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Show 10 Sigi?oii--Thursday, January 14, 1988 Two standouts lead Wildcat wrestling team Lynn Martineau Staff Reporter WSC Wrestling Coach Jody Warren will look to two returning standouts, Burke Stone and Todd Wheelwright, to help him through his first coaching season at Weber State. Warren, himself a former, outstanding wrestler at WSC, is faced with coaching a young, inexperienced team. The challenge is one Warren is looking forward to. At last weekend's Wyoming Invitation tournament, Stone finished in third place in the 142-pound weight division. Stone might have taken first place, but he was defensively pinned by the eventual first-place winner. "Defensively pinned" means Stone was himself pinned, even as he held his opponent in a pinning hold. Wheelwright finished fifth in the competition's heavyweight division. Wheelwright was pitted against some of the best competitors in the western United States. Despite the strong showings of Stone and Wheelwright, the Wildcats finished seventh in the eight-team tournament. Stone and Wheelwright are not off with the start expected, but they have faced tough competition early, which should prove beneficial down the road. Stone is 3-1 in the early going, while Wheelwright is 1-3. Despite their beginnings, Coach Warren is still high on his two stars. "Stone and Wheelwright are both good enough to compete at the national level," he said. "Hopefully they will get that chance," he added. All 11 wrestlers on this year's team are from Utah. The team is composed of ten freshmen, three sophomores, one junior and one senior. Members of the team in descending order according to weight division- are Wheelwright, Ernie Mankin, Wayne Rowley, Seth McCourt, Dave Marsh, J.D. Troy, Stone, Merrill Johnson, Greg Searle, Curtis Beams and Shawn Robison. Coach Warren believes the team faces a tough schedule. However, he is optimistic about the team's first dual match with the University of Wyoming tomorrow. A greater challenge may face the Wildcats as they travel to Logan on Jan. 16 for a meet with Utah State, Brigham Young and Ricks College. As with all other sports teams, the wrestlers need the support of their school. Coach Warren realizes his team would like to see the student body get out to cheer his team on. "We do not get much support, and we do need it," said Warren. The Wildcat wrestlers will be at home to take on the University of Wyoming this Friday night at 7:00 p.m. in the Swenson Gymnasium. Season begins forWeber State men's tracksters Blaine Bringhurst Sports Editor The indoor track season will get underway for the Weber State College men's track team this Saturday at the Snake River Open in Pocatello, Idaho. The Vildcats go into the meet with strong hurdlers 7 f f 'v., VVILDCAT HURDLER Dave Chowen clears a hurdle in the 400-meter hurdles. Chowen and the rest of the Wildcat track team will begin their 1988 indoor track season in Pocatello, Idaho on Saturday. (Signpost file photo) and distance, runners. "We should have solid performances from our hurdlers and distance runners all year long," said track coach Chick Hislop. "Those two areas is where our strength lies," he added. Two All- conference selections last year in Dave Chowen and Kurt Trane will be the leaders in the hurdling events for the Wildcats. Jon Wagstaff should also compete well for the Wildcats. "Chowen and Trane really push each other to their limits," said Hislop, "and now, with Wagstaff much improved, there should really be some competition." "We really get on each other at workouts," said Chowen, "we all work hard to stay up with the next guy." The competition between teammates was helpful last season as Trane and Chowen took turns breaking school records in the 400-hurdles. Kris Cary leads a strong corps of distance runners into the competition. Cary has won four Big Sky titles in running events during his career here at Weber State. One of those titles came in the 3,000-meter run. Carey is the defending BSC champion in this event and is (see HISLOP on page 11) Women tracksters prepared for indoor meet Donna Green Staff Reporter Mother Nature and Jack Frost have recently joined forces in influencing a group of Weber State College women runners to take to the indoor tracks. The 1988 indoor track team has been training in the Dee Events Center and the Swenson Gymnasium to prepare for their first meet Saturday, Jan. 16 at the Snake River Open in Pocatello, Idaho. "We are the only school in the conference besides Nevada-Reno who doesn't have an indoor track," said Coach Jim Blaisdell. "But, we are the defending indoor track champions from 1984." The MWAC did not hold indoor championships the past three years. The 1988 Intermountain Championships will be held in the Pocatello arena and will provide the coaches with a background on how well each individual competitor is performing. "This first meet will be a scoring meet. We're basically now finding out how some of the kids are coming along," said Blaisdell. "We're pretty much taking everybody to the first couple of meets." The first three road trips will include all 22 members of the WSC indoor roster. The three seniors competing this year are Michelle Froerer, a distance runner, Paula John, a high jumper, and Sheila Harding, a triple jump competitor. Harding, who took time off from track to have a baby, has worked hard to get back into track shape. "She will have a real good chance to qualify in high jump for the Nationals," said Blaisdell. The four junior women runners are Debbie Frisco, a 400-meter and a triple jump competitor, Teri Okelberry, a 400- and 800-meter runner, Tina McCombs, a sprinter, long jumper, and triple jumper, and Dana Willie, a distance runner. "She (Willie) is doing the best workouts she has ever done since she has been here," said Blaisdell- "She will be one to watch." The five contending sophomore runners are Adrian Andrus, a shot putter, Stephanie Clements, a long sprinter, Kelly Davis, a 400- and 800-meter runner, Brandy Peterson, a distance runner, and Carol Day, a high jumper, long jumper, and triple jumper. Day holds the school record on the triple jump. "She will be one of the better triple jumpers in the conference this year," said Blaisdell. (see BLAISDELL on page 12) K Z lMMTLYMUler at 626-7105 or come op (W) ' UrClU MJ SK! ----- Vuthentic Mexican FoodW GRAPfflC ARTIST WAOTro-K . X 1925 WASH. BLVD. 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