PLUS SPORTS

BENGALS SIGN COPELAND: The Cincinnati Bengals signed top draft pickJohn Copeland. The Bengals did not disclose terms of the contract,which reportedly is worth $5.8 million for five years. READER ELIGIBLE AT BYU: Cory Reader, a 7-foot, 280-pound center fromBrisbane, Australia, will be allowed to play basketball for BrighamYoung after all, just not this season. The NCAA's Appeals Committeegranted Reader two years of eligibility to play at BYU, ending monthsof scrutiny by the NCAA staff brought about because Reader played ina pro league in Australia. RISKS TRACK BAN: IAAF president Primo Nebiolo said Algerian distancerunner Noureddine Morceli risks a two-month suspension and a ban fromthe 1996 Olympics in Atlanta if he boycotts the World Championships. HINTON IN FALCON CAMP: All-Pro offensive lineman Chris Hinton is incamp with the Atlanta Falcons, promising to end his holdout and startpractice as soon as the matter of his $88,000 in fines is settled.His agent, Ray Anderson, said he hopes to have Hinton's $4,000-a-dayin fines rescinded. The Falcons offered 12 days ago to reduce thefines to $1,000-a-day if Hinton reported to camp. U.S. SWIMMERS WIN: American swimmers dominated the Pan PacificSwimming Championships in Kobe, Japan, today as world record holderJenny Thompson won the women's 100-meter freestyle and fellowAmerican Jon Olsen took the men's event. SHARE LEAD: Norimi Terasawa and Mitsuyo Hirata each shot 71's todayto share a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the $583,000NEC Karuizawa, Japan, Ladies Golf Tournament. DUCKS SIGN KING: Free agent left wing Steven King signed amulti-year contract with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. King, 24, cameto the Mighty Ducks through the 1993 NHL expansion draft from the NewYork Rangers. He was the first player selected in the forwards phaseof the draft. DUQUESNE TO SUE: Duquesne University filed papers intending to suethe Midwest Collegiate Conference and seven current or former memberschools over Duquesne's ill-fated foray into the conference.Athletic director Brian Colleary said Duquesne was misled by the MCCinto thinking the conference would remain stable for several years.But months after Duquesne joined in 1992, Dayton withdrew, causingthe conference to lose its automatic NCAA Tournament bid because itdidn't have six teams in the conference for at least five years.Duquesne played an MCC schedule for one year and has returned to theAtlantic 10. PROST FASTEST: Alain Prost, continuing to dominate the Formula Onecircuit, held the provisional pole position today after the firstqualifying trials of the Hungarian Grand Prix in Mogyorod, Hungary.Prost has won the last four races and seven in all this year. He wasfollowed by Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill. HORSE VIRUS: About 200 thoroughbreds are quarantined at Ak-Sar-Benrace track in Omaha, Neb., while waiting out the incubation period ofan equine virus that has infected four horses. "We think we've got agood handle on it," Ak-Sar-Ben racing manager Billy Aliment said."We're hoping those horses will be able to leave by early nextweek." Many horses have been shipped out to other tracks sinceAk-Sar-Ben closed its 76-day meet Monday. Most of those horses wentto Agricultural Park in Columbus or The Woodlands in Kansas City,Kan. MUSTER, RIKL ADVANCE: Top-seeded Thomas Muster downed CtislavDosedel of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the semifinalsof the $300,000 San Marino tennis tournament. The 25-year-oldAustrian will play unseeded Czech David Rikl, who beat Jose Altur ofSpain 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).