The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 85, No. 48, Ed. 1, Wednesday, April 16, 1997 Page: 4 of 8
eight pages : illus. ; page 22 x 14 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
ijrwFMimMMyM
BmLam MlaMa.m....j
Page 4 'Wednesday April 16 1997
V'
'Jlif WvfHtffftm . I ( - j ?
i..
r Optimist
J r LJ K 1
! t
Cold stops runners from competing ''
; ty JmtmI 5chro4tr
Sports Editor
Competing without most of the
sprinters and distance runners
makes It tough to win a track meet but
that was not Important to head coach
Wes Kittlcy last weekend at the Angclo
State Relays.
What Kittlcy cared about was the
4'health of his athletes. The coach pulled
Jmost of his runners because of cold
windy weather conditions.
"We Just came out of a hard Texas
Relays and I didn't want anyone to get
hurt" Kittlcy said. "It wouldn't have
been smart to run just to ran."
The Lone Star Conference meet in
Stephenville this weekend and the
upcoming Penn Relays in Philadelphia
April 24-26 were also factors in the
decision.
Both the menj and women's teams fin-
ished second in the meet behind Angelo
State University. Southwest Texas State
University finished third in the men's
standings. Wayland Baptist was third in
the womenfc standings.
"When I run the distance runners or
sprinters that is a ton of points" Kitdey
said. "When you don't run them it
hurts. It wasn't that big a disappoint-
ment The scoring is not important."
Some sprinters ran in preliminaries
and did not compete in the finals
because it was colder when the finals
were run. Kittlcy said ASU ran the
majority of the events and other teams
also ran only preliminaries.
Weather did not stop the decathalon
and heptathlon competitors Thursday
Saturday. Renna Toniste won the hep-
tathlon with a score of 5037. Trafton
Rodgers finished sixth in the elite divi-
sion of the decathlon. His score of 7021
was enough to qualify for nationals.
Jason Wyatt was second in the interme-
diate division.
The Wildcats scored the majority of
their points in field events.
Tye Anderson won the triple jump
with a 50-1 jump and Quincy Crawford
was behind him with a 48-4 jump.
Glenn Griffin and Luke Hurst were
first and second in the shot put Griffin
registered a 58-foot throw and Hurst
threw a 56-1. Both have reached the
marks necessary for qualification in the
national meet Hurst was second in the
discus with a 154-02.
Monique Kuenen who is qualified in
the shot put but provisional in the dis-
cus did not throw Saturday because of
an injury she suffered at the Texas
Relays.
Yolanda Freeman finished third in the
triple jump improving her season best
by almost 10 inches.
High jumpers Traccy Gust and Jaime
Hallmark finished fourth and fifth. Gust
jumped 5-2 14 and Hallmark jumped
5-14.
Hallmark also finished second in the
100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.98.
Katina Sommers won the 400-meter
dash in 56.54 and Tameka Rodriquez
finished third in the 800-meters.
Carlene Vasscll ran a 1:05.99 in the400y
meter hurdles to finish third. J
The womenfc 4xl00-meter relay team;
finished first with a time of 46.25 The
team already qualified at the Texas
Relays with a time of 46.04.
The men team did not compete in the
relays. However Ron Nelson finished
second in the 100-meter dash with a
time of 10.7.
Terrancc Norris finished with a tie for
second In the 400-meter dash. Kcmpa
Busby and Andrew Reyes finished fourth
and fifth.
Eight men and four women have qual-
ified for nationals. The 4xl00-metcr and
4x400-mcter relay teams have also qualified
haaaaakBkBtfaHHlBWiKBMlHMHHiMMM
MbMlHiBBKaMHHmWm''&iTB)tt!5Mfllii JmfflHHMiiiiflMHaBBlHaaaaaaaW
flLaLlaflSw'3MMMkiNai-'!ac
MtfuWVttxxb
Beating out the runner
Third baseman Jimmy Kent awaits a throw during Tuesdas game against Hardin-Simmons University. The Wildcats lost 13-1 1 despite having 15 hits.
Baseball team upset by HSU
loses four games against TAMK
By Jared Schroeder
Sports Editor
A disappointed Wildcat baseball team said
nbthlng as it cleaned up die field after a
13-11 loss to Hardin-Simmons University at
Crutcher Scott Field Tuesday.
The Wildcats committed six errors and
walked several batters.
"We didn't make any plays behind our
pitching" head coach Brltt Bonneau said.
"My biggest concern Isn't Hardin-Simmons
but how we come out and play against West
Texas A&M."
The Wildcats 29-14 3-5 in the Lone Star
Conference play West Texas A&M
University in Canyon Friday and Saturday.
Tuesdays loss only added to the effects of
being swept by Texas A&M-Kingsville 6-1
8-0 5-4 3-2 last weekend.
"The only way we can go is up" Bonneau
said. "We have hit our low spot in this sea-
son." The Wildcats overwhelmed HSU 24-0
April 1.
Casey Dacus Kristian Allen J.D. Perry and
Kevin Guthrie shared the pitching responsi-
bilities. Perry had not pitched since March 21
because of an injury.
Bonneau said he was not sure if Perry
would return to the pitching rotation yet
"It would be a big asset to us to have him
have back" he said.
'Perry is day-to-day
and Bonneau said he
would not make a
decision until later in
the week.
Perry has the lowest
ERA on the team
2.20.
Against TAMK 25-12-1
5-3 the Wild-
cats batted only .188.
The team is batting
.358 overall this sea-
son. ACU was batting
.372 prior to the
series
Unlike Tuesdays
game the Wildcats
committed two errors
in the four-game ser
ies against TAMK
AB Run Hits Ava. 2B 3B HA SB RBI H SO KSL
JerodHyde 126 37 59 .468 12
RonnyHaring 144
jeirriom
Casey Cms
Brandon McNab 136
Robert Bittinger 160
BTMMram
CodSalyeri
CheHendrix
Clay Churns
JaekShelaf
Jimmv Kent
Kevin Guthrie 38
RyanWBiims 24
James Karther 27
Rugn Houston 41
58 62 .431 13
129 41 54 .419 19 0 4
130 34 53 .408 7 1 5
39 51 .375 11 3 5
49 55 344 12 3 1
133 35 45 338 10 0 7
101 43 30 .297 4 2 2
25 24 .282
5 .417
85
12
14
26
0
4
2
14
8
5
10
357
.259
337
5 2
0 0
1
0 O
1 0
308 1 11
.185 1 0 0
.146 3
2
0
0
0
1
0
0 0 1
2 57 12 18
27 46 40 14
39 27 29
32 10 16
34 21 20
37 23 15
43 15 27
12 21 33 23
6 17 24 15
6 6
.762
.625
.659
.592
410
.475
371
.436
.494
383
300
.303
342
.458
322
320
Softball team
sweeps TSU
y Jrmtf Ftarro
Sports Writer
Eftshlnfl
J.O. Perry
James Karcher 11
Kevin Guthrie 5
Jason Noble 12
Stacey Pearson 12
CaseyTowery 11
uitn Rocxwea n
Casey Dacus
Brad Thomas
Kristian AJIen
Kyle Jenkins
JcnnTeare
GP ST CG
7 7 1
0
0
0
7
8
8
1
9
1
1
0
11
12
12
10
1
0
0
0
1
2
1
0
2
0
0
0
w
4
2
0
1
4
7
5
0
S
0
1
0
S IP ERA SO BB Hits Runs
1 0 41 230 41 15 32 23
1 3 11.7 3.09 12 2 17 9
0 0 9 4.00 7 1 8 4
0 2 17.7 4.08 16 19 15 10
2 0 45.7 433 35 10 58 28
1 0 493 4.74 43 22 49 34
2 0 53.0 536 31 28 66 42
0 0 15.7 5.74 12 It 23 14
4 2 51.7 5.75 36 18 73 44
1 0 14.7 6.75 13 14 23 18
1 1 9.7 12.10 10 14 14 16
0 0 1 27.00 0 0 4 3
first time this season at No. 24 this week.
Bonneau said the pitching and delense were ACU and TAMK also rcCeived votes
good it was the hitting that stopped the The National Poll has no connection to the
Wildcats from winning. Regional Poll which decides whether or not
"We flat out did not hit" Bonneau said the Wildcats will advance to the regional
"We just couldn't get anything together. " tournament
Because of Its loses the Wildcats did not Three teams from the South Central Region
rank in the Nadonal Poll tills week. They will advance to the tournament Earlier in
were No. 14 going into the series. the season Bonneau said ACU would have to
WTAM 25-12 4-2 entered the poll for the win the conference to advance.
The Softball team swept
Tarlcton State University 6-5
and 8-2 in Stephenville Tuesday.
The wins ensures die series
between ACU and Texas A&M-
Kingsville will be for the south
division championship and the
right to have the Lone Star
Conference tournament at its
home field.
In regard to the TSU series
coach Carol Tabor said she was
pleased with her teairis perfor-
mance after taking an unexpect-
ed 13 day rest
"The layoff was good for rest-
ing die body and getting some
injuries healed" she said. "In
game tough situations it kind of
hurts you when you don't com-
pete. I knew the two games were
going to be tough especially
after the layoff. It was going to
be interesting to see how they
responded."
In the first game ACU took a
6-2 lead.
However the TexAnns fought
back to within one run Tabor
said with no outs.
"We were a lltde bit rusty" the
coach said. "We made some mis-
takes in the field. We made some
mistakes on the bases. We made
some mistakes at place."
ACU recorded six hits during
the game Tabor said.
"They were hits at key times"
she said. "We needed to put a
string of hits togedier."
The Wildcats earned the hits
when runners were in scoring
positions Tabor said.
Chantiel McDonnell junior
Morgan Hill Calif. was 3-4 at
the plate and recorded a double.
She is the teairis top hitter at
.437.
Tabor said McDonnell slapped
the ball and beat the throw to
first and crossed over which
means she crossed her left leg
over her right leg at the samel
time swung as hard as she;
could.
"ChanUel has great batting
control" Tabor said. :
In the second game ACU jusf
dominated from die beginning "
Tabor said and won 8-2.
"We got 12 hits in the second;
game as opposed to six games in
the first" the coach said.
Twelve of those hits resulted in-
five doubles courtesy of Cass-'
andra Reyes sophomore from
Abilene; Leann Malum fresh-; '
man from Bakersfield Calif.;
McDonnell; and two from Clar-
issa Johnson sophomore from'
Willcox Ariz. Tabor said. '
McDonnell was four for five atj
the plate. J
"We made some mistakes In'
that game too; however they
didn't hurt us" the coach sakL
Shelly Owen Martinez junior
from Carlsbad N.M. went the
distance on the mound and gave;
up 14 hits during the series.
The Wildcats swept TSU In a
two-game series March 31.
ACU rested because the tour-
nament at Missouri Western was
cancelled because of weather.
Tabor said missing the Miss-
ouri Western tournament was
tough for several reasons.
First the teams ACU would
have competed against were
regional squads which would
have helped the Wildcats later
when bids are given for the
NCAA postseason tournament
die coach said.
And the final reason was
because the Wildcats would have
kept in competition and shape
Tabor said.
The way the Wildcats respond-
ed against TSU Is a great start to
an huge weekend Tabor said.
The first game against TAMK
will be Friday and the first pitch
will be thrown at 1 p.m.
TAMK 22-18 10-2 in the LSC
is first in the south division.
Thursday
Mfin'S Tennis - Central Oklahoma
Tournament Thursday-Saturday
FrWay
Baseball - West Texas A&M (2)
Canyon 2 p.m.
Softball - Texas A&M-Kingsville (2)
Wells Held 1 p.m.
Task - Lone Star Conference
Meet Stephenville
Saturday
JJlicMl - Vest Texas A&M (2)
Canyon 12 noon.
Softball - Texas A&M-Kingsville (2)
Wells Field 10 a.m.
Jiadj - Lone Star Conference
Meet Stephenville.
Sunday
lack - Mt. SAC Relays Walnut
Calif.
Tuesday
flasfiball - Concordia Lutheran
Crutcher Scott FJejd 7 p.m.
Men's tennis prepares for tourney
y Norman Popptll
Student Reporter
The men tennis team pack up its
national ranking and head to
Oklahoma to compete in the University
of Central Oklahoma tournament in
Edmond Okla. Friday and Saturday.
The men have a Division II national
ranking of No. 11 and are ranked No. 1
in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association
Midwest Division. The menls team is 11-
5 in its matches this spring.
The women ranked No. 7 nationally in
Division II and No. 2 in the Midwest
also boast two singles players in the top
14 for the Midwest and the No. 1-ranked
doubles team. The womenfc team is 10-6
in their matches this spring.
Julie Mavlty No. 1 singles player Is
ranked No. 3 in the Midwest Charli
Jones ACUTs No. 2 singles player is
ranked No. 14. Mavity and Jones main-
tain the No. 1 doubles ranking.
The women do not play again until the
Lone Star Conference tournament April
24-26 in Denton.
Twelve teams will compete in the UCO
tournament and the competition will be
strong.
Besides the Wildcats national UC No.
7; West Texas A&M No. 15 and
Northwood No. 17; Mich Schools are
ranked No. 2 No. 3 and No 4 respec-
tively in the Midwest will also compete.
Cameron University No. 8 and Ferris
State No. 9 in the Midwest will also par-
ticipate. '
Coach Hutton Jones said this will be a
tough test for his team.
"The field is tough and losing John Cole
this weekend will make it tougher"
Jones said. Cole will be taking his MCAT
a medical school examination.
"We're expecting to win" Jones said.
"Without John everybody will have to
step up."
David Galloway who played well in
place of Ryan Hughes during die spring
break road trip will re-join the line-up.
The ACU teams also saw a new event
take place Friday and Saturday at the first
ACU Alumni Tennis Tournament
Jones said more than 40 alumni
showed up to play. They joined with the
varsity to play some excldng competi-
tive tennis.
Jones classified the players into two
separate divisions loosely based on abil-
ity. Division had 14 teams with four
players on each team.
Division I saw alumni Johnny Tallcnt
Mike Wyatt and Chris Redman join cur-
rent ACU player Dustln Hawk to win the
division.
Scott Brown Allse Myer Tony Williams
and softball coach Carol Tabor took hon-
ors In Division II.
Jones hopes to continue this event next
year though preferably with better
weather.
"We brought in folks from Kansas
Arkansas and Oklahoma" Jones said.
"I'm going to try it again next year and
I'm shooting for the weekend after
Easter.
1
iW
.i-f
m m - v-
-- v" " "JV-
t .
j;jl?;v:..
$.!
wmsz
'.fjJ'.Al U.
tfjiTrii
w"
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. 48, Ed. 1, Wednesday, April 16, 1997, newspaper, April 16, 1997; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth99737/m1/4/: accessed July 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.