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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 29, 1995)
♦ Tiu P o r u and W**"^*«* O' <•*•»**• P agi A 7 O rsi ryi h • M arc ii 29, 1995 ■ •• V’ :* GIRL’S TRACK IN THE PORTLAND INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE BRIEFS BASKETBALL Final Four: S unday The L ast o f the final four won b erth s to play in S eattle for a ch an ce to win the n atio n al ch am p io n sh ip . A rkansas last y ears cham - p io n w ill be r e t u r n i n g . U .C .L .A . w ill be m aking its first serio u s final fo u r bid in 15 years. T he field is ro u n d ed out by N o rth C a ro lin a and O k lah o m a state. Vikings play in Final The hot sh o o tin g P ortland S ta te w o m e n ’s b a s k e tb a ll team c o u ld n ’t q u ite keep up w ith N orth D akota S tate (3 2 - 0) in the fin als o f N .C .A .A . D ivision II b a sk e tb a ll, lo sin g 98-85. The B isons w ent on to win th e ir th ird c o n n e c tiv e tittle and fo u rth in th e last five years, d esp ite P o rtla n d (2 6 - 6) sh o o tin g .630 for the gam e. The tw o team s p o sted the sam e am ount o f field g o als m ade, but the c ru c ia l d iffe r ence was at the freeth ro w line w here B isons v isited the c h a r ity strip e 29 tim es and m ade 27. P o rtlan d only had six teen freeth ro w ch ances. Naismith Awards Joe Sm ith, a so p h o m o re from M aryland and R eb ecca Lobo, a sen io r from C o n n e c t icut w ere nam ed the w in n ers o f the N aism ith A w ard as the p la y e rs o f the y ear in co lle g e b a sk e tb a ll. FOOTBALL Falcons Acquire Metcalf Eric M etcalfhas been traded the Atlanta Falcons, in a trade at involved swapping the team s rst round draft picks. Watters Becomes An Eagle R icky W atters form erly o f the San F ran cisco 4 9 ers b e cam e a P h ila d e lp h ia E ag le w hen San F ra n c isc o refu sed to m atch a $6.9 m illio n deal o ffe re d by the E agles. BASEBALL The N atio n al L ab o r R ela- ons B oard in a rare Sunday ession voted 3-2 to seek an ^junction ag ain st the b ase- all ow ners. T hat co u ld lead 3 an end o f the 7 1/2 m onth trike. P lay ers say they w ill end ie w alk o u t, if a ju d g e issues n in ju n ctio n , w hich w ould estore salary a rb itra tio n , free gent b id d in g and a n t-c o llu - ion ru les. M any ow ners how ever are i favor o f lo ck in g out the layers if the union en d s the trik e w ithout ag reem en t Udeme Elijah (right) crosses the finish line to win the relay race for Benson Tech by participate - in track and field. This is further amplified by the fact that spring is the third athletic season o f the school year and many students can not afford the com pounding cost. “This pay for play is really hurt ing turnouts “Franklin coach Dan D anny B ell With the budget cuts that came as a result o f measure 5. The conse quent repercussions resulted in low er turn out at some schools due to recently instituted pay to play plan. Now students must pay $50.00 to Kendig said’’ many kids just can't afford to pay the extra money for the spring season. However some programs are fairing better than others Lincoln last years P.l.L. power still looks to be on top. with strong athletes returning. Other programs that promise to be competitive are Grant and Benson. Leading Lincoln’s girls squad is senior distance runner Marie Davis This year she will compete in the 1,500 and 3,000 meter races, she finished second in state in the 3,000 meters last year. Davis is joined in the distance events by Christy Lacey Krietz. Along with Davis and Lacey- Krietz, sprinters Larisa Pennington a senior, and Maren Elliott a sopho more compose the 1,600 meter relay, team which placed second in last years state meet. W here Lincoln has strength in the distance events Benson has the same in the sprinting events. Tech has the returning state champion in the 100 meters in senior Udeme Elijah. “Udeme is really focused and has set goals to repeat her city and state tittles this year,’’ Benson coach Leon McKenzie said. "W e have great competitors great talent and great versatility.” McKenzie pointed out that he is encouraged because o f the potential he see’s in track members: sprinter K atrina Hopkins, distance runner Ginnette Marbury, triple jum per Itoro E lijan, pole vaulter Shei-M eaka Newman and hurdler Wanjeria Wash ington. Then there is the perennial track team from Grant. “We graduated a lot o f girls who routinely pulled out a lot o f points for us, “Grant coach Gary Noble said. Even so Emily Pokornv and Megan Farris return to the track while Caroly n Johnson and Kristy W arren are back in the field events for the Generals. “ Were very young, but we also have quality older kids" Noble said. Still we have over 30 freshman girls who turned out for track’’. Although they had to field teams without the luxury o f a large turn out. coaches Bill Franzke o f Madison, Dan Kenig o f Franklin, and Dan Malone o f Roosevelt still have man aged to recruit some young and tal ented athletes who have the promise to make a mark in the P.l.L. F ra n k lin so p h o m o re K ate Kaufman set a school record last year as a freshman, running the 1,500 meters in 4:57. Quakers sophomore Nuki Mills sprinted the 100 meters in 12.5 last year. clocking in at 5:45 Amber Haw thorne, a freshman is another Quaker to watch in the 1,500 meters. B a s k e tb a ll p la y e rs , M a d i s o n ’ s, L e s lie D u k a r t K a tie H o lifie d , and T am i P ow ers w ill run on the c in d e rs and K risti P ow er re tu rn s to throw the d is cus, ja v e lin , and shot put. “ Were going to have a good short relay because we have good team speed” Franzke said. Even though overall turnout numbers are up at Roosevelt the girls numbers are down” Malone said. Even so the one to keep your eye on is senior thrower Kehau Kahaloa. “She’s expected to throw (the dis cus) well over a 100 feet. t- V/ • • • - « r -.- ■ ’ ' •A % •* ' . i . V ? 1 ;. BLAZERS UNVEIL LEGENDARY LINE-UP by tory. E ric N oon The Portland Trail Blazers put the best players on the court, but the problem was only two o f them were dressed down to play. Oh how could the Blazers have used Bill W alton’s interior passing or how about a little o f Maurice Lucas’ enforcing, when high-flying Shawn Kemp came up the middle. Those days are past and last Friday was a night o f reminiscing for the fans and organization o f Port land. The Trail Blazers introduced their “Legendary Line-Up" during half-time as the current squad went head-to-head with the Seattle Super- sonics and came up just short with the 122-118 defeat. Gary Payton led the Sonics, going 15-17 from the field. Along with Lucas and Walton, the fan-balloted team was strung with many Blazer greats. The fan’s all-time Blazers line up: Mychal Thompson and Walton at center; G eoff Petrie, Clyde “The Glide" Drexler, Terry Porter and Jim Paxson at guards; and Lucas, Calvin Natt, Buck W illiams and Sidney Wicks at the forward positions. A great line-up with many great players and even more memorable moments in the Blazers' 25-year his- Speaking o f 25 years, one man has seen them all come and go and for him, this night was very special. That m an, also le g e n d a ry , w as Bill Schonely who continues to be the voice o f the Blazers and one o f the original seven people to start the franchise back in 1970. “It’s a very humbling experi ence now to reflect on it after 25 years,” said Schonely. "Just to think that I was apart o f it too, and also to be apart o f their life.” Schonely is truly one o f the best in the business and one o f the nicest men in the Blazers organization. Although the line-up was filled with a great many stars, the big one had to be “Big Red" Bill W alton who was introduced first to the half-time crowd. "This is where I played my best basketball. I’ve had a lot o f special moments in my life, in some o f the great basketball arenas around the country, but none more special than here,” Walton said. The former All-American from UCLA, led the Blazers to their only world championship in 1976-77. “The fans, the unique teams, the legendary Jack Ramsay , all the mem ories were great,” Walton said. There have been many great play ers that have come and gone through Portland, but when you look up and down the line-up, it’s hard to find one that was treated fairly in the end. It’s not so much management’s fault, but the nature o f the game that these play ers are used for their skills and then let go and then the business and the ugly side o f the game takes over. Sure a lot o f fans w anted to see Drexler retire here. Sure we didn't want to see Calvin Natt go in a trade that proved that in business, like life, we ail make mistakes. This sport is loaded with lessons in life. Sports has always reflected life and the accomplishments you get with hard work and discipline. Award-Winning Film Hardwood Dreams' Comes To Fox: Bhnging the March Madness of basketball into April, FOX will present a one-hour documentary narrated by actor Wesley Snipes, Hardwood Dreams, that chronicles the aspirations and hardships of five members of a high school basketball team, Sunday, April 2 (7:00-8:00 PM ET/PT). The players pictured are (L to Ft) Corey Saffold, Stais Boseman, Sean Harris, Dwight Curry and Donminic Ellison. IRON MIKE TYSON RETURNS FROM THREE YEARS OF INCARCERATION by MC Hammer and hundreds o f oth ers. Among the entourage that greet ed Tyson on his return was promoter Don King who still figures to be an influential individual in T yson's comeback bid in the world ofboxing. Tyson took his brute force in stincts into prison, but ran into early discipline problem s, how ever he seemed able to adjust to the strict regimen and discipline that prison demands. He failed his highschool equivalency exam, and he never apol ogized or admitted to raping Desiree W ashington, the beauty pageant con testant he was convicted o f raping. But he did read regularly, recit ed Maya A ngelo's poetry to her when she visited him He also became a student o f Islam, and was tutored in Islam by Muhammad Siddeeq. who led Satur day's service D anny B ell Early Saturday morning former heavy w eightboxingcham pion Mike Tyson was released from the Indiana Youth Center where he has spent the last three years. Awaiting him was a throng o f promoters, city stadiums, networks, boxers and fans. "The first thing you prepare Mike for is the people coming at him" said promoter Butch Lewis, a periodic visitor. “The leeches and so forth.” However the media was mildly surprised when instead o f catching a plane and fly ing to his estate in north ern Ohio, he elected to first visit a mosque o f the Islamic Society o f North America, where he got down on his knees and prayed for half an hour There he was joined by former champion Muhammed Ali, NFL Hall o f fame member Mel Blount, rapper • •, “ H e's learned about respecting himself, which is how you respect others,” said Rev. Charles Williams a longtime friend who visited Tyson regularly . “ I think he's going to be very selective o f the persons around him.” Tyson took a private jet to his 66 acre farm about 45 miles southeast o f Cleveland, after he said pray ers at the mosque He has not made any public state ments, other than to say he is very happy to be out, and that he appreci ates the support that he has received Now that Tyson has been re leased speculation is swirling as to how he will pursue his quest to gain another crown. Among a crowded landscape of tittles and boxers, only Tyson stands out as the great boxing heavy weight o f the era. Tyson lost his crown to Buster • * : . • , '• ' «> - - • • V . • « Douglas, a little known boxer in 1990. In the five years and three months since the Douglas upset five new boxing organizations have come into existence to join the other three Eighteen new champions have been crowned, among them are peo ple like, Herbie Hide, Michael Bentt, Lionel Butler, Jimmy thunderto name a few. Two former champs over 40 are still active Larry Holmes 42, and George Foreman 46. Foreman even holds two o f the titles and is considered the most at tractive (ie: the most money) if not the most legitimate match. It is estimated that Tyson could generate between 75-100 million a year in income as an active boxer On his list o f potential oppo nents includes G eorge Forem an, Riddick Bowe. Evander Holyfield, another possibility is Buster Dou glas. “The key is Tyson is going to have to want it," said Angelo Dundee, the trainer for Ali and Foreman. “Ev erybody wants to get in line and fight." Tyson hasn’t fought since June 28, 1991, when he won a decision over Razor Ruddock. Tyson was sentenced to 10 years with four suspended. He received one day good time for each day served shortening his time to three years. He still has four years proba tio n , p lu s c o u rt m a n d a te d pschoanalysis and must put in a 100 hours o f community service for each year o f his probation. T y so n p o lic e re c o rd d a te s back to 1978 w hen 12 y e a rs o ld . He w as p ic k e d for p u rse s n a tc h ing He d isc o v e re d b o x in g in r e form sch o o l w here C us D 'A m a to d isc o v e re d him and g ro o m e d him into a ch am pion I - : Aï 1
