The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, August 30, 1996 Page: 16 of 20
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16 FRIDAY. AUGUST 30. 1996
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THE RICE THRESHER
Sports
WHiuim I orii I,ikos our (it the h,tM •iwuif/.s th.il marked his 1996 season
lUCli IIIllKSIIliK I
ATHLETICS
Morales ushers in a new
era in volleyball at Rice
David Gordon
i untie v. iiiiH'ttV'ilirybal! loam,
last • 11 had many "firsts." The
< )\\ i , made thou' Cu—-1 i fivision i A
post m'.niii appearance in tho Na
!i(>jia 1 Invitational Volleyball Cham
piuie-Oiips. They putted their first
<. onloronce wins in almost Co hi sea-
simvv l lie\ reached 20 wins for the
first time 'since 1989:
I'lie to,1m lfa<l their first' ever
. Uivisiou 1-A All-Americans when
Sammy Waldron was named to the
American Volleyball Coaches
Association's (Serond team and
I >at c> ( ruikshank earned academic
All America recognition.
As the beginning of the 1090 sea
Mm approaches tho "firsts" just kei >p
e< mi in;.: This season will he the first
that the ()w|s compete in the West
er11 Athletic C onloronce
It will ako he their first year uti
der a new coach.
Julio Morales lakes the reins from
Henry (. hen as head coach o! the
squad. Morales' previous position
was head coach of the Puerto Rieari"
national teams, men's and women's.
Previously, he coached both the
men's and women's teams of his
alma mater, the t 'nivorsily ol Puerto
Rico
hi -his 1 '1 seasons at the helm,
% Morales has compiled a 114-27
record. As coach ol women's teams,'
he is *>(>■? over six seasons.
Morales holds a master's degree
in health and physical education
Ironi the t nivorsily ol Housfoil and
a doctorate in kinesiology from the
University of Maryland
M orales has added Jose Santiago,
a former MVP for the University of
Puerto Rico, as an assistant coach
Santiago is currently an assistant
coach at Indiana S'taTe Univ< i 'STfv
He joins assistant Latisha Brown.
•a ho is beginning her fourth year as
an assistant.
Team leaders look to be junior
middle blocker Tiffany Carrethers
and junior setter Carolyn Sarnecki.
Carre! tiers was a first-team All South
west Conference selection last sea-
sou, and Sarnecki broke the SWT
single-season set record with a total
of 1,-721.
Also expected to plav a.promi-
nent role on the team" are senior
Jennifer Sloan, senior Rebecca Case
and sophomore Lisa Sweeney. The
three outside hitters face the diffi-
cult task < f replacing Waldron. a
three-time All SWC first team mem
her.
Three talented freshman join the
squad this year. Kelly Smith, a 5-11
outside hitter from Kdmon'd. (>kla .
led her team lo.lhree straight Okla-
homa state championships
Soleil Thou, a fi-f? setter from
Sugar Land, was twice named tour-
nament MVP of the TAPPS-3A state
tournament.
Karolina Zelinka, a 6-0 outside
hitter/middle blocker from Hous-
ton, earned All (.reater Houston hon-
ors in 1995.
The ()wl$begin the season today
in hvanston. 111., where they are com-
peting in the Holiday Inn Wildcat
Invitational ^
They face Southwest Missouri
State I 'niversitv and North Carolina
State University today
On Saturday, the Owls face Kan
sas State University andNorthwest-
ern University. 'Hie Owls will hove
home arid away series this year
against the seven teams in iheWAC's
Mountain Division. .
Aftx Chapman
SfMiii lulitYH
Things looked bleak for the base-
ball team as they headed into the
Sou t h west C on ference's postseason
tournament.
I lie Owls had lost two of three
games against a weak University of
Houston team, falling into a tie for
last place in the regular season. They
lost centerfielder Bubba Crosby, a
Second-team All-SWC selection,to
injury for the rest of the year in the
final game of the regular season
against Oklahoma State University.
The consensus among pundits
was that a strong performance in
the conference championships, and
perhaps even a victory, would be
required for participation in the
NCAA Tournament. And with their
backs lo the wall, the Owls came out
fighting.
The first game of the tournament
was against Texas A&M University,
whom the Owls had swept during
the regular season. Rice exploded
early to a (>-0 lead, only to fall back to
a 7-7 tie when Texas A&M's Jeff
Bailey hit a three-run home run off
Matt Anderson in the bottom of the
seventh inning. The Owlscatne back
with two runs in the top of the eighth
for a 9-7 victory and a game against
Texas Tech University,
Texas Tech was a perennial top-
10 team and the second-most pro-
lific offense in the country at over
ten runs a game, but the Red Haid-
ers proved unable to deal with the
battery of pitcher Dana Davis and
catcher Tim McLaughlin. Davis
pitched a complete game, allowing a
paltry three runs on eight hits.
McLaughlin drove in six of Rice's
seven runs.
The final game of the winner's
bracket was against the University
of Texas, the top seed in the confer-
ence and winner in all four regular
jseason contests. FreshmanStephen
Bess picked up his seventh victory
of th.e season backed by home runs
by Jacques lan dry, lance Berk man
and Jeff Venghaus. Rice,won 9 to 6.
Texas won the loser's bracket to
set up a championship rematch, but
the Owls dominated and emerged
with a 16 to 8 victory, their fourth in
a row against a top-25 opponent, to
win the final Southwest Conference
tournament. Landry hit a grand slam
in the seventh inning of the clincher
and was named Tourname.nl Most
Valuable Player.
As a result. Rice was seeded third
in the Midwest Regional. After ham-
mering the University of Missouri
17-4 behind a strong effort from Will
Ford, the Owls lost for the first time
in the postseason to defending na-
tional champion University of Cali-
fornia at Fullerton 7-3. llie Owls
regrouped and defeated Indiana 11-
8. with Lance Berkman hitting two
home runs and driving in six.
The next game was a rematch
against Cal State-Fuflerton in the
losers' bracket final. Berkman qgain
led the way as tHe Owls eliminated
the Titans 13-10.
In the regional championship, to
determine participation in the Col-
lege World Series, the Owls faced
regional host Wicbita State Univer-
sity.The Shockers defeated the O wls
H>6 to end the season.
The SWC Post-Season Tourna-
ment Championship is the first SWC
championship in school history.
For the season, Rice had a record
of 42 wins and 23 losses. Forty-two
victories is a new record for Rice,
although it is not the highest win-
ning percentage in school history.
'Hie Owls had a final national
ranking of 17, but had ranked as
high as ninth in the national rankings
during the season.
The Owls have recruited a large
class to replace not only the seniors
butShaun Onley and Venghaus, who
turned professional.
Rice athletes make their mark
upon the centennial Olympics
Heather McDermicl becomes first female Owl medalist
Alex Chapman
V"""U t-.ihror
Rice University, and in particular
its strong track and field program,
produced seven Olympians in 1996,
including its first female medalist.
Five alumni and two undergradu-
ates competed for four countries in
seven events in Atlanta.
Heather McDermid, a former
Rice University track athlete, be-
came Rice's first female Olympic
medalist, and Rice's first silver med-
alist, as a member of the Canadian
women's eight with coxswain team.
The Canadian women's eight,
with Mcl >crmid in the bow, finished
five seconds behind the Romanian
squad, The Canadian team utilized a
late push to pass the fourth place
Americans and the Belarussian
bronze medalists. ■■ ■• *
A 1990 graduate, bjr career at
Riceintruded all American status in
1989 and 1990, and Rice women's
track MVPin 1990. She continues to
hold Rice's 800-meter record.
She was a strong contender for
the 1992 Canadian Olympic track
and field team when a stress frac-
ture to her ankle forced her to leave
the sport.
Bryan Bronson ran the 400
meters for the United States, ad-
vancing from his preliminary heat to
the semifinals, where he ran over a
second slower than his preliminary
time and failed to make the finals.
Bronson was an Ail-American in
1992 and 1993, winning an NCAA
championship in the 400 meters in
1993. Bronson plans to complete the
final six credit hours for his degree
this year.
Rosey Fdeh is Rice's first three-
time Olympian. She finished sixth
in the world in the women's 400
meter hurdles at the centennial
Olympics, setting a new Canadian
record of 54.39 seconds. The new
record was actually an improvement
over Fdeh's own mark.
Heather McDermid
A 1990 graduate, she lost in the
preliminary heat in 1988 in Seoul in
t lie 400-meter hurdles. In Barcelona
in 1992, she participated in the semi-
final round in the 400-meter hurdles
and was a member of Canada's 4x
400-meter relay team, which finished
fourth.
Cherita Howard, entering her
senior year at Rice, was scheduled
to compete in the long jump for Bar-
bados. However, an injury immedi-
ately before the Atlanta Olympics
forced her to withdraw, Howard par-
ticipates in the long jump and the.
triple jump for Rice? She set the Rice
record for the long jump in 1996.
Adam Setliff, who left Ricein 1991.
competed for the United States in
discus, finishing 12th in the finals.
In 199f>, he had the 10th best
throw in the world. Setliff came to
Rice in 1988, but became truly suc-
cessful after leaving the school to
compete "on his own. He plans to
complete his requirements for a Rice
degree in English next year.
v Melissa St raker followed a path
similar to Cherita Howard. Also en-
tering her senior year at Rice, she
attended the same high school in
Barbados. They share the same
major.
St raker ran for Barbados in the
400 meters. She finished sixth in
her preliminary heat.
Sean Wade competed for his na-
tive New Zealand in the marathon,
finishing 83rd in the field of 124
runners.
Wade was among the leaders in
the early portion of the race, but a
quadricep injury suffered before the
Olympics hampered his perfor-
mance.
While the Rice athletes in Atlanta
represented the largest contingent
in school history. Rice has been rep-
resented as far back as 1928, when
Claude Bracey competed for the
United States in the 100-yard race.
Track teams weather tough SWC meet
David Gordon
\wb .V/lr irl\ Elllhit'
•Perhaps it was a fitting ending
for the last group of athletes repre-
senting the Southwest Conference,
— perhaps the top track and field
conference of all time.
The final SWC Outdoor Track
Championships were hostel Uy
They also play a home and avfay~ /-TexasTech Unversity.in Lubbock in
series with WAC Pacific Division ^May. Competition was fierce, and so
member Air Force Academy, and
several difficult non-conference
maiehfv """
were the conditions. Competitors
had t < > face t emperat ures in the 100's
and strong winds blbwihj? said"
across the track.
, Cherjta Howards was the Owls'
only conference champion, earning
the honor in th.e triple jump. She set
a new stadium record with a win-
ning mark of 43 feet, 7 1/4 inches.
She also placed third in the long
jump with a leap of 20-11 3/4.
Other notable performances
were provided by Trisha Harris,
Tammy IVIeCallum, Shaquandra
Rqjpprson and Andrea Blaekett. *
Harris earned a second-place fin-
ish in the discus with a throw of
163-4.
MeCallum joined Harris at tho
top of the SWC shot put results,
McCallum's throw of, 46~3/4was
good for second. Harris followed
with a sixth place 41-2 1/2. ( J
Roberson, competing in her first'
conference meet, placed second in
the 1,500 meters and fourth in the
800with timesof4:37.36 and 2:15.05.
Blaekett earned another second-
place finish for the team with a 58.77
in the 400 hurdles. In theJOOhurdles,
she placed fifth.
The team also finished well in
the relay events, placing second in
the mile and fourth in the 400.
'see track page TS
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Beard, Marty & Rao, Vivek. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, August 30, 1996, newspaper, August 30, 1996; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth246543/m1/16/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.