Page 9 Tuesday • january 28, 1997 From the pool to the court Sophomore Kerrie Patterson directs the Lady Aggie attack This rate an additional 5 to end to RCYCLE ind looks excellenl at 774-8302. ETS le. Fantat ownei ■MATES an, quiet 3-bedroo( tn park. $250/mo f p. Own bdrm/batfi tent, w/d, shuttle I Jhnstme 694-8794 2bdrm/1bath. $2' phone line. Juhe 84f iplex. $225/mc 076. i.A.P. Own room, in fol 776-8254 Spring. 2bdrm/1batlii: $ 175/mo. +1/2 utilities By Jamie Burch The Battalion efore sophomore Kerrie Pat terson, a point guard on the Texas A&M Women’s Basket- ' ball Team, discovered her love for loops, she spent her summers not the basketball court but in the immingpool. “The first thing I really liked as swimming,” Patterson said. "That was my sport when I was ■sally young. I played basketball Ind I was okay at it, but I would Iwim every summer at the Uni- lersity of Houston.” I Even though Patterson spent #,*10 majority of her youth under- Mater, she discovered her love of ajasketball through her peers. “I started playing when I was in te third grade,” Patterson said. “I as always a tomboy. Growing up, always played with boys. That as the sport to play, so that’s hat we did.” Patterson has since progressed Jo a higher level than that of her louth. She has gone from the black lops of Houston, to the hardwood IfG. Rollie White. Much of Patterson’s first year at V&M was spent viewing the game rom the bench. As a freshman, ■'atterson had the difficult task of laying behind senior point guard, jsa Branch, who holds numerous school records, including total mmediately!! 36dm'. jtilities. Please cal Kr CS.A.P. :o share 2bdm'16alt! routs. Call Don 6&I2 eeded. Own room, IS l bills. Good Locate 1 tus. $25Q/mo. + W d d to share 2/1, CS drm/2bath housa, a; .»'• drm house, SSi 'H : ire 2bdrm/21/2 ant location) Gt~*' 'ease ha/f ol 212. ^ Ca// for complete pad jse. $2S5/mo. +bills. ICES lingua Iranca of busin ker will teach or tutor. 12 on Metropolis BBS i 11 ■MUD, Farwest Tri/ia^ let Access! Call (fS^ es include word pis 5 indexing and prinlti VEL ngel Flyer, New refurnished. ^ , ask for John. points (1,939), assists (795), and steals (309). Off the bench, Patter son averaged just seven minutes and two points per game. Patterson said the experience of playing behind Branch helped her game. “I learned a lot from just watch ing Lisa,” Patterson said. “I learned what to do and what not to do. I tried to pick up things about the game while watching her. “She was a leader. You had no choice but to follow her because she was always doing something good. She just made every one around her better.” Because Patterson played be hind an All-American her first year, Head Coach Candi Harvey con- tributes Patterson’s slow start to mited time on the court. “I probably did Kerrie a disser vice last year by not playing her more,” Harvey said. “But It was hard to take Branch off the floor. Experience-wise, Kerrie’s a fresh man point guard and it’s taken her awhile to adjust.” Receiving the starting nod the last five games, Patterson has struggled, averaging five points, 4.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and four turnovers per game. Looking past the numbers, Pat terson said she must get the job done and not make any excuses for her performance. Amy Dunlap, The Battalion Sophomore point guard Kerrie Patterson became the director of the Lady Aggie offense after All-American Lisa Branch graduated. “I have to make the best of the situation,” Patterson said. “As far as experience is concerned, I’m like a freshman because I received little playing time last year. Mentally, I’m expected to be a sophomore or an upperclassman. “It’s a no win situation. I have to do it or I’ll be sitting down.” Though she admitted Harvey can press her hard in practice, Pat terson said she knows it will only aid her play. “She (Harvey) pushes me just as much as she pushes (Christy) Lake and Natalie (Tucker),” Patter son said. “She’s always on the point guard because they’re supposed to direct things on the floor. “She won’t let me back down. It’s good because it will carry over into life. I won’t let a situation beat me.” Contrary to Patterson’s win or lose attitude, senior guard Lana Tucker said Patterson helps light en the mood of the team in the locker room and on the court. “She’s the goofiest person on the team,” Tucker said. “She’s con stantly making jokes and dancing around the locker room. She puts the fun back into the game. Every one can be so serious on the court and then Kerrie pops a joke to make everyone laugh. “I think that’s so important at this level. It becomes so much like a job, but you still want to keep the fun in the game.” Unlike her predecessor, Patter son has no aspirations for the new ly founded professional women’s basketball leagues. The five-foot- eight-inch Patterson said she will close this chapter of her life once her collegiate days are finished. “I think if the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) or the ABL (American Basketball League) would have been created earlier on, it would have been an as piration of mine,” Patterson said. “It would have been something that I would have thought about more. “It never was part of my agen da. I think the leagues are great for women’s basketball, but it’s not something that I want to do.” Although she still has two years left of eligibility, Patterson said she will be ready for a change when it is all said and done. New Mexico. Townfc Taos & Angel Fire, S' ITED a weight. Metabolism F & Checks. Fast free j ./C.Sta. or 1-80M27-* \ggies bring home golc^ records IPS Tim Moog, The Battalion ophomore Michael Price leads the men's ack team during practice at the A&M track. Staff and Wire Reports OKLAHOMA CITY—The Texas A&M Men’s and Wo men’s Track and Field Teams definitely did not come back empty-handed from the 23rd annual Sooner Indoor Relays this weekend. The Aggies brought back four first-place finishes and a pair of school records. Senior Teri Fojtik won the high jump and sopho more Mike Lowrance won the shot put with a career-best throw 56-71/4. Senior Russell Nuti picked up a gold, with a throw of 51 - 11 3/4 in the weight throw and sophomore Mike Price rounded out the bunch with a leap for gold in the long jump. “Overall, we had a solid meet, and I thought we made some improvement from last week,” A&M Head Coach Ted Nelson said. “But we still have a long way to go before we’re ready for the conference indoor meet. Nuti and sophomore Kelli Schrader both set A&M records in the weight throw. Nuti outdistanced Rob Graf’s previous record of 39-1 3/4 set in 1988, and Schrader edged out Lydia Herrera’s former mark of 40-5 set in 1996.. “Russell Nuti continues to show improvement in his tech nique and should be a factor in the weight throw at the con ference indoor meet,” Nelson said. “Mike Price was impressive in the long jump and looks ready to jump even further than he did. Teri Fojtik had her best meet in some time and really looked solid. “Mike Lowrance won his first meet and it was against a very solid field of shot putters.” r gieland be taken 9 Monday til Feb. 21. 'Hcwtctt&te MunetMe- afeecuzt fat yfcpy ie ttle ‘Tfietw /ttCevuC <**te t&e fadCactActty ctuuuCatony vueetittyd,. *7ue