At 29 years old and with undoubtedly a few more years of quality basketball left, Kobe Bryant's legacy is not yet set in stone. But after the Los Angeles Lakers' loss to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals, Bryant's place in history definitely took a step back.
Although it is tucked away a mere two miles from UNM's Main Campus, South Campus houses all athletic facilities, including the office of Athletics Director Paul Krebs. Coincidentally, what may seem to be just two miles can be viewed as just a place for the athletics department.
For J.R. Giddens, in his senior year as a Lobo, the season didn't end so giddy. On back-to-back occasions, Giddens released two shots that came tantalizingly close to dropping - one in the Mountain West Conference Tournament against Utah and one against Califonia in the NIT.
Staff Report UNM women's javelin star Katie Coronado finished second at the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 14. Securing the silver medal, Coronado broke a school record with a throw of 179-6. Coronado will compete at the USA Olympic Trials in two weeks.
Tim Donaghy seems prepared to take down the NBA. The disgraced referee, who pled guilty to charges that he bet on games he officiated, now dropped a bombshell. In a letter submitted by his lawyer, Donaghy alleges that it was in the best interest of the NBA to extend a series in 2002, between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings, to seven games.
When the Spanish conquistador Coronado came to the United States in 1510, he was searching for the Seven Cities of Gold. Needless to say, he never found them. But some 500-plus years later, UNM javelin star Katie Coronado is on a similar quest, in search of her own gold-standard, as she is set to compete in the NCAA Championships on June 11 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Over the weekend, the UNM men's basketball team went camping. But this year, the Lobos tipped off without a mix of thunderous dunks and without the high-flying athleticism because they were missing their emotional spark plug: J.R. Giddens. The senior, who left to pursue his NBA dreams, was instrumental in last year's rebuilding process.
Coco Crisp went cuckoo, but it wasn't for Cocoa Puffs. Instead, Crisp, doing his best impersonation of Roy Jones Jr., was busy throwing haymakers at Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jeff Shields. Proving he has more than a knuckleball, Shields went for the K.O. with what looked like an unavoidable knuckle-sandwich.
Staff Report Add another item to the memory bank. For Lobo golfer Alexandra Phelps, competing in the NCAA Tournament ranks among her most memorable experiences in her career at UNM. "It's been a great experience," she told GoLobos.com. "And regardless of what I shot this weekend, I knew I would leave with so many great memories.
Staff Report UNM will be sending four representatives from the track and field team to compete in the NCAA Championships, which begin June 11 in Des Moines, Iowa. Those four members - Katie Coronado, Tiyana Peters, Robert Caldwell and Lee Emanuel - snatched spots in women's javelin, high jump and pole vault and the 1,500-meter run.
I've come to a realization. It's been hard. It's been tough to swallow. And I haven't liked it one bit. But, it was just a matter of time. I mean, I couldn't expect the San Antonio Spurs to stay on top forever. They had a good run - one for the ages. It just wasn't their year.
The foundation has been laid, and arguably even some of the infrastructure. Posting a 34-25 record under first-year head coach Ray Birmingham, the Lobo baseball team entered the Mountain West Conference Championships as the No. 2 seed in what Birmingham admitted was an unexpected position.
Skiing Recap: UNM finished seventh at the NCAA Championships on March 8 and fifth at the NCAA West Regional on Feb. 23. Season highlight: The Lobos placed seventh out of 21 teams at the NCAAs. Karin Ohlin and Thomas Schwab earned All-American honors at the championships.
UNM soccer player Michael Reed regularly finds himself shin deep in buckets of ice and wrapped up from knee to hip. He said trainers and teammates make fun of him, but that's OK. Reed is just happy to be here. Reed, a sophomore, earned himself a starting position as a midfielder for the Lobos right out of high school but tore his meniscus before the 2006 season started.
Welcome to another edition of "From the Sports Gutter." This week, the topic is the NBA Playoffs. Kobe Bryant was named NBA MVP as his Los Angeles Lakers have started 5-0 in the 2008 playoffs. That news might only fire up Chris Paul, who is already playing at an outstanding level.
Staff Report In his first 10,000-meter race of the season, Jeremy Johnson secured his spot at the 2008 NCAA Track and Field Championships. Johnson hit an automatic qualifying time of 28:33.08 late Sunday at Stanford's Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. He was named Mountain West Conference Track Athlete of the Week on Monday, along with Colorado State's Drew Morano.
Events UNM won at the Don Kirby Memorial Invitational: Women's 200-meter dash Ariel Burr - 23.67 Women's 500-meter run Sheyenne Lewis - 18:15.87 Women's 4x100 relay Burr, Sandy Fortner, Alesha Walker and Kristan Matison - 45.58 Women's pole vault Whitney Johnson - 12-1.
Baseball The Lobos won a three-game series at BYU over the weekend led by an explosive offense. UNM edged the Cougars 9-7 on Friday, pounding out 15 hits. Mike Brownstein led the Lobos, going 3-for-6 with a run and two RBIs. Pitcher Bobby LaFramboise picked up the win to improve to 5-2 on the season, and Clinton Cox earned his third save of the year.
A sick soccer player demands to see a doctor before practice. A baseball player needs an X-ray scheduled as soon as possible. A dehydrated football player on the verge of passing out requires medical attention. This, and much more, is all in an hour's work for Eric Beck.
Throughout the 2008 track and field season, UNM athletes have set school records, qualified for prestigious meets and enjoyed one of its finest seasons in years. And the Lobos will get a chance to show off their talents in front of a home crowd for the first time this season, hosting the Don Kirby Invitational on Saturday.
Solutions by The State News
