Page 9
Sports
The Battalion Wednesday, August 25,1993
A&M catches heat by the tail;
LSU next in line
Ki/lc Bumett/THE Battalion
By Michael Plumer
The Battalion
On September 4, the fourth-ranked
Texas A&M football team will face
Louisiana State on Kyle Field. Right
now, the Aggies* toughest opponent has
been the searing Texas heat, unbroken
by rain for two months.
Battling temperatures well over the
century mark, A&M players have been
trying to make the best of a sticky situa
tion as they prepare to defend their
Southwest Conference championship.
"I know it is at least 115 degrees out
there on Kyle Field but the heat is some
thing to adjust to," senior outside line
backer Steve Solari said. "But we have
been drinking a lot of fluids to combat
that and everything has been going fine.
"Last season we started so early be
cause of us playing Stanford, so it feels
like it was hotter last year. This season,
we have gotten back to a normal practice
schedule and because of that we have
had great concentration.
"But I will be glad when school starts
because then we can fall into a normal
schedule and plus it cools off some."
Senior center Chris Dausin said deal
ing with the heat is part of the routine
when preparing for an upcoming season.
"Last year our legs were dead before
the Stanford game, but it seems the
coaches have eased up a little to allow us
to recover a little bit," Dausin said.
"Actually, it seemed like last year the
heat was unbearable, whereas it has not
been bad this year," he said. "This sum
mer we have been getting quality work
as opposed to the past where we were
getting quantity work.
"Although it is hot, it is something we
have to deal with and besides, other
teams are having to practice through it,
too."
Rain is not in the forecast, but Solari
predicted that relief is on the way.
"Actually, our two-a-day practices are
over because we have one Wednesday
morning and another practice late
Wednesday when it will be cool," Solari
said. "After that, the fun starts in
preparing for the season."
Dausin said the key to beating the
high temperatures is taking proper care
of one's body.
"First of all, getting plenty of rest is a
key," he said. "This summer I ran
sprints with other guys to get used to it
because it is all part of the training deal.
If you don't do the necessary things,
then you can pass out."
"We have been lucky so far - a few
guys have cramped up, but nothing ma
jor. Most of it's mental because there is
nothing else like Texas heat."
Expanding mercury levels can also
cause tempers to flare, which could
cause some fighting between teammates.
Solari said that while some player's
fuses have been a little short, his team
mates are saving their explosions for
LSU.
"We have had some tussles," he said.
"Psychologically, the heat can be tough,
but everybody has held their composure.
Because of that we have gotten better as
practice has wom-on.
"Everybody is concentrating on beat
ing LSU and trying to get focused on ac
complishing that. Fighting amongst our
selves would not solve anything."
A&M has an intra-squad scrimmage
on Friday but after that the players,
Dausin said, will begin thinking about
hitting somebody with an opposite col
ored uniform.
"Scrimmages are great because they
are like game situations, but we are start
ing to hone in on LSU," he said. "This
might be hard to believe but we enjoy
hitting on opponents more than we do
each other."
Solari concurred.
"I am tired of hitting the same guys
and I am eager to hit other people," So
lari said. "(The scrimmage) is great prac
tice because it will be hot when we play
LSU, but still, I am ready to get the real
thing going."
High expectations surround A&M up
coming season as evidenced by the glut
of preseason magazines touting the Ag
gies as runaway winners of the SWC.
But Dausin suggested that all the talk
will be forgotten in the heat of the battle.
A&M center Chris Dausin takes a break
on the practice field adjacent to Kyle
Field as he listens to offensive line coach
"All of that stuff is great, but right
now is where the difference is made," he
said. "We have been working hard this
Mike Sherman. The Aggies open their
season September 4 against Louisiana
State at 2:30 p.m.
summer to be able to pick up where we
left off last season. Right now, we as a
team can't wait to play LSU."
Lady Aggies
kick open fall
soccer season
By Julie Chelkowski
The Battalion
The Texas A&M women's soccer
team was hit with big news last
spring that has taken the players to a
higher level in the 1993 season - an
NCAA level.
After narrowly avoiding the loss of
the soccer program last fall, the Texas
A&M athletic department resolved to
recognize the women's team as a
NCAA Division I program. Now, the
team has a new coach, a new field,
new uniforms, a new budget, and a
new attitude.
Head coach Gerald Guerrieri, who
was brought in last March, said he
was amazed at the attention the pro
gram is getting, especially compared
to past years.
"I've seen reports and heard how i
things were done in the past and it's
shocking to see what the stories j
were," he said. "But right now it's
fantastic,"
Guerrieri said with tire new recog
nition, his team will now be able to
make a full-time commitment to ex
cellence, both academically and ath
letically.
"Before, the girls in the program
had to hold themselves up because it j
wasn't being done by the athletic de- j
partment," he said. "They're excited I
now because they know they'll get
help for their hard work "
Along with the monetary benefits |
that have resulted from official recog- j
nition, the players are enjoying the
support of their peers and fellow ath
letes.
"Before, if you asked anyone in
athletics if there was a soccer team,
they would say no," Rennie Rebe, a !
returning senior, said. "Now, they're :
See Soccer/Page 1
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