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Show I May 21. 1980 Page Sun Chronicle, Sun Times, Ben Lomond Beacon, Clearfield Courier 6 i WMi 12 Easfannarcs', we'd champs', says James Ibe stisti By Keith Duncan There were numerous sports war stories that merited enough of something to make big headlines at Weber High School this past year, and there were some just as powerful, but didnt. Such was the case of Dan Eastman. The 19794)0 sports year wasnt flooded with superstars that ended up receiving overdrawn attention on all-stsquads, but was filled with plenty of average athletes that wouldnt allow pain to stand in their way to victory. Such was the case, again of Dan Eastman. Eastman is someone youd classify as the differencew between a championship and last place, but for Weber High, he was the difference in winning and losing several times. From the very beginning of the year, his final sports year at Weber High was marred by an injury that gave him heck all the way through. I guess it was sometime in August, during football, that I hurt my back while doing squats, said Danny. red head didnt The think a whole lot about the injury at first, just hoping it would pass by. But with each day of practice, the pain became worse. Soon his chiroapractor became too expensive with the numerous visits, so he was referred to Dr. Madsen at Weber State College. After some medical advice and more prescriptions, the promising Warrior athlete was advised to have a milogram as they the back call it in the medical profession. d The discovery crippled Dans outlook on his senior year. He had ruptured a disc, which would probably require surgery. I was sick, said Dan. The most important thing I wanted my senior year, was a scholarship through sports. Otherwise Id never have enough money, he said. His grades had improved considerably over the past four quarters of school, but as Dan said, I was much too late for a scholarship with grades alone. Football was a Pain The pain seemed to decrease enough, just enough to get the docs ok to play football. DESPITE TWITCHING PAIN, Don fullback and middle Playing linebacker isn t the best position to be in if you dont like contact. Dan knew that and so did his coaches, but Eastman battled from week to week through the high school sports year. It was an inspiration to teammates. V thats where his heart w'as and no one was about to change it. . But it was the sport of wrestling, the sport he hoped to get a scholarship in, that the pain intensified. It wasnt getting any better," he admitted. Being captain of the wrestling team and a favorite to capture the bracket, Dan title in the could hardly afford to miss practice sessions. They could without his services on the mat for so long, but his spirit, at least according to his coaches, was vitally needed. After sitting out several of the teams first matches, the doc apto wrestle. proved the The pain didnt seem to bother him while on the mat in a match, but the next day in a school chair, it was hardly unbearable. The courageous Warrior won his first five matches and competed in later matches he really had no business being in. He placed high in region and later in state becoming more than a legend to the wrestlers who had a year or two ahead of them. His attitude was always work, work, work said Joe James, his coach. In all my years of coaching, Ive havent seen too many kids with that kind of competitive spirit in 185-pou- them." It was John Webb, the present head wrestling mentor at Weber State, that saw Dannys potential and gave him his start in the sport. Two times I remember I was going to quit, but Coach Webb always insisted that once someone started something, they ought to be man enough to finish it, said Danny. He did finish. Not only those two years, but his senior season which w as an inspiration to himself, his family and everyone who knows him. Drew didnt let family name die while athlete in Warrior sports DAN EASTMAN, star Warrior wrestler, had a story to tell that not too many folks knew kind of athlete that made the 1979-8- 0 sports year what It was. M tar The Budweiser American Pro Skiing Tour staged its final 1980 event at Alta, Utah today, and crowned 1980 Grand Prix Champions Joe Cordeau of Squaw Valley, California and Greta Paulsen of Salt Lake City, Utah at the Budweiser finale, $4,000 purse, on a warm 75 degree spring day. Finishing the 1980 season with a substantial 36 point margin over Snowbirds Jerry Douglass, Cordeau had sealed his season title at the April 5 Budweiser Cup at Brighton, Utah, where his 9th place finish there put his point total over the brink: unstoppable for the APS Crown. Cordeau, a 24 year old roofer, originally from Biddeford, Maine, won titles at two stops of the APS tour in 1980, and took runner-u- p checks at two more, with third place at another two, for an incredibly consistent season on steep, tough courses and against the top mogul skiing talent in the U.S. Cordeau finished the 1979 season of the APS tour, in fourth place. Although he was held to third place money at the semifinals of the Alta Cup by Snowbirds Jerry Douglass, Cordeaus 1980 winnings neared $3,000. Topping the strong Alta field of 105 men was Douglass, twenty years old, who earned 25 Grand Prix Points, $750 in winnings, and pushed ahead of Sun Valleys Bill Campbell for second place in the APS 1980 Grand Prix. Douglass narrowly defeated City, by only eight points for the season APS Title. Huntoon breezed through the field of 16 top mogul skiing ladies on Punch Bowls giant moguls, to meet Paulsen in the finals, and take the $550 in first place winnings. It was Hun toons second APS competition of the season, and her first win on the tour. Second in the APS standings was Stien, 22, who, like 1980 third-plac- e APS finisher, Lita Hitchcock, of Winter Park, Colorado, was sidelined early in the Alta event by a 1st round defeat. The Budweiser American Pro Skiing Tour awarded over $19,000 in cash and prizes in seven stops of the exciting tour of Open Dual Mogul Skiing Competitions, with the nations top amateur and professional talent adding a unique touch to the largest professional mogul skiing tour in existence. American Pro Skiing, on behalf of tour directors, Mike Hart, and A1 Johnson, and all our devoted athletes of the APS Tour, would like to thank Budweiser, Anheuser Busch, their local wholesalers and Randy Hornick, for making the 1980 Budweiser American Pro Skiing season a remarkable success. APS would also like to thank contributing sponsors; about. Dan was the RBL Skis, The Ski, Rossignol, Daleboot, Scott USA, Hanson, Coleman Systems, Spademan Collection and Demetre Sweaters for their interest and participation. The 1980 Budweiser American Pro Skiing season finished with incredible success, strength, and promise for 1981. The strongest fields of mogul skiing talent assembled in the U.S. have been on APS courses in 1980, and have included World Cup Freestyle Skiing celebrities such as Karen Huntoon, Scott Brooksbank, Mark Archibald, Craig Sabina, David Gottstien, Dan Kurdy, Stan Kolby, Steve Youngerman, Max McDonald, Bruce Bolesky, Stu Kay Kucera, and many others of APS renown, with the final reigning 1980 champions: Joey Cordeau and Greta Paulsen. American Pro Skiing plans to add an Eastern U.S. leg to the 1981 APS circuit, plus stops in Idaho, Colorado, California, and Utah, with wheels turning to secure National Television Coverage for one or more of the 1981 APS tour stops. A tentative APS event date is also set for July 4th, 1980 at Timberline, Oregon, with a hopeful projected purse of between $5,000 and $10,000. The summer snow should be flying for that one! John Reagle of Bogus Basin, Idaho, in the finals of the dual mogul skiing competition on Altas steep and extremely difficult Punch Bowl, which challenged the nations top mogul skiing talent, and separated the skiers from the SKIERS. The performances thrilled the crowd of over 1,000 spectators with some slushy, spectacular crashes from the skiers, and precision dual excitement from the SKIERS. The Alta Budweiser Cup received extensive television coverage by three major Salt Lake City Stations: ABC, NBC, AND CBS, for two days before the event day, and on the day of and was heavily competition, publicized in the area by radio, with UP! carrying preview and results over the entire Western U.S. by wire service. Greta Paulsen of Salt Lake City, a l veer old veteran of two seasons polled ahead of the two tour leaders at check, AUa. by taking the runner-u20 APS points, and the Ladies 1980 American Pro Skiing Title. Losing former World only to three-tim- e 6-- After watching him for a while, we as coaches saw some real promise in his offensive maneuvers but could see he needed some help defensively, said Conolly. Now, with three years of Weber basketball behind him, Conolly adDrew has certainly proved mits, himself as one of the finest players Weber has ever had. But the finest improvement Ive seen in him is his ability to bend his knees and get down and play some defense. Towards the end of the season, he was playing with the best of them, said the Weber mentor. Skeen is the first to admit that basketball has been his favorite prep sport and he hopes he can continue it into a junior college. After that, he says, Id like to serve a mission for the LDS Church, LOGAN Mike McCullough, a 6-- player from Swing Northern Californias Rancho Cor- 0 6-- 3 ot McCullough ROY JUNIOR'S thington pole-vaulte- d Lennie 10' RICHARD Wor- SPEEDSTER DAVIS 7, finished first in the 100 and 200 meter dashes. captained the Hub Cordova team (from just outside of Sacramento, Calif.) to the Metro League championship and as far as before a the sectional semi-finaMorphew-coache- Rancho d ls loss. two-poi- nt on the family's cessfully said Theyre always there, name. Drew. tafleimfted In three years under Morphew Rancho Cordova's teams have gone 20-28-and .. .the last two with McCullough as a starter. In the seven years Ive recruited in major college basketball, I dont remember a young man who imsaid Tueller. pressed me more, Mike is really a class, individual. Obviously, were pleased to have him join us from a very successful program. Hes the transition-typ- e k player were looking for in our style. Thats exactly the sort of game hes become accustomed to under coach Morphew. 3, dova High School Saturday became USUs third letter-of-intesignee during the current basketball recruiting campaign. Earlier the Aggies had signed ob DeMarco (Hillcrest High, Salt Joel Rotta Lake City) and six-fo(Judge Memorial, Salt Lake City). p i for Weber High coaches to select the outstanding athlete for the past year i in athletics. Big Drew Skeen .has seen , to that personally. Skeen may very well not win the coveted award and on the other hand, his chances seem just as good as anyone elses. Coach Hal Lewis certainly enjoyed Skeens skills as a punter for his football squad. The basketball coaches marveled at times over the talent he displayed on the basketball floor and finally, Dave Brooks stands amazed the way Skeen stepped right in and staked claim to the Region One high jump championship a couple of weeks ago at Clearfield High School. But if Skeen is to be remembered for anything athletically at Weber in years to come, it will be his efforts he contributed during his three years under Coach Dick Conolly on the cage court. The 4 power forward was a part-tim- e starter as a junior but came back his senior season to help lead Weber to the Region One championship and another berth in the state playoffs. Conolly claims he first became acquainted with Drew while he was a youngster in the eighth grade at North Ogden Junior. Despite a terrible beginning in which the Weber team went 18 in pre-- , season, the Warriors qanie, (hindering -.back., n Ms Hot .H.T .. Coach. Conolly told, us, ih$ W ehcr had never had such a difficult preseason schedule. But as the season progressed, he also told us, that he hadnt had many teams play as well together as our team, said Skeen. Conolly always tried to get good Van penetration in his offense. With Fuller bombing away from the outside in the beginning and Ralph Anderson in the end, Skeen and teammate. do Kelly Johnson were isolated to their thing inside. Drew added real strength to our line-u- p when he was out there to play, said Conolly. He not only ran unrought it out with the big guys derneath, but he can also shoot very well from the outside. Skeens offensive skills eventually earned him top scoring honors for the Warriors this past season. Baseball Likeable at First Skeen loved the As a youngster, never Basketball of baseball. sport seriously entered the pictureWil his eighth grade year at North Ogden Junior. Both of my big brothers, Richard and Dave, played it a lot. They got me interested in it, said Skeen. The interest took its toll overnight Young Drew almost lived on the court or at the Deseret Gym in Ogden. He was one reason why North Ogden claimed their first county championship when he was a ninth grader. Before he ever attended a class at Weber, Drew was invited by Conolly to participate in summer clinics held for potential Weber High basketball players. As a sophomore, Skeen played three and four games a week while playing center for the sophomore squad. His junior year, he switched DREW SKEENS OWN father, and stayed at the forward slot. Upon entering the high school was in an athlete Wayne, quite scene, his two brothers and the rest of his days at Weber High. Drew, the family have hardly missed a game who excelled in basketball, sucDrew has played in. carried then come home and play some major college basketball. ic High goals? Maybe, maybe not! .'.He has a list of. uncles, grand-- , fathers and his own, father who made it a long, long way. Wayne Skeen, his father, was once an outstanding athlete at Weber High, himself. The grandfather, Dick Skeen, still hasnt been forgotten for some of his moves. Archie Skeen, an uncle, once played professional baseball. Memorable Season The 1979-8basketball year wont be something easily forgotten by Drew or any of his teammates. It was eventually rewarded everyone of them in the right kind of way. On the night selected to honor this seasons region champs by their coaches and parents, Drew was several hundreds of miles away competing in a senior-lade- n high school basketball tournament in Arizona. Those kind of events have become much expected in the Skeen family this past spring. Aggies sign : Champion Mogul Skiing Champion, Karen Huntoon, of Park City, Ut., in t he finals of the Alta Bud Cup, Paulsen edged Cassedy Stien, also of Salt Lake By Keith Duncan It isnt going to be an easy decision 27-5- fast-brea- The Player of the Year" in the County of Sacramento and the Metro eager j Leagues MVP, McCullough averaged 19.7 points and 12.2 rebounds a game, shooting 58 percent from tHe floor. I choose Utah State because of academics (he will major in Business), because there is a high interest there in basketball, and because Coach Tueller likes to And thats the way 1 like to play the game, too, said McCullough. fast-brea- We considered Mike our third guard, said Morphew, because he handled the ball a lot against presses and he covered a great deal of ground when we pressed, tqo. He anticipates very well; he was the guy we went to in the tight spots late in the game. |