The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 85, No. 36, Ed. 1, Wednesday, February 12, 1997 Page: 4 of 6
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Texas Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Abilene Christian University Library.
- Highlighting
- Highlighting On/Off
- Color:
- Adjust Image
- Rotate Left
- Rotate Right
- Brightness, Contrast, etc. (Experimental)
- Cropping Tool
- Download Sizes
- Preview all sizes/dimensions or...
- Download Thumbnail
- Download Small
- Download Medium
- Download Large
- High Resolution Files
- IIIF Image JSON
- IIIF Image URL
- Accessibility
- View Extracted Text
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
BBDH
SqwaqBjBggapcrviai
MWfim(Vjt'it4MfVWi ta
M-J w a r ' tnr ?-- ""
j
cm - '
s 4 V J
Page 4 Wednesday Feb.12. 19?
1
A
i-
'ill''
&
i j! fa.
'-HT
r Optimist
HBBIJl ' . ' . "
S
U
I f
Vi
Track teams sprint toward nationals
;.j. By Jared Schroeder
Sports Editor
"jU
?-
:.
2".
si;
Head track coach Wcs Klttley showed
one reason why he Is the South
Central Coach of the Month for January
this weekend; by his splitting the track
teams into three parts to help athletes
have the best opportunities to qualify for
the national meet was a success.
All four athletes Klttlcy sent to the
Frank Sevigne Invitational meet in
Lincoln Neb. earned automatic qualifi-
cation for the Division II Indoor
National Championship meet in
Indianapolis March 7-8.
Klttlcy said the four athletes he sent to
the Oklahoma Track Classic all had.
good races.
Seven athletes improved their qualify-
ing times or qualified provisionally at
the Red Raider Indoor meet in Lubbock.
"I think we will have 19 men and 13"
women have a good chance to go to
nationals" Klttlcy said. "Nineteen men
is more than ever and we only qualified
eleven women last year."
ACU has three meets remaining in the
indoor season. Provisionally qualified
athletes will fill positions in the national
meet that have not been taken by auto-
matic qualifiers. Automatically qualified
athletes have reached preset marks that
give them the eligibility to compete in
the national meet.
Vivian Ruijters sophomore 'from
Eindhqvcn Netherlands qualified auto-
matically in the 5000 meters with a time
of 16:56.22. She finished fourth overall.
David Kernel junior from Eldorct
Kenya; Thomas Korir senior from
Eldorct Kenya; and Fallody Moonga
senior from Mazabuka Zambia also
qualified automatically in the 5000
meters.
Kernel finished second overall with a
time of 14:11.23.
"I was so pleased with Nebraska' to
take four people up there and have them
qualify" Klttlcy said.
For the women Miranda Boonstra
freshman from Alphen aid Rljn
Netherlands was the lone ACU auto-
matic qualifier at the Oklahoma Track
Classic. Boonstra Improved her time
from 5:06.26 to 5:04.77.
Sayon Cooper senior from German-
town Md. finished first In the 60-meter
dash at the Oklahoma meet
Cooper was named Athlete of the
Month by the Division II Track fix Field
Coaches Association last week. He ran a
6.2 In the 55-meter dash which was
good enough time to qualify automatl-
Wildcats barely defeat Pioneers
keep home-court win streak alive
By Jennifer Fierro
Sports Writer
Never underestimate the heart of a champion
especially one tliat is enjoying a 33-game
home winning streak.
Trailing and struggling offensively women's head
basketball coach Suzanne Fox switched her man-to-man
defense to a 2-3 zone which allowed the
Wildcats to take the win 65-61.
"Our defense got In a defensive zone and shut
down Texas Womans" she said.
ACU ranked No. 5 nationally and tied for first in
the Lone Star Conference trailed until the 7:34
mark.
But a no-look pass from forward Erica Knight
junior from Ardmore Okla. in the middle of the
lane to center Aukse Steponaviciute for a backside
layup gave ACU a one point lead 52-51. The
Wildcats never relinquished that lead.
The Wildcats made 21 of 54 field goals for 39
percent shooting the second game in a row they
have shot in the 30 percent range. Fox said the
team Is trying its best.
ML still think we're .working hard" she said. "We
had lots of great looks at the basket. We want
those shots to start falling for us and not rolling
out."
Another one of die keys was rebounding when
ACU had to have boards the head coach said. Late
in the contest the Pioneers were not given clean
boles at the basket which meant more rebounding
opportunities.
"Thais the thing we told the kids" Fox said.
"Offense Is something you work on. The tfiing
you've got to be consistent on is your rebounding
and your defense."
The Wildcats were led by point guard Cheree
Mondens 15 points 12 in the first half and
IbibbVbb ' vMkHRAlBBflfiJBtffMHBiBSLiwwflflB
HMWKfw&wrf? JMMgjHPeBBriHwiaWfiBBMHlNiMiBiiBHIHHiUBBfc. ufiQ9Sufi0uk9Hllflf wttfi8feHH9lHfB9iHH
MBMKBDWHBWMBwlBBMImBw&iaWK VSHflH&flffiSNFflttEci hkdv Pnwr Qn&Bikr nHflMHNw uJBUuQMuulflHIkHBkkkkkkn
cally.
h. Wat a lot of Division 11 runners'
Klttlcy said. "We didn't get beaten by1
any Division II people."
Ranessa Crawford senior from Evant
almost qualified automatically in the
weight throw with a throw of 49 feet 11
inches. She needs a throw of 56 feet to
qualify automatically. Crawford Is
already provisionally qualified.
In the nign jump jaimc naumarK
sophomore from Abilene improved her
cMtnn hm iumo from five feet four and
a half inches to five foot seven and three
quarters. She is three quarters of an Inch
froni automatic qualification.
Netters .
win
weekend
matches h
By Norman Poppell
Student Reporter
Tulle Mavity's service break of
I Laura Brady In womenls No. 1
singles provided the the high
point as the womenls tcnnlsT
team defeated Trinity University
Saturday 5-4 giving the men
and women an undefeated
weekend.
The men defeated their Trinity
counterparts 7-2 Saturday with
the singles players going a per-
fect 6-0
In the womenls match the
teams were tied at four matches
each and Mavity and Brady
were knotted at five games piece
a in the third and final set. After
Mavity broke serve she held her
own serve to win the set and
give ACU the overall team victory-
Mtfwttbodf
Slam dancing
Barbara Pyle senior from Abilene and Jill kurschner sophomore from Maple Grove Minn. look on as Erica Knight Junior from
Ardmore Okla. collides with TWU's Bekah Nancarow during ACU's 65-61 victory Saturday.
seven
rebounds. Steponaviciute added 13 points and six
rebounds.
The top two players on the 2-3 zone were aggressive in
forcing steak for their teammates Fox said.
"Our back people came out and helped" the head coach
said.
After the game the team honored its seniors Barbara
Pyle from Abilene Jennifer Hayard from Huntington
Steponaviciute from Vilinus Lithuania and Monden
from Stinnett.
Pyle Havard and Steponaviclte have an overall record of
96-20 Uielr four years in the program and have three post-
season appearances.
Monden a transfer from Frank Philips Junior College
helped establish a record of 51-4 the last two years
including last seasons Elite Eight berth.
Softball team begins with two victories
The softball program began its first season in the right
direction by defeating the. University of Texas-
Permian Basin 20-1 and 13-2 In Odessa last weekend.
In the first game Shelly Owen junior from Carlsbad
N.M. pitched five innings allowing only one hit and one
5.run.
;$ Both games were five Innings long because the Wildcats
exceeded the 10-run rule.
jljS ACU scored nine runs in the first Inning and seven in
;3JHHHKr2?' ' flVHHBjBJBjBJBJBJBjMBJBHBJBJBJBJH
vkkkkkkkkHl V?vV kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkSkkkkBkkkkkkkkH
'kkkkakvyrik HkBkkVkkHkkakBII
vBvBBlBBMHHHHBHHr'j T.friBMflBeBflfeSBM99HflBlBBl
.3BBBBBBBBBBrflRL.uMSSr-'t lBBBHHiHB9BHBBK!9.rMflBBflRBBBBBl
fBBBBBBBBBJHK MHiii?7&2uflB BBBBBRBNuSflBjfi IBBt BBBI
IZliS&EfllaBflKuBQiBBHHBEIwHBiBBBBBBBi
?'PPBBR -BTffiCSTiniTiBKiaiKiiBrWWiW'BBBBKSBBB)
the fourth inning. '
ACU 2-0 was led by Leanne Mahan freshman from
Bakersfield Calif. who was four for four at the plate and
registered five RBIs.
Teela Clark sophomore from Clyde was also four for
four with three RBIs and two triples.
Misty Berry freshman from Grand Prairie earned the
win in the second game. Berry allowed two runs and four
hits In five Innings
Eight of the 10 batters the Wildcats sent to the plate had
at least one hit in the second game.
ACU as a team is hitting .534 while their opponents are
hitting at .135.
UTPB compiled five hits and were struck out 11 times
in the two five inning games. '
The softball team will travel to Fort Worth to play a two
game series against Texas Wcslyan University Friday. First
pitch will be at 1 p.m.
Sluggers split
By Jared Schroeder
Sports Editor
Mtfitel Woods
: bounding the bases
vjjhird baseman Brandon McNab and second baseman Ronny Haring
25neet catcher Casey Cross who hit a game winn'ng home run.
Casey Cross hit a two-run home run In the
eighth inning to vln the second game of the
Wildcat's season-opening series against Schrelner
college 11-10 at Crutcher Scott Field Saturday.
ACU 1-1 lost e first game 15-7 Friday. The
third game of the series was canceled because of
wet weather conditions.
"We were in position to take the lead and he did
more than what I askeQ" head baseball coach Britt
Bonneau said. "I told him to swing away."
Cross senior from Mount Pleasant said "I was
looking for a fastball.'. He threw me a fastball right
over the plate"
The Wildcats dropped from ninth in the nation to
10th this week.
ACU allowed Schrelner to register 32 hits and 25
runs in the two games.
Bonneau said he expected to have good hitting
but was uncertain about the pitching and defense.
"Every game is going to be like that" the coach
said. One thing is for sure we are never out 'of the
game" ?' ." . . ' i .' '.""
The Wildcats led 5-2 going into the seventh
inning when the Mountaineers scored five runs on
three hits a wild pitch and an error by the ACU
third baseman.
"We need to learn how to play with a lead"
Bonneau said.
The victory was Bonneaus first as a head coach
He said he was glad to get his first victor)'.
Kyle Jenkins freshman from Dallas registered his
first college career win In Saturday's game by not
allowing an earned run in the final two innings.
"We had great pitching early and late in the
game" Bonneau said "We finally found someone
to put out the fire."
John David Perry Junior from Lake Jackson start-
ed the game for the Wildcats and pitched six
innings allowing four earned runs.
"J.D threw an outstanding game" the coach said.
In Fridays game the Wildcats fell behind 10-0
in the first four innings
Ronny Haring senior from Redding Calif. was
the first Wildcat to reach base when he was walked
in the fourth inning.
ACU scored three runs that inning but could not
i "i i r -? .j rf '
Keep aciucmcr irom scoring. v -f
If we stay
healthy and
everyone plays
to their potential
we can win
nationals
Hutton Jones ACU tennis
coach said he was disappointed
that the match was so close.
"1 was disappointed we were
tied at that point" Jones said.
The Wildcats "showed great
character and stability but we
still shouldn't have been in that
position" he said.
Jones said Uiat he was Imp-
ressed with Mavitys mental
toughness.
"In December Julie sprained
her ankle" Jones said. "Shcs
still not 100 percent and she
still Isn't in top condition."
Jones said he kept Mavity out
of Fridays match against Collin
County so she could rest.
Jones' No. 1 mens singles play-
er Dustin Hawk is also nursing
an Injury and was sat out
"Dustin has a strain In his
upper Achilles tendon and the
cold weather could have aggra-
vated it" Jones said. "David
Galloway did a good job of
replacing him at No. 1."
Hawk sophomore from Clyde
said the team is still rusty.
"We could just feel it" he said.
"This is our first time playing
together and we're Just not used
to each other.
"If we stay healthy and every-
one plays to their potential"
Hawk said "we can win nation-
als. The freshmen are looking
real good."
Both teams defeated Tnllln
County Friday. The women won
6-1 while the men shut out
J n. '
rnlllr. rVi..M... n n
B
5
J
t
t
a
I
r
$
x '
ipi fiftj&SSrSr"""
i
iMummkMm
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 85, No. 36, Ed. 1, Wednesday, February 12, 1997, newspaper, February 12, 1997; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth99724/m1/4/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.