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Page 8E
THE BATTALION
MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 1978
Women’s athletics alive and
By MARK PATTERSON
Battalion Staff
Unknown to some people at this
University, women’s sports are alive
and growing at Texas A&M. What
started a few years ago as a small
athletic operation has bloomed into
a major sporting operation which
fields teams in eight sports.
The women’s program, which op
erates under a budget of $420,000 a
year (up from $300,000 last year),
will field teams in six sports this fall.
Due to their increase in the budget
more women athletes are being of
fered scholarships and being
brought into the Texas A&M pro
gram. Thirty-one new scholarships
were granted to girls enrolling this
fall.
With the increase in talent has
come increases in team success. All
six fall teams advanced into post
season competition at the state level
last year. In addition all six ad
vanced into regional competition
with three teams competing at na
tional tournaments.
Because of last year’s perform
ances, coupled with the players re
turning to this year’s teams, op
timism abounds within the women’s
program. And they let their records
speak for themselves.
Here’s a breakdown of the fall
sports and a team-by-team outlook
for 1978:
Volleyball
It’s only appropriate to begin a
look at the women’s teams with the
most successful team from last year.
The women’s volleyball team
finished third in the region last year
and was granted an at-large bid to
the national tournament.
At the national level the women
won three of five matches and
finished a respectable ninth in the
nation. And the prospects for this
season look even brighter.
Head coach Dave Schakel, enter
ing his second season as head coach,
lias four of six starters returning
from last year’s team that finished
with a 46-20 record. Schakel also
had a fine year recruiting, landing
five freshman to aid his quest this
season.
And his squad will carry the flavor
of Arlington with it as three of the
newcomers are off of last year’s Ar
lington High School state volleyball
championship team; Kristen Bloom,
Nancy Dunn and Pam Miller. Also
joining the team will be Crystal
Cobb from East Bernard and Krista
Sodich from Caldwell.
Bloom was highly recruited
player last year. After choosing to
attend Texas A&M she, along with
soon-to-be teammate Wendy Wil
son, also from Arlington, partici
pated on the South Junior Olympic
team at the National Sports Festival
in Colorado Springs earlier this
month. At the festival Bloom was
named best setter and Wilson
gained MVP honors for the event.
‘‘With our new players coming in
we can run a different kind of of
fense than the one we ran last sea
son,” said Coach Schakel. “Were
going to run a more sophisticated of
fense and isolate our hitters against
one block or no blocks. It involves
more risks but it also gives us
greater opportunities. And we can
take those risks with this good of a
team. ”
The team will get to see just how
good they are when they travel west
on a two-state tour in which they’ll
face the best teams in the nation.
“On our trip to Utah and Califor
nia our girls will get a chance to see
the teams we ll be facing in nationals
this year,’’ said Schakel. “But
realistically, I’m not expecting to do
that well on the trip. We ll just be in
our second week of workouts and
our freshman won’t be totally ad
justed to our style. But it will be a
week that will make us grow.
“Our goal this year is to finish in
the top five nationally. And to play
well in front of our fans. For the first
time we ll have home matches this
season and we re hoping that some
of the students will come out and
see us play . ”
The women open the 1977-78
season Sept. 14 in a tri-match at the
University of Texas at Arlington.
The first home match is scheduled
for Oct. 9 against Texas Lutheran
College.
Softball
New women’s softball coach Bill
Galloway has but one objective in
mind for the Texas A&M women’s
softball team; to become the na
tional power in the sport.
Galloway came to Texas A&M
from Indiana University, the hotbed
for women’s softball, where he was
the assistant coach for the team that
finished second in the state.
Taking over his first head coach
ing job Galloway inherits a team
that finished seventh in the state
and sixth in the region last year,
compiling a 21-10 season record.
Four players were lost from last
year’s team, including two starters
and a pitcher, Kim Bellamy, who
compiled a 13-4 record last season.
“One of our needs this year is to
reestablish our pitching,” said Gal
loway. “I believe in going with a set
rotation and sticking with the rota
tion no matter who you’re facing.
“We only have one pitcher (Sami
Evans 8-6 last season) returning
from last year’s team. But we re
working on recruiting a girl from
New York who is of national caliber.
Plus we have two walk-ons coming
out this fall.”
In order for Galloway to fulfill his
dream of developing a national
power he feels the team must de
velop in two areas.
“First you obviously have to have
the best athletes available,” said
Galloway. “You have to have strong
pitching and power hitting to com
pete at the national level.
“Second you need to develop a
winning team from within. Every
girl must be motivated to play and
play at her best. Then she must de
mand the same from her team
mates.
“In order to get the best athletes
you have to offer more than your
competition when you’re recruiting.
It’s hard for us to do that because of
our field, so we make up for it with
our attractive schedule. We’ve
scheduled some of the top teams in
the nation and that allows our girls
to see just how good they really are.
“Our weather here is also quite a
bonus for us. Because we can play a
split season (fall and spring), the
northern girls like to come south
and play.”
With the weather and schedule
ahead the women’s softball team is
looking for great results this season.
But just how great?
“Realistically, I’m shooting to win
state this year,” said Galloway.
“Anything beyond that would be an
extra plus. But next year we ll aim
even higher.
“But I have a saying that I follow.
‘Never talk of next year, talk of the
year that’s here
And he’s already started doing his
talking.
how close you really have to be for
success.
After finishing first in the state
the team finished second in the re
gion behind LSU and missed qual
ifying for national competition by a
slim four points. But 60 percent of
the team is returning with visions of
a stronger showing this year.
The team lost two girls from last
year’s five-member team but the
two will be replaced by Tracy
Shearin from San Antonio, Sharon
Freydenfeldt from Austin and Jill
Mossbarger from Houston.
“All three girls are private gym
nastic club members,” said fourth-
year coach Jan Fambro. “Tracy is
the best gymnast we’ve ever signed
at Texas A&M. Tracy and Sharon
have a great deal of experience
while Jill has unlimited potential.
“We have six team members and
all can compete in a meet, with the
top four counting for our team score
in each event. But even with these
new girls it doesn’t look like we ll
beat LSU again this year. Our team
depth is our greatest problem. But
we ll probably still win Class 1 State
and finish second to LSU. They’re
just so strong.
“But we may have a participant at
nationals this year. Tracy has the
possibility of being invited in the
all-around category. All we can hope
is for the best.”
The team has a split schedule
with fall competition beginnng Oct.
26 against Southwest Texas State in
G. Rollie White Coliseum.
Cross
country
Gymnastics
Gymnastics involves inches and
execution and the Texas A&M wo
men’s gymnastic team found out just
.o
[attis
Cross-country is a sport that re
quires great discipline, practice and
control for achieving success. Coach
David Williams, entering his fourth
season as women’s track and cross
country-coach at Texas A&M, has
molded a team into one of national
power and recognition.
“Our number one runner was sick
with mono and wasn t able to run at
nationals,” said Williams. “We had
the potential to challenge the top 10
last year. But that was last year.
This year’s team could be even
stronger than last year’s squad. The
team lost but one runner from last
year’s team and Williams recruited
three freshmen to bolster his squad.
Sandra Brown, Debbie Cocke and
Lorie Scott will be looked on to
supply depth to the team.
“The new girls will supply us with
immediate help, but only after they
get used to running 5,000 meters |
(about three miles). These girls will;
be some of our top runners and
could easily become our No. 2 or 3
runners.
Texas A&M’s Sheree Christian shoots a jump shot
in the midst of three defenders. Christian, a
senior, and the rest of the Aggie Ladies baskell
team begin their 1978-79 season on Nov. 17.
Golf
The Best Pizza in Town (Honest)
Now There are 3 Mr. G’s
Backing the AGGIES!
Head coach Kitty Holly and the
1977-78 Texas A&M women’s golf
team has some room for improve
ment. But if last year was any indi
cation of what’s to come, there’s lit
tle room for advancement.
The team finished fourth in the
state behind SMU, the University of
Texas and Lamar and was granted
an at-large bid to the national tour
nament. Proving that their talent
was better than their season finish
the women finished 19th in the na
tion out of a IJeld of 26 teams.
Apd cnily. one player was.lost from
last year s .squad while two girls
were signed as scholarship players.
Shirley Furlong will bring her golf
ing talents to Texas A&M after
finishing third in the class 4A state
tournament last year. Joining Fur
long will be Monica Welsh from
Austin.
The women’s golf schedule is split
between the fall and spring semes
ters. The women will participate in
four tournaments this fall with their
first competition coming Sept. 11-16
at the Oklahoma Golf Cham
pionship tournament.
17 as the Texas A&M women’s bas
ketball team begins another year of
play.
The Ladies are coming off a year
in which they finished 19-18 under
first-year coach Wanda Bender. The
team advanced to the state tourna
ment and finished in a tie for
seventh with North Texas State
University.
Basketball
Tht
most publicized of the wo
men’s sports begins it season Nov.
In hopes of getting immediate
help for the team that lost four
players from last year’s squad, Be
nder dipped into Junior College Na
tional Basketball Champion Panola
Junior College’s roster and signed
four of the starting five members of
the team.
Coming to Texas A&M froi*
Panola this fall arc Karen Cenl
from Vidor, Lisa fIughqs froH
Athens, Lola Baker f rom Kounl*: Sev<
and Junior College All-Ameri in Tex
Peggy Pope from CartliageA coach
joining the Panola group
freshman Ke!le\ Sullivan,
, (time ct
state volley ball, softball and bit'-Kg y n
ball player from Houston. Bid ru
Post-season play is designedfip 1 ®?" 1
ferently this season for berths if
state tournament. The zone.l
naments have been eliminated lid
Chuc
Jstant
only the top 16 teams with the wH be
overall season records will !r pe del
vited to participate.
With the talti|[ r '^h
the Texas A&M women’s teamf*® 6
sesses, it ought to be one of tbdwv 0
16.
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