Show Sports The Herald Journal Logan Utah j Tuesday Aprf SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Karl Malone for MVP? The Utah Jazz are bunching a campaign this week to turn that question into reality Having arguably his best season in 1 2 years for the streaking Utah Jazz Malone is getting his own home page on the Internet The Jazz public relations office describes the page as the first step in s campaign to boost the power forward's stock in balloting for the NBA's Most Valuable Player “When you go to the Jazz home page you will get an option to go to a ‘Karl Malone for MVP’ page” said David Allred Jazz vice president for public relations The club is working with the NBA and Starwavc the league’s Internet provider for NBAcom to design the home page which team officials hope will be on-liby Tuesday ne AP photo m Sports briefs Senior tennis player Ashley Thurston has been named the Utah State for the period ending Mi 31 it was announced today The award is voted on by local media in Cache Vfrlley Athlete-of-the-We- The page will include all the which bore fruit The Jazz are trying to be careful not to oversell rea- sons that members of the media Mal- should vote for Malone highlights of his season and comparisons with one who is averaging nearly 28 points and 104 rebounds and was named NBA Player of the Week for other candidates The Jazz then will send a copy of the same Information on disk to voters — “hopefully in a creative way” Allred said The Jazz won’t be the first team to promote a player for an award nor will this be Utah's first attempt Two seasons ago Utah bunched a similar effort in support of Malone fur MVP Jerry Sloap for Coach of the Year and Scott Laydcn for Executive of the Year — none of two consecutive weeks in March “We don't want to do something hokey because Karl has been in the league long enough that he doesn’t need that” Allred said “But we want Karl to know we think he’a a legitimate contender for the MVP and that we’re behind him all the way” Allred stressed that Malone in no way initiated the effort ' he said “Awards “He’a always been so low-keand accolades for him are nice but he’s never been a y” Sec MALONE on Page 12 Cats beat third No 1 seed on way to national basketball title Thurston named USU Athlete of the Week ek Thurston dominated at number one singles defeating Nicole Woywod of Southern Utah University winning her 2 match This is the Aggies first win at number one singles this season Thurston along with teammate Mindy Nelson went on to win at number two 6-- was INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — never an option self-pit-y never a possibility Self-dou- bt Fearless and peerless Arizona simply used overtime to low why it deserved to preside over ail of college basketball When the Wildcats came out of the huddle at lead the start of OT having blown a four-poi- nt with less than a minute left in regulation “it was still our game to win” Arizona captain Miles Simon said And so they won Displaying the resiliency that became its trademark in the NCAA tournament Arizona opened doubles 8-- 4 defeating Robin Wood and Sarah Scott of Southern Utah Thurston a senior from Villa Park Calif helped lead the Aggies to their first dual match victory since April of 1995 The Aggies defeated the Thunderbirds 7--2 USU’s men’s and women’s tennis teams will return to action on Thursday April 3 against Oral Roberts The men’s match will begin at 1 ptn while the women’s will start at 2 pm All matches will be held at the Sports Academy in North Logan Other nominees included Trisha Schmitt for women’s track Hew Hiraoka for men’s track and Todd Tanner for men’s golt overtime with a 10-- 2 run and finished off defending champion Kentucky 9 Monday night for its first national tide Arizona (25-9- ) reached the Final Four after finishing fifth in the Pac-1- 0 and getting the 84-7- fourth seed in the Southeast Regional Kentucky was trying to join Duke u the only repeat (35-- Matadors gore Aggies 5) champions since UCLA’s stretch of seyen The Utah Stste softball team was straight titles ended in 1973! In its six tournament games Arizona either swept by Cal State Northridge Monday road trip to return home from a six-gawith a 2-- 4 mark The Aggies jumped out to a 2-- 0 lead in the first inning of both games against the nationally-ranke- d Matadors but eventually lost 7-- 3 and 3-- 2 to fall to 12-1- 9 on the season Junior 1km Thompson (4-1took the loss in the first game surrendering six runs in 4 13 innings while senior Rhealee Thom (7-was saddled with the loss in the nightcap despite striking out four and walking none while going the distance The Aggies’ leading hitter this’ season Ikmmy AJcantar ripped a double in both needed to come from well behind to win or needed to pull out a game after losing a late lead Along the way Arizona became the first team in tournament history to knock off three No 1 seeds — Kansas North Carolina and now Kentucky three programs that have won more games than any schools in college basketball history 0) “They’ve gone through three number one seeds” Arizona coach Lute Olson said “and in every one of those cases that was the point: ‘Are 7) AP photo Arizona’s Bennett Davison enjoys winning the basketball national championship with Wildcat tans Monday night Simply Simon: Miles breaks UK we tough enough? Can we be the ones that run INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -other people out of gas? Can we get the tough Even with the season over and rebound down the stretch even though you’re the NCAA championship secure exhausted?’ And I think they answered that for Miles Simon isn’t Arizona’s everybody tonight” convinced his work is complete With freshman point guard Mike Bibby start' “It’s unbelievable right now” ing alongside three juniors and a sophomore he said “I’m still thinking next season was supposed to be Arizona’s time we’re going to have a day off to shine That everything happened more quickly and practice on Wednesday" than even Olson thought possible just made his He can relax though and along team’s accomplishments more remarkable with the rest of the Wildcats enjoy “This team there’s no fluke” Kentucky coach their first national basketball title Rkk Pitino said of Arizona “They’re a great ever And nobody deserves time team who got better and better” off more than Simon who carried Arizona won the first overtime championship his team to the crown game of the 1990s by repeatedly burning KenHe laughed off the frightening tucky’s vaunted fullcourt press by holding forward Rem Mercer to nine shirts by Kentucky press convinced his w teammates that they could beat it from the line and by going 30 points from Simon getting a career-hig- h every time and then showed AP photo them how He scored 30 “Miles Simon’s toughness is unbelievable” points said Olson who finally won a title in his fourth Arizona guard Milas Simon dutches the game ball converted 14 of 17 free throws after leading hie team to a 84-7- 9 overtime win against and was the heart and soul in the 84-7- 9 See ARIZONA on Page 11 Kentucky for the national championship overtime victory that made games while Andrea Roberts stroked two hits in the opener Utah State travels to Salt Lake City Wednesday for a doubleheader against 1 1 Arizona dethrones Kentucky Arizona's Jason Terry celebrates in the net after beating Kentucky in over-firto win the national championship Utah beginning at Page 10 1997 Jazz launch campaign for Malone as MVP Sports snapshot 6-- 0 1 JO pm The Aggies’ first home games will be Saturday vs Sacramento State and Sunday vs Pacific Angels release Abbott LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jim Abbott baseball’s biggest loser last year after rejoining the Anaheim Angels in 1995 was given his unconditional release Abbott 29 left the Angels on March 34-of-- 41 23 while both sides pondered his future Ultimately the team decided to eat the final two years of a three-ye- ar S78 mil' lion contract Abbott signed before going 2-with a 748 ERA last season He was 2 with a 1350 ERA in 14 2-- 3 innings this spring 18 free-thro- him MVP of the Final Four Not bad for a player who started the season in academic oblivion reduced to watching the first 11 games from the side- lines until he improved his grades in Family Studies 401 The start of the season wasn’t as important as the end for Simon and Arizona And he made sure it came out right for the Wildcats ' So how do you beat the beat pressure defense in college basketball? With the best pressure offense of course And that started with plenty of help for point guard Mike Bibby “We kept coming to the ball” Simon said “We never floated away from Mike if he was in trouble And we saw one thing Sec MILES on Page 11 1-- Hingis is new No Monday's scores NCAA Championship Arizona 84 Kentucky 79 OT NHL Pittsburgh 4 Florida 3 Dallas 3 Edmonton 1 IHL Quebec 4 Michigan 0 On tolovlsion 2 pm ESPN — Major League Baseball Chica-Cub- s at Florida or Philadelphia at Los go Angeles WON — Mqjor League Basebal Chica- Cube at Florida r ESPN — Major League Baseball NY Yankees at Seattle TNT — NBA Basketball LA Lakers at Saatfia Today's quota “My goal is to mess up every internal organ I have Really I’ve been resting it so much that I have no' idea bow it will feel when I test it” — Baltimore Orioles outfielder Brady Anderson who hopes to play on opening day despite a cracked rib KEY BISCAYNE Fla (AP) — Hingis became the youngest French Open junior champion at age 12 and the Martina youngest Grand Slam champion in this century at the Australian Open in January Now at 16 she’s the youngest No 1 player in tennis history The Swiss Miss who claimed her fifth title at 1997 at the Lip-to- n Championships on Saturday supplanted Steffi Graf in the WTA Tour rankings Monday Graf held at least a share of the No ranking since June 1995 Monica Seles who reached the top of the rankings at age 17 in 1991 was the youngest previous 1 No 1 Because Graf has been sidelined for two months with a knee injury Hingis was assured of No even if she lost her opening match at Upton Instead she won 1 the tournament blitzing Seles 6-- 2 6-- 1 in the final 'I am unbeatable in this year right now” Hingis said Monday at Hilton Head Island SC where she’ll compete this week in the Family Circle Cup “I’ve JUI 1 and got more that mikes me very strong” Hingis ssid shea unconcerned bout iny pitfalls or pressure that wait her: “Everyone is expecting you to beat every player in the world right now she said “But if you don’t make it it doesn’t matter In tennis you have so many chances When you don’t play well in one tournament the next V ce Magic players vote sealed Hill’s fate ORLANDO Fla (AP) — t:"?! i Jttr-- - mtonwi The 13 Orlando Magic play’s ers convened in Penny Hard-away- hotel suite in Minneapolis and one by one gave their thoughts on coach Brian HilL They then took a formal vote using parliamentary procedure and unanimously decided the coach must go week it’s another rate” Her record in 1997 is 26--0 and her dominance has been deceptive She lacks the power of Graf or Seles but she anticipates well and mixes her shots with an intel- The Orlando Sentinel reported Monday i Hardaway then called genWomen's tennis Is: King eral manager John Gabriel on ranked player a teenager a cell phone Less than a ligence uncommon for one so “1 think there is once in awhile week later Hill wss fired young “The purpose of the meeting Hingis left Key Biscayne with once in a hundred years this kind wasn’t to discuss how we a crystal trophy $215000 and of player” Jana Novotna said Melanie Molitor Hingis’ should fire coach Hill” Hardplenty of testimonials from those she beat mother and coach clearly is away Mid of the Feb 13 vote “She’s veiy fast and she gets doing something right — “But everyone had comments back a lot of balls” Seles said although the former child prodi- to make and they were all basi“She creates shots out of places gy might be reluctant to admit it cally negative We didn't like listhe offense we were running “You to don’t don’t want them” really you expect “When she’s playing well you ten to somebody else’’ said and we weren’t comfortable have to play almost perfect tennis Hingis sounding like a typical with the defensive schemes" Hill became the Magic’s to beat her” Mary Joe Fernandez teen “because you have to be on second coach before the 1993- the court by yourself anyway” raid 94 season' replacing Matt Guokas When his 3 12-ye- ar reign ended in February he 4 had a overall record and had coached the Magic to 191-10- three Eastern Conference finals and one NBA Final He spent the first part of the season dealing with injuries to three and sometimes four starters but still had the Magic on track for a playoff spot But after the break the Magic went on a All-St- five-ga- ar losing streak Hardaway's desire for a coaching change may have grown at the All-Stgame in Gcveland the Sentinel Hid Charles Barkley and Michael ar Jordan needled Hardaway with facetious tales of how their coaches gave them proper superstar status by excusing them from shootarounds and other team requirements day-of-ga- See FATE on Page 12 I I POOR |