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Show ^ ~ ™ DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE SPORTS 11 www.dailyu tahchronicle.com Wednesday, August 24, 2005 Smith gets preseason love ,•_ Senior forward garners ?t: several award nominations^Matt Patton Chronicle Writer Utah forward Kim Smith gets her hand on the ball shot by Brlgham Young forward Melinda Johnsen Jan. 29 in the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. Smith is currently in Brazil with Canada's Senior Women's Basketball Team, playing In a series of exhibition games. MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE Although the women's basketball season does not begin until early November, Ute senior Kim Smith is already receiving national recognition. For the second consecutive year, Smith has been nominated for the John R. Wooden Award, one of the most prestigious awards in college basketball. "This list represents the elite of college basketball," Wooden Award Director Mike Solum said. "Our entire team at the Wooden Award is excited to see the best players in the nation prove their case as basketball's player of the year." Smith is one of 30 players selected by the National Advisory Board, based on their individual and team performance last season. Smith has also been selected as a candidate for the Wade Trophy, which selects the Division I Player of the Year. This is her third consecutive year of being nominated for the trophy. ; "These awards are important because it is the standard that has been established in this industry," Ute head coach Elaine Elliott said. Smith seems to be going above and beyond the industry standard. Last season she averaged 17.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent from the field. ; "She's the epitome of a tearn player," Elliott said. "The hardest worker." Her contributions were essential to the Utes finishing with a 26-8 regular season record, gaining a share of the Mountain West Conference Championship, and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. "It is so well deserved when anybody works as hard as she does," Elliott said. "Each year her numbers are better. She has totally proven herself." mpatton@ chronicle.utah.edu .J-- '*l^9s."SsS»---*' RREVIE: Air Force hopes for winning season Joe Beatty Chronicle Sports Editor Coining off a 5-6 season, the Falcons hope that 2004 was a blip and not a sign of things to come. Air Force has always been a team to rely on its methodical style of play, since the service academy has never been able to recruit the talented athletes available to other Mountain West Conference schools. If other schools have caught up to the Air Force playbook, it could be a tough couple of years for the airmen. Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry enters his 22nd season in Colorado Springs, the third-longest tenure of any college football head coach in the nation. He has proven that it is possible to win at a school that focuses on academics but has only gone bowling once in the last four years. The biggest reason for hope at Air Force lines up behind center. Sophomore quarterback Shaun Carney grew up in a hurry last season and provided the run first, but is an able passing threat that has become a hallmark of past Falcon teams. He led the team with 596 rushing yards, while throwing for 1,315 yards and 11 touchdowns. Carney will need to stay healthy, as backups Lucas Ewing and Jim OLUs are not on the same talent level. Carney's most dangerous target is receiver Jason Brown, a 6-foot-4-inch senior. Brown's tight end body and deep speed will cause match-up problems for defenses already having fits over the Falcon formations. Like last year, the big problem for the Academy will come on defense. The Falcons couldn't See A I R F O R C E Page 12 2005 Air Force Academy Football Schedule and Predictions Date 9/3 9/10 9/17 9/22 9/29 10/8 10/15 10/22 10/29 11/5 11/19 Opponent Washington** SDSU* Wyoming* @ Utah* Outcome W @csu* w @ Navy UNLV* TCU* @BYU* Army <a New Mexico* W w L L W L L W L •MWC game ** Played at Qwest Field In Seattle, Wash. Air Force safety Mark Carlson attempts to tackle Oulnton Ganther during last season's Ute victory. Carlson led the 2004 Falcons in tackles with 73. NCAA takes Florida State off list of offensive nicknames TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —The NCAA will allow Florida State to use its Seminoles nickname in postseason play, removing the school from a list of colleges with Native American nicknames that were restricted by an NCAA decision earlier this month. The NCAA said it was recognizing the relationship Florida State has long enjoyed with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The tribe assists the university with its pageantry and celebration of its culture and supports the school's use of its name. "The staff review committee noted the unique relationship between the university and the Seminole TYibe of Florida as a significant factor," the NCAA said Tuesday. "The decision of a namesake sovereign tribe, regarding when and how its name and imagery can be used, must be respected even when others may not agree. Florida State President T.K. Wetherell had threatened to sue the NCAA immediately after its Aug. 5 announcement that the school's highly visible nickname, "Seminoles," was denned as "hostile and abusive" by a committee. The NCAA said it would handle reviews from other schools on a case-bycase basis. The Illinois Fighting Illini, Utah Utes and North Dakota Fighting Sioux are among other prominent school nicknames that remain affected by the edict Under the NCAA restrictions, teams with American Indian nicknames would not be able to use them in postseason tournaments. The Associated Press Sweeney skis awayj Slopes coach resigns to take corporate job Chris Bellamy Chronicle Asst. Sports Editor After 12 seasons with the U ski team, and six seasons as head coach, Kevin Sweeney has stepped down to take a job with national retailer Swix, a company that focuses on competitive ski racing. "It's been a great ride here at Utah, and we've had a great j \ run, but I think this could be a really good opportunity," Sweeney said. * Sweeney will serve as the company's national director of Nordic racing services. ; The decision to resign comes after a summer in which Sweeney has already overhauled his coaching staff. See S W E E N Y Page 12' |