Show Tuesday September 24 2002 A8 The Herald Journal Coach looking ahead not back Sports briefs Zundel named top Aggie for last week By Shawn Harrison sports editor Senior men's cross country runner Mitch Zundel earned this week's Utah State Athlete of the Week award The weekly honor is selected by a local media panel The senior runner paced Utah e finish at the UC State to a Riverside Invitational heating out second-plac- e finisher Cal Poly by 25 points Zundel's time of 25:0060 was the top finish among collegiate athletes and just 3 seconds in front of teammate Mike Nielson This year Zundel from Brigham City has placed in the top four in the Aggies' first two meets At the Aggies' first meet of the year — the Idaho State Cross Country Opener — Zundel finished fourth with a time of 18:54 pacing the Aggies to finish a second-plac- e Other nominees were: Mark Estelle from football Heather Amcll from soccer Teresa Ccmian-sk- a from volleyball and Lida Clapi- er from women’s cross country - a If Aggie football head coach Mick Dennehy hud his way lie would wipe the slate clean and start over The 2002 season is only four games old but a bad trend is threatening to make this a forgettable year at Utah State Dennehy wants to remember just enough from the first four games to learn from USU’s mistakes hut the important thing is to move on In other words don’t dwell on the record or how poorly the offense has played first-plac- The most recent setback came The coach called the second-ha- lf play of his Aggies “disappoint- - 1- -3 ing n “At this point in time we’ll take a look at what we did and did not do and make those corrections’’ Dennehy said Monday during his weekly press conference “The important thing is we move on I have com- plete confidence and complete faith in these guys We need to learn from the Iowa game and get rcadyto play a very good Boise State team" The offense will certainly need to show up After putting some drives together at Nebraska and gaining a season-be- st 422 yards of total offense against Idaho State the Aggie O took a big step backwards at Iowa USU finished with 244 yards of offense and just 21 of that on the ground ’ “It’s a mixture of frustration and disappointment” running bock Roger Robinson said “We need to take a deep breath and look at ourselves We are capable of putting up points — we did last year” ' ‘ Wiaft From water By Thomas Manning staff writer Triul Blazers center agreed to a Tlie Terms were not contract multiyear - “We are vety excited to have Arvydas back in the Blazers family “general manager Bob Whilsiil said “Sabas has been a big part of our success in the past and we are looking forward to having him back on the court” According to the Trail Blazers Sabonis — who has been spending time in his native Lithuania and 'Spain — was still in Europe and unavailable for comment Sabonis who turns 38 in Decern- ber was always a fan favorite during six seasons in Portland He averaged 10 1 points and 54 rebounds in the team's disappointing 2000-0-1 sea- - r son but missed 21 games because of injuries After the season he opted not to renew his contract -- rf rjr ? v ' ‘ a- LOS ANGELES (AP) — Citing jury misconduct a Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Monday ordered a new trial in the Oakland Raiders' $ 2 billion conspiracy lawsuit against the National Football League In a 3 vote last year a Superior Court jury rejected the Raiders' claims that the NFL sabotaged the team's plans to build a new stadium in the Los Angeles area and that the team still owned the NFL rights to the Los Angeles market The Raiders moved back to Oakland from Los Angeles in 1995 — 1 9-- fun-fill- - 13 years alter they moved'south misconduct allegation was " raised alter five jurors in last year's trial said they overheard one member of the panel say he hated the Raiders and team owner Al Davis and would never vote in their favor Raiders attorney Larry Feldman said The ruling calling for a new trial was made by Las Angeics Superior Court Judge Richard C Hiihbell who heard the first trial “The Raiders are elated with the court's decision and look forward to having an opportunity to try (heir case to a fair and impartial jury" Feldman said “The Raiders have always believed that they would he playing football games at a stadium at Hollywood Park today if it were hot for the NFL's interference with their negotiations" six-we- ek : state-of-the-- t Monday's scores ' NFL Tampa Bay 26 St Louis AL 14 7 Boston 5 Baltimore 4 (15) i Tampa Bay 3 NY Yankees 2 ' NL ’ Houston 8 Milwaukee 6 St Louis 13 Arizona 1 On television ' ’ MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 5 ' p-- TBS —Atlanta at Philadelphia SOCCER 12:30 pm ESPN2 r- UEFA Champions League group phase 1 matchday 2 Deportivo La Coruna vs Milan AC at La Coruna Spain - The pale green water is filled with wet bobbing heads Ups are quivering cheeks are red and skin is inundated with thousands of tiny bumps A pretty dark-hairwoman is hovering ' ' above the array of bobbing heads and clearly announces the options in which the shivering neophytes have to choose from “Swim and be champions or get out of the pool” coach Yolanda Bates says Bales is a coach through and through A coach with little patience for excuses Firm and tough but at the same time extremely attentive and precise with plenty of advice and encour- agement for swimmers who are willing to pay the price ' Bates is the head swimming coach at Logan High School As a coach she has earned two state 4A Coach of the Year honors (1993-9- 4 season and 2001-0- 2 season) a region title and an abundance of praise and admiration from coaches and swimmers throughout the state She has coached for both Logan and Sky View and also trains the Marlin swim team based at the Sports Academy Bates is an excellent coach' but she’s been known to swim a little too That is where the praise and admiration transcends state lines and encompasses the world “I hated swimming when I was young” Bates said “I really did not like to swim I was afraid of the water” Bates was bom in Mexico City not far from the ocean where her family enjoyed passing time and relaxing But a fori day at the beach included swimming Often times Bates spent these days crying and trying to avoid the water Bates’ frustrated father hoped swimming lessons would cure his daughter’s fears but Bates simply would not cooperate “I’d go to the bathroom and never come back — we had huge bathrooms so I could go from stall to stall” Bates admitted “There’s not a trick my kids can pull that I didn’t do worse” Then in 1968 the Olympics came to Mexico This would begin a major change in Bates’ life Mexico’s first medal came in swimming a silver medal in the 200-metbreast stroke: “I just remember that we were all so excited” Bates said As luck would have it Bates lived only five minutes away from the pool After the Olympics her father took a much firmer stance ed New trial for Raiders ' hater to super swimmer - - See COACH on All Scram) IF®!? §i PORTLAND Ore (AP) — After a year away from the NBA Arvydas Sabonis is returning to the Portland ' ienced offensive line that is starting to play well together now Another big part of last year’s offense was the running back position Robinson who has seen limited time in the backfield leads the team in rushing with 128 yards on 17 carries USU has not had a rusher go over 100 : yards in a game this year and has used four different players Swimming coach profile Sabonis returning 'disclosed The Aggies have scored 61 points in four games with 38 of those coming against Idaho State Dennehy pointed to an inexper- ed er ' Brent StovensHerald Journal Swim coach Yolanda Bates gives instructiohs to some swimmers at the Sports Academy See BATES on All Bucs thump Rams TAMPA Fla (AP) — Maybe now it’s time for the St Louis Rams to get ’ concerned:The defending NFC champions dropped to 0-- Monday night hardly ruseniMing a team that’s been to the Super Bowl two of the past three seasons in a 26-1- 4 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Bucs’ vaunted defense knocked running back Marshall Faulk out of the game and intercepted Kurt Warner four times to key their third straight victory in a heated rivalry that began with the Barns’ 1W win inthc 1999 NFC ‘ championship game “It’s fnnny how they bring the best out of iis” Bucs tackle Warren Sapp said “They’re the best They're the ‘Greatest Show on Tiirf’” Brad Johnson threw a touchdown pass to Rickey Dudley and tin Gramatica kicked field goals of 39 and 47 yards to help the Bucs (2-build a 13-- 7 halftime lead Brian Kelly's interception and return to the Sl Louis 1 set up Mike 3 kk ‘ Vi 20-ya- rd 97-ya- rd i rd 1) 31-ya- rd 'Alstott’s TD plunge to put Tampa Bay ' up 19-- 7 with 10:42 to go The Rams pulled within five points on Lamar Gor-don- ’s TD run but couldn’t score in the last four minutes again Linebacker Derrick Brooks put the finishing touch on the victory returning an interception 39 yards foraTD a spore assured when Sapp flattened Warner near foe goal line He also scored on a n interception return in Tampa Bay’- win over Baltimore last week Faulk who rushed for 9 yards on si carries left with k neck strain early the second quarter and did not return He scored on a run in the first quarter and caught two passes for 27 yards The Rams opened the season with losses to the Denver Broncos and New York Giants but maintained there was no reason for alarm Overcoming an 0-- 3 start will be difficult though ' AP photo Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Michael Pittman (32) drags several See BUCS on A10 Louis Rams defenders In the second quarter St |