20- SUNDAY, October 6, 2002 The Herald-Palladium Benton Harbor-St Joseph SPORTS AUTO RACING Prep soccer Big 16 Pit crews tourney Rule change by NASCAR could make for unusual race jjiCo-ed youth hockey 1 offered In St Joseph 4- 'ST JOSEPH A co-ed youth hockey program will begin soon 'rt for youth tgei S-1S at die Howard Ice Arena here. Both bantam (agei 7-15) and 'mini-mite (agei 5-6) leagues will offered over a period of 14 weeks including two hours of ice time each week. Registration cost for the bantam is $135, and $70 for the mini-mite league. Insurance is an additional $12 and their will be a 'We may get bit by it JAMES INCE Johnny Benson crew chief Bv THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TALLADEGA, Ala. The pressure of the closest championship chase in Winston Cup history could shift from the drivers to the pit crews today at Talladega Superspeedway.
A rule change by NASCAR could make the action on pit road the deciding factor in what shapes up to be an unusual race. In an effort to separate the best cars from the weaker ones on the 2.66-mile, high-banked oval, NASCAR is requiring that cars use a 12'A-gallon gas tank just over half the usual 22-gallon fuel cell for the EA Sports 500. "We may get bit by it tomorrow," said James Ince, crew chief for Johnny Benson. "There are going to be people that are hurt by it, having to pit a whole lot, because any time you go on pit road things can go wrong." The effects of the smaller gas tanks will be felt on long green-flag runs in the 188-lap race; In that case, the drivers will not only have to pit nearly twice as many times about every 25 laps, instead of 40 the crews will be hard-pressed to change mere than two tires on a stop before the cars are gassed and ready to go. Veteran crew chief Frankie Stoddard, working his first race with Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton after being fired by Jeff Burton, said, "You have to have some luck on your side.
Not every call (in the pits) is a great call. A lot of them, something has to happen just right for it to go that way." Steve Hmiel, director of motorsports and technical operations for Dale Earnhardt, fields cars lots of pit stops. After rain Friday canceled qualifying, the field was set by season points. That puts the drivers involved in the tense title chase up front, with leader Jimmie Johnson on the pole, arid Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman separated by only 1 54 points -right behind. Kyle Petty, who will start 22nd, said that gives those drivers no real advantage at this track.
"If this was New Hampshire, then track position would be critical," Petty said. "If you've got a good car here and start 42nd or 43rd, you're not in that big trouble. You can adjust yourself and get where -you need to be before everything starts to shuffle." Kanaan wins pole for CARTAS Miami return MIAMI Concrete was supposed to fix Miami's slippery track problem. Canopies over the course may have been a better idea Saturday. Without ever venturing onto the track, Tony Kanaan won the pole for today's CART Grand Prix of the Americas.
His provisional qualifying time from Friday held up, after intermittent downpours turned the temporary road circuit slippery. Kanaan skipped Saturday's qualifying, knowing that the conditions would not allow anyone to beat his provisional time. He only did a few practice laps in the morning to scuff his race-day tires. Scott Dixon earned a series point by being Saturday's fastest qualifier. He will start alongside Kanaan, after his best lap time of 1:09.786.
Kanaan's time on Friday was 1 :01 .264. The starting order was unchanged. for Dale Earnhardt Michael Waltrip and Steve Park in the 43-car field. The former crew chief pointed out the added stops mean there are more chances for drivers to be penalized for exceeding the pit road speed limit of 55 mph. "It puts the onus on the driver for getting the car to pit road as quick as possible," Hmiel said.
"Then we have to use good strategy two tires, four tires, no tires. If you look at it optimistically, it's a chance to do better two or three more times. If you look at it pessimistically, it's a chance to mess up two or three more times." Earnhardt, who has won the last two races here, and Waltrip, winner of two races in Daytona since the start of 2001, are considered the drivers to beat in any race at NASCAR's two biggest and fastest tracks. Those are also the only tracks where NASCAR requires carburetor restrictor plates to reduce horsepower and keep the cars under 200 mph. Thanks to those plates, the start and restarts following cautions will be business as usual today.
That means huge packs of cars running two- and three-wide, nearly touching at speeds close to 200 mph a recipe for disaster and exactly why NASCAR is hoping for long green-flag runs and Golf extended Bv H-P STAFF Crowning a Big 16 Conference soccer champion sure wont happen overnight The conference tournament opens Tuesday with a new format that seeds all 16 teams in the three divisions but doesn't conclude until Thursday, Oct, 17 or1 four days before districts begin. It's a change that adds length, but also ditches last year's unpopular format that didn't allow the bottom eight teams to compete for the title. From the West Division, first place St. Joseph is seeded third a anu bcgumi piovc i.aeaiiuic fourth. Mattawan and Battle Creek Lakeview are the top two seeds.
On Tuesday, St Joseph will host No. 14 Battle Creek Central and Lakeshore will host No. 13 Loy Norrix. Dowagiac, third in the West, is seeded seventh and will host No. 10 Niles, the fourth-place team from the West.
Winless Benton Harbor is ranked 16th and will travel to face Mattawan. Games will also be played on Thursday, Tuesday, Oct. 15 and the finals on Thursday, Oct. 17. St.
Joseph, idle the past week, was upset by Niles in its divisional opener Sept. 3, but went on to win its other three divisional contests. That included a 2-0 win over the Lancers, also 3-1 the division. "We have our peaks and valleys," said St. Joseph coach Steve Lohrke.
"Sometimes we play good and sometimes you can tell we're young." The Bears are led by Jay Fettig with 18 goals. Lakeshore, meanwhile, got a chance to measure itself aeainst the best Wedneday, dropping a 5-1 decision to top-ranked and undefeated Mattawan (13-0) in a conference crossover game. "I still mink we're playing well," said Lakeshore coach Brian Samuel. "As long as we stick to our possession game well be OK." The Lancers are led by Peter Bilionis with 1 1 goals while Pete Vermaercke has six goals and 10 assists. St Joseph and Lakeshore are in different brackets.
To meet, the two would have to make me finals or they could meet in the third-place The Big 16 isn't the only conference tournament coming up. The Lakeland Conference tournament will be played Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, Oct 14, 16 and 19. Edwardsburg, at 12-2-2 overall, has been the frontrunner. District play opens Monday, Oct. 21.
Basketball Knicks to meet By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK New York Knicks star Latrell Sprewell has some explaining to do about his broken right hand. Amid a New York Post report that he might have broken his hand Kv AtmaAna att mwvti tMtruti at fi boyfriend of a woman who vomited on his yacht, Sprewell is scheduled to meet Monday with Knicks DonChaney. The newspaper, citing two eyewitnesses who asked not to be identified, said Friday that Sprewell was injured when he slammed his right hand into a wall during a late-night party. Sprewell had surgery Tuesday to repair a displaced fracture of the bone beneath his right pinkie. He will wear a cast for a month and is expected to be sidelined at least six Iverson injure hand Allen Iverson chipped a bone in bis shooting hand, but is expected to return for the team's final preseason games.
The Philadelphia 76ers guard, the NBAs leading scorer last season and its MVP in 2000-01, injured the middle finger on his right hand during practice Friday. He is expected to miss 2-to-4. weeks. Pair share lead Bv THE ASSOCIATED PRESS VALLEJO, Calif. Annika Sorenstam shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday for a share of the lead with Cristie Kerr after the third round of the Samsung World Championship.
Sorenstam, seeking her fourth straight victory in individual play, closed with a birdie to match Kerr (69) at 15-under 201 on the Hidden-brooke Golf Club course. The Swedish star has eight victories and record earnings of $2,211,991 in 17 LPGA Tour starts. She also won the Australian Masters and Compaq Open in Sweden, giving her 10 worldwide victories in 1 9 events. Kerr bogeyed the final hole. Rosie Jones (70) was three strokes back at 12 under, and Se Ri Pak (67) and Michele Redman (70) were 11 under.
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. Brandt Job shot a 6-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Billy Mayfair in the Mlcrwtob Criarnpt-onahip, while David Duval tumbled off the Duval, a two-time KingsmiH winner who struggled to keep hie drives out of the thick rough, basooned to a 74, leaving him eeven strokes behind Jobe entering the final round. Paw Paw $20 registration fee. The bantam league registration is from 6-8 n.m. Wednesday.
Oct 16. aaruraay, uct. iy irom a.m.-' noon, at me Howard Ice Arena. For further' information call Michelle at 422-1011. Yso Issds China In AsbnGsmes BUSAN, South Korea (AP) Yao Ming scored 19 points and had 14 rebounds to lead China to a 104-59 victory over Japan at the Asian Games on Saturday.
Yao, picked first overall by the Houston Rockets in the NBA Draft, also had three dunks and assists before about 300 spec irtators. Yao came out strong from die start "with 12 points, three blocks and six rebounds three each on offense and defense in the fust quarter to -gtve his team a 33-10 lead. Tcrrcy Fines fends 2003 U.S. Open FAR HILLS, N.J. (AP) The 1 2008 USOpto wawarded to the "South Courie aYTdrreV Pines in La Jolla, by the U.S.
Golf on Saturday, pending approval of the San Diego City Council. It would be the second public oourse to host the tournament The Black Course at the Beth-page State Park in New York, where this years US. Open was played, is only public layout to have been 'the site of the championship. Torrey Pines, site of a PGA Tour -event each year, was designed by William Bell Sr. U.S.
Open champions Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson have won tournaments at Torrey Pines. The Open has been played in nine times, most recent-' ly at Pebble Beach Golf Links in 2000. The Open was last played in southern California in 1948 at Riv- County Club. Suspect hsd Jordsn's "eccount number CHICAGO (AP) A man arrested for identity theft had a bank account number for Michael Jordan and was looking for someone to pose as Jordan or his wife, police said Saturday, i Ishman Walker was arrested last month, before he was able to find an 'accomplice who resembled Michael or Juanita Jordan, said Sally Daly, a 'spokeswoman for Cook County Michael Sheahan. Walker was charged with felony theft and financial identity theft The Jordans' names and account number were found on a piece of paper in Walkers home, Daly said.
Fcke persds, mock relay part cf pitch NEW YORK (AP) A video featuring a mock torch relay and a fake ticker-tape parade filmed on '-the streets of lower Manhattan will be part of the city pilch to host the 2012 Summer Games. The movie is expected to be shown to the U.S. Olympic Committee on Nov. 2, when the city has ''its last chance to campaign to be "the U.S. candidate to host the Olympics.
San Francisco is the other contender. New York will compete against as many as a dozen other sites, including possibly Toronto, Rome, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town. The international Olympic Committee -will pick a host in 2005. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and others plan to travel to Colorado where vtivesiNew; Ami will have one hour to make their case' to me committee before 5t reaches a decision. The video will be filmed begin-i ning Sunday, when a mock torch relay is to be shot at Rockefeller I 'Plaza and in Times Square.
On Monday, me ,1 ticker-tape parade is scheduled to, be filmed in the 6f Heroes on Broadway between Wall and Fulton Streets, CbeeringxxvmSB fiH include sup- group spearheadingThe-ciry'r efforts to secure the Olympics, said Suzi jHalpin, spokeswoman'' for the group. ANNIKA SORENSTAM chips from the bunker on the 1 8th hole during the World Championship in Vallejo, on Saturday. Itarckt Jose Benches AP third round of the LPGA Samsung Turtle Bay Championship KAHUKU, Hawal Two-time defending champion Hale Irwin shot his second straight 3Ajnder 69 for a share of the lead in the Turtle Bay Championship. Irwin, the Senior PGA Tour's career leader with 35 victories, matched Dick Mast (67), Mike Smith (69), Morris Hatatoky (69)at6-undeH38. Jobe, whose nine career victories have come In Canada, Asia and Japan, rebounded from Me lone bogey on the par-4 12th -to birdie Ave of the last six holes, including the final four to finish at 13-under 200.
Mayfair shot a 68. DunhW Links Championship ST ANDREWS, Scotland Ireland's Padraig Harrington had a double bogey on No. 1 7 at the OW Course to drop into a tie with Argentina's Eduardo Romero in the DunhiH Links Championship. Harrington, coming off Europe's Ryder Cup victory, shot a 4-under 68 to finish three rounds on the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns at 16-under 200. Romero shot a 67.
Fiji's Vljay Singh (64) was a stroke back. High school roundup wins igniter over Hackett BvH-P STAFF Brian Reidenbach's 15-yard scoring pass to Ian Buhl in die closing minute gave Paw Paw a thrilling 27-26 KVA victory over host Kalamazoo Hackett Saturday night "It was a real see-saw game," said Redskins coach Dave Warmack. They ran the ball real well tonight We gave them a safety at the end." The final statistics were as close as the final score as Paw Paw (5-1, 4-0) rushed for 152 yards and passed for 168. Hackett (1-3, 0-4) rushed for 356 yards as Mike Hamilton gained 204 yards on 26 lugs including a 7-yard TD. Hes a big strong, tough lad," praised Warmack.
Alan Rhoderick led Paw Paw with 93 yards on 15 carries, including two TD runs of six yards. Redskin quarterback Reideobach was 12-of-17 passing for 168 yards and two TDs, including a 9-yard strike toTJ. Hainrihar. Linebacker Kyle Reidenbach led Paw Paw with 15 tackles. Hackett did not complete a pass and only threw three.
Crete country Dan Orozco ted the Lawton boys to the champi-onship of the annual Bangor Cross Country Invitational placing first in 16:27.5, some 13 seconds ahead of Berrien Springs' Zack Schnitta. The Blue Devils wound up with 69 points to runner-up Bangors 80. Following Orozco in for the Blue Devil were (10th), Juan Burgos (20th), Brandon Mock (25th) and Phil Lucker (27th). Lake Michigan Catholic's Todd Ptacek placed third helping the Lakers to a sixth place team finish in the 16-team field. Colon won the girls portion of the meet, scoring 42 points led by overall winner Laycie Skinner's time of 19:59.1.
Bangor, paced by runner-up Julia Hernandez took second with 68 points. Fennville was third thanks to fourth and fifth place finishes by Brooke Harris and Mary Slawson. At the Portage Central Invitational, St Joseph's girls placed third and Lakeshore's boys eighth in Division II in the massive field which featured 105 teams in four divisions. Colleen O'Shea led the Bears with a 14th place finish in 19:55. Teammate Allison Mejeurwas 16th in 19:59.
Lakeshore's girls took 14th place as Cortney Middleton was 40th in 20:39. Battle Creek Lake-view won the girls division II meet Lakeshore's boys were paced by Jim Pancoast's ninth place finish in 16: 19 Max Burch was 44th for St Joseph in 17:28. Tannis Buchanan won the Lakeland Conference girls tennis tournament at South Bend and. overall league title. The Bucks won four flights in scoring 41 points to runner-up Brandywine's 38.
Buchanan also had perfect 5-0 league dual meet record. Winning conference titles for the Bucks were Jaclyn Mummaw at No. 3 singles, Brittany Har rington at No. 4 singles, and its No. land 2 doubles squads of Tara Teshka and Tara Paturalski, and Chelsea Ghatouara and Tracy Brelowski.
Brandywine had three champs in Lauren Heyn at No. 1 singles, and the No. 3 and 4 doubles teams of Mistie Johnson and Christine Dvorek, and Jenna Frost and Bethany Daniel. Edwardsburg's lone champion was Lisa Zmudzinski at No. 2 singles.
In the Big 16 tournament, Lakeshore's Emily Eller won at No. 1 singles, defeating Mattawan's Stephanie Voss 6-4, 6-3 in the finals. The Lancers also had a second from their No. 1 doubles team of Amanda David and Allison Stusick. St Joseph produced two champions as Jennifer Davidson won the No.
3 singles title for the second straight year, and CaitHanley dominated the No. 4 singles flight, losing only two games in three matches, Mattawan won the team title scoring 53 points to Sturgis 49. St Joseph was fourth with 35, and Lakeshore tied Battle Creek Lakeview for fifth, both with 34. Basketful Amber Peters scored a game-high 14 points and Ashley Spriggs added eight but Niles fell at Gull Lake, 43-32. Gull Lake outscored the Vikings 15-4 in the second quarter and never trailed.
"We never got on track," said Niles coach Jim Arnold. "We couldn't catch the ball and we hurried our shots when we were open." Gull Lake improved to 8-2 and Niles dropped to 6-4. I Jose Carrizales (fourth), Tim Ferguson Tborsberg (26th) and Ryan Armstrong Bangor had Gil Hernandez (fifth), (12th), Bill (34th). Mark Hills.
