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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 1996)
The Battalion Page 7 Wednesday • October 30, 1996 les try to make most out of negative situation By Matt Mitchell The Battalion jftth November almost here, ly Aggies’ thoughts turn to the narks of fall. Turning leaves, |er weather and the upcoming nksgiving holidays spring to |d. And of course, the Aggies rap up another outstanding [on and gleefully pick which [game to attend come New f’s Day. noops, not so fast, ollowing the Texas A&M Foot- Dave House, The Battalion [rterback Branndon Stewart > sacked by Tech defenders. ball Team’s disheartening 13-10 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday, the struggle to salvage a season gone wrong with a bowl berth is becom ing more and more desperate. The players and coaches must refo cus on attainable goals as tine season enters its home stretch. “It’s going to be kind of a test for the team to see if we can stick together and pull through these last four games,” junior quarter back Branndon Stewart said. “I think it's important for the young guys to finish up strong this year and have something to look for ward to in the years to come and learn from this season and learn that you can come back from hard times and misfortune.” A&M Head Coach R.C. Slocum said the carry-over effect of the next four games is important, and finishing the year in a positive manner could have a profound effect on next season. “It would obviously be an as set for us to finish strong,” Slocum said. “You’d like to show some signs that you have been through a low spot and you’re gaining experience and starting to come out of it. That’s some thing that would be very posi tive. It would be posi tive in recruiting, positive in the kids’ minds and it certainly is a goal.” Despite the team’s hard luck, Stewart said the players have main tained a good attitude. “If we finish up on a good note this year, I think it will help us go into the spring with a little more mo mentum,” Stewart said. “But then again, I think that regard less of how the season goes, I think the guys will still bounce back. I think their attitudes have been good.” As the Aggies hit the practice field Monday, more than one player spoke with optimism con cerning the team’s frame of mind. “I think we’ve had good prac tices,” senior outside linebacker Kei th Mitchell said. “We came out yes terday and went full pads, and I didn’t know how that was going to go. “But I got out there and I saw everyone still having fun and showing a lot of effort and enthu siasm and things like that. I think we’re still positive and we’re going to keep it positive and like Coach Slocum said, take one game at a time and work toward that and to get some wins.” Stewart said the team realizes that all is not lost. “I thought watching practice that the guys came out and they worked hard and they realized that the season’s not over,” Stewart said. “We have an op portunity to do well at the end of the season, and I think the guys are going to take advan tage of that.” What makes losing all the more difficult for the Aggies is the way in which they have lost. In virtually every setback, the Aggies have hurt themselves with costly mistakes and penalties. Still, they have found that if they executed key plays, they may have had a chance to win more games, which makes defeat that much harder to swallow. “It hurts you a little more be cause you realize that you could have won that game,” Stewart said. “But then again, I think that it makes you feel not really confi dent, but you know the ability is 1996 Big 12 Conference Football Standings W Conference L Pet. PF PA W L Overall Pet. PF PA South Division Texas Tech 4 2 .667 143 99 5 3 .625 213 134 Texas 2 2 .500 162 82 3 4 .429 240 153 Oklahoma 2 2 .500 117 145 2 5 .286 186 247 Baylor 1 3 .250 101 143 4 3 .571 177 182 Texas A&M 1 3 .250 64 81 3 5 .375 241 164 Oklahoma St. 1 4 .200 86 199 4 4 .500 169 245 North Division Colorado 4 0 1.000 107 54 6 1 .857 205 127 Nebraska 4 0 1.000 175 20 6 1 .857 295 62 Kansas State 4 1 .800 124 118 7 1 .875 252 128 Kansas 1 3 .250 83 137 3 4 .429 212 209 Missouri 1 3 .250 86 148 3 4 .429 167 216 Iowa State 1 3 .250 114 132 2 5 .286 207 254 there to win and you’re not just getting blown out by every team. But I think that losing by a small margin is definitely worse.” Slocum said there is both a positive and negative aspect to their recent losses. “It makes it frustrating because you’re so close, but you’re so far in terms of the (overall) record,” Slocum said. “Given the choice, I’d rather have it be like it is rather than us getting drilled every game and saying, ‘Man, we have got a long way to go.’ We don’t have that far to go. We just have to get there.” Most coaches and players still say that where they need to be is not far away. “You look at what you did wrong in the game,” Stewart said. “You see areas where you can im prove and areas you can take ad vantage of that you didn’t in the game, and try to do that the next game and hopefully overcome that small margin that you had the game before.” rath, Ondras lead Aggies into Big 12 Championships ath improves consistency, [ness through summer workouts By Dennis Ramirez The Battalion i order to run 60 miles a week nd maintain a 4.0 grade-point atio, one Texas A&M student’s nula is "study, run, eat, sleep ...” Stephen Erath, a member of (Texas A&M Cross Country land a sophomore psycholo- nd pre-med major, is out to [only get the job done, but also nprove himself. iprovement is a big motivator lind my love for running,” Erath t. "I really enjoy having the op- jtunity to chal- Ige myself every pkin a race, and [ing to run faster In the week be- t It's one of those Ints where you |p the rewards en you run well all the hard c is worth it.” ath became ad- Ited to running len he entered a road race in pdle school. This propelled him i in high school. Erath competed for four years jthe Brother Martin High School > country team in New Orleans, [While there, Erath led his team i Louisiana state championship [junior year, and finished second third his junior and senior s, respectively. le was also on the state [ss country team for two con- [utive years. Respite his accomplishments high school, Erath still faced “Improvement is a big motivator behind my love for running.” Stephen Erath cross country runner the problem of adjusting to col lege level running. “It was a big step up,” Erath said. “I knew it was coming, but it really didn’t hit hard till that first meet. I did all right as a freshman, but I didn’t do as well as I expected, it was more of an adjusting year.” With a top finish of 22nd last year, Erath committed himself to improvement. He worked hard all summer, as evidenced by a fourth- place finish at the Rice Invitational Sept. 21. Erath said he is anxiously awaiting the Big 12 Conference Championships this weekend. “I’ve had a much better season than last year due to the fact that I’m in bet ter shape because of all the hard work in the summer,” Erath said. “With the two big meets left, I hope I run my best at those meets. As a team, we are excited about con ference because we have a chance to run against some premier teams and individuals.” A&M Head Coach Greg Hinze said Erath has done a great job and looks forward to bigger and better things from him in the future. “He has made great strides this year, he worked hard all summer and has been very consistent this year,” Hinze said. “This year, be cause we have a young team, he’s been able to come in and get ex perience. He leads by example and people notice his work ethic.” Boredom makes Ondras hit the pavement Tim Moog, The Battalion Stephen Erath finished fourth at the Rice Invitational Sept. 21. Consistency coupled with dedica tion has been what has helped Erath with his running and academics. “Academics has always been my first priority, I studied hard in high school and I’m still studying hard now,” Erath said. “A lot of people think that if you excel in athletics you can’t get good grades, but it can be done.” For now, Erath is going to con centrate on the conference cham pionships this weekend and the following regionals. But his long term goals include an NCAA cross country championship. “My greatest goal is for the team to make it to the NCAA National Championship,” Erath said. “This is a team as well as individual goal be cause it’s going to take each individ ual to get there, and we have an op portunity to get there soon.” i&M Harriers look to first chance at Big 12 title By Sara Duesing The Battalion There is a first time for everything. And since the A&M Athletic Department joined the Big 12 inference this year, there has been a lot of firsts Aggie athletics. It is the Texas A&M Cross Country Team’s turn to its first look at its Big 12 competition as it trav- to Ames, Iowa, on Saturday for the Inaugural 12 Championships. Looking ahead to the NCAA District-VI Cham- ionships Nov. 16, where individuals will qualify >r the national championships, A&M Head inch Greg Hinze said Saturday’s meet will be [dpful in many ways. “We are going to take away some valuable ex- [ehence,” Hinze said. “We have such a young ! am and this, by far, is the biggest and most >mpetitive meet we’ll race in. We’ll really get to where we stack up.” With the women’s squad chasing the University of dorado and the men looking to beat the combined rers of Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Nebraska, and ilorado as well, the races will be tough but beneficial. “The younger part of the team will have a greater ipreciation of the work that has to be put in to suc- id,” Hinze said. “This meet will be a good transition we go into the regional meet later.” Sophomore Stephen Erath said he is excited about iturday’s meet because it is the biggest meet most of team members have ever run in before. “A lot of these schools we’ve never seen before,” Erath said. "Next year, we’ll be able to compete even better against them. But for now, I think we’re focusing on beating the SWC teams we’ve faced in the past.” Of all the Big 12 teams, five are ranked in the top 25, emphasizing the challenge facing the Aggies. The men’s team, however, is coming off a first-place finish at the UTA 5-Way Meet two weeks ago, while the women had a strong third-place finish, providing both teams with momentum going into the competition. But since freshman Caroline Kohler will not com pete because of an injury, Hinze said the women’s team may have a greater challenge than the men’s. Since the team is young and inexperienced and will face new competition, freshman Debbie Villarreal, who placed 13th in the two-mile race at the UTA Meet, said she is focusing on a strong performance to see how she stacks up individually in the Big 12. “I think this meet will motivate me for next year,” Villarreal said. “It will make us a stronger team, and hopefully we’ll get ranked higher.” However, the main focus will not be where individ uals finish, Erath said, but how the team does overall. “We all want to just go out and run the best we can and help the team to place well,” Erath said. Villarreal said even if the Aggies do not come out with the first-place title, they will have faced their new rivals for the first time and will have gained experience. “This meet is very important,” Villarreal said. “But if anything, it will help us to do better next time.” By Sara Duesing The Battalion T he morning sky is still dark and all seems quiet. But if you listen closely, you can hear it. It is the sound of feet on pavement — of rubber soles hitting concrete. One step after another, a steady rhythm is produced. At a time when most people are still in deep slumber, Milli Ondras is up and running—literally. A junior on the Texas A&M Women’s Cross Country Team, On dras has committed herself to run ning. Motivated by her boyfriend (senior James Menze of the men’s squad), Ondras said she depends on him to get her going, even on the worst days. “He’s such a good coach,” On dras said. “He inspires me and keeps me going.” It was a lazy afternoon during her sophomore year in high school when utter boredom drove Ondras to do something that would change her life forever — she got up and ran. “I was really bored that day,” Ondras said. “It [running] was something to do.” Since then, running has be come much more to Ondras than just doing something to pass the time. Now, running every day, Ondras said she enjoys every thing it has to offer. “I have made lots of friends [competing],” Ondras said. “But mostly, I like the pain.” And painful it is. With work outs Ondras describes as “killer,” running competitively requires dedication, determina tion and talent. “Milli is the most dedicated person I know,” Menze said. “She’s just obsessed with running and would do it even if there was n’t a team to run for.” A&M Head Coach Greg Hinze said Ondras is extremely disci plined, and she is perhaps the most consistent runner on the team. “I never have to worry about her,” Hinze said. “I know that in each race she knows what she has to do.” Constantly striving to im prove, Ondras has worked her way up from a mediocre high school record in San Antonio to a strong collegiate career. In the UTA 5-Way Meet two weeks ago, Ondras finished in 10th place with an impressive time of 11:44 in the two-mile race. She considers last year’s SWC Championships Meet, where she placed 27th, a big break through for her. “I’d been getting discouraged because no matter how hard I tried, everyone else was better,” Ondras said. “But I realized then my work was paying off and I was really get ting somewhere.” With an outgoing personali ty, Ondras has made quite an impact on her teammates. Tim Moog, The Battalion junior Milli Ondras finished 10th at the UTA 5-Way Meet two weeks ago. Hinze said Ondras keeps her teammates loose. “I would say Milli is very gre garious,” Hinze said. “She has a loud personality and is always making someone laugh. It’s a great stress reliever.” However, Ondras can be serious as well. Realizing the importance of concentration and a positive at titude, Ondras said she tries to imagine each race before compet ing, although she is careful not to get too tense. “It’s not good to be too nervous or you won’t do as well,” Ondras said. “But it’s not going to be the end of the world if you don’t finish at the top.” Ondras may not have much mental anxiety, but she does have superstitions. “Everything has to be just right, just the same,” Ondras said. “The same socks, the same ponytail holder, everything.” As an upperclassman on a young team, Ondras is looked up to by the younger runners, Menze said. “She has got a real positive at titude,” Menze said. “It not only helps her, but rubs off on the whole team. They can see her and follow her example.” Training every morning and al ways being prepared help Ondras’ contribution to the team’s success. “She approaches every work out and every competition with such consistency,” Hinze said. “She really knows where she be longs and what her limits are. I think that is key for any athlete to know their strengths.” Hooked on the effects of run ning, Ondras said that she plans to run her whole life and to compete as often as possible. “I want to be a good road racer and do marathons,” Ondras said. “Plus, the older you get, the less competition there will be. By the time I’m 60,1 should win them all.” Possessing a true love for and dedication to running, Ondras nev er gives anything less than every thing she has — just listen for the early-morning footsteps.