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Show The Daily Utah Chronicle Page Ten Thursday, June 4, 1992 Sports flow y BiryQira Matthew Goles Chronicle Sports Editor By For one, he waves to his family when he sets up at the line of if 25,000 people or 10 coaches wouldn't notice. Then, when he scores touchdowns, the first thing he does is find little kids at the back of the end zone and gives them a round a fives. Secondly, he is about as serious in the weight room and in practice as Hawkeye Pierce in the MASH 4077th operating room. More than almost anyone on the team, coaches yell at this guy to get his "lard ass in gear and finish the wind sprint" Third, he's short, he's white and he scrimmage as looks like your teenage neighbor. He is as intimidating as Richard Simmons or Gumby. "He's kind of a goofball to tell you an the truth," roomie and teammate Mike Lewis once said. Just a few reasons why U. wide receiver Bryan Rowley is the antithesis of the stereotypical football hero. But his accomplishments on the athletic field speak for themselves and have swayed The Chronicle to choose him as the 1991-9- 2 Male Athlete of the Year. Not only was Rowley named by The Sporting News, but he also gave hope to all pale, guys around shrimpy regular-lookin-g an the state. There is hope for us other goofy guys. While the Orera native admits, "I am not the model of a good work ethic," he knows when it's time to perform. He just doesn't do it in the same yyyy-y- y ' into the Utah football locker room before games reveals a number of huge overgrown men listening to ACDC, banging their heads against the walls and exhorting their teammates in coarse voices while words unfit for the using four-letter easily ruffled. A look towards Rowley and all you see is a guy sitting there waiting for something to happen. No attention-gettin- g antics, no spouting off, no fireworks. than just Rowley. He got more and more zone and single coverage but, sometimes, it didn't matter how many people were watching him, he was going to get the ball anyway. Rowley ended up with 60 receptions for 1,011 yards in 1991 and moved into the top spot in the all-tiU. receiving yardage list He also led Utah in scoring with 72 points 11 touchdowns and three PATs. Examples of his explosiveness are two-poi- nt evident in two of his trips to paydirt Against New Mexico, he helped the Utes set a school rushing record by scampering 60 yards on a reverse. Then at BYU, Rowley gave the Cougars an early scare by hauling in a medium-rang- e pass and turning it touchdown jaunt into a At the beginning of the football If J '?'' ""''"; 1 ... u 3- - - ,;y and I was being double-teame- d wasn't really a secret anymore," he said. After all, Rowley, as a sophomore, was named the team's most valuable player and opponents had the same type of respect. "When it comes time to do it, I come through," Rowley said. McBride added he would rather have Rowley on his side if a game was on the line more than anyone else. But as the year wore on, teams found that Utah had more weapons s v; y . X y y f V ? ( Though he acknowledges his speed, Rowley says the thing that may set him apart from the garden-variet- y wideout is his ability to catch the ball and not drop it In the. most acrobatic ways, Rowley has proven he will latch onto anything thrown near him. "Rowley is a player," McBride said during the season. "He's amazing and he'll come up with a play when you don't even think a play is possible." His sure hands are due partly to pressure and partly because he's already seen it all before it actually happens. First, the pressure. Receivers coach Freddy Graves does not let a little pass drop go unnoticed. Every game he has someone charting every pass and whether someone should nave caught it or not. Therefore, a receivers goal at the U. is not to drop a ball iio matter what Now the part about having seen it happen already. Rowley picked up on some visualization techniques when he was at Orem High. "I practice breathing techniques and I see myself doing everything in a game positively and never see a bad move. I see myself catching a pass and breaking tackles all before a game starts," Rowley said. One game in particular gave Rowley a distinct impression of visualization deja vu. When Utah put its WAC and bowl game aspirations on the line against San Diego State, Rowley came to play. With ABC cameras covering his all-sta- te wide moves, the receiver dazzled the regional m Male Athlete of the Year 84-ya- rd season, opponents seemed to have a different view of Rowley. "I got a lot of attention at the start of the year I lMI mY expected ck ways. A trip m?;JPW?yh0t, The Daily Utah Chronicle television audience in a losing effort "I always visualize catching the If PHOT COWTEST II. Syorti rtimm Dtp Bryan Rowley has dazzled Utah crowds with his acrobatic catches and e moves. Rowley is the receiving yards leader at the U. all-tim- big diving catch and in that San Diego State it happened ...twice," Rowley said of his 159-yar-d performance including two seven-receptio- n, y J y IMWMMMMyMMMxMmj'mm. fySW0WM Don't be confused by Bryan Rowley's competitor through and through. amazing diving grabs. When football season was done, Rowley wasn't. After desiring to walk on Utah's basketball team since he was a freshman, Rowley received a boost of courage from assistant hoops coach Jeff Judkins. Rowley and some friends were in a HPER gym "just goofing around" Rowley's way of saying he was elevating his small body to lofty heights and dunking. (He can throw reverse on a down a double-pum- p him they told good day.) Judkins were looking for a point man on their gray squad and Rowley fit the bill. Though he never played in a game, head Coach Rick Majerus lauded his efforts whenever the topic came up. "I love this kid," he said of Rowley. "He'll do anything looks. He's a fierce boy-next-do- or you tell him to and he's a natural athlete. He's the type of guy that really helped prepare us before the games." Last year, Rowley long jumped on the track team instead and won the event in the Weber State Invitational with a leap. Rowley's now looking forward to another season, his last And he has more than just the normal amount of 23-fo- ot, ch anticipation and excitement of a new year. A good year could mean a pro contract, but more than anything Rowley wants to leave a winner. "I want to win the WAC For me to be here four years and never win would be terrible. Everything from now until the end of the season will be focused on that goal." Come game time, don't bet against Bryan Rowley making it happen. Best of the Rest Senior tennis player Lindsay Rawstorne fought through two knee surgeries and chronic elbow n pain to rejoin the Utes at fire and all the way in the mid-seaso- ITCA Top 25 rankings. Though he lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, he was named WAC Player of the Year. Before Rawstorne's return, senior Ed Peregrino held down the No. 1 spot and won 11 straight matches in doubles with sophomore partner Sjur Paulsen. The Ute football players were well-represent- ed on the All-WA- C teams especially on their league-leadin- g defense. Senior linebacker Anthony Davis, who was drafted by the Houston Oilers, was one of e only three repeat picks. Ute interception leader LaVon All-tim- Edwards and supreme sackman Jimmy Bellamy were also first-teapicks. Senior lineman Mike DeHoog and sophomore running back Keith Williams along with defensive linemen Dave Chaytors and Keith Embray and safety m Reggie Alston all made the conference's second team. Senior center Paul Afeaki, who led the basketball team in points and rebounds per game, was the first or only Ute on the second teams and will be heading to Chicago for the NBA pre-dra- ft combine. Junior guard Jimmy Soto captured the heart of the Madison Square Garden crowd during the NIT and is now in Europe touring with the NIT All-Stentourage. M'Kay McGrath represented Utah on the WAC team. In baseball, Mark Benjamin batted .405 in WAC play and was an inspirational team leader while playing second base for the Utes. One notable example of Benjamin's leadership was when he daringly implanted his rally dip, a chunk of Derks Field infield mud in an effort to rally his team behind by six runs against Air Force. The dip proved effective as Utah came back All-WA- C ar ve to beat the Falcons in extra innings. In track and field, perhaps Ute Brett Wehrli best exemplified the Utes' heart and courage in taking on some of the best competition in the country and, in some cases, claiming victory. Wehrli's hurdling skills were the only short distance speed event the Utes had to count on in men's competition. Distance running, however, was where the Utes' track and field forte lay this year. Kregg Chidester, a major surprise in the 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters this year, had the fastest time of any underclassman in the 3,000 meters at the WAC tournament. In addition, Steve Sumsion and Jason Brown were also big contributors to the men's cross country and track and field squads. Nicholas Robichon was named ski team after the to at the NCAA his performance in March, at championships Waterville, N.H. Also team captain John Ethan also led the team as inspirational leader, and was voted as best male skier two years in a Some row, impressive an underclassmen joined the ski team and made major contributions this year. Torry Kraftson and Peter Klofutar excelled on the nordic squad and will be counted upon heavily to carry the team next year. Departing senior Jim Aumann was voted the most valuable member of the men's swimming team and was an inspirational leader as the Utes recaptured another men's WAC swimming title, their sixth in a row. Aumann led Utah in the 50- -, 100-- , and 200-yar- d events, and was at one time ranked nationally in each event. Also, graduating senior Charlie Stevens was consistent in both leadership and distance swimming. Finally in golf, senior Marty Romney finished up his illustrious r career at Utah with a solid final season. Fellow golfer Phil Holmes, a junior, was the Utes' most consistent player in four-yea- 1992, as witnessed by his selection on the WAC's Team. season-endin- g 2nd v |