Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 5, 1996)
The Battalion Let imas WEDNESDAY June 5, 1996 Page 3 b- t L id [1 ong a gun narksman s,ew Mllne ' The BArrA1 - ,ON old violent Texas A 8g ie runners (from left to right) Billy Fobbs, Michael Price and Toya Jones compete in the 100-meter dash at the Aggies' meet against the University of Texas. A&M defeated the Longhorns in that matchup, but 3rbal alter finished as runners-up to UT in the final Southwest Conference Meet in Austin last month. Men's and women's teams meet expectations urdett saic complaints about peo- gy Philip Leone The Battalion If the Texas A&M Track Team’s season had to be described in one m Vr word, it would be bittersweet. Sweet because both the men’s and women’s squads finished a surprising second in the Southwest Conference standings and com bined to send a school record 22 competitors to the NCAA Track and Field Championships. And bitter because both sides struggled at the NCAA finals and suf fered some major individual disap pointments. Despite the Aggies’ troubles at na tionals, Head Coach Ted Nelson said he was more than pleased with his team’s overall performance through out the outdoor season. “We go into every season looking to win the Southwest Conference, but re- alistically this season we set a goal of finishing in the top three,” Nelson said. “I’m very proud of how consis- tent we were all season long and how ■ well we performed at the conference ^ meet — especially the women's team.” At the final SWC Championships held in Lubbock May 16-18, the un- | • derdog Lady Aggies registered a blj C school record 134 1/4 points to the LI liO University of Texas’ 144. The 10- point margin was the closest any man Marcus SWC team has come to beating the ppers lined up powerful Lady Longhorns since 1990. imond-studded The women’s team also tied a ng. school record by capturing three indi- le were to ben- vidual events. Junior Rosa Jolivet won the 100- and 400-meter hurdles with rm shoes, fur- tmes 0 f 13,23 and 56.94 seconds re- herbet-colored S p ec ti ve }y Freshman sensation Stacey amstay o on g^ ora won heptathlon, and five Lady Aggies had runner-up fimshes. The Aggie men also challenged Texas for the conference crown. Se nior Tim Bryant was victorious in the long jump with a leap of 26.7 meters and Nervy Kennedy concluded his conference career by finishing first in the javelin event with a throw of 233.2 meters. A&M only trailed by two points in the team standings going into the fi nal event, the 1,600-meter relay. Ex pected to finish first or second, the Aggies mishandled the first exchange and finished a disappointing sixth. Texas placed fourth in the relay to maintain its overall lead and win the conference team title. Unfortunately, the same kind of adversity followed the Aggies to Eu gene, Ore., for the NCAA Champi onships May 29-June 1. The men tied for 19th place overall with 15 points, while the women finished with eight points for 25th place. Expected to contend for the na tional title after placing first in the SWC, the Aggie men’s 400-meter re lay team was disqualified during pre liminaries because officials said the third Aggie runner, Billy Fobbs, stepped on the inside line of his lane as he ran the curve. The team’s time, 39.66 seconds, would have placed them third among qualifiers and put them in the finals. A&M lost more crucial points the following day when Danny McCray was disqualified from the 400-meter dash after stepping on the lane dur ing his preliminary heat. His time of 45.85 seconds would have easily earned him a spot in the finals. Ironically, the disqualifications oc curred at the same curve on the track by the same meet official. Nelson believes this misfortune was difficult for his team to overcome. “It did kind of take the wind out of our sails a bit,” Nelson said. “It does n’t get called very often, but we ac cept the decision. Maybe the judge just didn’t like maroon and white.” Seniors Nery Kennedy and Tim Bryant, however, gave the Aggies some points with strong perfor mances. Kennedy placed third in the javelin and earned All-American hon ors with a distance of 237.2 meters. Bryant also grabbed All-American distinction by finishing seventh in the long jump. A&M Jumps and Hurdlers coach Abe Brown said the cool weather con ditions in Eugene did not prevent Bryant from ending his collegiate ca reer on a high note. “He capped off a stellar career,” Brown said. “The conditions made him tight in the calves, and I thought that might take away from his speed. He didn’t let it bother him. He gave his best effort.” For the women, Rosa Jolivet re bounded from the disappointment of not making the finals in the 400- meter hurdles to place third in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 12.97 seconds. Jolivet entered the meet with the fastest 400-meter time in the nation, and Nelson said he was proud of how she overcame the let-down of not making the finals in that event. “For her first time at nationals, I think she really handled herself well,” Nelson said. “Rosa got her focus back for the 400 and kicked it in for us. You have to be pleased with that kind of maturity.” Sophomore Adrien Sawyer joined Jolivet in earning All-American hon ors for the Lady Aggies. Sawyer placed seventh in the long jump and finished among the top eight Ameri cans in the triple jump. Sawyer’s performance at nationals came as no surprise to Brown. “She’s jumped well for us all sea son and just stepped up for us at the right time,” Brown said. “I’m glad we have her for two more years.” Nelson: Long-time A&M "track man" takes honor Continued from Page 1 Nelson’s modesty belies his success. In his six years as the “head man” at A&M after serving as an assistant since 1966, the program has pro duced two Olympians and 29 All-Americans. Abe Brown, an assistant for the Aggies for five of those six years, said Nelson’s steady disposi tion and dependability are the secrets to the 30- year Aggie track coach’s success. “He’s a fair man — keeps things on an even keel,” Brown said. “You can always count on Coach Nelson. He’s not going to go ‘left field’ on you. You always know where he’s coming from, and that kind of stability has really benefited our program.” Nelson believes he received the national coaching award, partially, because of the late season surge of the Lady Aggies. Predicted to finish in the middle of the pack at the SWC Championships held May 16-18 at Texas Tech, the Lady Aggies accumulated a school record of 134 points to finish second, just 10 points behind powerhouse Texas. “That was a great meet for our women’s squad because no one really expected us to end up that close to Texas,” Nelson said. “I’m very proud of what the girls were able to accomplish. It was a tremendous effort on their part, and without question, I think it had something to do with me getting the award.” In addition to the women’s surprise perfor mance at the final SWC competition, seven Lady Aggies qualified for the NCAA meet, breaking the previous school mark of five set in 1992. The men’s team also finished the conference meet in second place behind Texas, sending a school-record of 15 competitors to the national championships and finishing tied for 19th. This kind of success is nothing new for Nelson. A high school track standout in his hometown of Andrews, Texas, Nelson was recruited to A&M by legendary Aggie track coach Charlie Thomas in 1961. Once in Aggieland, Nelson quickly es tablished himself as one of the greatest sprinters in the school’s history. Nelson held 13 school records at the end of his stellar career, including times of 9.4 seconds in the 100-yard dash and 46.2 seconds in the 440- yard dash. So speedy was Nelson that first-year A&M head football coach Gene Stallings talked him into playing reserve split end and special teams for the Aggies before the 1965 season. Though Nelson did not see much action on Stallings' 3-7 squad, he said his gridiron experi ence was not without benefits. “We weren’t real good, but I enjoyed that sea son a whole lot,” Nelson said. “I had already de cided that track was where I belonged.” Everyone involved with the A&M track pro gram agrees that Nelson made a wise decision. Photo Courtesy of Texas A&M Sports Information Ted Nelson took over the coaching reins from long time A&M coach Charlie Thomas (right) in 1991. Center fee >44 per se- tudent Ser- ease to $99 You Wnrrv Tnn 1/U lull ttUIIj 1UU IflUvili Dr. Steven Strawn is seeking volunteers for a l 2 - month research study of an s Editor | investigational medication for anxiety. ITOR ITOR For more information call: raphics Editor 846 - 2050 uck, Ann Marie t, Ruth E. Stotler Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. , lames Francis, ; ? andon Marler Friday 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Arcelay, David 'Kja Henderson, m Pawlikowski, s & Gwendolyn NOW HIRING Ikinson «M University in urnalism. Battalion applications 3; Fax: 845-2647 orsement by Th6 845-2696.. For 5 Reed Me Don- : ax: 845-2678. may be picked up in it to pick up a sin- 0 per school year \merican Express, 013 Reed McDonald iy during ihe fall mmer sessions Jniversity. Suilding, Texas ^ WRITERS NEEDED. APPLY TODAY! ~J| All positions paid. ThunmrCumidSijbs Twi-Light 2 for 1 BUY ANY SUB AND GET ONE FREE FROM 5 (Free sub must be of lesser or equal value) Now through Tuesday, June 11th 8 P.M. Albertson’s Center 2205 Longmire 693-6494 Randall’s Center 607 E. University 691-2276 FREE '^vcC^ LIFETIME FREE SERVICE 817 Texas Ave. College Station, Tx. 696-6551 PERFORMANCE BICYCLES * FREE HELMET. W/Mongoose adult bike pur chase. Restrictions apply, while supplies last August Graduates Official Texas A&M Graduation Announcements on sale at the MSC Box Office 1st Floor of Rudder Tower Through June 7, 1996 Not# Offering Personalized as well as Traditi onal A nno uncem eh ts \ v Call 845-1234, or come by for information or to place an order. http://wwwmsc.tamu.edu/graduation Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. j FLOPPY JOE’S COMPUTERS Software • Hardware • Service Check out software for up to 7 days Bring in this ad for a E MEMBERSHIP! U* IP ¥ Open Every 1705 Texas Ave. 693-1706 N f g|u Uml i , p m ¥ $