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Show o Page 1C ifi North Edition Lakeside Review Wednesday, August 15, 1984 Sunset Native Rated A Top National Hoop Recruit prestigious scouting reports in the The BC Scouting Recountry GARY HATCH Review Sports Editor and his coach at Utah port Tech, Vince Miner, said he has received calls from each of the Big Four Utah schools and others like Baylor and Indiana State. Miner lists three reasons Johnson is so sought after by major Three years ago when 5 Mike Johnson graduated from 'Clearfield High School's basketball program, he didnt attract too much attention from the major schools around the state. But after a year and one-haon an LDS mission followed by a successful season playing basketball at Utah Technical College at 6-- lf schools. Mike is an ideal power forward. He has three ingredients most major college coaches look for in a junior college basketball player. not One, he has the size only height, but also weight and hes built solid. Second, he has great quickness Mike is an ideal power forward. He has three ingredients most major college coaches look for in a junior college basketball player. One, he has the not only size height but also weight, and hes built solid. Second, he has and excellent defensive ability, and third, he rebounds well, Miner said. Not the least of Johnsons abil- ities are on offense, however. Miner added. Johnson was second in scoring, averaging 14 points per game, on a team that boasts four players averaging in double figures. One of his strong points on offense is again his quickness. Mike has a great ability to take the ball from the floor to the he has a great first step, hoop Miner said. Johnson also can hit the jump shot, something the major college scouts will be looking carefully at this season, Miner said. Amid the newfound success Johnson is having, he is just beginning to understand his potenti-alan- d feel comfortable with it. And Miner anticipates an even better year this year for the Intermountain Collegiate Athletic great quickness and excellent defensive ability, and third, he rebounds well. Vince Miner r. Conference Last year Johnson had just six weeks of playing before the basall-sta- ProvoOrem, Johnson is one of the top junior college prospects in the country. Johnson spent the first two seasons after high school on a mission to Leeds, England, where he grew two inches. He had grown an inch between high school and his mission and grew another after he got home. Johnsons name recently graced the front page of one of the most Photo by Rodney Wright MIKE JOHNSON is taking some big steps his basketball career now that in hes grown four inches, since high school, Johnson is rated as one of the top unsigned junior college basketball players in the nation. ' ketball program started at Utah Tech, and he came along very well. But during the season he sometimes looked a little rough. He just had to get used to his height. He has been working hard this summer and this next season I expect him to really smooth out his game, Miner said. Johnson I said the transition MIKE JOHNSON from a mission to playing basketball again was tough. At first my mind would be there, but my body wouldn't. I could see things I wanted to do on the court, but I just couldnt react," Johnson said. Johnson said he is continually amazed at how his basketball career has progressed since returning from his mission. But as his coach said, Johnson is beginning to feel comfortable with his successes. And Johnson explains that ironically, part of his success may be because of his mission. There is a saying we had in the mission field that went, God honors who honors God. And I feel like thats true with me, Johnson said. Johnson will play this season at Utah Tech before going on to another program. Deer, Some Game Bird Populations Down This Year GARY HATCH Review Sports Editor According to available counts, the Davis County deer population may be down from last year as well as the populations of some game birds, according to a county wildlife conservation officer. The bow hunt, scheduled to be- gin Saturday, may not be as suc- -- cessful as last year in Davis County, said Allan Hash, conservation officer with the Division of Wildlife Resources for Utah. Game bird population counts conducted so far in the county show an average year for forest grouse, but indicate a decline in pheasants and almost no chuk-karHash said. We have no current figures on s, deer populations because in Da- later when the fawns become vis County it is very hard to get more independent from their an accurate count at this time of mothers, Hash added. Of the (fame populations taken year, Hash said. But spring counts of deer car- so far this year, the only one that casses indicate that about 5 perlooks promising is the forest cent of does and anywhere from grouse, even though it is no bet0 percent of fawns suc- ter than average. cumbed to winter kill. The forest grouse population The reason it is so tough to get will be about the same as last an accurate count of deer in the year, which was about average for Davis County, Hash said. county this time of year is. because of the dense undergrowth The. birds now are between and the immaturity of the fawns, 7,000 and 8,500 feet elevation in Hash said. rocky, heavily forested terrain. The only deer we can count They will stay around there unnow are the ones up on top of the til the season opens, but by the mountains, and they are all end of the season, the birds will bucks. To get an accurate count have moved to higher, less dense we need to be able to see the does areas. Hash has not yet finished his and fawns, Hash said. An accurate count will be taken population count of pheasants, 1 20-5- In but said preliminary indications are not good. The pheasant population has been dwindling year by year for the past 10-1- 5 years. This is because of two things the loss of habitat and the changing of farm Hash said. proceedures, But the worst news of the population counts this year comes from the chukkars. The chukkar population has been going down since 1970, but this year I havent seen one. The strong population that was once on Antelope Island has almost vanished, Hash added. Two additional reasons a particularly low count this year are the bad winter and the encroachment of the Great Salt Lake over habitat. Olympic Steeplechase Marsh Misses Medal Despite Effort Favored in the steeplechase, Henry Marsh didnt win a gold medal at the Olympic games in Los Angeles. He didnt win a sil- ver or a bronze either. Were there a medal for effort. Marsh should have won. Monday Marsh returned home to a heros welcome. He was greeted by about 100 friends and neighbors, who formed a parade and then held a barbeque in his honor. A few days before, those neighbors, along with much, of the world watched while Marsh ran his race and challenged for the lead with less than half a lap to go. , But the familiar Marsh kick had in the past. didnt have the snap its Instead of finishing strong he faded to second, to third, and finally to fourth just before the finish line. Out of the medals and out of - W Hi Trlft'llWltrv y m- ' Photo Courtesy Ogden Standard-Examine- MARSH races to a first-plac- e finish at the A virus he contracted before the trials Trials. Olympic stayed with him all the way through the Olympic Games. HENRY energy, Marsh collapsed after the race. He was carried out of the Los Angeles Colloseum on a stretcher but was eventually able to walk away from a rest area. He was diagnosed as suffering from extreme exhaustion. He didnt fade at the end from mental weakness, but from physical weakness. The intracellular virus hes been carrying around with him for nearly two months had done its damage. Three bedridden weeks fol- lowed by weeks of little distance training because his strength ebbed and flowed with resurgences of the virus, left Marsh to face world-clas- s competition. f Ironically, not long after he qualified as this countrys No. steeplechaser for the Olympic galmes, Marsh said it was much more important to him to do his best than to win. 1 An athlete has to prepare If I himself to do his best were to not win the gold medal at the Olympics, what would be important is why I didnt. If it was because I hadnt done everything I could I would feel terrible, but if I had done my best and still hadnt won, that would be easier to live with," ... Marsh said. The winner was Julius Korir of Kenya, followed by Joseph Mah- moud of France and Brian of the U. S. Die-m- er Photo Courtesy Ogden Standard-Examine- r BOUNTIFULS Henry Marsh raised his hands in victory ; at the Olympic Trials in June. Marsh couldnt keep from collapsing after his race in the Olympic Games. . |