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Show reminderband is looking for an energetic part or full time GRAPHIC ARTIST! $8-$12 per hour D.O.E. A 1 12 STATESMAN * BY KEVIN NIELSEN Lincoln Elementary school students learned Tuesday what eight months of reading can get - a visit from three Utah State basketball players. David Pak, Chris Huber and Jimmie Edwards visited first through fifth grade students during their silver medal awards ceremony at the elementary school in Hyrum. The players were there to congratulate the students on completing their reading program which included reading cer- RECORDS From Page 77 n Watch ITlouies a Cam Cash D SflPe H MFC H Become a blood plasma donor & make a difference Donate Plasma WESTERN PLASMA Main Street You can help save someone's life by giving plasma. Western Plasma 1061 No. Main • 753-7802 HOURS: Mon-Fri 10am - 6pm, Sat noon-4 pm, Closed Sun in the shot put with a throw of 17.69 meters. Justin Wickard and Dustin Vetica each qualified for regionals for the Ags. Wickard ran the 110meter hurdles in 14.25, coming in first, while Vetica had a time of 52.47 in the 400-meter hurdles. "I think the team is performing great, they're doing some good things," Gensel said. "Keep building on what they've accomplished they'll just get better." The Ags also had first place finishes from Steve Strickland and the women's 4-by-400 relay team. "We have a pretty solid team," Gensel said. "There are a lot of good athletes on the team." The Aggies will next travel to BYU Friday and Saturday. Gensel said the Ags are prepared for the teams that will be competing there and he said he would like to see improvement. "We're trying to improve on what we did on the previous week," he said. "Whether that's a better performance or just doing certain things better. We always want to improve." -aedm unds@cc. usu. edu Garden Court Apartments Mitch or Angela 935 N. 800 E. #12 • Logan, UT 84321 • (435) 752-4870 Summer Prices Shared Rooms Private Rooms WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30,2005 Aggie basketball players help promote reading to students Staff Writer Illustrator, Photoshop a must - Web Design a plus. Interested candidates will kindly email resume and portfolio to aaron@reminderband.com. SPORTS $350 $450 School-Year Prices Shared Rooms $2095 Private Rooms $2600-2700 tain books and taking comprehension tests. "You need [reading] in every aspect of your life and at every grade level," Pak said. Huber started leading the crowd of about 60 students in a "Let's Go Aggies" cheer before he went on to speak on how reading leads to learning. Edwards read a Dr. Seuss book to the students after he had said a few words. Edwards related "I Am Not Going To Get Up Today!" to what would happen if the students didn't read. After the ceremony the students were treated to a 3-point contest between the three Aggies. "Jimmie got us," Pak said. "He's a good shooter and we cracked under the pressure of all the kids." Edwards was the first one tofivebeating Huber, who finished with two and Pak who didn't hit any of his shots. The three players also tried their hand at a halfcourt shot but none of them made any of their attempts. The players passed out pencils and papers with their signatures, as the students filed into the gymna- sium for the ceremony. After the players' speeches and basketball exhibition, each class had its pictures taken with the athletes. Andrea Barker, the Lincoln Elementary media center adviser, set up the ceremony. She said she knew Huber and Edwards already and they recruited Pak to come with them. Pak said he enjoys getting out in the community and this would probably be the first of many appearances for Aggie players since their season has ended. -krn@cc. usu. edu Spartans strive for elite status BY LARRY LACE The Associated Press EAST LANSING, Mich. Michigan State wants to be considered an elite program, worthy of being mentioned with the two teams the Spartans beat to get to the Final Four and the one they'll face in St. Louis. Michigan State became the first team to knock off Duke and Kentucky in the same NCAA tournament, winning the Austin Regional and earning a Final Four matchup with North Carolina. "I'm really excited about the opportunity to play the third giant," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said Tuesday. The Spartans would have to sustain the excellence they've achieved under Izzo for decades to approach the status of the Tar Heels, Blue Devils and Wildcats. But Michigan State's recent accomplishments - four Final Four appearances in seven seasons - stack up with any program in college basketball. The Spartans have been Julian H. Conzalez/T/ie Associated Press to more Final Fours since MICHIGAN STATE'S ALAN ANDERSON is all smiles as he dribbles out 1999 than Duke or the last seconds of the clock in their 72-61 win over Vermont in an Connecticut. In 2000, NCAA tournament second-round game March 20. Michigan State won the schools second national title, will be able to say he went to "I look at (the accomand first since 1979plishments) and say, "Wow,"' a Final Four. That's impresNorth Carolina was the sive," said Ganakas, an anaIzzo said. "But they're never last team to make such fre- as impressive when they're lyst on Michigan State's quent trips to the national radio broadcasts. "Tom is about your own program as semifinals, making it there they would be if they showed way to humble to admit it, four times from 1995-2000. but he's reached the goal for those same stats about When Michigan State this program that he's always somebody else. (26-6) tips off Saturday talked about striving for." "All of those things are night against the Tar Heels just stats, but they do help As Ganakas predicted, (31-4), Izzo will join former you get the goal I want to Izzo insisted Michigan State Ohio State coach Fred Taylor achieve and that's to put this has not yet reached the lofty as the only coaches in NCAA program on a level that peo- status enjoyed by the likes of history to advance to four ple won't say we're impostors North Carolina and Duke. Final Fours in theirfirst10 if we have one down season." But Izzo acknowledged an seasons. unexpected trip to the Final Gus Ganakas, Michigan Michigan State is in the Four brings him closer to his State's head coach from NCAA tournament for an goal. 1969-76, said the Spartans eighth straight year and it have already reached elite "This is definitely another has advanced to at least the status. giant step in the right direcround of 16 six times during "With this group going to tion " he said. "Now, if we the stretch, trailing only win another national chamthe Final Four, every player Duke in ability to survive the that has come to play for pionship, that's another step first weekend since 1998. in the right direction." Tom and stayed four years PITCHER From Page 7 7 Covered parking available Close to campus Clean Spacious Living Space Private bathroom with each bedroom •Air Conditioning •Dishwasher Microwave Disposal Washer & Dryer in each apartment "Come stop by and have look" Garnett said she chose to come play at Utah State because it was so different from what she had known before. The mountains and snow were different, and she liked that, but one difference that really struck here were the people. "In California, if someone at the store bumps into you they're like 'get out of my way.' But here, they're all 'Oh, I'm sorry. What's your name? How are you,'" she said. But not everything about Utah is better. Garnett said she definitely likes the weather in California better. After college, Garnett said she would like to coach because she loves softball and wants to stay connected with it. She doesn't see a future in professional softball, but if the opportunity is there, she'll take it. Garnett said the Aggie softball team's main strength is its depth. She said in any position if someone gets injured, there is always another player on the bench to step in. And, she said the team gets along well together. ""We're kind of like a family. We see each other all the time and you kind of have to like each other to get through everything" she said. Garnett also said she brings a lot of versatility to the team. "I think I bring versatility to this team " she said. "I can play the outfield, I can hit or just do whatever s asked of me." The USU sophomore said her second year playing for the Aggies is a lot different from her first year, mostly because of the coaching change. , Change was something the softball team definitely needed from last season, she said. "I think we came to a point where we just stopped last year," she said. "Just stopped getting better. [The new coaches] brought change. They're a lot different from last year. They're always making us better. They're pushing us to get to our best and not let us slack off" Garnett said there is only one more change she would like to see this season. "We need fans to our games, lots of fans." She said after playing at Texas A&M in front of somewhere around 1,000 fans, the Ags realized what they were missing. "They could be our 10th man on the field, our extra player," she said. -aedmunds@cc.usu.edu |