franchise bore the Hornets moniker for 14 seasons (1988-2002) until the team was moved to New Orleans.

The New Orleans Hornets elected to rename themselves the Pelicans this season.

The Charlotte Hornets went to the playoffs seven times, but the Bobcats have made just one postseason appearance in nine years.

NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, who replaces Commissioner David Stern in February 2014, said in April that it would take at least 18 months after a request for a name change to be granted to Charlotte.

Bobcats owner Michael Jordan said in November that returning to the Hornets nickname was “definitely an interest down the road.”

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

New York Jets running back Mike Goodson was arrested by New Jersey State Police on Thursday and charged with possession of a loaded firearm and simple possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, police spokesman Lt. Stephen Jones told USA TODAY Sports.

Jones said Goodson was the passenger in a car that was stopped in the left lane on Route 80 in Denville, N.J. for unknown reasons. Jones said a tow truck came upon the vehicle and called 911 when he noted both Goodson and the driver, Garant Evans, appeared intoxicated.

The spokesman said an ambulance was sent to the scene, and Goodson was taken to the hospital, treated and released into police custody.

According to a press release from the New Jersey State Police, both men were charged with possession of marijuana (under 50 grams), possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a loaded handgun and possession of hollow-point ammunition.

Evans, of Roselle, N.J., was also charged with possession of a weapon by persons prohibited because of a prior felony conviction. He was given motor vehicle summonses, including one for DWI.

Court records show Evans, 31, was convicted of felony possession of cocaine with intent to sell on school property in 2003. He served more than 19 months at the Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison for young adults in Chesterfield, N.J., before being paroled in 2005.

Goodson was released Saturday after posting $50,000 bail, the Morris Co. Sheriff’s Office said. Bail for Evans was set at $150,000, according to a New Jersey State Police release.

Earlier this month, the Jets cut defensive end Claude Davis and cornerback Cliff Harris one day after they were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. The two players, who were signed to reserve-future contracts in January, never played for the team.

Goodson signed a three-year contract worth $6.9 million as a free agent this offseason after four seasons with the Oakland Raiders. He and Chris Ivory, acquired in a trade from the New Orleans Saints, were expected to be the team’s top two backs to replace Shonn Greene, the former third-round pick who joined the Tennessee Titans this offseason.

The Jets said they are aware of the report and are gathering information.

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Ben McLemore said Friday he has had a relationship with Rodney Blackstock, a middleman who courted the Kansas standout on behalf of sports agents and financial advisers, since January.

“Rodney Blackstock has been great,” McLemore said in Chicago at the NBA pre-draft combine. “Since Day One, since I met him, we have got that bond and communicating very well. And that’s why I chose him to help me with this process.”

On May 4, USA TODAY Sports reported that Blackstock received complimentary admission as McLemore’s guest to Jayhawks home games on Feb. 2, 11 and March 4. Asked Friday by Derek Page of Hoopsworld why he wanted Blackstock at his games as a guest, McLemore said: “Just because, you know, it was a friend, I just wanted him to see me play, see, you know, the atmosphere there at Kansas, and just go to a game.”

McLemore’s former AAU coach Darius Cobb told USA TODAY Sports in the May 4 story that he accepted two cash payments of $5,000 during the regular season from Blackstock, the founder and CEO of Hooplife Academy, a sports mentoring organization based in Greensboro, N.C.

McLemore said that he was not aware that Cobb accepted money from Blackstock. And McLemore said he never accepted money, gifts or trips from Blackstock. Cobb said McLemore knew “little to none” about Blackstock’s financial involvement in the player’s life, nor did McLemore know that Cobb had accepted $10,000 from Blackstock.

McLemore also said Friday he and Blackstock traveled to Los Angeles for meetings with individuals who could help McLemore as he pursued a professional career. McLemore said he paid for the trip himself.

McLemore said the purpose of the trip was to “just go meet with people.”

“You know at the time I needed to meet with people, my mom wanted me to meet with people, and that’s what happened,” he said. “I am pretty sure I paid for the trip. I paid for the trip. So it came out of my pockets and you know, the whole thing, I think, you know, like I said, the whole Darius Cobb, the AAU coach, it’s just basically a personal attack on Rodney, so I will leave it at that.”

Cobb also said he received three all-expense paid trips to Los Angeles – and that a cousin of McLemore’s, Richard Boyd, accompanied him on two of them – for meetings in January and February with sports agents and financial advisers hoping to represent McLemore if he left for the NBA. Cobb provided travel itineraries and photos taken of he and Boyd on the trips. Boyd denied making the trips with Cobb.

McLemore declared for the NBA draft on April 9. He scored a team-high 15.9 points per game at Kansas this season and is projected to be picked early in the June 27 NBA draft, perhaps first overall.

McLemore said Cobb is trying to personally attack Blackstock because “the things he (Cobb) was just doing was not trying to help me, was not trying to help benefit my family … Rodney Blackstock was doing those things …

“As you can see now, the process is going great. He (Blackstock) helped me a lot, and you know, like I said, I’ve been through a lot so far and he been there trying to help me, you know, get through this process.”

Contributing: Derek Page of Hoopsworld.

Eric Prisbell, a national college basketball reporter for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @EricPrisbell.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

The Seattle Seahawks once again have lost a key defensive player because of a failed test for performance enhancing drugs.

Defensive end Bruce Irvin, Seattle’s first-round pick last year, will miss the first four games of 2013, the NFL announced Friday. Irvin said in a statement he would not appeal.

“I want to apologize to my teammates, coaches and Seahawks fans for making a mistake when I took a substance that is prohibited in the NFL without a medical exemption. I am extremely disappointed in the poor judgment I showed and take full responsibility for my actions,” Irvin said in the statement.

The Seahawks had to play four games late last season without starting cornerback Brandon Browner after he tested positive for Adderall, which is considered a banned substance without a medical prescription. Cornerback Richard Sherman won an appeal for his own four-game suspension for a positive test for Adderall.

Irvin was not a starter as a rookie, but had eight sacks as part of the Seahawks’ defensive line rotation. He is expected to compete for a starting job this season. Irvin will be allowed to participate in offseason workouts and training camp before starting his suspension the first week of the regular season.

With Irvin out, free agent addition Cliff Avril should have little trouble winning the starting job at right defensive end.

Irvin will miss games against the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans.

“I will not appeal the discipline and instead will focus my energy on preparing for the season so I can begin earning your trust and respect again,” Irvin said in his statement. “I look forward to contributing to the team the moment I return.”

Irvin posted a tweet that said in part: “It’s crazy to see your name run across the ticker for negative things. I messed up and I feel so bad and have been depressed for weeks now. I’ve had sleepless nights because I knew when this came out, I would let so many people down, including myself. I have worked so hard to rebuild my image and it takes another blow. I see the negative comments and the positive and both drive me to come back and have an incredible season.”

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

CONCORD, N.C. — Carl Edwards’ team gave Dick Trickle one last ride by putting the late driver’s name above his door on Friday.

Together, Edwards and Trickle will start on the pole position for Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

Edwards mastered the unconventional qualifying format — which requires drivers to make a four-tire pit stop in the midst of their three time trial laps — better than anyone else on Friday night and gave Trickle’s fans something to smile about in a heartbreaking time.

Trickle, a short-track racing legend, took his own life Thursday afternoon in a cemetery 40 miles northwest of Charlotte.

With Trickle’s name on Edwards car — above both the driver’s side and passenger’s side windows — Edwards used a fast pit stop to snag the pole with an overall time of 111.297 seconds.

“I didn’t know if I deserved to have that name above my door,” said Edwards, who added he once thought Trickle was “the toughest human being alive.”

Edwards said Trickle was “a hero to over half the crew” because he has many crewmen who hail from the Midwest. In addition, crew chief Jimmy Fennig was Trickle’s crew chief when the driver won NASCAR rookie of the year honors in 1989.

“Hopefully his family is doing as best they can,” Edwards said. “Hopefully he’s in a better place and we’re honoring him by doing that.”

Kurt Busch (112.447) was second, followed by Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano.

This year, NASCAR removed the pit road speed limits for qualifying, which meant drivers screamed their way off Turn 4 and most of the way down pit road before trying to time their stop at precisely the right spot.

“To execute coming on pit road at 157 mph, it’s pretty wild,” Kurt Busch said. “It’s like a step back in time to throw caution to the wind and let her rip.”

Edwards entered pit road at 154 mph and stopped his car in the pit box at precisely the right spot. His overall time edged Busch and Biffle, who said “the hair was standing up on the back of my neck doing this.”

Logano carried the fastest speed coming down pit road — 158 mph — but barely overshot his pit box and ended up fifth.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the second-fastest time, but he had a five-second penalty for a loose lugnut which dropped him to 15th.

Some drivers, such as Jimmie Johnson, had some difficulty. Johnson slid through his pit box and also had a five-second penalty for a loose lugnut, which left him 18th out of 19 drivers. Kevin Harvick’s time was disallowed altogether after he went over his pit box line and the crew changed his tires anyway.

Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr. and Jamie McMurray will make up the front row for the preliminary Sprint Showdown race, in which the top two drivers and a fan vote winner transfer to the main event.

Follow Jeff Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck

*****

Sprint All-Star Race lineup

Here’s the starting lineup for Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race:

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.