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Show Wednesday, February 10. 1993 The Daily Utah Chronicle - Page Thirteen L Sports Wolsey accomplishes goals early, but she's not done yet BYMATTOTT Chronicle Sports Writer "Maybe, hopefully, one day, I don't know when maybe my " senior year I'll be d. Kelli Wolsey, Feb. 12, 1992 As a freshman last season, Kelli Wolsey cautiously proclaimed her ultimate goal as a gymnast at the University of Utah. She wasn't sure if, when or how it would happen, she just hoped that it would. She was willing to wait as long as three years for it to happen, just as long as it did. Well, it has happened and way ahead of the timetable she originally set. Wolsey competed in the for the third time this season on Monday, walking away e honors with a 39.25. with It is the second time she has broke the 39.0 plateau this year, and has established her as one of the Utes' at least for now. "I'm very, very, happy to be Wolsey said. "At going the beginning of last year, I didn't even think I'd be going one event." Wolsey's modest goals last year may have been justified, as she came to the U. a little bit out of shape and perhaps not anticipating all-arou- first-plac- of collegiate gymnastics, according to her coach the challenges Greg Marsden. "I think when she came here, she thought it would be a step down from her international experience," Marsden said. "She really didn't report in good shape. But as the season went on, she improved a great deal and basically just figured out what she needed to do, and this year she has improved remarkably." While Wolsey's improvement last season from beginning to end was impressive, it is possible that she has improved just as much from the end of last season to the present, and she attributes much of that to just staying in better shape during the particularly over "That's the event that was all-arou- last year," Marsden said. "She recognized that it was her achilles heel and she just kept working on it." In the last two meets, Wolsey has notched consecutive career-best- s on the floor, scoring 9.8's and proving that Marsden's instincts were correct when he first saw her the game. But unfortunately, Dixon was the one who was caught throwing the second punch. He was subsequently charged with a flagrant foul and ejected from the game. The NCAA rules state that if a player is charged with a flagrant foul for fighting during the course of a game, then he would be have to be suspended for the next game. However; after reviewing reports filed by the officials at the game, the WAC decided the altercation was not a fight and therefore did not suspend Dixon. The junior will be able to play against San Diego State on Thursday. " Following Saturday's game, Utah head coach Rick Majerus was fairly confident that Dixon would not be suspended. "I told the refs, 'If you want a fight, I'll show you a fight,'" Majerus said. "That was no fight." Majerus also said that it was the first time he had ever had an Phil Dixon HiKmon "I've grown up a lot in the last year," Wolsey said, "and figured out what college was all about and what it was going to take for me to become an Marsden echoed that statement and predicts more improvement from Wolsey in the years to come. "I expect more of the same from Kelli in the future," Marsden said. "I've been very pleased with her improvement and I think she will continue to develop while she's, here." If Wolsey does continue to improve, she will undoubtedly rank among the nation's finest collegiate gymnasts for the next three years. "She's very consistent, which is certain to improve on it. Huntsman Center. Dixon and Larson exchanged punches late in the first half of R. gymnastics. exercise. This year, she made Athletic The Western Conference announced Tuesday that it had placed University of Utah forward Phil Dixon on probation for his part in an altercation with Colorado State center Doug Larson in the Ute's win last Saturday night at the CHRONtClf PHOTOJudd break this year," Kenoyer said. "It was incredible. With our team being so strong she knew she had to improve and she seems a lot more motivated than she was this fall." Marsden, Kenoyer and Wolsey all believe that she has adjusted to the college environment more this year and that it has directly affected her Wolsey's improvement over the course of last year was complete except for one event, the floor Chronicle Sports Editor altercation like that since his head coaching days at Ball State, beginning in 1987. . ti !. A "The biggest change was when difference." BY CLIFTON SCHMIDT -- she came back from Christmas "I stayed in better shape and changed my eating habits so I could tone up and lose weight," Wolsey said. "That made a really big performing at the Goodwill Games in 1990. "I really felt she had a lot of untapped potential,"; Marsden said. didn't think she was welL off-seaso- n, keeping her out of the I everything she could be. I felt we could help her go to the next level." Wolsey has officially made it to that next level, which teammate Kristen Kenoyer has noticed as Christmas break. Dixon will be allowed to play against SDSU Q "But Greg's biggest thing," Kenoyer said. . "That's one of her biggest pluses and will make her a big part of the team's future J!' ; fiVy 5 Emi I T ... JL v "n a ft m V 7 W 1 e IL , - o" M 1 L-- 7 I CHRONICLE PHOTOJudd R. Hillman University of Utah gymnast Kelli Wolsey has shown much improvement since she first arrived at the U. a ago and has broken into the Utes' lineup much sooner than she had hoped to. ; year-and-a-ha- lf all-arou- leagues, but Gibson offers another alternative No spring football was a bittersweet Sunday Super The satisfaction of fleecing a few AFC fanatics who believed Saint Jude cared about football was quickly dispelled by the realization that the glorious game, in its most perfect form, is over until late July. Saturdays and Sundays mean something during the Fall. On balmy Sunday mornings in November, church meetings seems to end a tad earlier if, while some overenthusiastic elder is reviewing last Friday's Ward triumph in basketball, I can contemplate how the Bill's defense will attack Warren offense. Moon's work shift a mopping Ending floors at 4 a.m. early Saturday isn't so depressing with the realization that in only five hours the Crimson Tide defense will be tested by the arm of Shane Matthews and the rest of the Gator offense. Or, that in seven hours the Utes will take on a the fact that Dick Vitale was a commentator. It was a little difficult, however, dealing with ABC's decision to abruptly cut away from each game after exactly three hours so that nobody missed a hole of Senior Golf. The suspension of the WLAF and the stillbirth of the Professional Spring Football League was due to lack So, with that in mind, I suggestion for a successful spring football league that would satisfy withdrawal pains nationwide that began last Sunday at 1 ot WAC opponent the future is bleak for football myself, a fanatic. I'll try to watch baseball and basketball but it won't be enough and by early April I'll be scanning the TV Guide , desperately tracking down ESPN's infrequent broadcasts of Arena I'll watch that Football. game enduring with gnashed Yes, p.m. teeth the and World Series of Poker. It wasn't so bad last year. There was the World League of American Football with Scott Mitchell leading the Orlando squad. I'd tune in on Sundays on ABC and ignore i eastern time. a First, football league for the purists does not need a Doug Gibson self-confess- ed touchdown passes that bounce off a wall in the early morning hours when it's scheduled between Monster Truck Pulling and the of finances. will make a Chronicle Columnist H e rs ch e 1 Walker (or a Doug Flutie, for that matter), in order to attract fans. Why not have the NFL or some other entity organize regional spring leagues composed 10-we- ek yearly of talented rookies who were not chosen in the NFL draft or signed as free agents. ", ( The players, recent college graduates, could play in leagues situated near their schools and make several thousand dollars over a three or four month span. With today's job market, many graduates would jump at such a great short-teropportunity. For example, if there was a intermountain league, cities such as Salt Lake, St. George, Elko, m 10-tea- m Las Vegas, Reno etc. could field teams and recruit good football players who performed at colleges that include, Utah, BYU, USU, Southern Utah, Snow, Dixie., The same UNLV and Nevada, etc. format could also be used to form leagues in the East, Southeast, Midwest and other regions of the country. There would be no need for a network television because of the regional angle and if ticket prices were reasonable, fans who enjoyed watching players from their favorite colleges play would enjoy watching an entertaining level of football being offered. Another plus is that communities would develop a strong sense of affinity with these "minor leagues." It's possible that if fan support surged, local radio and television deals could be offered and perhaps, the champions of different regional leagues might n even compete in a format playoff And, if players could actually afford to play for more than one or two years, then perhaps the leagues would develop veterans. What's important about this suggestion, however, is that the leagues must remain on a low budget. It needs to be an inexpensive entertainment that is available on a local level. Fans need to develop a bond with these teams and high ticket prices will surely kill that chance. I know my plan is not perfect and that obvious and specific contradictions and objections exist. Perhaps someday a group with influence and money will expand on the concept post-seaso- Z ' f ; |
