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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 22, 2001)
Wednesday, August 22, 2001 uccess on horizon for Ag sports ft! rk, officials said erving probalio] pril 1996 to vhom investigai ’s former girlfiie vedhomeonfeLj ,-».«• 7 . 1 the three jumpt A&M squads set sights ;d to ho w TV! ^_ - exas A&M varsity sports pro grams experienced an up-and- down season last year, and all of the Aggie squads are looking to improve by kicking off the 2001-2002 year with success. The A&M football team looks to improve on a 7-5 mark and will try to begin a new winning streak at Kyle ^ on Big 12 titles in 2001 n (ShoemukerjiHl^^PHH p-"! - \ 1 v o men tled.Hi h a glass door,|| tnpbell said.Stej he trio had hii shortly later ini 'en by Mangrt: BRIAN RUFF Stephens'bo a ^ ter * osin g two g^ m es at home last season J and covered! xi ties to the site This season, the Aggies are not ranked in the pre- ■ason Associated Press poll, despite returning junior ■arterback Mark Farris and one of the nation’s top centers: senior Seth McKinney. McKinney and junior Bmerbaek Sammy Davis were named preseason All- Americans by Football News magazine. \tied from /}//■ A&M must also do battle in arguably the strongest conference in the country, with a: that new stiiifeklahoma, Nebraska and Texas taking the No. 3, 4 me welcomin; and 5 spots, respectively. on the same tel The Aggies also will be without three players who ve did before: filled highlight reels last season: wide receiver Robert iching the C Ferguson, fullback Ja’maar Toombs and linebacker same things hJason Glenn. I If the Aggies want to make a run at the Big 12 title, m Hershel Pi: they will need to knock off Oklahoma or Texas and l engineering, hope they receive help elsewhere, o, will leave# Ninth-year head volleyball coach Lori Corbelli will in the final self ad the A&M team into the season ranked 18th in the up. n 1/SA Today poll after posting a 20-9 record last season, ct that I’ll I The Aggies should make a run at the Big 12 title 4,” Patel sail pith six returning starters, including seniors Jenna lis school be. Moscovic and Erin Lechler. A&M will try to knock off ood engine: defending Big 12 champion Nebraska, who is ranked wanfto No. 1 in the preseason poll, se it is.” I After advancing to the third round of the NCAA playoffs last season, head A&M soccer coach G. Guerrieri’s team enters the season boasting a No. 11 anking and returning eight starters, including 2000 All-American Heather Ragsdale and 2000 Hermann 'I'dfrom Af Trophy Finalist Nicky Thrasher. leav es (fjg J The Aggies will have many chances to earn nation- life at A&M I "Mk respect, with a schedule chock full of top-25 .emits are '- li said, but I knew GUY ROGERS m THE BATTALION Sophomore running back Richard Whitaker, sophomore middle blocker Carol Price, senior forward Anne Tamporello and senior Brandon Beasley all intend to help their teams claim a Big 12 title. opponents, including a visit by the national champion North Carolina Tar Heels on Sept. 2. The A&M cross country team hopes to improve on last year’s history-making season. The Aggie women finished 18th overall at the NCAA Championship and should make a strong showing this year also. Returning seniors Melissa Gulli and Andrea Bookout were the Aggies’ top two finishers at the NCAA meet last year. On the men’s side, the Aggies seek to improve on an eighth-place finish at the 2000 Big 12 Championships. Junior Chris Lee and sopho more Andrew Cook, who finished in the top 30 at the meet, will need some additional support to move the team up in the rankings when the season begins in mid-September. Aggie sports should be more exciting than ever this fall, and with tougher schedules for most of the Aggie squads, A&M will have the opportunity to upset top- ranked opponents and bring Big 12 Championship tro phies home to Aggieland. Brian Ruff is a junior sports management major. SPORTS IN BRIEF Injury-plagued tight end cut by Cowboys OXNARD, Calif. (AP) - The Dallas Cowboys released tight end David LaFleur on Tuesday, cutting ties to their injury-plagued first-round draft pick in 1997. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said LaFleur, who had been on the physically unable to perform list, was let go after failing a physical. “It was apparent that he was not going to be able to run,” Jones said. “I think he gave us all he could give us.” The move is not totally unex pected as LaFleur has fought injuries for more than a year. A groin injury nagged him all last season and a herniated disc in his lower back sometimes makes even walking painful. “He was a warrior, he played hurt,” Jones said. “When he was able to perform, he was very important to what we were trying to do.” The Cowboys are now count ing on third-year tight end Mike Lucky to handle the bulk of the blocking duties in the team’s switch to a run-oriented, ball-con trol offense. “It’s good for me to finally get out here,” Lucky said. “I’m still a little bit rusty. But it’s going to be tough for me without David out here. He's one of the guys who brought me along.” Jackie Harris, a better receiv er than blocker, is playing with the first-team offense. He’s the team's only proven commodity at tight end, catching 39 passes for 302 yards and a team-leading five touchdowns last season, his first with the Cowboys. Second-year defensive end Aaron Fields also was waived. mm itrationfortf] ) pm. Formoi 1 ,96-4562. Prior to Auq. 21 Up at Peed Arena. & Pop Com! to John J. Koldus. e in all BLUE and REP Lots until SEPT. 5. * Check-Out the Bus Operations Resource Table. * Ponate Eood Items at the Eood Prive Table. Each donor receives a ticket for each food item. The tickets will be placed in a Prawing for 1 Free Month of Parking in any Visitor Facility. (University Center (krage. North Side Oarage, Central Campus Oarage or ?k 72) - > : 1 ..; to r s • •' " Wm JL tw . si Texas Maroon What: Need a Ptetorc IP m L