I HURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1977
Baker wants track
mpionship
By PAUL MCGRATH
For Shifton Baker, only a few
more hurdles remain in the way.
The Texas A&M senior from
Elgin is putting together his hest
season as his track career at A&M is
drawing to a close. After the Baylor
Invitational tomorrow, Baker will
perhaps don his spikes only a half
dozen more times.
The durable and versatile Baker
leads the Aggies with 104 Yz points,
already surpassing his team leading
90 points of last year. While primar
ily a hurdler, he also runs in A&M’s
sprint and mile relay foursomes and
has long jumped on occasion.
He has the Southwest Confer
ence’s best time in the 440-yard in
termediates with a 51.6 and has run
a 50.9 in the 440-meter version. He
ranks second in the 120-yard highs
with a career best of 13.7 seconds.
Only Baylor’s Davy Duncan has
done better this spring, owning a
13.4 clocking.
Baker says that running track
does not appear to be in his future.
“I don’t have any immediate plans
for running anymore. I may join a
track club, but that’s for city boys.
I’m a country boy.’’
He already has his share of laurels
that he could rest upon. Baker at
tended the Olympic trials last sum
mer at Eugene, Ore., running a
50.6 for a personal best in the in
termediates. He won the 60-yard
highs at the conference indoor
championships earlier this year and
has won numerous awards in meets
such as the Drake Relays and was
named the Outstanding Performer
in this year’s Border Olympics.
But, bowing out now would be
against his character.
“I’m definitely going to go out
kicking’” he said. “I run every race
like it’s going to be my last because
it might be.
“I want us to win conference this
year. I’ve been here for nearly four
years and we haven’t won anything.
We have a better chance this year
than ever before. If we don’t win it
this year, it’ll be a long time before
we do. We re losing a lot of field
event people.”
The Aggies of Coach Charles
Thomas have relied heavily upon
the field events to score points, find
ing a good deal of success. In fact, it
was the field events which usually
provided the margin of victory ear
lier this season with Baker about the
only one A&M could talk about in
the running events.
The early season pressure upon
Baker was great as he was often
counted upon to win both hurdles
events. Perhaps this is one of the
reasons his teammates voted him as
team captain along with Manfred
Kohrs.
The pressure recently has been
relieved somewhat by sprinter Ray
Brooks, Baker’s roommate. Brooks
is one of the SWC’s top 220 men
and anchors A&M’s sprint relay
team. He ran a 48.2 in the quarter
last weekend and may compete in
this event, as well as the 100-yard
dash, at the conference meet May
14.
Although Baker admits he is com
ing along a little slower than last
year, he still feels the intermediates
is his best race.
“Everybody tells me I’m an in
termediate hurdler,” he said. “If
you look at my statistics I guess I
would be more consistent with my
times in the intermediates. But I
have my streaks in the highs, too. In
a big meet or a tough field, I would
do better in the intermediates.”
The intermediate hurdle is three
feet tall and 10 of them are placed in
the race, 30 yards apart. The highs
are three and one-half feet tall and
are place 10 yards apart.
more adavantageous inside portion
of the track.
The stride must be perfected to
avoid “chopping” hurdles — getting
to close or too far from a hurdle and
having to slow down to clear it.
As for strategy, Baker says he al
ways saves a little of his strength for a
final kick, the last second effort to
reach the tape.
He finisf^d second in the inter
mediates at the SWC meet last year
behind Te^s’ David Nelson. Nel
son and 'pexas teammate Alex
Studstill aqd Rice hurdlers Curtis
Isiah and Jesse James pose as
Baker’s competition this sea
son. Howeypr, as yet, no SWC hur
dler has defeated Baker in the in
termediates this year.
“Nelson ^Jways comes through in
the big meets and he’ll be running
in his home town,” Baker said. The
SWC outdoor meet will be held in
Austin.
Baker has won only one race in a
championship meet, that being the
highs at the conference indoors. So,
this being his final season, the up
coming SWC meet holds a special
significance to him.
“I sure wouldn’t be disapi
il I won,” he said.
Baker and the rest of (lie
will be in Waco tomorrow!)
Baylor Invitational to coi
against the hosting Bears,
Houston and SMU. No team
will be kept, but an outslu
team will be designated.
The prelims will begin all
with the finals starting at 6p,i
Rochets try to recover from shot
Baker said he usually uses 15
steps between hurdles in the inter
mediates, while on good days using
13 or 14. Edwin Moses, the world
record holder in the event, uses 13
steps. Nevertheless, the race is very
demanding on anyone.
“You can breeze through the
highs — that’s just speed,” Baker
said, “but in the intermediates
you’re going to hurt every time.”
There is a great deal of technique
involved in the race as well as
strategy. Baker leads with his left
leg when clearing a hurdle which
subtracts as much as 10 yards from
his race compared to a hurdler who
leads with his right. This is because
centrifugal force carries the hurdler
in the same direction as the lead leg
used, keeping a southpaw in the
United Press International
HOUSTON —- The Houston
Rockets, having seen what appeared
to be a certain victory turned into a
series opening loss against the
Washington Bullets, must now try
to come out of shock.
“This next game is our most im
portant of the season,” said Houston
coach Tom Nissalke.
“Before Tuesday night’s game,
we said we were going to pass the
ball three or four times on every
possession before we shot. We did
exactly that in the first period. But
when we got the big lead, we just
couldn’t stand prosperity. We
started playing that old one-pass-
and-shoot g^me. We reverted back
to our old b^d habits.”
Washington and Houston face
each other Thursday night in the
second of tfieir best-of-seven con
ference serrufmal series.
The Bullets, down by as many as
18 points in the early going, came
back to dowp the Rockets, 111-101,
in the opening game thanks in part
to the play of rookie Mitch Kup-
chak.
Kupchak scored 32 points and
dragged dq^vn 16 rebounds to help
the Bullets overcome the Rockets’
home court advantage.
“We took their best punch and
came back at them,” said Elvin
Hayes. “I think the Rockets felt.
Hey, we got the big lead. Let’s sit
back and relax.’ But they started re
laxing too early.”
Washington coach Dick Motta
was not doing much relaxing in the
early minutes of the game.
termined I wasn t going lo
timeout. They called it, instaj
we went on and tied it
half.
“ But early in the game Imse le kindest
“I really thought we were ready
to play a great game,” said Motta.
“Then it started and nothing went
right for us. Late in the second
quarter, they were tired and we
were dragging, too, but I was de-
un-Americ
ing ‘there’s no way outofhers
got to sit here and take it. . .
Motta said Kupchak will pill ulash of g
continue to play a key role tin ;hest suggt
out the series.
“He — Kupchak — has
confidence, said Motta, an;
gotten better all through thesti re ” Speakc
He’s fast for his size 6-
strong and plays with greatink
every minute he’s out there. H
HI
Unite
iere aren’t
good a
rgy plan-
e officials ai
erday indi
“1 was comp
of take
Sun Theatres
333 University 846-9808
Super-Grody Movies
Double-Feature Every Week
Pet Portrait Special
Special Midnight Shows Friday & Saturday $3 per person
No one under 18
Ladies Free
$3 With This Ad
BOOK STORE & 25c PEEP SHOWS
it
EH Chico Us
10% DISCOUNT
FOR STUDENTS
By
, Rollie W1
ted only b
unteers’ 2
11” X 14”
Color
Portrait
*
Reg. $ 55
Now
$2495
DID YOU SIGN UP?
PEACE CORPS/VISTA
INTERVIEWING
SENIORS & GRADS
IN THE
PLACEMENT
OFFICE:
With presentation of A&M I.D.
Good at all hours all semester
3109 TEXAS AVE. 823-7470
ihe revere
owed accei
photography
405 UNIVERSITY 846-2828
10th Floor
Rudder Tower
ON CAMPUS:
Apr. 25 thru 27
Permanent Campus Office
105 Agronomy Bldg.
l^
LOWEST PRICE
EUROPEAN
FLIGHTS
We are serving the academic community with discounttra
abroad. Let us make your air travel arrangements. Flexib
as to destination and departure saves you $
CALL US LAST
TOLL FREE 800/223-1722
m
SPECIAL OF THE
WEEK
TP-900. Supertuner for 8-track nuts. Home
stereo FM performance. Automatic/manual
program selection. FET front end. Phase lock
loop for stereo separation. Automatic stereo/mono
switching. Local/distance switch. Plus features
you thought you’d only find in a home stereo:
loudness switch, muting and separate bass
and treble.
AND TS-160 SPEAKERS
Regular Price $212.90
SALE PRICE $24995
FANTASTIC
STEREO SPECIALS
FROM
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION'S
LARGEST
"SUPERMARKET OF
SOUND"
EVERYDAY
LOW PRICES
PIONEER CAR STEREOS
TAPES
Reg. $7.98
Our
Price
LP’s
Reg. $6.98
Our
Price
SPEAKERS
REGULAR
SALE
TS-160
$ 32.95 PR
$ 24.95 PR
TS-164
$ 49.95 PR
$ 36.95 PR
TS-691
$ 22.95 EA
$ 16.95 EA
TS-694
$ 38.95 EA
$ 28.95 EA
CASSETTE PLAYERS
KP-4000
KP-500
KP-8000
KP-8005
$179.95
$189.95
$229.95
$229.95
$131.95
$140.95
$166.95
$166.95
8-TRACK PLAYERS
TP-727
TP-200
TP-900
TP-7000
TP-7005
TP-9004
TP-9005
TP-9006
$ 94.95
$119.95
$179.95
$189.95
$219.95
$239.95
$239.95
$239.95
$ 70.95
$ 87.95
$131.95
$140.95
$157.95
$175.95
$175.95
$175.95
$4.98
$3.98
SPECIAL OF THE
WEEK
You get abetter “break”
with a Gemtronics
GTX-2325
Gemtronics CB Radios give you a better break on
quality and value. Because every unit is marine-
quality—designed and engineered to the same
exacting specifications as our famous ship-to-shore
communications systems. So every Gemtronics
CB Radio gives you extra sharp clarity in trans
mission and reception. And each comes with a
one-year guarantee (parts and labor) plus the
expert service to back it up.
(
• Single-Side Band • Transmission Indicator
• Squelch • P-S Meter • RF Attenuator
• PA • Noise Blanker • Clarifier
Reg. $369.95
SALE $ 169 95
Maj. Ja
address
KPPBLD DF
ELECTRONICS
406 FEDMART DRIVE
846-8763
Reg.
Sale
Midland 77-830
$149.95
$ 79.95
Robyn DG-30
$159.95
$ 68.90
Robyn GT-7C
$239.95
$104.95
Courier Renegade
$159.95
$ 91.2°
Courier Spartan PLL
$359.95
$247.95
Courier Caravelle II
$229.95
$156.75
Gemtronics GTX-23
$169.95
$ 51.9«
Pearce-Simpson Pussycat
$179.95
$ 89.95
AFS Kriket External Speaker
$ 14.95
$ 11.95
Snooper Radar Detector
ONLY
$ 59.95
Robyn SX-007 CB'ers Kit
Including Antenna P.A.
Speaker and all hardware
$189.95
$ 89.95
1