Show 4B Standard-Examin- Sunday June 5 1988 er Sports most important priority now “We’re not like the Atlantic Coast Conference where it doesn’t matter who wins the conference tournament because their top five teams are going to go the NCAA Tournament anyhow So there’s not nearly so much pressure to do well in the ACC Tournament like there is in the Big Sky Consequently our people look at our conference tournament much differently than people in the ACC look at theirs “I think that what we did this year was the wise thing to do and I had come to the conclusion that it was in the best interests of our league to do what we did” Stephenson said “I think over a period we’ll reduce the chance of having an unsuccessful tournament by having it at the site of a hot school In the past virtually every year we did that we have had a successful tourna- Format From IB First no longer the will league’s teams be given 2n opportunity to participate in the playoffs and ale low a lowly team to come in and knock off the champion like Weber ’State did in 1987 when the Wildcats stunned Montana State Sure that scenario delighted some diehard WSC fans but in ' all sincerity it made a mockery of the entire playoff structure e And the fact that a team like Montana State in 1986 and a seventh-plac- e squad from Idaho State in 1987 each wound up representing the Big Sky in the NCAA Tournament with 0 overall records pointed out what a farce the previous format bottom-of-the-barr- el last-plac- regular-s- eason sixth-plac- -- 10-ye- ar sub-50- ment” was Only once in the last five years — Nevada-Ren- o in 1985 — has the host school gone on to win the Big Sky Tournament And this year regular-seaso- n champion Boise State broke through to win the postseason tourney at Bozeman Mont marking just the third time since Weber State in 1983 that one of the league’s n teams actually top advanced to the NCAA Tourna- ment Thus it seems obvious that a change in the Big Sky’s format was long overdue After all when a conference can only expect to get one team in the NCAA Tournament as the Big Sky has always done then it should do everything it can to assure that it sends its best — or at least one of its best — to the NCAA party And by having the regular-seaso- n winner host the Big Sky tourney and seeding the top two teams into the semifinals then perhaps the league might improve its chances of someday getting past the NCAA’s opening round which has been the end of the line for every Big Sky participant since 1982 Big Sky Commissioner Ron Stephenson cited some reasons why the old format was installed as well as some advantages to the league’s new postseason playoff format “At the time we went to the site format the main reasoning on it was it would give the host school an entire year to prepare” he said “There was also a huge concern that we have a television package for the tournament and it’s much easier to put together a TV package when you know a year ahead of time where the tournament’s going to be “With the site it also made it much easier to arrange all the teams’ travel print up the game program ancF other details like that Those things were a big consideration at that time and when you look at all the travel problems that the old format presented (when the winner hosted the tourit made sense ney from 1976-8to look at the site format “But now there’s more concern for protecting that best team Steduring the regular-season-” phenson said “Now the league’s main consideration is to give that hot team a reward for winning and a chance to host the tournament “If your No 1 priority is to protect that hot team then this is the best format for us It just depends on what you look at as the most important thing from a conference standpoint Some people were concerned about sending our best team to NCAA Tournament and that has become our However Weber State sports information director Brad Larsen wasn’t so sure the Big Sky did the right thing “With this new format the Big Sky’s TV package might not continue because some of those stations might not be willing to gamble a week in advance They may not be able to sell it to some of their affiliates” Larsen said “And the Coors people although I’m sure they’ll continue their sponsorship won’t get nearly as much for their money as they have in the past in terms of promotions advertising etc “We’ve done it this way in the past and it can be done But putting together the travel the program and all the other advance planning and preparation will become much more of a hurried rush job with this format “With the old format people could plan a year ahead and make arrangements to go there ahead of time” Larsen said “Sure it works both ways but it seems like after going through it both ways it’s a lot easier having the site It makes the whole operation go a lot smoother and nicer and it helps make it more of a tournament “This year’s tournament in s Bozeman was a affair probably the best we’ve ever had So I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens” The postseason playoff format is not the only change the Big Sky made at its recent meetings The league also approved a plan which will allow its member schools to schedule a maximum of only two I schools in 1989-9- 0 and only one opponent the next year “The reduction of I opponents is an effort for us as a league to improve our strength of schedule” Stephenson said “The rating system that the NCAA uses is based primarily on s rethree things — your cord against Division I schools your strength of schedule and your opponents’ schedule So the less I schools you play the better your strength of schedule will be “In computing its power ratings the NCAA penalizes you for I school you every play and a loss to a strong Division I team can actually help you more than a win over a regular-seaso- j NEW YORK (AP) — Winning Colors gets a second shot at making history and the key to her success may be whether the filly is allowed to write her own script A victory by the Kentucky Derby winner next Saturday in the Belmont Stakes would make her the first filly to win two Triple Crown races and just the third to win the Belmont — the first in 83 years And conditions seem to be in her favor Winning Colors was allowed to set the pace at the Derby winning the first of the At the Triple Crown races Preakness Forty Niner went with her pushed the pace as both battled for the lead for of a mile and then faded to seventh while the filly hung on for third Woody Stephens the trainer of Forty Niner took a lot of heat after the Preakness some accusing him of sacrificing his horse just to keep the filly from winning He says his only chance was to get Winning Colors in a speed duel Forty Niner won’t be around to try to stop Winning Colors at Belmont Park Stephens the trainer who has dominated the Belmont Stakes in this decade will be But his horse Cefis won’t be able to run with the filly and it’s not likely anyone else in the field can push the pace either But Louis Roussel trainer of Preakness winner Risen Star says his horse will give it a try — within reason “I’m prepared to go with her from the Roussel said “She’s not going to be far in front If anything they’ll both be far in wire-to-wi- first-cla- Belin this century to race in the 1 mont Stakes The fillies who won the Belmont were Ruthless in the inaugural running of the race in 1867 and Tanya in 1905 Genuine Risk was the only filly to run in all three Triple Crown races when she won the Derby and finished second in both the Preakness and Belmont in 1980 Winning Colors finished third in the Preakness behind Risen Star and Brian’s Time both of whom are scheduled to start in the Belmont Winning Colors and Risen Star who was third in the Derby each have six points in the battle for the $1 million bonus which goes to the horse that collects the most points in the three races Brian’s Time has three points The point system is based on five for a win three for a second and one for a third and a horse must start in all three races to be '2-m- re seven-ei- ghths get-g- eligible While Forty Niner will be missing the con- troversy he provoked lingers on Owner Eugene V Klein trainer D Wayne Lukas and jockey Gary Stevens accused Stephens and jockey Pat Day of sacrificing Forty Niner just to get Winning Colors beat Stephens and Seth Hancock president of Claiborne Farm which owns Forty Niner said they felt their only chance of winning was to pressure the g filly and hope their colt had enough left to win Stephens will seek his sixth Belmont victory with Cefis who was eighth in the 1 Preakness Derby and fifth in the 1 3 then finished third in the Jersey Derby on Memorial Day Two other Belmont probables are Dyna- - o” front-runnin- front” But Roussel hopes to avoid a deadly duel “If they want to go out fast in :23 :46 then that’s fine too” he said “We won’t press her” Winning Colors will be just the ninth filly 16-mi- le former who won the Jersey Derby and Granacus who finished 11th in the Kentucky Derby Kingpost who was 14th in the Kentucky Derby is considered a possible starter Dynaformer owned by Joseph Allen is trained by Lukas and will race as an entry with Winning Colors The filly could become the th double The last to score a two were Bold Forbes in 1976 and Swale in 984 They suffered fates similar to Winning Colors in the Preakness Bold Forbes led all the way in beating Honest Pleasure by a length in the Derby setting fractions of 45 45 seconds for a half mile and 1:10 25 In the Preakness Honest Pleasure pushed Bold Forbes through a half mile in 45 and three quarters in 1:09 Bold Forbes faded to finish third and Honest Pleasure finished fourth The winner was Elocutionist Swale was kept close to the pace set by the filly Althea in the Derby of 47 25 for the half mile and 1:11 45 for the He took the lead with about a quarter mile remaining and won by 3'4 lengths Althea trained by Lukas finished 19th Swale followed Flight Over through a 45 15 half mile then dropped to third after in 1:09 15 in the Preakness Swale finished seventh in the race won by Gate Dancer while Fight Over finished third In scoring her neck victory over Forty Niner in the Derby Winning Colors led all the way and set fractions 46 45 for the half mile and 1:11 25 for the three quarters Forty Niner racing five wide in the Preakness and keeping the filly outside him set fractions of 47 for the half and 1:11 15 on a tiring track that had been listed as muddy for six races before being switched to good 1 1 Derby-Belmo- nt 1 three-quarte- rs three-quarte- rs Zf 160® ss White Spoke WHEELS first-clas- headquarters —SB— 22 ‘SSSSJ Performance from ti Big Foot HP BF Goodrich Vista Fulda and Nitto Big-- 0 SK as non-Divisi- “ 4 Oj tyi no-na- non-Divisi- ed RETREADSRADAavAIUES Q22Q2& VALUES AS LOW AS AS LOW AS won-los- regular-s- eason $flg99 non-Divisi- 4) non-Divisi- F22V7SR14 P3067W1J non-Divisi- W1877W1S I “So we did the right thing” Stephenson said “And it’s ironic that in his swan song going out (retiring WSC Athletic Director) Gary Crompton got what he was after on the Big Sky playoffs He’s been arguing for this type of format for years and I’m glad to see us go this route for his sake because he’s worked hard and has meant a lot to this conference” Heavy Duty Jjgggg? 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