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Sports

Wednesday, October 29, 1997

Eagles cross country prepares for district

By JON FULBRIGHT
Sports Editor

The Pecos Eagles' boys cross country team will be seeking their first regional berth in four years, while Pecos' girls will be going for individual berths this Saturday, at the District 4-4A cross country meet in Carlsbad, northwest of San Angelo.

Eagles' coach Rudy Juardo said he'll be taking six boys and three girls to the district meet, with five runners required to post a team score.

"Sticks (senior Marisol Arenivas) was going to go with us, but now she's not," Juardo said, referring to the conflict Saturday with Pecos' volleyball playoff match in Van Horn against El Paso High. "Even if she did go, I'd only have four girls."

As a result, he said junior Liz Parent would be the only girl running on the varsity level for Pecos, while Jenny Alvarez and Helena Pendelton will compete in the junior varsity division.

Juardo said all six boys Billy Rodriguez, Oscar Medrano, Orlando Matta, Adam Matta, Michael Pena and Roy Marta will compete in the varsity division, with Rodriguez having the best shot at taking the individual title.

San Angelo Lake View will be favored to take the team title, and Chiefs' runner Aaron Linthicum has posted the best times so far for Lake View. He ran a 17:19.3 a week ago on the three-mile course in Levelland, while teammate Justin Daniel ran a 17:26.7.

"The fastest Billy has run that I've timed him in is 17:05, so he ought to be able to take him," Juardo said. Linthicum and Orlando Matta, meanwhile, will be facing each other on Friday night first, when the Eagles football team hosts Lake View.

Along with San Angelo, Andrews was also at the Levelland meet as a team, which Juardo said they hadn't done in previous meets this season. "I know we can beat Fort Stockton, but I don't know about what Andrews has," he said. The Mustangs fielded only three runners earlier this season, including Roland Reyes, who ran a 17:43.9 last week in Levelland.

"The main thing is if our back guys can pick it up a little bit," Juardo said, referring to the Eagles' other runners. "If our back guys can pick up some of their (Lake View's) guys, I think we have a legitimate chance."

The girls will be running a two-mile course Saturday, though Juardo said they've been doing three miles with the boys either out at salt flat or around the Pecos High School campus over the past few weeks. "Liz is running about a 14-15 (minute two-mile), so she's going to have to pick it up," he said.

Lake View will also be favored on the girls' side, and at Levelland, the Maidens were led by Chonna Wright, who ran a 14:08.7, and Angela Hogeda, who had a 14:42.1.

The top two teams and top five finishers will advance to the Region I-4A competition, which will take place next month in Lubbock.

Pair picked by NBA as first female refs

By CHRIS SHERIDAN
AP Basketball Writer

NEW YORK - Dee Kantner and Violet Palmer will wear the same jerseys, blow the same whistles and be held to the same standards as their colleagues.

When there's a fight on the court, they'll be expected to use their best judgment whether to intercede.

When a player or coach gets too demonstrative, they'll be expected to signal a technical foul.

When there's a jump ball, they'll be expected to throw it straight up in the air.

Kantner and Palmer are among the NBA's newest officials. On Tuesday, they became the first women hired to officiate regular-season games in a men's professional sport.

``We had them in one exhibition game, and I don't see any difference in the female and male referees,'' said Donnie Walsh, general manager of the Indiana Pacers. ``I think it's going to be fine.

``The two ladies they have are very well qualified and will demand the respect of everybody associated with the event.''

Kantner and Palmer were among five new referees added to the league's 58-member officiating staff. Another seven refs didn't make the cut.

The 36-year-old Kantner was supervisor of officials in the WNBA. She also has refereed four women's NCAA championship games, including the 1997 matchup between Tennessee and Old Dominion.

Palmer, 33, was an official in the WNBA, and has officiated college women's games.

South Florida celebrates Marlins' victory

MIAMI (AP) - The Florida Marlins rode convertibles in downtown Miami, trolleys in Little Havana, speedboats in Fort Lauderdale and waves of applause everywhere they went.

Tens of thousands of fans cheered and chanted Tuesday in an all-day salute to the World Series champions.

South Florida's ethnic friction was put aside as Latin, black and white fans joined in the area's largest, most festive gathering since at least 1987, when Pope John Paul II visited Miami.

``This community has come together in a way I haven't seen for many, many years,'' said Dade County mayor Alex Penelas, wearing a Marlins jersey.

``It's a special event,'' fan Ilna Acosta of Miami said. ``Who knows? It may be 50 more years until the next one.''

Ten hours of festivities began downtown, spilled over to Little Havana and moved 25 miles north for a boat parade on the New River in Fort Lauderdale.

The celebration culminated at Pro Player Stadium, where the Marlins beat the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 of the World Series on Sunday. A crowd of 70,000 roared as World Series most valuable player Livan Hernandez danced with Latin showgirls, and Miami's own Gloria Estefan sang a tribute to the team.

``This is truly overwhelming,'' slugger Bobby Bonilla told the fans. ``It's been a blur all day. South Florida, you know how to give a party.''

Convertibles carried beaming players drenched in ticker tape through downtown to cheers from thousands of fans, many dressed in the team's teal blue.

Hernandez, a Cuban, and Colombian Edgar Renteria drew some of the biggest applause, and many fans waved flags from those nations. Hernandez wore sunglasses, a Panama hat and a strip of ticker tape on his cheek.

``I love you, Miami,'' he said.

Slugger Gary Sheffield stood up in his convertible, smoking a cigar, pounding his chest and shouting, ``We're No. 1!''

``To see everybody out here makes us realize what we've done,'' said Jeff Conine, a Marlins star since their first game in 1993.

Fans pressed against the cars and raised their arms to embrace the team that turned a workday into a holiday.

``My boss thinks I'm sick,'' one sign said.

``My mom thinks I'm in school,'' read another.

``This is fantastic,'' said owner Wayne Huizenga, who put the team up for sale in June. ``I'd like to do it again tomorrow.''

Marlins president Don Smiley, who is trying to organize a group to buy the team from Huizenga, found the enthusiasm heartening.

``I had no idea there was so much interest out here for baseball,'' Smiley said. ``We needed a jump start, and winning the World Series is absolutely what you need for a jump start.''

Whether Huizenga keeps the team or finds a buyer, the Marlins want taxpayers to finance a baseball-only stadium with a retractable dome. Huizenga said he lost $34 million this year and needs a new ballpark to turn things around.

Miami mayor Joe Carollo told fans he wants to see a waterfront stadium. It's unclear, however, whether any local government is willing to spend $350 million or more for such a project.

``Perhaps in a very short time you'll be hitting home runs over the wall into the water,'' Carollo told the team. ``But that's another story.''

Defense as cause of Cowboys woes

By DENNE H. FREEMAN
AP Sports Writer

IRVING, Texas - Most teams in the NFL can win with a great defense.

Not the Dallas Cowboys.

Coach Barry Switzer said the Cowboys should be undefeated because of their defense, but a faulty offense inside the 20 has them at 4-4 after the first half of the season.

``We played good enough defense to be 8-0, and our special teams were great,'' Switzer said. ``But we haven't been able to score inside the green zone and that's what's wrong with this damn football team. Our players know it, our coaches know it, our opponents know it and the media knows it.''

The ``green zone,'' in Switzer's lexicon, is known elsewhere in the NFL as the ``red zone.''

Dallas is next-to-last in the NFL, ahead of San Diego, in scoring touchdowns from inside the 20. Dallas placekicker Richie Cunningham leads the NFL in scoring with 86 points on 25-of-27 field goal accuracy.

Dallas' defense is rated second in the NFL.

``We've been inside the 20-yard line 30 times like Green Bay and San Francisco,'' Switzer said. ``We just have to put the damn thing into the end zone.''

The Cowboys are seven-point underdogs traveling to San Francisco on Sunday, and another loss could severely endanger Dallas' streak of five consecutive NFC East titles.

``We have to worry about the mental aspect of this team because success breeds confidence and self-esteem,'' Switzer said. ``Good things can happen when you least expect them, like they did to (Chicago coach) Dave Wannstedt last night.''

The previously winless Bears upset Miami 36-33 on Monday night.

Switzer said San Francisco has a solid defense and, offensively, ``Steve Young looks like he has never been hurt. He looks like a rookie out there scrambling around and making plays. He's still the most dangerous quarterback playing the game today.''

A stronger running game makes the 49ers a better team, Switzer said.

Two years ago, the 49ers came to Texas Stadium with a 5-4 record and knocked off the Cowboys (then 8-1) 38-20. Last year, Dallas beat San Francisco 20-17 in overtime at 3Com Park on Chris Boniol's field goal.

San Francisco holds a 13-12-1 series advantage, but Dallas is 5-1 in NFC championship games against the 49ers.

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