wolves/nba

Alan Horton, who called WNBA games for the Seattle Storm and served as a studio host for the SuperSonics on radio, has been hired to do play-by-play for Timberwolves games on BOB 106 FM.

Horton replaces Brian Sieman, who left after one season to become the voice of the Los Angeles Clippers. Horton also will call Lynx games on the same station.

"We listened to Alan's tape and loved his call," Ted Johnson, the Wolves' senior vice president of marketing and communications, said Wednesday. "We spent a lot of time talking to him and made sure he was a good fit for where we're going as an organization."

Horton's radio play-by-play experience includes work for the San Diego Padres and San Diego State football, as well as men's and women's basketball and baseball. He also had been serving as the executive producer of the Sonics Radio Network.

Horton will be an employee of the Wolves and work with analyst Billy McKinney. Their first broadcast will be the Oct. 20 preseason game against Milwaukee.

JUDD ZULGAD

Plata finishes 13th in Rhodes triathlon

Minneapolis native Victor Plata finished 13th in the Rhodes BG Triathlon World Cup on Monday, making him eligible to compete in the two events that will determine the U.S. Olympic team next summer.

Plata, who lives and trains in California, was the highest finisher among U.S. men. He finished the race in Rhodes, Greece, in 1 hour, 53 minutes and 11 seconds, 1:18 behind winner Kris Gemmell of New Zealand.

Etc.

• Wednesday was originally the night when English soccer superstar David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy played an exhibition match at the Metrodome. That match was postponed last month because Beckham suffered a knee injury, but no new date has been announced. The Thunder is sponsoring the match, and the team's contract with the Galaxy stipulates Beckham must be part of the match here.

• The Gophers-Penn State women's soccer match Oct. 21 at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium will start at 11 a.m. instead of 1 p.m. That match is scheduled to be televised by the Big Ten Network at 7 p.m. Oct. 22.