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Show 14 Signpost-- Friday, June 3, 1988 P Four Wildcats begin quest at NCAA Championship "3P" .1' 75 V " ; - .. w t - " i i - ws,,. , . - s -5 ' . l r , lx : - - 1- Blaine Brinhurst Sports Editor V, WILDCAT RUNNER Kris Cary leaves the water barrier in 3,000-mctcr steeplechase action earlier this year. Cary was rendered unconscious after a freak accident during the NCAA Championships. (Signpost photo: Larry Jensen.) The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships began in Eugene, Oregon on Wednesday for four Wildcat athletes. Before the meet began, Wildcat Coach Chick Hislop believed that one of his 3,000-mctcr steeplechasers, Kris Cary, had a great chance of qualifying for the final round while another, Darin Williams, had a slim chance. As it turned out, both would have qualified if it were not for bad fortune. Williams did qualify for the prestigious final round on Saturday by turning in a personal best 8:44.97 in the gruelling event. But while Williams was providing Weber Slate with heroics, Cary, clearly the Big Sky Conference's best steeplechaser since Farley Gcrbcr, was busy getting tripped up. Literally. Cary appeared to be cruising into the final round when disaster struck. A runner directly behind Cary stepped on the Wildcat runner's shoe, leaving Cary shoeless on one foot. With only two laps to go, Cary continued to run sans his shoe. However, as he came to a barrier, the bare foot slipped and Cary went crashing through the hurdle. Cary hit his head on the hurdle and was rendered unconscious, therefore not finishing the race. Cary's disaster leaves Williams alone in the steeplechase final which will begin later on this afternoon. Weber Suite Coach Chick Hislop believes that Williams has a chance at placing, but realizes what it will take. "He'll need a big race," said Hislop. "It will take a time of around 8:38." Williams' qualifying time was good enough for a fourth-place finish in his qualifying heat. His time leaves him only 4.82 off of the best time of the day which was a 8:40.15. That time was turned in by Karl Van Calcar from Oregon State. Coach Jim Blaisdcll also took two of his athletes to the meet. Paula John failed to clear the first height of 5'9 34" in the high jump. Of the numerous participants in the high jump event, only 14 were able to clear the opening height. John qualified for the outdoor championship with her 6'0" jump in the NCAA Outdoor Championship and with her 6'0" jump in the NCAA Indoor Championship where she tied for sixth place to earn All-Amcrican honors. (see QUEST on page 16) Loss of baseball hurt college name Blaine Bringhurst Sports Editor i naif" J ANY PERM now thru VtedJunelKh only $9. All work is completed by trained students under the supervision of our licensed professional staff. Limiled offer phone Siacey s hands of ChiiDD.ons benmd the Newgale Mall Editor's note: This is the last part of a three-part series that deals with the now extinct Weber State College baseball team. This part deals with the aftermath that the baseball team left in its wake. Although money was saved, when Weber State College dropped its baseball program in 1974, many intangibles were lost. Possibly the most important thing that was lost was respect for the college. With the loss of the baseball program, the college lost notoriety as a participant in all major sports. The college also lost respect from many players who once played baseball for the purple and white. National notoriety and respect was partially disassociated from Weber State because the school was now competing in one less major sport. "It did hurt our reputation," said Gary Crompton, who was the assistant athletic director at the time. "The more funded sports an institution has, the more bonafide it is athletically." The national report that the college lost was relatively unimportant compared to the bad taste that the abandoned program left in the mouths of those involved. "I felt real bad for the kids who played," said the team's first coach, Dick Williams. "I mean they were playing the national sport and then all of a sudden there was nowhere for them to go." Some players on the team were well enough known to pick up their bags and go elsewhere. Glen Tucket, who was the coach of the BYU team that the Wildcats had crushed 23-1 in their second to last game, picked up three of the Wildcat players. "Tucket helped case the pain a little by taking some of our players," said Blaine Sylvester, who was the Wildcat coach at the time the program was dropped. One other player, Dave Hoak, who now coaches the Bonneville High School baseball team, was rescued from the wreckage that had once been known as the Wildcat baseball team. Hoak was offered a scholarship by Gonzaga University, one he readily accepted. Although a lucky handful were lucky enough to play elsewhere, many others were left behind with nothing to do and nowhere to go. "We had three or four seniors that didn't get picked up anywhere, said Sylvester. "Not only did they lose their chance to play baseball, the college took away their tuition waiver." The situation brought about hard times for many who were involved with the program. "It was an earth-shattering experience," said Sylvester. "After our last game, no one wanted to leave. We just sat silently in the dugout and thought about what we were going to do." In a lime when money is so important and yet so hard to come by, we must realize that nothing that uses school financing is guaranteed that it will be around forever. "Vc had good players and great moments," said Sylvester. "Too bad it couldn't last forever." |