Sometimes sports make me sad. I was halfway through a dayshift at my waiting job Wednesday when my roommate called to tell me Karl Malone - my all-time favorite player on my favorite team in my favorite sport - had just announced his retirement. I was born in Salt Lake City and grew up rooting for the Jazz.
by Steven Fernandez Daily Lobo The 2004 NCAA skiing champions have a chance to get back to its winning ways on Friday and Saturday at the Red River and Taos ski valleys. After bringing UNM its first national championship in any sport, the Lobos have yet to win a meet.
After a weekend series and a one-day stay in Lubbock, Texas, Lobo baseball comes back to Isotopes Park to swing against in-state rival New Mexico State. Coach Rich Alday said the rivalry means more in UNM's other sports. "The rivalry is not that big," he said.
The Lobos scored a big 75-49 win Saturday against Colorado State, but lost three-year starter Mandi Moore for the last seven minutes of the game. Moore fell to the floor in agony after 5-foot-3-inch CSU guard Vanessa Espinoza jabbed her in the eye with a finger.
The number crunchers for the NCAA have an interesting statistic that could shed some light on the UNM women's basketball team's success this year. Scoring defense is the average points per game scored by opponents, and the Lobos lead the nation in the category.
Start with local talent, add some experienced transfers, toss in a few fresh faces, and cook on high for the 2005-06 season. That's the recipe for success come next year, UNM head football head coach Rocky Long said. Long signed 12 transfers and 15 freshmen to national letters of intent Wednesday.
There's a reason why UNM men's soccer fans won't recognize any of the five recruits head coach Jeremy Fishbein brought in for the 2005-2006 season. None of the five players are from New Mexico. Actually, none of them are even remotely close to home. According to MapQuest, Sacramento-product Chris Wright and St.
With a 62-49 win, the Lobos bounced back from a conference loss to chase the Cowgirls back to Wyoming. Head coach Don Flanagan said the intensity and level of competition in the game matched a post-season contest. "That felt to me like a Mountain West tournament game," Flanagan said.
Everyone else is talking about it, so we better start with Terrell Owens' ankle. Will he play? More importantly, will it matter? Riley: Owens just loves the hype two weeks of ambivalence conjures up. When he plays, Narkun will at least have one thing to cheer about on Sunday while his beloved Eagles are wallowing in the mire.
by Kelly Brocklehurst Daily Lobo It could have been a tough changeover for the Lobo baseball team, but Daniel Stovall's play made it painless. Stovall, a sophomore from Midland, Texas, replaced Chris Alexander at first base last season. Alexander set several UNM records, including career RBI and single season home runs.
Transfer Mark Anderson said he will do anything to help the UNM golf team win the national title this season. "I want to do whatever it takes for the team to win this year, whether that means shooting a 55 or calling my teammates to encourage them while they travel," Anderson said.
This is a big transition year for the Lobo softball team, with just one pitcher back from last year's rotation. Leading the hurlers will be senior Ashley Perkins, the lone returnee. "I want to be a leader on this team and pitch well," Perkins said. "But in order to do so, I have to stay consistent.
by Jack Jackson Daily Lobo Men's tennis coach Alan Dils could come back to school for a degree in chemistry. It's not the best individual players that make a solid doubles team, Dils said. "It's personalities," he said. "The doubles team is like a marriage, with two players who can exist together and get along together.
The women's tennis team starts its season with the highest national ranking in its history. The team is No. 24 in the country and the defending Mountain West Conference champion. It also has the 24th-ranked player in the nation. Team members will have little time to enjoy the sensation, however.
The Lobos showed they could gut out a win against the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Runnin' Rebels on Saturday night. UNM was abysmal from the three-point line - 6-for-28 - and not much better from anywhere else. The Lobos made 35 percent of their field goal attempts but still managed to out-play UNLV in the 62-58 win.
Sport is so much more than games or matches. The stories behind the athletes can be infinitely more compelling that what happens on the playing field. Or in the ring. Boxing has become less than an afterthought in America. No casual fan can name the contenders in each weight class, and those who are willing to plunk down $50 for a heavyweight championship are inevitably disappointed.
Women's Basketball After only the third loss of the season Thursday against the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Runnin' Rebels, the UNM women's basketball team wasn't giving up first place in the Mountain West Conference that easily. The Lobos drubbed the San Diego State Aztecs 71-52 in San Diego Saturday with the help of senior forward Lindsey Arndt.
by Steven Fernandez Daily Lobo The UNM swimming and diving team defeated New Mexico State 164-114 at Seidler Natatorium on Saturday. It was the final home meet this season and the last in the career of long-time head coach Bill Spahn. It was also the last time three senior swimmers will compete in Seidler.
Head coach Ritchie McKay could have put an ad in local papers last week for a point guard after losing his regular man for the job. Kris Collins went down for six to eight weeks with a broken right foot Wednesday. On the other hand, that might have eliminated the number of guys who applied for the position on the UNM men's basketball team.
UNM's national champion ski team will not settle for the top skiers in America - they recruit the best around in the world. Seven of the nine male skiers at UNM are from other countries, including five from Norway. Sophomore alpine skiers Lars Loeseth and Peter Roering attended NTG Ski Academy in Geilo, Norway, and chose UNM for college.
Solutions by The State News
