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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 24, 2000)
Monday,jJ Monday, July 24,2000 Sports Page 3 THE BATTALION Aggies compete at U.S. Olympic Trials # Bfc ■ 1 W: Wk M during the final scene Playhouse in Corpus itly accepting registrationansj te launches next month, in currently services A Southwest Texas, and Kir company spread throughonll gested personal political cos ions, too. In May an unexpected poli ability came up, and if fat chance of that coming to pat Id mean that 1 would kvetosk n as sp_eQal counsel, in's, b„u,t he refused tosayjpfi pleting hiswvork meant nett open to becoming Bush's r® mate. "I'm not going to say an) z, more about politics.'' n the Senate, Danforth was 4 : ad vocate of Supreme Courtnou Clarence Thomas during his® ation hearings. After leaving4 te, he returned hometopracS n St. Louis. 'anforth, a former state audi attorney general, is a gradual! :eton University and Yale'st divinity schools. Anheirlo :on-Purina fortune, he is an zd Episcopal priest, heney, a former Wyomingli ?r and White House chief ofsli ged as the leading candidate after changing his registrat Texas to Wyoming to aver' titutional hurdle if Bush wet him. heney's emergence quietedsf )n that McCain wanted aspe :ket. The timing left Republt iering whether Bush was it ey to divert attention from nished rival, nnforth's candidacy diverts m from McCain even further des for McCain and dnce suspected the Arizona^ id little chance of getting the! h McCain told a mutual feni that he would be willing tosff Mike Moran The Battalion History is full of stories of those heading west to Cali fornia with dreams of gold. For nine current Texas A&M track and field members and eight former tracksters, even silver or bronze means a trip to Australia and a chance to represent the United States in the 2000 Olympic Games. These 17 Aggies competed in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, held July 14-23 at Hornet Stadium on the California State-Sacramento campus. The top three finishers in the 20 men's events and 19 women's who also meet the Olympic "A" qualifying standard will travel to Sydney, Australia, as part of the U.S. Track and Field team. The most anticipated race of the meet featured a matchup of world-record holder Michael Johnson and Maurice Greene, considered to be the fastest man in the world. Floyd Heard, 34-year-old track veteran and former A&M trackster, also secured a spot in the 200-meter final af ter blazing through the qualifying and semi-final rounds. When both Johnson and Greene pulled hamstrings in the final, Heard secured second with a time of 19.88 seconds to earn his trip to compete for the gold in Sydney. Heard, the only Aggie to make the U.S. Olympic team, also competed in the 100-meter dash but did not advance past the semi-final round. Former Aggie runner Larry Wade also turned in a re markable performance at the trials. Last Easter, Wade suf fered injuries in a car accident that required water to be drained from Ms heart. He advanced to the finals of the 110- meter hurdles and finished fifth with a time of 13.26. Wade said he realizes the risks of competing in the hurdles. "I'm a hurdler," Wade said. "What I do is run hurdles. I'm not afraid to fall; it's a chance Tm willing to take. Just like my heart, it's a chance Tm willing to take." A&M sophomore Katy Doyle exceeded expectations at the trials. Her new personal best toss of 179 feet 5 inches placed her fourth in the javelin final. After this throw, Doyle sat in third place, but Kim Kreiner bolted to second with a mark of 187-2 on her sixth and final throw, knocking Doyle out of the top three. Assistant coach Ed Marcinkiewciz said he was im pressed with Doyle's performance at the meet. "That was awesome," Marcinkiewciz said. "Katie (Doyle) stepped it up big-time. She was in (the top three) heading into the finals. Kreiner just cranked her last throw. Katie has been such a great competitor for us, and she gave it her best on her last throw." Doyle's success did not carry over to the other current Aggie tracksters. On the first day of action, sophomore Robyn Burkhardt was unable to clear the opening height of 5-10 3/4 in the high jump qualifying round. Later that day, Meshell Trot ter, A&M record holder in the hammer throw at 200 feet, finished 14th with a toss of 189-5. Junior Christina Ohaeri posted a time of 14.41 in the 100- meter hurdles. She did not qualify for the semi-finals. On the men's side, senior Travis Grasha battled injuries to finish 15th in his javelin flight with a fling of 210-02. Senior Travis McAshan ran 50.80 in the 400-meter hur dles, one of his better times of the season, but it was not good enough to advance past the opening heats. Junior Bashir Ramzy, the most prolific point scorer in Big 12 history, finished 24th out of 26 competitors in the triple jump. Ramzy skipped out to 52-6 3/4 in the Big 12 Championship but only managed 50-91 /4 at the trials. Junior Kris Allen ran one of his slowest times of the sea son, and the slowest of the qualifying round, at 14.34 in the 110-meter hurdles. Sophomore Brandon Evans, one of the fastest collegiate sprinters in the 400-meter dash, finished fifth in a qualify ing heat that featured Michael Johnson. Evans' 20.94 did not qualify him for the semi-finals. Some of the more experienced former students en joyed success. See Olympics on Page 4. 1% Jf //.. w* mm ft*. Mark Passwaters The Battalion Over the past few years, several for mer Texas A&M baseball players have worked their way through baseball's minor leagues with the hopes of some day making it to the majors. Add a former A&M basketball play er to the group. Kyle Kessel, a point guard for the Aggies in 1995 and '96, returned to cen tral Texas as a starting pitcher for the Round Rock Express, the AA minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros. Kessel was traded to the Astros from the New York Mets this winter. Astros fans may better remember the trade as the one that sent 21-game winner Mike Hampton and outfielder Derek Bell to New York for pitcher Octavio Dotel and outfielder Roger Cedeno, two young sters who have yet to prove themselves with the Astros. Originally drafted out of high school by the Mets in 1994, Kessel was also re cruited to play basketball for the Aggies by former coach Tony Barone. "I couldn't turn down the chance to play basketball for Texas A&M," Kessel said. For two seasons, he played college basketball in the winter and minor- league baseball in the summer. Eventu ally, Kessel decided that his future was in baseball, and he left A&M before his junior season. Kessel was called up from the Astros A affiliate in Kissimee, Fla., on June 8. It was the Illinois native's first time in Texas since his departure, and he was MisNiwMP C very excited about the opportunity to pitch in Round Rock. "I had heard such great things about Round Rock," Kessel said, noting that only a few hundred fans would show up to watch Kissimee play. That lies in stark contrast to the boisterous crowds of Round Rock's Dell Diamond, where the Express have already set the Texas League record for attendance for a sin gle season. According to Round Rock manager Jackie Moore, Kessel has been a wel come addition to his pitching staff. "He has pitched very well for us," Moore said, praising the 24-year-old's athletic ability and intelligence. "He has a very high ceiling." See Kessel on Page 4. Third annual 7 on 7 football tournament takes place on A&M campus i Chief Tens, Opinion Edicor lood, Sports Editor lutson, Sci/Tech Editor ), Photo Editor Deluna, Graphics Editor t Payton, Web Master tents at Texas A&M University in 1 ) nalism. News offices are in 014^ 45-2647; E-mail: Thebattalioi# ponsorship or endorsement by^ call 845-2696. For classified a*- cDonald, and office hours areSJ - iach Texas A&M student to picknf' 1 ; 25$. Mail subscriptions are $601^ e summer or $10 a month. TocM? -2611. ay through Friday during the fall®’ immer session (except University 1 '; s Postage Paid at College Station, m,Texas A&M University, llllP Reece Flood Grant May of Celina High makes his way to the end zone for a diving touchdown during the championship game. Celina won the game 45-41. The Battalion Sixty-four teams representing high schools from across Texas traveled to College Station last weekend to take part in the third annual Fox Sports Net 7 on 7 state football tournament. The Celina High Bobcats left town with the championship, beating Abilene Cooper High 45-41 in the cham pionship game. The tournament began Friday witla each team playing three games on fields throughout the Texas A&M campus and concluded Saturday af ternoon with a championship shootout at Kyle Field. Quarterback Adam Herrin lead Celina to eight straight victories in the tournament and threw for seven touchdowns in the championship game. Receivers Ross Roby and Josh Sharrock chipped in with two touchdown receptions each to help Celina win. Victory did not come easily for the Bobcats. With 9:25 left in the first half of play, Abilene Cooper had a 21-6 lead. Celina slowly chipped away at the lead throughout the game and found itself ahead 45-41 with pos session of the ball with 1:30 left in the game. All it needed was a first down to run out the clock. After two incomplete pass attempts, Roby made a clutch reception just past the first-down mark, which turned out to be the last play of the game. Celina did not take another snap, and both teams watched the time run off the clock. Roby was pleased with Ms team's success in the tournament and was happy the team had the chance to play some of the bigger schools in the state. Celina is in district 12-2A, while Abilene Cooper is in district 4-5A. "I love playing the big schools," Roby said. "Now, playing in a 2A school, I look forward to coming out and trying to beat some of the big schools, and we did. I'm just happy we got the opportunity to come down here and play these big schools." Celina's tournament coach Rex Glendenning thinks the tournament victory might bring respect to the football program. "A lot of teams see a 2A school come in and really don't think much about it," Glendenning said. "These kids have as much heart and as much athleticism as any school." With Glendenning in charge of the team, Celina football coach G. A. Moore had the opportunity to play the role of fan. Moore was unable to take any part in coaching during the tournament because of University Interscholastic League rules and had no involvement with the team dur ing the tournament. "The only time I see these kids is when they're playing seven on sev en," Moore said. "I guess that's one of the reasons I like it. I get to go sit up in the stands or walk up and down the endzone. "I'll tell you what, there are some talented athletes down here," Moore said. "Every team that you see has got some fabulous athletes. Tm really impressed with them." Tournament director Bobby Burton agreed with Moore, saying the lev el of competition was "the highest it's ever been." Burton said that the tournament keeps getting better and that it pro vides a chance for high school football players to practice their game in an entertaining setting. "I don't think there's any question it's one of the best events for young high school athletes in the state of Texas," Burton said. Tiger wins fourth major at British Open Sports in Brief ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — The coronation is complete. Tiger Woods strolled over the Swilken Bridge and into history Sun day, winning the career Grand Slam with a performance never before seen at golf's hallowed home. It was a fitting place for Woods to capture the British Open, on a course where the game has been played for more than 500 years. With the old gray town of St. An drews as his backdrop, the 24-year- old Woods became the youngest play er to win all four major championships and just the fifth ever. "It's the ultimate," Woods said. "This is the home of golf. This is where you always want to win. To have a chance to complete the slam at St. Andrews is pretty special. I was able to bring it home." Hundreds of daring fans tried to leap over the bum on the 18th fairway to watch Woods finish off his latest masterpiece. He did not disappoint them, making a par on the final hole for a 69 that set another benchmark for years to come. He finished at 19-under 269, the lowest score in relation to par ever at a major championship — and that includes his record 15-shot victory in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach just last month. Perhaps Tom Watson, the only man to win a British Open at five courses but never at St. Andrews, summed it up best. "He is something supernatural," Watson said. "He has raised the bar to a level that only he can jump." “[Tiger Woods] has raised the bar to a level that only he can )ump.” — Tom Watson professional golfer Woods beat back a brief scare from David Duval to become the first play er to win the Grand Slam since Jack Nicklaus' victory in the 1966 British Open at age 26. Woods seems to be racing toward the record that matters the most — the 18 majors Nicklaus won in a career that remains the standard. For now. "He is the chosen one. He's the best player who has played the game right now," said Mark Calcavecchia, who stuck around St. Andrews to watch history in the making. "If Jack was in his prime today, I don't think he could keep up with Tiger." Comparing eras is never easy, but Woods' performance in the majors stands alone. Woods won the silver claret jug by eight strokes over Ernie Els and Thomas Bjorn, the largest margin of victory in the British Open since 1913, when J.H. Taylor won by eight strokes over Ted Ray. Woods became only the second British Open champion to win with four rounds in the 60s, and he beat by one stroke the record Nick Faldo set at St. Andrews in 1990. "The guy is simply in a different league," Faldo said. Woods also became the first play er since Watson in 1982 to win the U.S. and British Opens in the same year, and the first since Nicklaus in 1972 to own three major championships at the same time. See British Open on Page 4. A&M women’s swimming announces new coach Texas A&M women’s swimming coach Steve Bult- man announced Wednesday that Kristin Hill will be the assistant women’s swimming coach. Hill is the former head coach of both the men’s and women’s swimming teams at Colorado School of Mines. In the 2000 season, Hill coached her team to 22 team records and an honorable mention All-American finish by a freshman swimmer at the Men’s Division II NCAA Championships. Before coaching at the collegiate level, Hill was the assistant coach for the state championship age group program in Colorado Springs, Colo., and also was the head women’s swimming and diving coach at Manitou Springs High School in Colorado. A&M soccer signs up first recruit of 2001 season Texas A&M soccer coach G. Guerrieri announced Tuesday Linsey Johnson was signed as A&M’s first re cruit for the 2001 season. Johnson was selected to the Southern United States Under-19 Olympic Development Pool and was an all-district forward at Robert E. Lee High School in Midland, Texas, following the ’98, ’99 and ’00 sea sons. Johnson will graduate from Lee High in Decem ber and will enroll at A&M and begin training with the team in the spring. Meanwhile, the Aggies are preparing for the 2000 season. The team is ranked No. 11 in the presea son edition of the NSCAA/Adidas Top 25 poll. The Aggies will travel to Europe in August for a 10-day ex hibition before opening their season at the Aggie Soccer Complex against the University of Central Florida on Aug. 25. The following Sunday, A&M will host defending na tional champion University of North Carolina. Mayfield loses to Wallace in final lap of Pennsylvania 500 LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Rusty Wallace took the lead after teammate Jeremy Mayfield blew a tire on the fi nal lap, then held off Jeff Burton by two car-lengths Sunday to win the Pennsylvania 500. Mayfield, who won last month at Pocono Interna tional Raceway by nudging Dale Earnhardt aside on the final lap, blew his right front tire a little more than a mile from the end. That allowed Wallace and Burton to get by, and Mayfield wound up 10th. The victory was the fourth on the 2 1/2-mile trian gular track for Wallace, tying him with Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott and the late Tim Richmond for the most on the mountaintop. “He raced me hard and he raced me clean,” Wal lace said of Burton. Poised for what would have been his series-leading eighth pole of the season, Wallace lost that two days earlier when Tony Stewart set a record for Pocono In ternational Raceway with a qualifying lap at 172.391 mph. Wallace, whose only previous victory this year came four months ago in Bristol, Tenn., said he would rather win the race.