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Sports
The Battalion
Page 3 • Wednesday, July 7, 2004
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Top 10 Aggie Moments
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From the home office in College Station...here y s the best of2003-04 sports
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,11 .lI SPORTS EDITOR
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The 2003-04 Texas
A&M sports season is offi
cially over, and Aggie sports
fans are salivating just think
ing of the return of football
weekends. But before the
new season kicks off, stop
and take a moment to reflect
back on the top 10 moments
from the previous sports
season.
was dismal at best, and he was coming to a school
that could care less if there even was a women’s
basketball team.
And then Blair pulled out his basketball voodoo
dolls and worked some magic. Attendance records
were set, the team almost beat top 10 ranked teams
and fans were actually excited about the women’s
team for once in a long time.
10. Women’s Tennis
The women Aggie netters were the first to win
a Big 12 title in A&M tennis history. And if a
lam makes history, it deserves to be in a top 10
liit. The Aggie women came from behind to defeat
then nationally-ranked No. 10 University of Texas
in the finals of the Big 12 tournament. The team
advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA tourna-
lent before being ousted by No. 7 Clemson.
6. Football recruiting class nationally ranked
For a team that finished 4-8 and lost all its away
games, it seems that the Aggies would be scraping
the bottom of the barrel to find recruits. A&M pulled
in 29 however, including the highly touted quarter
back Stephen McGee and running back Jay Lucas.
The Aggies also filled the need for experienced im
mediate help, inking six junior college players.
The annual Maroon and White game this spring
gave hope to many that this recruiting class will
help the Aggies get back in the hunt for bowls and
compete in the Big 12 in the near future, if not this
upcoming season.
9. Toccara Williams
■ Toccara Williams had an impressive senior
Rason by any standard. Williams became only
tie third player in NCAA history to gather up
IjOOO points, 500 rebounds, 700 assists and 450
steals in a college career.
I And to top off her career and start another, Wil-
l|uns was drafted 34th overall by the San Antonio
Si ! ver Stars of the WNBA.
I
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ES
I 8. Zach Jackson throws no-hitter
I Before the start of the A&M baseball season,
lany didn't know Zach Jackson was even on
the A&M roster. By Feb. 14, the first regular
■ason game, Jackson would be the hottest name
n College Station.
■ Jackson lasted seven innings against Texas
■&M Corpus Christi, run ruling the Islanders in
■e 15-0 win. He struck out eight batters, six look
ing and allowed only one walk.
5. Billy Gillispie hired as basketball head coach
Former A&M head coach Melvin Watkins was
an enjoyable man and decent coach. But enjoy
able and decent didn’t win many games, and they
didn’t win any Big 12 games.
Enter Billy Gillispie. In only two seasons at
the University of Texas-El Paso, Gillispie trans
formed a team that celebrated every win as if it
was the last and made the NCAA tournament the
next year. Only time will tell if Gillispie can turn
this Aggie basketball team around.
7. Gary Blair rocks Reed
I Gary Blair came into a bleak situation. Atten
dance was scarce, the women’s basketball team
4. Mary Zorn
Who? The world’s best archer, that’s who.
And she wears maroon and white when she’s in
competition.
Zorn finished her collegiate career with four
consecutive national titles, the first collegiate ar
cher to do so. Zorn has set or broken numerous
collegiate, American and world records in her time
at A&M. Keep all eyes open for her at the Olym
pics in the near future.
3. Equestrian team wins national title
What? Brand new AND cheaper
than on campus? Wow!!!
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Who knew A&M had the best
equestrian team in the nation.
Many didn’t three years ago, but
more people are beginning to re
alize how good this team is.
The women riders captured
their third consecutive national
championship, only the second
equestrian team in collegiate his
tory to accomplish the feat.
And the last two years in a row,
the Aggies have won the trophy
in dramatic fashion, winning on
the last ride of the day.
2. Aggies finish 16th in Di
rector’s Cup
This is exactly what Athletics
Director Bill Byrne is striving
for: high finishes in the Direc
tor’s Cup, and eventually win
ning the Cup.
The Director’s Cup is awarded
to the school that earns the most
points by doing well in sports.
For example, the Aggie baseball
team earned A&M 64 points to
ward the Cup.
The 16th place finish is the
highest ever by A&M, and is
only the second time in 10 years
that the Aggies have broken the
top 20.
Brian Wills • THE BATTALION
THE BATTALION
And finally, the number one
moment from this past season
is....
Where do they rank? Top: Men’s basketball head coach Billy Gillispie
speaks at a press conference. Left: Gary Blair stands watch at a game
at Reed Arena. Right: Mary Zorn takes aim at a target.
1. A&M beats Rice
It’s still fresh on all Aggie baseball fans’ minds.
Bottom of the eighth, A&M down 5-3 and facing
elimination from the hunt for the College World
Series. Justin Ruggiano comes up with the bases
loaded and drives a hard ball to right field that
doesn’t look like it’s going out, but somehow finds
its way over the fence. We all know the rest.
A&M head coach Mark Johnson said he doesn’t
want the win over Rice to be the only thing the
team and fans remember, but let’s be realistic
- A&M didn’t beat LSU and didn’t make it to
Omaha.
A&M did however beat the former national cham
pion Rice University. How could anyone not want to
only remember that part of the baseball season?
All Aggie sports fans may now resume their
nervous twitches until the next sports season rolls
around in August.