Show I t ’ Section 7 : Sunday April 18 2004 Pagel The Herald Journal Spurs start with bang Inside By The Associated Parker recovering Press By Wade Denniston sports writer The San Antonio Spurs giving the Memphis Grizzlies a harsh initiation to postseason play got 26 points from Tim Duncan and took control with a 4 win Saturday at San Antonio The Spurs used their size advantage to produce easy inside baskets from Duncan and Robert Horry while ' their relentless defense made Pau Gasol a while holding Memphis to its worst shooting percentage of the season ' ' Eighteen of San Antonio’s first 25 points came A day after being struck in the head by a line drive Todd Parker was still recovering from the freak accident at Portneuf Valley Hospital in 98-7- Aggie softball team pounded B2 by Matadors Sports briefs non-fact- Ruiz wins ugly NEW YORK (AP) — For most of 11 rounds Saturday night it seemed John Ruiz and Fres Oquendo would never hit each other When Ruiz ' finally did manage to land a few serious blows an ugly fight was suddenly over A fight booed loudly from the opening round for a lack of action came to a crashing close late in the 1 1th round when Ruiz landed a series of head punches that prompted refer- ee Wayne Kelly to stop the fight NBA : 1 ‘ ' Colorado 5 Dallas 1 Philadelphia 3 New Jersey Montreal 5 Boston 2 Vancouver at Calgary late 1 On television ARENA FOOTBALL pm NBC — Dallas at Arizona AUTO RACING 11 iLm FOX — NASCAR NextelCup V SPIKE t-- Champ Car World Series Grand Prix of Long Beach 3 pm ESPN2 — NHRA Spring Nationals final round at Baytown Texas (same-- ! day tape) GOLF 6 am TGC — European PGA Tour Seville Open final round at Seville Spain 1 ' pm rsa m al u : : Advance Auto Parts 500 - each established personal The message is written on his cell phone to provide a lit- - records tie extra motivation toward (Thursday Thatcher said her goal was to run a sub-6- 1 the goal he’s tried so hard to second race She did that achieve It’s there to remind that it’s still within reach' urday with a 1:0091 —by the blink of an eye) no matter what nagging Judd a freshman from Hill- him this time hobbles injury crest High (Midvale) has Eyery time Christian Lee sees 17 makesa call he paced this group all season feet and was proud to see her written on the face of the do so well Judd teammates phone and Thatcher quali- After Saturday’s tied for the West 7 performance at the isegai II Mark Faldmo Invita- -' Regional Champi-tionIE the Utah State j onships in late May “It’s awesome” Judd pole vaulter is going work hard to have to increase the track Aggie withthem in practice number Lee pole vaulted a career-every day It’s cool to know all best 17 feet to win the event your hard work is paying off” Kristen Guymon (formerly at Ralph Maughan Track Sta- dium He was one of several Coombs) competed in Logan for the first time in two years Aggies who performed well ' and charged to a win in the in front of the home crowd “For a long time I've want- - 5000 She battled iliotibial band syndrome for more than ed to get 17 feet” said Lee a year missing most of the let it after out who clearing an exultant yell “It felt great' last two cross country sea-- I sons and track in 2003 but was so happy” The junior’s emotional out- - returned to prominence with burst was well deserved con- - a 18: 1285 in the 5K race It sidering the rash of injuries ' was enough to qualify her for he suffered during the indoor region- V “That’s how she used to Reason : “I started off with a pulled compete" said USU coach' Gregg Gerisel “She’s getting hamstring then pulled a better each week and I can the then other prilled groin see the fire coming back in I stuff” groin kept her eyes We’re hoping that ‘ Lee said “Finally everything ' she's on the road back to is back to normal No feels healthy running” injuries everything Sophomore thrower Kelli great”Burton won two competitions Great were the results that "' : came out of the wonien’S400 ' See AGGIES on B4 meter hurdles for USU said-"Yo- 1 NHL playoffs ' 2- iiM Detroit 2 Nashville 0 2pm Amber Judd Katie Thatcher and Emily Hillam placed 3 'in the event what’s more Sat-hi- PCL 1 ©IF By David Cordero sports writer nl Salt Lake 2 Fresno See PARKER on B4 Several Aggies turn in performances of career playoffs Philadelphia 6 Montreal 3 Pittsburgh 2 NY Mats 1 St Louis 8 Colorado 4 ' Cincinnati 3 Chicago Cubs 2 Los Angeles 5 San Francisco 4 Atlanta 4 Florida 1 Houston 14 Milwaukee 5 San Diego 3 Arizona 2 ' trying Mm AL ' LuceroHerald Journal Mark Faldmo Invitational Indiana 104 Boston 88 New Jersey 107 New York 83 San Antonio 98 Memphis 74 LA Lakers 72 Houston 71 ' Baltimore 5 Toronto 3 Detroit 6 Cleveland 1 Boston 5 NY Yankees 2 Chicago White Sox 4 Tampa Bay Minnesota 8 Kansas City 4 Seattle 4 Texas 1 Anaheim 6 Oakland 3 EK Preston pitcher Todd Parker throws the ball to first See BANG on B6 to pick off a runner earlier this season Saturday's scores ' or Pocatello Idaho “He was doing pretty good this morning” said Mark Parker Todd's father So good the Preston High multi-spo- rt athlete was actually going to be released from the hos- pital by 4 in the afternoon Saturday That changed however “When (medical personnel) started retting him up and stuff the dizziness and stuff came so they decided to keep him tonight” Mark CBS— PGA Tour MCI Heritage at Hilton Head Island SC- - : : ng : - ' V : ' v ’ Eli LuceroHerald Journal competes in the steeplechase during the Mark Faldmo Saturday at Utah State Howell'won the event with a time of 11:3934Christ! Howell 3000-met- or Invitational-- ' -- final round 3 pm v j TGC — Champions Tour Blue Angel Classic final round at Milton Fla MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL am 11 TBS — Florida at Atlanta WGN — Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay 11:10 am -- v' WPIX — Pittsburgh at NY Mats 6 pm: ESPN — Oakland at Anaheim am 11 -- 'v--NB- v !: ' ESPN — Playoffsi first' round Game 1 Milwaukee at Detroit 1:30 pm ABC— Playoffs first round Game : 1 Dallas at Sacramento 5 pjn TNT — Playoffs first round game : 1 New Orleans at Miami ' ' 7:30 pm v TNT — Playoffs first round game' ' 1 Denver at Minnesota NCAA BASEBALL ‘ : 2pm v FSN — California at Stanford NHL : 5pjn ' ESPN2 —Playoffs qbnfeferice quar-terfinate game 6 Toronto at Ottawa ' TENNIS 11 ajh " ESPN2—WTATourFamay Circle Cup championship at Charleston SC r “When the (5K) results come ' out I may be in the ladiesrace” Strauss quipped “No I was in the tiqri: I’m well mixed singles" ' He can joke now because someawarcof the impor- one made it possible for him to ' ' of d have a second chance on life Never one to let an opportunity people donating pass to Crack a joke Strauss also " and receiv- shared a side 1 have only seen a V-’few times in the ing organs: v Afew people I’ve known have - years I’ve known him — a serious ' donated kidneys to siblings btit ' side in nearly three yean ago t really hit heroes donors are “Organ my home: rM- book” Strauss said “The person A person I work with a jot and who donated an organ for me ' consider ai good friend needed a donated fouF organs She saved liver By late fajl of 2001 it had ' four people’s lives That’s a hero” ' become a matter of life and death Yes it isThis event will hope- for Mike Strauss He suffered fully encourage others to make ' from the same rare liver diseased arrangements to become organ thaj Walter Payton died:from v donors in Cases of sudden tragedy '' I was informed Saturday Strauss ran the 5K by several people with his sons Bradley (9) and " Saturday that every day 16 people Cole (6) and his wife Lisa die wait jng for an (irgan transplant woman ' thanks' to a who is deceasl See LIFE on B2 on page B5 of the sec- - By Shawn Harrison sports editor It could be a matter of life and death V '"LAnd no I'm not making a silly r fl IS sports comparison to a must-wi- n situation for some team I know over the years I’ve been guilty of overstating just how important some matchup between two squads with a playoff or berth on the line That seems to happen in sports But I'm really talking about life 'and death here Saturday morning I had the opportunity to watch die Second Ounce 5K Run — the first of hopefully many annual 5K runs in the valley to raise awareness of organ donations which was the otective of this event J There were winnoS and some Efi LuceroHerald Journal great individual efforts but that Mike Strauss right and his son Cole isn’t what this column is about-Yorun in ffie Second Chance 5k Run Saturday can find the top 50 finishers ’ : post-sea-s- on V u : ’ - - ' seven-and-a-ha- ' - : ‘ - - lf |