The postseason version of the Big Splash was all Stanford.

The No. 1 Cardinal opened up a 6-1 lead over No. 2 Cal in the NCAA women's water polo championship match Sunday and cruised to a 9-5 victory at the University of Michigan. It was Stanford's second national title, adding to its crown in 2002.

The Bears (26-5) were playing in their first-ever championship match. Cal won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Annika Dries led Stanford (28-1) with five goals. The Cardinal has beaten the Bears 31 straight times dating back to 2000.

  • Top-ranked Cal won three of four races to easily capture its fourth straight Pac-10 women's crew championship in Sacramento.

  • Cal (18-6) advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA women's tennis tournament with a 4-1 win over visiting USC (15-8) in the second round.

  • Cal's softball team (39-10) earned the No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament and will play at the double-elimination Louisville Regional beginning Friday. Stanford (38-15) is the No. 15 seed and will host a regional.

    Tennis

    Novak Djokovic extended his recent mastery over top-ranked Rafael Nadal with a 6-4, 6-4 win in the Italian Open final that stretched the Serb's unbeaten start this year to 37 matches. Earlier, Maria Sharapova beat Sam Stosur 6-2, 6-4 in the woman's final for the biggest clay-court title of her

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    career.

    Motor sports

    Matt Kenseth pulled away late on the strength of a two-tire pit stop to win the Sprint Cup race at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Kenseth led the final 32 laps to win for the second time this season. He also won at Texas and became the third driver to win twice this season.

  • Antron Brown raced to his second Top Fuel victory of the year, beating teammate Tony Schumacher in the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

    Hockey

    Relatives and fans of Derek Boogaard shed tears as they remembered the former NHL tough guy as a "teddy bear" who was as generous and kind as he was burly and tough, a somber end to a weekend during which his distraught family agreed to donate his brain to medical researchers.

    The 28-year-old Boogaard was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment Friday, five months after he suffered a season-ending concussion with the New York Rangers.

    Boogaard's agent and a spokeswoman for the Boston University School of Medicine confirmed that his brain will be examined for signs of a degenerative disease often found in athletes who suffer repeated hits to the head.

  • Finland scored five late goals to beat Sweden 6-1 and claim its second title at the ice hockey world championship in Bratislava, Slovakia.

    Olympics

    Kenyan Olympic marathon champion Sammy Wanjiru died early Monday after jumping from a balcony, police said. He was 24. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Wanjiru became the first Kenyan to win a gold medal in the marathon.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.