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Show The Salt Lake Tribune SPORTS Sunday, December 26, 1999 ‘ A-ROUNDUP OF THE REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONALSPORTS SCENE Top Athlete of Century? Either Babe or Mike ‘Friends’ to Help Outat Liberty Park Event Thefacility hardly has the ‘tradition of Wimbledon or even Flushing Meadows, but just try telling that to the Vikings at Giants Kansas City at Seahawks Packers at Buccaneers 2 p.m. m. 2pm. 13) Washington at 49ers 6 p.m. (ESPN. , Friends of Liberty Park , Tennis. Lee Hammel, Don Clark, "Gaylen Young, Linda Vincent » and Cal Nelson are deter, Mined to improve the 16-court complex in Salt Lake City. Time NFL FOOTBALL group has tax-exemptstatus, and the effort is designed to ‘unite private concerns with governmental projects. The word “private” is misleading in regard to this ef- ‘fort. Liberty Park is the consummate public tennis facility, staging youth programs with free equipment (sponsored by David Freed), © high school state tourna& ® ments, a senior league and, r more than anything, the {chance for anybody to come e-and a game. * The “Friends” say they © have a responsibility to improve the court to meet these demands. Because ofa high waterta- fT ble, resurfacing requires the § use of post-stressed concrete, | not just asphalt, The renova- }- tion of four courts is under t way this winter, and restroom {improvements are next on the { list. Eventually, the group t hopesto redoall 16 courts. + The motivation is simple: } They want to keep playing, } |and keepothers playing. They point to the members of the v Senior league — most between }/age 60 and 85, and one who's 94. & “It literally keeps them alive, and improves the qualFay of their lives,” Nelson ‘Says. TV final oe oe with the winner to be announced this on S m on ABC-TV ( p.m., Radio 1 tam. KSL-AM 1160 HOCKEY IHL: Grizz at Kansas City 5:30 p.m. NHL: Coyotes at Kings 8:30 p.m. KWUN-AM 1230 (FSN) TUESDAY Men’s basketball: OregonState at Utah,7 p.m.; Mercer at Utah State, 8 p.m.; WeberState vs. Stetson at Tallahassee,Fla., 4 p.m. (MST) WEDNES!DAY Men’s basketball: BYU at UC Santa Barbara; Utah State in Gossner Foods nh WeberStateat Florida tournament; Carroll at Southern Utah, 7:30 Women'ss ‘asketball: Stanford at Utah, 7 p.m.; Southern Utah at BYU, 7 p.m. THURS: Di Men’s basketball: UW-Milwaukee at Utah, 7 p.m. FRID, Women's basketball: BYU at WeberState, 2 p.m. U.S. Women’sSoccer Victory Named Top A.P.Sports Story BY BARRY WILNER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS In a year marked by superstar retirements, courageous come- backs, tragedies and triumphs, a team of 20 womenin a sport that doesn’t get much attention in America stole thespotlight. For three weeks during the summer, the Women’s World Cup was a sporting phenomenon. What was expected to be a nice little soccer tournament turned into The Associated Press Story of the Year, a success beyond even what its participants imagined possible. And,to boot, the U.S. team was men’s Olympic hockey squad. That group ofcollegians that upset the mighty Soviets served as an inspiration to Americans, The soccer team’s championship wasn’t an upset — the Americans wonthe 1996 Olympic crown in Atlanta with virtually the same roster. But it was just as inspirational, particularly to the thousands of youngsters who came to The male athlete of the year anddiversity can give you if you give it a chance and you give yourself a chance,” said Brandi castoutlets. winner will announced erty Park Tennis, 44 W. 300 Monday. “This is a great honorfor us,” Volleyball of the things we were mostexcited aboutwith the World Cup was the media support that we had. There were so many positive things Young stars Ryan Millar and Charlene Johnson Tagaloa will play for the USA Men's and Women’s National Volleyball Teams in Olympic qualifying events next month. The men’s team will take said Mia Hamm,soccer's international career scoring leader. “One aboutthe event,evenin lieu ofthe fact that somepeople were little nervous about either covering it or how big it was going to be. “Everyone kind of really got excited about and appreciated the fact that it was such a wonderful event. Soccer’s not covered that much,especially the women’s side ofthe game. Butthey came out and took the time, and it gave us an Theyare the survivors of the yearlong ‘countdown after running back Jim Brown was announced as No. <i Dae Mubanaaeg Stee ha 3. lany had expected Alito be the other finalist with Rutebut not Mark Shapiro, coordinating producer of the series. “I wasnotsurprised he came in at No.3,” Shapiro said on Saturday. “The panel was asked to vote on automatic qualifier to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. “This will be the most important event for us before the Pivapie Games,” Coach said. “It may be more aitioalt for this team to qualify for the Olympics than to play in them. Wehave to go to Canada 100 percent focused on winning this tournament.” The USA women will train in Lakeland, Fla., before staging the NIKE Americas’ Volleyball Challenge, Jan. 5-8, to decide the women's NORCECAOlympic qualifier. National teams from Canada, Puerto Rico and the Domini- can Republic will take part in the tournament. Danielle Scott, who played for the former Utah Predators of the National Volleyball Association,is one oftwo former Olympians onthe women’s team. Q Athletics The Salt Lake Tribune's recognition today of the Utah yne founders of the Old-Time Athletes Association, which has Tucker was a pro baseball player in the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees orga- a runaway choice for top story. The tournament drew nearly 650,000 fans andits TV ratings, including nearly 40 million who watched the final, were unprecedented. Lance Armstrong winning the Tour de France after recovering from cancer was second in the balloting, followed by the death of Payne Stewart in an eerie plane crash, Michael Jordan’s retire- ment and the U.S. Ryder Cup victory. The retirements of Wayne Gretzky, John Elway, Steffi Graf and Barry Sanders also drew votes, as did the deaths of Joe DiMaggio, Walter Payton and Wilt papoeciegs Cynthia Cooper r was second in the femaleathlete voting, followed by just one point by Hamm, who received three times as many first-place votes as any other ‘THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ‘The Pele-Brazil union finished first in a worldwide poll on the top international sports story of the 20th century. Three other defining stories received prominent mention: the 1975. Bi Victor Valle, who trained heavyweight’ ébn- tender Gerry Cooney and manyother boxers,has died at age 82 in New York. Valle died on Fridayat Jacobi Hospital of heart failure. Valle was a flerce advocate of boxing safety and was instrumental in athletes based on athletic ability alone. If you sepa- reducing world championshipfights from 15 rounds Union basketball team that won the Olympic, gold medal with a disputed victory over the United States, Robinsonwas No.24 in the ESPNlist. to 12. W@ Vladimir Kondrashin, coach of the 1972 Soviet has died at 70. Kondrashin was admitted to a hospi outside St. Petersburg, Russia, on Dec. 10 with high blood pressure and other ailments. After surge; ery, The No.2 athlete finished just one point ahead of Aliin the vote by a panel of 48 sports journalists and experts. No. 1’s margin over No. 2 was over 100 points, Kondrashin’s condition deteriorated and he tied Thursdayin the cancer unit. The cause of death was notclear. 0%FINANCING INTEREST, HO ialdecadtel Chastain, who scored the Cupwinning goal in the shootout. “So, we're very proud of what we've done. “We're looking to the future now, to the 2000 Olympics, and with the eventual building of a professional league. That will be a Baa 3] Praga fasi To qualiian apelicares See sire for Cotes aaa Ue Rs All 14” sizes §, Triathlon I] Pr7evrerrte.prisrent| 80,000 Mile Warranty” Hrinerrghh if Preueani4| Rover Touring LT 60,000 Mile Warranty* rere Peayrents| Paeranis PeTaRS Pmaranss. ren ‘All 16" & 17" the benchmark of this team: Whether or not we can successfully build a professional league where young girls have a chance to pursue their dreams. Not everybody’s going to make the national team, but there’s going to be some great players out there that PASTOR'S PIBSTORIY Aesiea une vate Pree ey ve. SAVE 20-a want to be professional athletes and don't have a chance. We want aeis to giveit to them.” Next up for the women — ee UEOILY CARTS mk Joy Fawcett, Carla Overbeck, Kristine Lilly, Tiffeny Milbrett, Kate Sobrero, Cindy Parlow, Shannon MacMillan, Tisha Venturini, Lorrie Fair, Tiffany Rob- erts, Sara Whalen, Christie Pearce, Danielle Fotopoulos, Saskia Webber, Tracy Ducar — were supposed to be tournaments in Australia and Portugal and a pre-Olympic tour of the United States. Buta dispute over salaries with the U.S. Soccer Federation has sidelined the champions.Instead, a youth team might take their place. A settlement would allow the ed BRAKE SERVICE World Cupplayers to compete in NBC has announced par “Wecan't take creditfor building women’s sports,” Chastain said. “We can only take credit fora very small amountof enthusiasm that now is surrounding women's athletics, and we're happy to do +tyoe/.00 2.000 mie wom that.” feperereaceromen Top International Story: Pele, Brazil LONDON — If soccer is the global game,it is thanks in large Pele, and one mustachioed prodigy whoinspired a generation) of distance runners. Prefontaine died in a car crash in rate that, he shouldn't be shocked at being No.3. Ali at No. 3 has more to do with whoheis politically and socially. “He fought and beat everybodyin the best era of heavyweights, but was he a better fighter than Sugar Ray Robinson? Notin my book.” opportunity to show them what we're all about. We're just so thankful for that, and we're so honored with this award.” The women’s achievement, secured with a shootoutvictory over China ata sold-out Rose Bowl, was on the subject in 1967. He was also the U.S. track He coached at Oregon from 1949-72, and his most fa- heroes andjustplain nice people. ‘We know we havea responsi- member newspapers and broad- thefirst time a team has won the award, which is selected by AP helped introduce jogging to the masses with his, coachattheterrorist-scarred 1972 Munich Olynijfits. regard the womenas role models, tion, matched bythecity. The group accepts donations at Brigham Ruth ‘turned the country’s attention from the individual. Serena Williams was fourth and MarionJones was fifth. The only other team to win athlete of the year was the 1980 bility to all the kids out there to show them what hard work, dedication, communication,tolerance Former America. eons After the top four, the Wi crak to meenson Thor 7; Willie Mays, No.8; Jack Nicklaus, No. 9; and, Didrikson, No. 10. = ait} oe OBITUARIES Bill soverman, the Oregodl track cael Wise founded Nike and pressedfoam rubber into hie wife's waffle iron to create the modern died. He was 88. He died in his sleep Friday nightor early Saturdayin his homein Fossil, Ore mnie mous runnerthere was Steve Prefontaine,the brash, The project was launched in 1997 with a $100,000 dona- South, Suite 2407 South, Salt Lake City, 84101-3227. Q livered his sport to the doorstep of corporate Black Sox scandal and became baseball’s first home run slugger. Jordan spearheaded basketball's charge voted Female Athletes of the Year, this address: Friends of Lib- sports ty of ooh ce eee the other an athlete who de- This Week’s Campus Calendar They have signed an agree- mentwith the city, allowing them to accept money and pourit into renovations. The Babe Ruth vs. Michael Jordan; the man who saved ketball. Today’s Highlights top 10 choices, Points were awarded from 10 points fora first- LAYTON. 881 W.HILLFIELDRD, 780 VALLEY CITY: 2175 $, REDWOOD RD. 5900 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Mon-Fri 8-7 “| |
