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Show PAGE BIO Your Sports MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2005 In the huddle Player spotlight: Noelle Pikus-Pace Zachary Fraser Sports Writer Why the violence on our fields of play? Did any of you see the confrontation between New York Yankees outfielder Gary Sheffield and that fan in Boston the other night? Well if you did not see it live, then most likely you saw it replayed for the next couple of days afterwards on every newscast. So why is it, that almost every other time we turn on the television that there seems to be some major incident between a fan and an athlete? Even the Olympics last summer were not spared from one of these confrontations, as Brazilian marathoner Vanderlei de Lima was accosted by a fan while leading the race with only four miles left. Luckily for de Lima, he was able to gain his composure and come back to win the bronze medal. Why is it that recently there seems to be more and more of these incidents? Last year, we saw the brawl between the Indianapolis Pacers and the Detroit Pistons, perhaps the most brutal interaction between fans and athletes. During the 2004 baseball season, we saw fans of the Oakland A's attacked by Texas Rangers relief pitcher Frank Francisco; after the fans had taunted him for his poor pitching against the A's. The rift between the fans and the players when the Yankees and Red Sox play has gotten so bad that the security at the games rivals the detail that President Bush has whenever he makes a public appearance. Now this bad blood has been going on for years, especially now that the Red Sox and the Yankees are constantly battling it out each year for the American League Championship. But the fact that they have become such fierce rivals on the field does not warrant the action on and off the field between players and fans. When your loyalty to your team becomes so intense that you feel that need to take matters into your hands, it changes from being loyal to your team to becoming criminally violent in the name of loyalty. Far too often, we are seeing court cases involving rabid fans. If this does not change soon, then we will see fans blocked from the field by barbed wire and fencing. Taking away our ability to enjoy the way sports have been played and viewed for years. And in the end making us prisoners from the sports that we hold so dear to our hearts. Quick: name the top performer in the world at one of the fastest growing sports around. 1*11 give you some hints. She (yep, that's one of them) is a two-time USOC Female athlete of the month (December 2004 and February 2005); she has won a World Cup title for her sport, three gold medals, and is an early favorite for Olympic Gold in 2006. Oh yeah, she probably sits next to some of you in classes at UVSC, at least when she isn't jet-setting her way to new records in skeleton. OK, so this game doesn't work as well when her name is in the title, but if you guessed Noelle Pikus-Pace, you're good. In addition to the wonderful season and national exposure that Wolverine athletics has enjoyed, Pikus-Pace is now making a name for herself and the school on an international level, all while working towards her graduation this month with a community health degree. "It has been pretty rough," she said when asked about juggling racing, travel, family, and school. She points out that many students think she is taking distance education classes, but this isn't the case. "My teachers have been very willing to work with me, corresponding through e-mail. It is stressful, but it has been good." For those uninitiated with skeleton, it isn't like a family afternoon spent at the local sledding hill. Originating in the 18th century in Switzerland and named Cresta, artificial skeleton runs are what Cresta racers (a type of high-speed tobogganing) would test their sleds out on. An Olympic sport in 1928 and 1948, it was re-introduced in the Salt Lake Games of 2002 and planned for Torino (Italy) in 2006. The name "skeleton" apparently comes from the fact that speeds are so fast (120 KPH-that's fast) that it would pull one's skin off, revealing their skeleton. Others have said that the sled is comparable to a cafeteria tray on ice skates. So, why skeleton? "I love the speed," she said, laughing. "I love the adrenaline." Her family thought she was crazy at first, but "they have been very supportive of me. Last month, they all got to try it. My whole family, except for my mom (who promised to try it next year) went and they really loved it." Addiction to speed must be a genetic thing. In her 'other' athletic life, as a member of the UVSC track and field team, Pikus-Pace competes in the heptathlon and is a jumper. What many don't know is that she is a transfer from the University of Utah. "I was getting married, and my husband went to UVSC, plus I was going to struggle to meet the demands of their track program (which required me) to run indoor," she said. Problem is, the indoor season is exactly when the skeleton season is. "Coach Gibson (the Wolverine track coach at the time) was really flexible with me." Most track athletes run both the winter indoor seasons and spring outdoor seasons, but Pikus-Pace only competes outdoor for the Wolverines. That's OK with Wolverine fans, as Pikus-Pace has joined the distinguished list of athletes honored last week as community members making a strong name for UVSC. Asked if she was happy with her decision to transfer, she responded in the very bubbly affirmative. "I think UVSC is a great school, and I am very happy with the decision I made to transfer here," she said. When asked if UVSC could become the next skeleton "factory" for the USOC, she laughed, but was serious in her response. "Definitely, there are definitely athletes at UVSC that would be very good at it." Be sure to keep an eye on winter sports over the next year, because the next time you see a sparkling pink and purple sled and suit racing down an Italian ice track at 80 MPH, know that the heart of that speeding bullet beats green and gold. Hometown: Orem, Utah Year: Senior Major: Health/Phys. Ed. The Track & Field squad will compete @ BYU on April 20-23 and April 30 Note: Information for this article concerning the history of skeleton was found at www.skeletonsport.com. Fighting fire with fire UVSC extinguishes the Utes hot bats -18-6- with a little heat of their own seemed to inspire the bats of the Wolverines as they scored Assistant Sports Editor four runs in the bottom of the forth inning. Trent Perry's three run homDan Bulow hit his team er highlighted a 10 run eighth leading eleventh home run inning as the Utah Valley of the season to tie the score State baseball team crushed at 4-4 and Kevin Hashimoto the University of Utah 18-6. doubled in another run, but With the win, the Wolverines was thrown out at third base. improved their record to 11- Kory Drew then hit a solo 24 on the season. home run to give the WolverThe Wolverines, who have ines a 6-4 lead. either been really hot or reThe Wolverines added two ally cold at the plate this more runs to push the score season, sent 15 batters to the to 8-5 at the top of the eighth plate in the 8th inning and the inning. Utah was within Utes used four pitchers to fi- two when Jed Jensen gave nally get out of the nightmare up a solo home run to Ryan inning. Khoury. UVSC took an early lead, With one out in the top of 1-0, but in the top of the the eighth inning, the Utes third inning, starting pitcher had base runners at first and Jed Jensen gave up a grand third, but Brady Drake came slam to the Utes infielder Jay into the game and got a strike Brossman. The four run blast out and a ground ball to end gave the Utes the lead and the the inning. momentum in the game. Jed Jensen got the win for In the top of the forth in- the Wolverines. Jensen only ning, Utah Valley State's allowed 6 hits and 2 earned Kory Drew made a spectacu- runs to a Utah squad that put lar catch that saved at least up 22 and 32 runs against Air one run. Force in a double header last After crashing into the cen- weekend. terfield wail, Drew made an Utah Valley States next outstanding throw back in to home game will be Monday, double up Adam Frank at first April 18 against BYU. Stubase. dents and faculty get in free The amazing catch by Drew with their UVSC IDs. Landon Smith Chad Clark/NetXNews Utah Valley State sophomore first base man/catcher Dan Bulow, has been hitting the cover off the ball the last month of the season and he currently leads the team with I I homeruns. |