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Show MoftdAy, FcbRUAity 22, 1988 Paqe TU'hmih ChROM'dc SPORTS J nr U. passes by SDSU in close 5048 victory ' Ml o OK, here's a question for all of you Utah sports trivia buffs. What Utah sports team has won the most SAN DIEGO Utah only hit 32 percent of its shots from the field Saturday, but that was good enough to come away with a 50-4- ht Western Athletic 8 Conference victory against San Diego State here in the Sports Arena. The win upped the U.'s conference mark to 4 and 16-- 8 overall, while the Aztecs, who just two days earlier had upset league-leadiBYU, fell to 9. San Diego 10-is State 4 for all games. In the beginning, this game was looking I every bit the part of a blowout. I Utah quickly established the tempo and t 0 lead with 12:32 jumped out to a I remaining in the first half. That's when jUtah Coach Lynn Archibald decided to let .the air out of the ball as much as you can Vith a shot clock by going into a deliberate, passing offense, i It was a good idea which didn't work, as Utah went on to miss its next 10 field goal attempts. Despite that drought, a Keith at the buzzer gave Chapman three-pointthe U. a 26-2- 3 half time lead, 8-- ng 3-- J? )'"' v-'- I nd For Chapman, it has been a good weekend. He started his first game of his Utah career Thursday against Hawaii, then 13 against the Aztecs, he hit for a team-hig- h points including two of three from three-poi- nt range." And it was Chapman, the Weber State transfer, who gave Utah the lead for good when he drove the baseline and was fouled more. Mitch Smith has been a dominating force for Utah this season, but was held to only nine points Saturday against San Diego State. Still, see "Aztecs" on page fifteen the U. managed to win, 50-4- 8. Utah continues winning streak with victory over Colorado State ...... Special to the Chronicle -- IMC " 1 TVio TTt-oV- i ar ce er i NCAA championships? If your answer was the Utah football team, try again. Or Utah baseball, women's softball or men's golf? Sorry, you lose. But if you guessed the Lady "Ute" gymnasts, you win the prize. Even though Coach Greg Marsden's "Utes" have a 1981 AIAW championship to their credit, his team is Utah's champ of champs with six titles to its credit. Taking the second spot in the national limelight for Utah is Pat Miller's ski team. Miller has won a total of five NCAA championships during his stint as coach. He's also guided his team to 16 conference championships. Coming in third is Utah basketball. It has won one NCAA title in 1944. Under the direction of Arnie Ferrin, Utah dumped St. John's 43-3- 6 to win its only national crown. But other than the 1944 performance of Ferrin and his teammates and Miller's successes, there really hasn't been much for the university to brag about on the national level except for Lady "Ute" gymnasts. Coming out of absolute obscurity in 1976 to lead Utah to a lOth-plafinish at the AIAW championships, Marsden has become a modern-da- y John Wooden in the sport of gymnastics. Marsden's dominance all started back in 1981 with his and the U.'s first gymnastics title. That year Utah for the title. beat UCLA 145.65-144.1- 0 his first taste of a national championship .. ..After . Marsden and his team went back the next year fprw 13-ye- 19-1- 45-seco- Glenn Seninger Marsden has brought U. much acclaim Special to the Chronicle hard-foug- I . xirrtnn'c ' basketball team completed a successful road trip here Saturday night as Coach Elaine Elliott's squad dropped Gal-Fullert- on, titles. Showing their ability to win brought out the crowds to see this national powerhouse. A record 17,000-plu- s spectators packed the Special Events Center (now Huntsman Center) for the two-da- y competition to see a third championship for Utah. Probably some of the nation's most educated fans continue to pack the Huntsman Center to see their champion today all thanks to Marsden. However, in 1984, there were two Marsdens leading the "Utes" Greg and Megan. In 1984, while Greg was coaching the team, his was winning new wife, Megan McCunniff-Marsde- n titles. And don't forget the fact that in that same year, Elaine Alfano won her second straight Colorado State 65-5- 5. It was Utah's seventh consecutive win and raised the Lady "Utes'"' record to 1 in conference play and 15-- 8 overall. I The game looked like it might be a repeat of the first game between the two schools, as Utah took a big lead early. Utah 4ed by 21 points with four minutes left in the half, but after "that, Utah struggled. In the first meeting, Utah whipped the Rams, 89-3- 5. In the second half, Utah was unable to break the game open as troubles on the offensive end continued. Twelve minutes into the second half, Utah had managed to score 6-- all-arou- nd only nine points. The Rams, meanwhile, scored 19. The U.'s lack of offense was, in part, a result of Tiffany and Gina Butters being sidelined with four Rogers-Kramer fouls apiece. Both Rogers -- Kramer' and Butters were coming off great win Thursday against Wyoming. games in Utah's 75-5- 8 Both turned in solid performances against the Rams. and Butters on the bench, Colorado With Rogers-KramState was able to claw its way back to within striking distance. And with 3:12 remaining in the game, Utah was holding on to a 56-4- 8 advantage. the game That's when Utah's sidelined duo and provided much needed offense down the stretch. Rogers-Krame- rs finished with 15 points, while Butters had 14 and Leslie Neebling added 10. Jennifer Halbach guided the Rams, pouring in 19 points. The win over Colorado State leaves Utah in prime New Mexico State. The position to knock off league-lead- er Cruces to open HCAC Las in Roadrunners defeated Utah . play last month. Utah will have to get by BYU in Provo on Feb. 26 before it returns home to face Creighton on March 3 and finish off 5. league play with the Roadrunners on March For the next five years the name of Utah and Marsden would become synonymous terms in the gymnastics world. And winning national titles for Marsden became as common as Northwestern's football team losing. It was something you could count on. Until last season when Utah finished second to Georgia. Now, Utah is trying to regain the position it lost to the Bulldogs. In 1981, Marsden chalked up his first national title. In 1982, Marsden's "Utes" shattered the record for over the largest margin of victory, 148.60-144.1- 5 to win the first in a long line of NCAA T" jf vaulting championship. With the Utah freight train rolling Marsden came back to Salt Lake City in 1985 to win championship No. 5. Marsden also had the pleasure of watching Alfano win an unprecedented third consecutive vaulting championship. In 1986 Utah was tabbed as the underdog. But the five-tichamp proved it was still tops by winning title No. 6, and unheard-o- f achievement. Marsden has a proven track record of what he can do. His team fell short this year giving it even more incentive to get back to the top this season. And you can count on Marsden's team being ready when NCAA Championship time comes in April. Utah's gymnastics program, led by Marsden, has brought credibility and pride to the university while etching his name forever in collegiate gymnastics have come and history. Many Utah is still around. Marsden's gone. Greg And thanks to Marsden's love for the sport and dedication, Utah can boast that its gymnastics team has won the most NCAA championships for the me er rvvf p ( Jironiclc photo by Steven ('.. Wilson (40) Injuries have plagued Utah's Leslie Carpenter has her this season, but Coach Elaine Elliott currently winning streak. Saturday team on a seven-gam- e State. Colorado defeated Utah night, university. -- |
