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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 22, 1988)
Friday, July 22, 1988/The Battalion/Page 5 Sports A&M sprinters falter at Trials Heard, Kerr narrowly miss 1988 ‘Seoul Train’ By Anthony Wilson Sports Editor Texas A&M sprinters Floyd Heard and Stanley Kerr failed Wednesday evening to reserve their tickets to the Seoul Train. Heard and Kerr reached the semifinals in the 200 meter dash of the U.S. Olympic Trials in In dianapolis with Heard advancing to the Finals. However, running against an extremely fast field that included 1984 gold medalist Carl Lewis, Heard finished eighth. University of Houston tra- ckster Joe DeLoach won the event with a personal best 19.96 to up set training partner Lewis, who finished second. Texas Southern University’s Roy Martin, a former SMU sprinter, took the third spot on the team with a time of 20.05. The A&M duo breezed through the first two rounds with relative ease. Kerr finished third in his first heat in 20.95, .06 sec onds faster than 1984 silver med alist Kirk Baptiste. Heard fin ished second in his heat in the opening round, .32 seconds be hind Lewis’ 20.32. Heard and Kerr finished third and fourth in the same heat of the second round separated by .12 seconds. Kerr finished seventh in the third round with a time of 20.76, failing to advance from the semis to the finals. “Stanley did a really good job getting to the semifinals,” A&M Assistant Coach Ted Nelson said Thursday in a phone interview from Indianapolis. “He ran two good races in the first and second rounds. Yesterday he didn’t run the middle part of his race. He ran a good turn, but the middle part of his race was not strong. Then he came on pretty strong toward the end. Unfortunately he was in a fast heat and didn’t make it to the finals.” Battalion file photo A&M’s Stanley Kerr battles McNeese State’s Brian Cooper during a meet held at the Anderson Track Field in 1987. Kerr reached the semifinals of the 200-meter race at the Olympic Track and Field Trials in Indianapolis. Heard finished third in his semifinal heat, but an injury suf- fered earlier in the year may have prevented him from running his best in the finals, Nelson said. “Floyd was in another heat and ran a really strong race to make it to the finals,” Nelson said. “In the finals I think having the stress fracture earlier in the year proba bly hurt him a little bit. He just didn’t get enough strength work to make the Olympic team.” Heard has clocked a collegiate record 19.95 in the 200 which would have won the race. So the results of the race may have been different with a healthy Heard running, Nelson said. “I think he had a chance to make the team,” he said. “Roy Martin ran extremely well so I can’t say he’s run as fast as they ran last night to make the team. But Floyd would have had a very good chance had he been well.” Like A&M shotputter Randy Barnes, who did make the Olym pic team, Heard sat out this sea son to prepare for the Trials so the loss was obviously disappoint ing. Nelson said he doesn’t know whether Heard’s plans for the fu ture include returning to and competing for A&M next season, but he doesn’t expect him to do so. Considering injuries which set back Heard and Kerr’s training, the two performed about as well as could be expected at the Trials. “I assessed that they would do just about what they did,” Nelson said. “I wasn’t sure but I thought Floyd, not having run anymore than he has this year, would make it to the finals.” And contrary to belief, Kerr’s draining collegiate season may have improved his performance in Indianapolis rather than im pairing it. “I tliink it affected him posi tively rather than negatively,” Nelson said. “Running tough ev ery week got him ready to run. Stanley had a little trouble at a meet three weeks ago. His ham string got a little tight on him. I think that affected his training a little bit. We had to lay him off for a few days. It didn’t affect him up here at all.” " Veteran Sundberg returns home to Rangers ARLINGTON (AP) — The Texas angers Thursday signed Jim Sund- fcerg in a deal that will pay the vet- ftran catcher about $30,000 the rest B>f this season, team General Man- iagerTom Grieve said. 1 Sundberg returns to the team as its all-time hit leader, batting .253 Vith 54 home runs and 459 RBI Irom 1974 to 1983. I He has a career lifetime batting average of .248 and has won six ■American League Gold Gloves since entering the majors in 1974. Sundberg was released by the the Chicago Cubs Friday and became a free agent Wednesday. He batted .241 with 2 home runs and 9 RBI in during 24 games this season. Rangers officials said Sundberg would be in uniform when the club begins a four-game series at Milwau kee Thursday night. To make room for him on the ros ter, Texas has placed outfielder Bar- baro Garbey on the 15-day disabled list with a pulled left rib cage muslce. “The Rangers are very pleased that Jim Sundberg has decided to re join the Texas organization,” Grieve said. “He is a quality player and a qual ity person and is one of the most popular players in the Rangers’ his tory. “Jim has been one of the finest catchers in the majors for a number of years and we feel that his experi ence will be a geat value to our team.” Sundberg originally signed with the Rangers in 1973 and spent one year in the minors before becoming the Rangers’ regular catcher for the next ten seasons. Sundberg is a two-time All-Star selection and was named the Rang ers’ Player of the Year in 1977. He was traded by Texas to Milwaukee for catcher Ned Yost and pitcher Dan Scarpetta in December 1983. He was traded to the Kansas City Royals in January 1985 and was ac quired by the Cubs in March 1987. Higgs’ leap impresses the coaches at Cowboys’camp IKK THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) The coiled springs in Mark Higgs’ muscular limbs may give the 5-foot- 7, 188-pound rookie from Kentucky |a place on the Dallas Cowboys’ final ^roster as the running back who takes |Tony Dorsett’s spot. Higgs has a vertical leap of 43 inches, highest in the club’s history according to Gil Brandt, player per sonnel director. The sixth round draft pick has been able to dunk a basketball since he was in the seventh grade. “I’ve always had tremendous spring in my legs and it just freaks people out,” said Higgs, who scored |10 touchdowns for the Wildcats last [ jyear, some of them kangaroo leaps over the defensive line. Higgs rushed for a school record 1,278 yards his senior season. Higgs didn’t take the Spud Webb route to the NBA because of what happened to him on a recreation league team in Owensboro, Ky. He was beaten out for a guard po sition by Rex Chapman, who re cently was drafted in the first round by the Charlotte Hornets. “Rex beat me out fair and square,” Higgs said. “He was a better all- around player than I was. I learned right then I had better stick to foot ball.” Higgs got to Kentucky on a foot ball scholarship by rushing for over 6,000 yards in his high school career. “I rushed for 2,800 yards in my senior year, an all-time Kentucky re cord,” Higgs said. “When I got to Kentucky for college there was Rex.” In the offseason, Higgs would amuse Kentucky coach Eddie Sutton by slam-dunking the ball with feeds from Chapman. “Eddie got a big kick out of it,” Higgs said. Higgs said he got more thrill from scoring on long runs or diving over linebackers than dunking. “When you fly over the top you can hear the crowd go crazy,” he said. “I liked basketball but every body wanted to compare me to my brother and I didn’t want any of that business.” Higgs’ brother, Kenny, played three years in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Denver Nuggets. He led Denver with 408 as sists in 1981. “I think I could have been an other Spud but I like football better and I think I can really play,” he said. “There’s no kick like scoring touchdowns. It beats dunks.” Higgs said his size is an attribute not a hindrance. “When I’m behind those big 300- pounders it’s like finding a rabbit be hind elephants,” he said. “The de fensive players have a hard time see ing me and they never really get a good shot at me. That’s how I’ve sur vived this long. ” SPECIAL EFFECTS WATERBEDS The Aggies Are Coming! Take advantage of our huge stock levels to get the largest selection at the best price, right now! Aggie Specials Storewide with savings up to 70°/c & (409) 693-0563 * l||| Padded Beds $299 any size Post Oak Square Next to Grandy’s Hours Mon.-Sat 10-9 Sun 12-6 Richardson gets new shot to play professional hoops NEW YORK (AP) — Micheal Ray Richardson won clearance to return to the NBA Thursday but his agent and attorney both said the former All-Star guard may choose to con tinue playing in Italy. Richardson, banned from the league Feb. 25, 1986, after testing positive for drugs, has a two-year guaranteed contract to play with Bo logna of the Italian League. “He will honor that contract,” at torney Ed Milstein said after Rich ardson was reinstated by NBA Com missioner David Stern and the players association. “At this point, he needs that guar antee,” said Charles Grantham, Richardson’s former agent and an official of the Players Association. “His career can be extended over seas. Financially, he can play three or four years over there at figures comparable to $500,000 or $600,000 here. He’s in a situation where he needs that.” Milstein said he thought that two years in Italy would not prevent Richardson’s return to the NBA in 1990, even though he would be 35 then. “One of the attractive things is that they play a 30-game schedule,” the attorney said. “That’s signifi cantly less wear and tear. “There are other contingencies. An NBA team could buy the con tract out. There has been significant interest in him by two teams today, New Jersey and the (Denver) Nug gets.” However, Nuggets’ General Man ager Pete Babcock said, “Our roster is pretty well set. Where’s he going to play? If we bring in somebody, we’d bring in somebody younger.” Nets General Manager Harry Weltman said in a statement: “We are happy for Micheal Ray Richardson in that the NBA has con fidence in his rehabilitation and has chosen to reinstate him. Any return to the Nets will require careful con sideration by the entire organiza tion. The matter is further confused by the NBA statement that Richard son has signed a contract with the Bologna team in the Italian League, and may be obligated to play there.” There was no confusion on that matter for Grantham, however. “I expect he will go over to Italy for two years,” the agent said. The NBA said Richardson would be a full free agent, eligible to be signed by any NBA team. “If Richardson remains drug- free, and otherwise comports him self in an apporpriate manner, Rich ardson will remain eligible to play in the NBA when he completes his Ital ian League contract,” the league said. Richardson was playing for New Jersey when he became the first player banned under the NBA anti drug program adopted in 1983. Twice that year he went through drug rehabilitation programs and the next season was voted the NBA Comeback Player of the Year. But seven months after winning that award, he admitted a drug relapse and returned to rehabilitation. Reinstated by the Nets on Jan. 20, 1986, he lasted just five weeks before failing another drug test and becom ing the first player to be banned by the league for cocaine abuse. Under terms of the program, the ban was for life but permitted him to apply for reinstatement after two years. In 1987, Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins, both of the Houston Rock ets, were also banned for drug use under the program. Last season Richardson played for the CBA champion Albany Pa- troons, averaging 14 points and 3.2 assists per game. On Feb. 25, he filed for reinstate ment by the NBA. Pennison inks new contract with Oilers SAN MARCOS (AP) — Hous ton Oiler starting center Jay Pen nison signed a three-year contract with the Oilers Thursday and now both of his careers, pro foot ball and acting, are in order. Pennison spent part of his off season playing the role of “Biff,” a member of a dastardly gang in the soon-to-be released movie, “Blind Fury.” If Pennison’s acting career par allels his football career, he’ll struggle early but one day he’ll be getting his share of strong-man roles. Pennison has had to fight for recognition since his days as a walk-on at Nicholls State, where he was a four-year starter. He was cut by the Jacksonville in the USFL and the Washington Redskins before the Oilers gave him a chance, late in their 1986 training camp. “A big thing about pro sports is being in the right place at the right time,” Pennison said. “Fi nally, things started working right for me.” Pennison started 12 games in 1986, five at guard and seven at center, and last season beat out Jim Romano for the starting job at center. But Pennison was beginning to wonder if the right-place, right time theory would ever work in his favor. “When I went to Jacksonville, I thought I was better than the guy they kept but it was one of those situations where they had their minds made up before camp ever started,” Pennison said. Pennison also faced a stacked deck at Washington but almost beat the odds. “They were coming off a Super Bowl victory and had that great offensive line so I really wasn’t too optimistic,” Pennison said. “But I actually came close so that gave me more confidence,” he said. “Then, things started working out for me.” Pennison now is lodged in the middle of a young offensive line that helped the Oilers reach the playoffs last season for the first time since 1980. And they’re all together at the start of training camp. “This is the first time in awhile we’ve all been together at the start of camp,” Pennison said. “An of fensive line has to be together from training camp throughout the season.”