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Show UNIVERSITY JOURNAL SPORTS PA~E 35 Fire burn:i ng inside new A.D. BY JASEN ASAY JOURNAL SPORTS EDITOR < __, __, =........::;;:-............;;.;;;:.=....,...,~ Thomas Oouple expressed his entusiasm as he answered questions at a recent press conference. Newly appointed SUU Athletic Director Thomas Douple said that Thunderbird athletics is one of the best kept secrets in the country, and it is his charge to travel far and wide to make sure it isn't a secret any longer. "There is a fire burning inside of me to lead the athletic program to new heights,· said Doupie at his welcome reception on August 15 in the Starlight room. Douple also said that in the coming months, he will put together a strategic plan, which he called a "blueprint," in which everyone in the athletic department will have input. Part of the plan is to do a better job in season ticket sales and fund raising. The money generated would be used to improve facilities and pay for the travel and uniforms for the teams. "We're going to analyze what we have and what we need, then we'll put together a plan of action to move forward,· said Douple. · One big question many 'Bird fans have is if SUU will ever switch conferences 'from the Mid-Continent Conference to the Big Sky. Douple said that first, SUU needs to establish conference championships, then the 'Birds will be attractive to other conferences. "W.e need to dominate the Mid-Con," said Douple. "I have a vision of us competing for conference .championships in every sport year in and year out.· Douple also said he will work on finding a home for football, which is the only SUU sport to compete as an independent and not in the Mid-Con. Over the past 16 years Douple has gained remarkable experience in athletic administration. From 1990 to 1999 he was the athletic director at Southeastern Louisiana University arid prior to that he served as assistant supervisor of athletic facilities and as assistant director of athletics at Louisiana State as well as associate director of athletics at Cornell University. He was most recently the chairman of the Louisiana State Games. Douple said he will bring the experience he gained at other schools, but feels he is coming into an ideal situation as athletic director at SUU. He said he is impressed with the staff and coaches, and will stand behind them 100 percent. "SUU has a solid foundation,· said Douple. "We now need to build upon it.· Gridders gird for season The Thunderbird football team has been lining up with Cannon will be another Madsen. practicing for more than a week now, and is Rod Madsen rushed for 982 yards in seven getting ready to start one of the most highly games in 1998, but suffered a broken ankle in anticipated seasons in school history. Not only the second game last season and sat out the are Cedar City football fans excited, but fans all rest of the year. over the state of Utah are looking forward to see Blake Bingham and Tonga Mounga return to a what the T-Birds will do this year. The team defensive line that is expected to be strong. comes into the season ranked in the top-25 of Spencer Woolston is the only returning many polls. linebacker. Woolston finished last season "I'm awfully impressed with the way we are second on the team with tackles with 74, able to practice right now,· said SUU Head including 11 tackles for loss. Coach C. Ray Gregory. "The intensity level is While the 'Birds will be fielding one of the the best I've seen for the first week of practice.· strongest teams SUU has seen, they will also Southern Utah has the core of last year's 8-3 be playing one of the toughest schedules the squad returning, which finished the seas,;m team has ever faced. With road games at Utah ranked 24th in the State, San Jose ESPN Coaches' Poll. State, Hampton . Eight starters return University and on the offensive side Northern Arizona, of the ball while six road wins will be return on defense. necessary if the SUU's leader, team hopes to quarterback Matt make the playoffs at Cannon, is returning the end of the for his senior season season, which, with the 'Birds. according to Cannon holds the Cannon, is a team NCAA single-season goal.. • record for rushing "It's a tough yards by a schedule,· said quarterback, at Cannon. ~But we 1,553, and is on the like it, that's the way verge of a handful of we planned it· Division I-AA · SUU won its last records. Cannon is five games during also one of the front the 1999 season, runners for the with four of the wins Payton Award, which coming on the road is given to the best to finish 4-2 away offensive player of ..! from Eccles the year in I-AA ~Coliseum. football. 5 "The road got "Matt leads by ~ comforta~le for us example,· said ~ last year," said Gregory. "He had i:I iii Gregory. "We need terrific weight training ~ to do it again for us program in the off ill to be successful.· season and loves to ~ The season starts compete.· Record-setting quarterback Matt Cannon returns for Sept. 2 with a home Gregory said that his senior year as a Thunderbi,rJ. game against one having Cannon is like of SUU's oldest having a triple-crown because of his passing, rivals Ft. Lewis. Last year, SUU opened the rushing and punting abilities. season by blowing out the Skyhawks 50-7 in SUU's all-time leading rusher Brook Madsen Cedar City and the 'Birds say they hope to start graduated and will not be bac~ this y~ar, but the 2000 season off with another huge win. Curtis Moore (left), Jodi Benson, Marl< Wright and Zak James led the pack at last year's national meet. X-country ready to reaCh team dreams BY JASON ERICKSON JOURNAL SPORTS WRITER SUU Head Cross Country Coach Eric Houle is in the middle of remodeling his office. However, a quote remains on ·his wall by William Ward that reads, "If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it." With numerous Mid-Con titles, an NCAA Regional Championship, and strong showings at the NCAA National Championships the SUU men's and women's cross country teams have become what they have imagined and dreamed. Houle has built a national powerhouse of runners whose lists of accomplishments includes everything from USA Junior National Champions to Olympic trial hopefuls. Last year the men won their third straight Mid-Con championship, an NCAA Regional Championship, and placed 21st at the NCAA National championship. "We have the potential to be better than last year,· said Houle. This year's team has four of its five runners returning from last season. Zak James, Mark Wright, Duston Hudspeth, and Curtis Moore, who took second in the region last year, will all return. However, Houle quickly pointed out, "We are only as good as our fifth runner; he will be the key to our success.• Adam Brown or Mike Kjar are the most likely candidates to fill the fifth position. This years women's team is young according to Houle. However, with Teresa Rice and her average 4 :40 mile returning, mixed in with Natalie Quilter who was last year's SA high school state champion, the 'Birds should be in the race for another Mid-Con title. "Tl)is summer we had a great recruiting season. We got recruits that BYU and other top schools were after,· said Houle. This being the case, Houle is getting the state's top high school prospects and adding them to an already strong team at SUU. "It's still up in the air if we can repeat as conference champions, but with the best high school distance athlete in the state we should be contenders," he said. ,' . |