bcorrvflcj
March 31-
April 4
845-1234
Optra & Performing Arts Society
THE BRIDE
WEIGHS 600 LBS.
XHE GROOM
IS 9 INCHES TALL
THE ONLY THING FUNNIER
IS THE HONEYMOON
Join us for
Messina Hof s
romantic, old-world
Marriage Of The
Port Ceremony.
Its part of each
world-famous winery
tour & wine tasting.
Tours
N&'eekdays: 1 &: 2:30pm
Sat: 11am, 12:30
2:30, 4pm
Sun: 12:30 & 2:30pm
Its fun and
its romantic. You
might even shed a
happy tear...or watch
a barrel blush.
(No reservations required)
THE PERSONAL
ROMANTIC GIFT
You can put your
special message on
a custom wine label.
Choose from five
beautiful labels. Low
price includes the
label and the award
winning wine:
Blush-$ 12.99
Barrel Reserve
Cabernet Sauvignon
or Chardonnay-
$19.95
Late Harvest Muscat
Canelli - $23.99
Labels while you wait
only during February.
Phone orders OKYWe ID
Messina Hof
4545 Old Reliance Road
(409) 778-9463
The Battalion
SPORTS
^ j J~J r J 1 J ^ KcUtigs tcikcs aim at the roil
ByIeffWebb
Staff writer
Senior Stacie Karnes has one ad
vantage over her competitors before
she even enters the pool. Karnes can
intimidate. Her own apparent lack of
fear to ascend great heights of ath
leticism is why she is one of the top
swimmers in the Big 12 Conference.
Teammates have respect for her,
enough to elect her team co-captain
for her senior season. Sophomore
Monica Stroman cited her leadership
and presence in the pool as reasons
for the nomination.
“She's very focused," Stroman
said. “If I weren’t on her team, I would
be intimidated by her. She’s very
powerful. She’s an unbelievable
swimmer and athlete.”
Karnes began her fearless aquatic
journey at the age of 10 as a member
of the City of Shreveport Swim Team
at her parents’ urging. It ranked as
one of many sports that the youthful
Karnes would participate in before
concentrating on swimming when
she reached high school.
“I was the only girl in the Dixie
Boys Baseball League,” Karnes
said. “It was a neat experience. I
just went to tryouts and was the
only girl. I pitched one game and
played first and second base. I was
never made fun of.”
But the choice was simple. She
was too good at swimming
“My parents put me in it when I
was 10 years old,” she said. “I really
didn’t want to, but I guess I was
forced. Swimming took over as the
favorite after a while.”
Karnes proved she was one of the
top swimmers in the country last
year when she posted an automat
ic bid in the 200-butterfly. Karnes
enters the water with a focused at
titude to achieve her success, but
teammates say breaking up tension
in practice and before events seems
to be her speciality. Before a confer
ence event last season, sophomore
Tracy Evans said Karnes enter
tained other Big 12 swimmers in the
ready room with her performance
of “fat guy in a little coat” from the
movie Tommy Boy.
“We joke around in practice,” she
said. “Other people wouldn’t know.
We have little jokes and comments
under our breath that keep us going
during our workout. We make fun of
them (the coaches), little do they
know. They don’t know what’s going
on down in the water.”
One thing Coach Don Wagner
said he does know is Karnes has been
the example he wants others to fol
low in the pool.
“I think she has been a great ex
ample for her team in many of the
competitions we’ve had in the past
two years,” Wagner said. “This year
she's having the best year she’s ever
had. She’s very directive in training
and very centered.”
Karnes has enjoyed a successful
career in all respects at Texas A&M
and it is beginning to sink in that
her time in college swimming is
winding down. This weekend’s Big
12 Conference meet will be the last
one in which she will have the op-
Save the whales.
Save the environment
portumty to participate.
“I’m excited,” she said. “I’m ner
vous, but I’m also sad because it’s our
last conference meet. It might be the
last time I swim a relay with them.
Ever since I was 10 years old, I’ve
been with a group of people every
day in the water doing stuff and it will
be totally different.
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