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Show •' i. # Wednesday, April 11,2007 Take Note: The men's tennis team travels to Ogden to take on the Weber State Wildcats today at 2 p.m. 797-1761 sports@statesman.usu.edu Offensive line showing improvement [Sports Notemum BY C. CUKISTOPI ICR TERRY Senior Writer USU's new offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey had great success at North Texas with a strong running game. While the names of Dickey's NCAA-leading rushers - Jamario Thomas and Patrick Cobbs - are well-known, if any of the runners on USU's roster are to duplicate those lofty numbers, it will have to start up front with the offensive line. Offensive line coach Vance Vice played with Head Coach Brent Guy at Oklahoma State and came to tJSU with him. Vice said he is encouraged this spring by the performance of his blockers. '"Bringing back three starters, almost four with Derek Hoke who has some starting experience behind him, there's a lot of carryover," Vice said. Besides the 6'9, 310-pound junior Hoke, who started four games at tackle last year before getting hurt, USU returns senior Shawn Murphy, junior Ryan Tonnemacher and senior Pace Jorgenson. ' Jorgenson started every game at right guard last year. Tonnemacher will be moving from guard to center, and Murphy will be moving to guard from tackle. "We've moved everyone down a spot," Vice said. "We've moved quite a few people around," Tonnemacher said. "Murph played tackle last year and moved down. Everyone is kind of shifting around trying to find the best place on our line." Tonnemacher, who wears amber Nike contact lenses to shade his eyes while he plays, said he has been encouraging his teammates who have not been on the field when the bullets are flying in the Down I Line Duke lacrosse rape case close to decision G. Christopher Terry/grQham@ccusu.edti OFFENSIVE IJNEMAM SPENCER JOHNSON (78) steps in to block the progress of defensive end Junior Keiaho (92) during spring training drills on Tuesday, April 10. Offensive line coach Vance Vice said there is competition for the starting tackle position between Johnson and Derek Hoke. WAC. Tve been here for a couple of years and the biggest thing them up. Everyone makes mistakes," Tonnemacher said. "I have made mistakes. Let them know if you [> RELATED STORY, PAGE 11 it's okay and make their want next play the to be a leader is to encourbest one." age them. Don't get on Travis Stott, a redshirt them, you've got to bring freshman from Moab, Seth Lamb, a redshirt frosh from Rexburg, Idaho, and Ty Rogers, a Redshirt frosh from Littleton, Colo, who has been limited by a knee injury this spring, are three other players competing for playing time at guard. Freshman Zac Zimmerman, a Californian, backs up Tonnemacher at center. With the returning starters solidifying the center of the line, Vice said the competition for the two starting tackle • O-LINE see page 10 RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The three men indicted in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case could learn this week whether state prosecutors plan to bring them to trial or drop the charges, a person close to the case said Tuesday. The attorney general's office, which has said for several weeks it was close to completing its investigation since taking the case from the district attorney, has wrapped up the additional interviews, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on a condition of anonymity because a formal announcement has not been made. A spokeswoman for the state attorney general's office said Tuesday no announcement in the case was scheduled. No motions or court papers were filed in the case on Tuesday. "There is some hope that there might be an answer from the attorney general this week at some point," said defense attorney Wade Smith, who represents player Collin Finnerty. Standings NHL Playoffs Why we love the underdog As much as 1 hate to admit it, I actually paid attention to golf this weekend, and I learned something from it. ^—^—^^^-••™« No, my important lesson Seth Hawkins was not learning that polo shirts make most guys look 30 pounds heavier than they actually are. No, it wasn't that golf is painfully boring to watch on TV - I already knew that. What I learned was a lesson that I've always known Coach somewhere in the back of my ^hho^-hn-^xu^du mind but has never been real- — • — — — ^ — ized until now: There's something about the underdog that makes us want to cheer for him or her. Zach Johnson, a 31-year-old golfer from Iowa City, Iowa, stole the glory ana a green jacket from the sporfs most famous and popular icon, Tiger Woods, as he won his first-ever Masters. After a tough tournament that left the favorites struggling, Johnson pulled ahead and secured his win. Not only did he putt his way into a victory, he also walked away from the tournament $1.3 million richer. Talk about going from zero to hero in the blink of an eye. Even though Johnson won the most coveted award in golf - the elusive green jacket - he is by and large being overshadowed by the coverage on Woods. The sports pundits and commentators are busy scratching their heads wondering just exactly went wrong. It was one of the highestscoring Masters ever and nobody looked all that good, not even Woods. Something must have gone wrong. After all, the Masters belongs to Woods, right? Woods is the only golfer with a name and a chance at winning, right? Wrong. Golf, like every other sport, has temporary heroes. These athletic titans come in with a bang, catch the sporting world by surprise and establish a legacy. Woods has been a long-time favorite in the world of golf and has brought a considerable amount of attention to this ritzy sport. He became an icon as he broke racial barriers and showed once again, in a Jackie Robinson sort of way, that a talented athlete is successful because of his heart and dedication rather than the color of his skin. But Woods isn't infallible. He's had his fair share of ups and downs. While he will go down in the annals of time as one of the best golfers the world has ever seen, he too will likely one day be dethroned. It happens in every sport. As powerful, fast • UNDERDOG see page 7 7 Eastern Team support and personal commitment distance Egan from other competitors New York Islanders v. Buffalo Sabers Series tied 0-0 THURS, APRIL 12 -at Buffalo SAT, APRIL 14-at Buffalo MON, APRIL 16-at NY Islanders WEDS, APRIL 18-at NY Islanders •FRI, APRIL 2 0 - a t Buffalo *SUN, APRIL 2 2 - a t NY Islanders •TUES, APRIL 24 - at Buffalo BY SAM BRYNER Staff Writer From chasing balls down the hill to winning ( conference championships, Amy Egan has been'' running her whole life and may very well be running her way into the USU track record books. "I grew up a tomboy, so whenever we played sports like basketball and the ball rolled down the hill, my brothers would make me go get it. So I have been running a long time in that way, but I started track in junior high," Egan said. Egan is a two-sport star for USU as she runs both cross country and track. She also refers to herself a "super junior." " "This is my fourth year in school but I stilt haye a year and a half left, so I am a super junior," Egan said. Running in her final year of eligibility for outdoor track, she is having a sensational season. In the past, she has run the 1500-meter race and the 800-meter, but this year she is focused on the 800-meter race and has already qualified for the NCAA regional meet. In a race earlier this season at Stanford, Egan set a personal record in the 800-meters and nearly set a school record when she posted a time of 2:09.21. Although she was just shy of the record, Egan admittedly did not know what the fastest time was and is not concerned about records as much as she is about doing the best sjhe can do and reaching her goals. ( "I don't know for sure what the record is, but my goal is to get a 2:06, and I know that it is slower than a 2:06, so I hope to get it before the season is out," she said. According to the 2007 Track and Field media guide, the record, which was set in 2000 by Melissa Jenson, is 2:08.85. Egan said she was happy to set a personal record in the meet at Stanford and enjoys runningagainst the clock more so than against other punners. "If I didn't win a race but I got a personal record, then I knew that I gave everything I had and did the best that I could," Egan. said. She is especially happy that in her final outdoor track season she is healthy and running well. "I am just glad I can end on ,& good note because there was one season when I ran the 1,500-meter and broke'the school record and everything was going great, and the next year all Photo by Athletic Media Relations of the sudden I was running so slow I couldn't DISTANCE RUNNER AMY EGAN keeps her pace in a cross country meet. Egan runs both cross country and track and said she has her sights on setting a school even qualify for the regional meet, and I saw record before leaving USU. my teammates go 1-2 in the region and take my record. But you just take the highs of the highs and the lows of the lows," Egan said. Egan said one thing that helped get her It is this kind of attitude that has gotten Egan through those hard times has been her teamwhere she is now. mates. She is the first to admit that the girls "By not quitting and working through it is just a good feeling to see it through and I am glad I • CROSSING THE FINISH LINE didn't quit when it got hard," she,said. see page 10 Tampa Bay Lightning v. Hew Jersey Devils Series tied 0-0 THURS, APRIL 12 - at New Jersey SAT. APRIL 14 - at New Jersey MON, APRIL 16-at Tampa Bay WEDS, APRIL 18-at Tampa Bay 'FRI, APRIL 2 0 - a t New Jersey *SUN, APRIL 22 - at Tampa Bay •TUES, APRIL 24 - at New Jersey Hew York Rangers v. Atlanta Thrashers Series tied 0-0 THURS, APRIL 12-at Atlanta SAT, APRIL 14-at Atlanta TUES, APRIL 17-at NY Rangers WEDS, APRIL 18-at NY Rangers •FRI, APRIL20-at Atlanta "SUN. APRIL 2 2 - a t NY Rangers •MON. APRIL23-at Atlanta Pittsburgh Penguins v. Ottawa Sena tort Series tied 0-0 WEDS, APRIL 11-atOttawa SAT, APRIL 14 - at Ottawa TUES, APRIL 17 - at Pittsburgh WEDS. APRIL 18-at Pittsburgh •THURS, APRIL 19-at Ottawa •SUN, APRIL 2 2 - a t Pittsburgh •TUES, APRIL 24 - at Ottawa Western Calaarv Flames v, Detroit Red Wlnas Series tied 0-0 THURS, APRIL 12 at Detroit SUN, APRIL 15-at Detroit TUES. APRIL 17 - at Calgary THURS, APRIL 19-at Calgary "SAT. APRIL 2 1 - a t Detroit 'SUN, APRIL 2 2 - a t Calgary *TUES, APRIL 2 4 - a t Detroit Minnesota Wild v. Anaheim Ducks Series tied 0-0 WEDS, APRIL 11-at Anaheim FRI, APRIL 13-at Anaheim SUN, APRIL 15-at Minnesota TUES, APRIL 17-at Minnesota •THURS, APRIL 19-at Anaheim "SAT, APRIL 21 - at Minnesota *M0N. APRIL 2 3 - a t Anaheim Dallas Stars v. Vancouver Can mis Series tied 0-0 WEDS, APRIL 11-atVancouver FRI, APRIL 13 • at Vancouver SUN, APRIL 15-at Dallas TUES, APRIL 17-at Dallas •THURS. APRIL 19 - at Vancouver •SAT, APRIL 2 1 - a t Dallas •MON, APRIL 23-atVancouver San Jose Sharks v. Nashville Predators Series tied 0 - 0 WEDS, APRIL 11 -at Nashville FRI, APRIL 13 - at Nashville MON, APRIL 16-at San Jose, WEDS, APRIL 18-at San Jose •FRI, APRIL 2 0 - a t Nashville "SUN, APRIL 2 2 - a t San Jcse •TUES, APRIL 24 - at Nastville * - if necessary " |
