MELBOURNE, Australia — Michael Phelps set his third world record in as many days Thursday, winning the 200-meter individual medley at the world championships.

Phelps used the same strategy he employed in winning the 200 freestyle and 200 butterfly — go to the lead off the starting blocks and stay there.

He came home in 1 minute, 54.98 seconds, bettering his old mark of 1:55.84 set in August at the Pan Pacific championships.

Phelps became the first swimmer to win three world titles in the 200 IM and earned his record 14th world championship medal.

Not to be outdone by Phelps, the U.S. women's 800 freestyle relay took back the world record from Germany, winning by 3.73 seconds after barely scraping into the final.

NEW YORK — Frank Young and the West Virginia Mountaineers shot past Clemson Thursday to their first NIT title in 65 years.Young scored 24 points, including six 3-pointers, and De'Sean Butler added 20 points to help West Virginia beat Clemson 78-73 in the NIT championship. Young was named the tournament's most outstanding player.It was the Mountaineers' first NIT title since 1942, when Rudy Baric led West Virginia over Western Kentucky.Area girls collect basketball honorsJence Rhoads of Slippery Rock and Tiffany Corle of Union were named girls basketball players of the year in District 10 and 9, respectively, by the Western Pennsylvania Youth Basketball Club.Slippery Rock's Karly and Kourtney Rhoads were named District 10 Freshmen of the Year.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Lorena Ochoa took her first step toward overtaking Annika Sorenstam as the No. 1 women's golfer in the world.On Thursday, Ochoa hit it close enough at the Kraft Nabisco Championship to make five birdies and open with a 3-under 69 in tough conditions, leaving her one shot behind Shi Hyun Ahn in the first major of the year.The 25-year-old Mexican star needs a victory this week to become No. 1.Sorenstam, meanwhile, struggled.Ahn took the lead on a sun-soaked day in the desert, overcoming some jitters about being in a major and staying true to her plan of not taking her golf so seriously. She made six birdies in her round of 4-under 68.