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Show \ • . • ' . ' orts the college times B12 MONDAY • SEPTEMBER 24 • 2007 Golfer looking to live up to new found fame Nick Nelson leading Utah Valley golfers after winning state amateur in summer Nelson was almost set to head out to play for BYU-Hawaii, Sports writer but instead decided Turning - down a to stay on the maintwo-year stay in Ha- land and concentrate waii with little or no on strengthening his cost doesn't seem to game in his home state. be a rational choice An unknown in the at first glance. Golfer local links scene, Nel 1 Nick Nelson rebuffed son made a name for what would be a popu- himself even before lar choice when he de- setting foot on a golf cided to sign with Utah course for Utah Valley. Valley this summer. Nelson surprised "Hawaii is quite a nearly all golf pundits place to live and hang See GOLFER 'BIO out," Nelson said. Jason Ad kins Young team looking for a W Matt Beaudin Assistant sports editor Heading into Friday's game with Northern Arizona, Utah Valley women's soccer team has yet to win a game. With a record of 0-41, the Wolverines have adjustments to make. "I think everyone is aware that we haven't won a game yet," head coach Brent Ander- son said. "We've been in some games and we're playing better and we're more determined now than ever." Youth has been a two-edged sword for the Wolverines. While contributing freshman like Katey Turner, who scored her first goal of the season against Wyoming, have helped Utah Valley, a lack of experiSee SOCCER-B9 Ben Webster Sports editor Mark Johnston/College Times Owlz players waiting at home plate to celebrate a walk-off home run by Gordie Gronkowski (above) earlier in the season. The Owlz had plenty to celebrate when they won the Pioneer League title in Great Falls, Mont. They did it again Vie Orem Owlz pulled off an impressive playoff run to finish as the Pioneer League Champs Key players: Jay Brossman Brossmanhita solo homerun in the 16th inning to lift the Owlz to the champion. ship and batted .346 for the season. Gordon Gronkowski Gronkowski had a number of key hits and batted 344 on the season with 84 hits. Jeremy Moore Moore led the team with 14 homeruns,17 stolen bases and 54 hits. Regular season record: 37-39 Postseason record: 4-0 Matt Beaudin Assistant sports editor For the third time in four years, the Orem Owlz won the Pioneer League crown. After winning back-toback titles in 2004 and 2005, the Owlz were knocked off by the Idaho Falls Chu- kars in last year's playoffs. Looking to reclaim their identity as league champs, the Owlz took care of business after a tough regular season and defeated the Great Falls White Sox two games to none in the championship series. Durham, here comes the Wolverines Utah Valley women's basketball coach Cathy Nixon was thinking big when it came to this season's schedule. How big? Duke big. The UVSC women's basketbalJ schedule is generally released sooner than the men's, but this year there was a reason to hold off a little longer. Nixon and Athletic Director Mike Jacobsen were trying to land a big-time team to play, and there isn't another team more big-time than the one team they got. I thought it would be another team from the Pac-10, like the men's team has done a number of times, which is great. But no, the team is going to play in one of the best college basketball atmospheres in the country, at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Duke. The Cameron Crazies and all. See COLUMN-BIO See OWLZ- B10 Japanese connections paying off Boettcher used to live in Japan and coached basketball there. Asumi Nakayama, a secondSports contributor year guard at UVSC, is from Most teams, after a while, Japan also. Nakayama is the get used to traveling to face first Japanese-born player opponents on the road., to come right out of high But when the Utah Valley school in Japan and play for women's basketball team a Division-I school in the US. travels, they really travel. This trip just didn't hapThe Wolverines re- pen overnight. It took a sigcently returned from a nificant amount of'time to road trip to the Far East. plan, schedule, accomplish No, not Boston, Japan. and lots of funds had to be NCAA rules state that raised for the team to spend every four years an athletic 18 days in the country. team can compete and play in "It really turned out great. an international destination if It was such a rewarding expestrict rules are followed. For rience to be able to take the the lady Wolverines, every- team," coach Cathy Nixon thing seemed to fit in place said. "The basketball opfor them to travel to Japan. portunities were just ideal. For starters, the Wolver- All of the things that we are ines assistant coach Chris weak at is exactly what the James Warnick Japanese teams were strong at. So we had the opportunity to have our weaknesses exploited at not much cost." The Utah Valley coaching staff has spent the past six summers in Japan holding basketball camps . for Japanese youth. While coaching year after year they fell in love with the culture and the experience in Japan, and couldn't wait to get their team over there. It was a group effort funding the trip. Not only did the team hold a number of fundraisers but over 100 people contributed in a big way. Sandy Marvin said, "The biggest part of the trip was being with my team, buildSee HOOPS. B9 UVSC athletics Utah Valley sophomore Julie McMurray (3) and her teammates were able to help Japanese children learn basketball skills during clinics while in Japan. |