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Show SPORTS B8 Ray's transfer leads to heated match qsammg Flint Ray won his match against Wyoming by a fall, 3:53, Jan. 22. By Nate Gray Asst. Sports Editor UVU wrestling fans have had this Friday's duel circled on their calendar since the schedule came out, and Flint Ray has had a huge part in that. Before his time at UVU, Ray originally was part of the Boise State University wrestling program. As a redshirt freshman he worked out, trained and practiced with the Broncos before leaving for his LDS mission in Brazil. After serving his mission Ray decided to transfer from BSU to wrestle at UVU and eventually help really put the Wolverines on the map. With Ray's decision to leave BSU to join the Wolverines, a little rivalry formed. Head Coach Greg Williams described Ray as a "late bloomer," and the Broncos realized very fast what they had lost, creating some hard feelings that would become bad blood as time went on. In last year's duel with the Broncos the Wolverines pulled off what is still today's biggest duel victory for the team when they upset BSU 22-20. Ray was respon- sible for six of those team points from a huge pin of his opponent in the 133-pound weight class, giving the Broncos a front row seat to a what-might-have-been moment for their program. "There's a lot of heated feelings between us and Boise," said Ray. "I just try to stay away from all that emotion and just stick to my wrestling." Sticking to his wresting is just what he has done in his career as a two-time state champion and became UVU's first conference champion last year winning the NCAA West Regional/WWC Championships in the 133-pound weight class. "Flint is the epitome of what it takes to be successful in wrestling," said Williams. "He is a leader on our team because he understands that wrestling takes a lot of discipline, and for a person to be successful it's not about just having some natural ability and being athletic, which he is, but you have to be disciplined." Williams also went on to say, "Nobody works harder, nobody's more consistent about working harder. He has very serious goals Shane Maryott/UVU Review and he works hard to reach those goals every day and everybody on the team sees it. You'll never see him slacking." Ray will have his hands full in his match later this week as he goes up against one of his old friends who just so happens to be ranked second in the nation at 133 pounds. "The kid that I spend the most time with is who I'll wrestle and up to right now he's my only loss," he said. "I'm excited to wrestle him and see if I can gain some ground on him." Ray not only excels on the wresting mats, but is also an AllAcademic Team member in the WCC, while being what his coach referred to as a "great father and husband." As a senior, this will be Ray's last year to compete, and just like all great athletes, competition is what he lives for. When asked what he will miss most after the season is over, he said: "I will miss competition, just competing every day. Being able to come in and grind, getting ready for a match, as hard as it is I'll miss it a lot." area. Any time you get somebody Saved from B5 Bell and her father, a former with her size and can shoot the ball, NFL player and member of the it definitely is a threat." BYU Hall-of-Fame, aren't the only And a threat she has become as athletes in the family; her mother her playing time and production and sister both played basketball at continues to grow. BYU, and her brothers played foot"I tell Kim 'shoot the ball'," ball as their father did at BYU. Nixon went on to say. "I hope she Playing in high school, Bell feels that from us, that we need her stood out, being named to the to do what she does, and what she All-District team her first three does is shoot. My job and our job is years, as well as a second-team just to help her continue to believe All-Region honor her junior year. she's going to make it and just get She graduated high school with a her the ball in places where she can perfect 4.0 GPA, but the number be successful." that really catches the eye was the The lady Wolverines coach em1,000+ points scored during her phasized the fact that Bell has been time there. in a tough situation with her new "I think shooting is really her assignments, and just how proud strength, with her size and her she is of how she has stepped up range," said Nixon. "Being able to the challenge and has become an to shoot the three as a 6'1" player, even better player than she was in a she didn't play a lot of inside kind short time from high school. of low block offensive in high school, so that's part of her game that's come along and we're trying to help her see her strengths in that Brandon Sheetz/UVU Review Millet planned this moment with the help of the UVU Athletics department. Engaged from B7 got some help from the athletic department," said Millet. Although the lucky couple had talked a little bit about marriage, Sawatzki was shocked. "I was freaking out," said Sawatzki. "I had no idea at all." Being proposed to at a UVU basketball game was okay for Sawatzki. "I loved it, I think it was so good! So good, even though I had to go shoot," said Sawatzki. Not many halftime shows at UVU include a marriage proposal, but the UVU Athletics department was all for it. "Once in a while we'll get approached to do some thing like that and I think it's a fun thing, especially if it is for one of our students," said Nate Mathis, Assistant AD, Corporate Partners and Marketing for UVU Athletics. "Anything for the students." ENCHANTING Malvern= INNOVATIVE ZIONS BANK' MAVEIM,01100170 •x0 0t(63 Y3 EN WI." • M THE INTERNATIONALLY-ACCLAIMED DANCE TROUPE COMES TO THE COVEY CENTER FOR THE ARTS ., FEBRUARY 5, 2011 I 7:30 PM I 425 WEST CENTER STREET, PROVO 801-852-7007 I www.coveycenter.org AT THE COVEY 11 11 11 BO OK STORE Your Campus. Your Needs. Your Store. (801) 863-8641 TOLL FREE 866-507-5253 Visit Us Online vvww.uvu.edu/bookstore *Join the UVU Bookstore on Facebook for secret deals and/or prizes. Aprialir -lib owe and watch the Wolverine Wednesday Specials iPocl 1(iss-Off 20% Off February 2 1 1.00 am to 12:00 pm outside the Bookstor e ( Bookstore Hours: Mon. - Thu 7:45 am - 7:00 pm Fri 7:45 am - 5:00 pm 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Sat Sunday Closed Sweatshirts General Reading Notebooks Come and Cheer your favorite team on Wed. February 2, 2011 Scoops Hours: Mon. - Fri 8:00 am - 8:00 pm Sat 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Sunday Closed |