Fast Break

Motor racing

Zanardi completes return

Alex Zanardi, who lost both legs in a crash five years ago, completed his return to Formula One on Saturday by becoming the first double amputee to test drive an F1 car.

The 40-year-old Italian drove 14 laps in a modified BMW-Sauber C24-B car at the Cheste circuit in Valencia, Spain.

“It’s fantastic,” Zanardi said. “When I dropped my visor, the emotions were very heavy. It was pure pleasure being back in a fantastic race car.

“I do understand this is about much more than just driving a race car. To put a guy with no legs in an F1 car is something very special.”

Zanardi, who last drove an F1 car in 1999, lost his legs in a racing crash in September 2001 in the CART series, now known as the Champ Car World Series.

College football

Carroll’s run of titles ends

Jason Banning rushed for 65 yards and scored on a 2-yard run with 3:08 remaining to lift St. Xavier of Illinois to a 14-7 playoff victory over four-time defending NAIA champion Carroll College (10-2) in Helena, Mont.

No. 4 Carroll (10-2) scored first on a 28-yard touchdown pass from John Barnett to Travis Browne with 9:05 left in the half.

No. 9 St. Xavier (11-2) tied the score on a 15-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Jeremy Zientek to Andy Ricca with 1:45 left in the third quarter. Starter Billy Yeo left the game with a mild concussion before halftime and was unable to return.

It snowed during much of the game and the field was slippery. The temperature at kickoff was 14 degrees.

Baseball

Bloomquist gets another year

At a time in baseball’s off-season when teams focus on the holes in their starting lineups, the Seattle Mariners already have settled a spot on their bench for the next two years.

The Mariners announced Saturday that they have agreed on a one-year contract extension with reserve infielder/outfielder Willie Bloomquist. It keeps him under contract through 2008.

Bloomquist signed a two-year, $1.52 million contract with the M’s last off-season.