Sports - The Daily Lobo

Sports

Decathlon team excels all around

Audra Meiklejohn | April 7

In the Olympics, the winner of the decathlon is considered the best athlete in the world. If that adage holds true for college athletics, UNM senior Mark Johnson might be the best athlete in the Mountain West. Johnson is the reigning 2004 Indoor Heptathlon Champion, and he set five personal records last week in Austin, Texas, for a career-best score of 7,141 in the decathlon competition.

Sports

Lobo softball one-ups Zias

Audra Meiklejohn | April 7

The Lobo softball team finally emerged Tuesday afternoon after a nine-day slumber, and though members were still a bit groggy, they managed a 1-0 win over the Eastern New Mexico Zias at Lobo Field. UNM had not been in action since March 28 when the Lobos lost to Northern Colorado and North Texas at the Mean Green/Wells Fargo Classic in Denton, Texas.

Sports

Okafor leaves Devils blue

April 5

Knight Ridder SAN ANTONIO - The buzz from Saturday's first game, Georgia Tech's last-second victory against Oklahoma State, had yet to fade when Duke and Connecticut ran onto the court. The buzz from the second game still might be hanging in the Alamodome air when Georgia Tech and Connecticut return Monday to play for the national championship.

Sports

Athletes of the Week

April 5

Sandy Lukowski Senior Tennis In her last match at Lobo Tennis Club, Lukowski led UNM to a 7-0 sweep of conference foe Colorado State on Sunday. Partnered with sophomore Maja Kovacek, Lukowski stunned the No. 1 Rams doubles team 8-0 and went on to beat Alexandra Paganetti 6-3, 6-3 in singles competition.

Sports

Debut slow for soccer's wunderkind

April 5

Knight Ridder WASHINGTON - The fans began chanting his name in the 50th minute, "Freddy, Freddy, Freddy," exhorting D.C. United coach Peter Nowak to insert the player they had all come to see. The last time an RFK Stadium crowd got so charged up for a substitute wearing No.

Sports

Tennis team comes up aces against Rams

Audra Meiklejohn | April 5

The UNM women's tennis team capped a perfect 7-0 home season Sunday at the Lobo Tennis Club with a 7-0 sweep of the Colorado State Rams - but the Lobos were not cheering. It was their first weekend of Mountain West Conference competition, and the last home match for three Lobo seniors.

Sports

Stolen thunder

Arthur Simoni | April 5

Albuquerque Isotopes shortstop Wilson Valdez stole the show Sunday before a packed house in a 9-1 drubbing of the world champion Florida Marlins. In an exhibition game that meant little to the Marlins, who start their regular season Tuesday, and much to the Isotopes, Valdez singled twice, stole four bases and scored in each of the first two innings for Albuquerque.

Sports

Series begins with victory

Phil Parker | April 2

A rock-solid start from Jason Hernandez and some timely home runs by Ryan Barba and Joe Salas were key in Thursday night's 9-3 win over BYU at Isotopes Park. A taut pitching dual between Hernandez and Cougar starter Patrick Wells was transformed in the fifth when Barba cracked a two-run homer over left-center field to break the game open for the Lobos.

Sports

Lobos face Ram tough test

Audra Meiklejohn | April 2

The UNM softball team hosts defending Mountain West Conference tournament champion Colorado State this weekend with a doubleheader Saturday at Lobo Field. It marks the first game of conference play for both teams. Colorado State remains the No. 1 team in the conference this season, with 22 wins and nine losses.

Sports

UNM men lose in final innings to San Diego

Phil Parker | March 29

The Lobos started strong but couldn't strike when it counted in an 11-9 loss to the San Diego State Aztecs Sunday at Isotopes Park. With two outs, Ryan Barba came to the plate representing the tying run in the bottom of the ninth, with speedy Matt Foote on second.

Sports

NM snowboarder sails to third

Audra Meiklejohn | March 29

For the first time in three years Chris Dunsirn did not win the snowboarding competition he entered - he took third. "He acts like that's bad," Dunsirn's friend and snowboarding peer John Shires said. "But that's pretty good considering it was the national championships.

Sports

Hnida here for another year

Audra Meiklejohn | March 29

After place kicker Katie Hnida came forward with allegations that she was raped by a teammate at the University of Colorado, she filed an appeal to the NCAA requesting a sixth year of athletic eligibility. On Friday, Hnida's appeal was granted. The 2003-04 NCAA Division I bylaw 30.

Sports

Athletes of the Week

March 29

Ben Ortega Junior Track and Field Ortega earned his first outdoor victory in two years Saturday at the University of Texas-El Paso Springtime Invitational. Ortega literally won by a nose, as he leaned past UTEP's Stephen Sameoi at the finish line for the 5,000-meter win.

Sports

Outdoors beckons to track team

Audra Meiklejohn | March 26

The UNM track and field team will head to El Paso, Texas for the UTEP Springtime Invitational on Saturday. It's only the second outdoor competition of the year and if the indoor season is any indication, UNM will be an extremely competitive team in the Mountain West Conference.

Sports

Crimson Tide continues to surprise

March 26

KRT Campus PHOENIX - The last time the Alabama Crimson Tide made it to the NCAA men's basketball Sweet 16, their coach wore plaid and was named Wimp. The last time Alabama made it to the Elite Eight? Try, well, never. As most every sports fan in Florida knows, Alabama is known for its football.

Sports

Aztecs pose challenge to UNM

Phil Parker | March 26

The Lobos welcome the San Diego State Aztecs to Isotopes Park this weekend for a three-game Mountain West matchup. It's a return to conference play for UNM, which traveled to Las Cruces Wednesday and lost to NMSU 16-9. In that game, the Lobos failed to come through with timely hitting.

Sports

Women take first in Hawaii

March 24

by Travis Weber Daily Lobo The UNM women's golf team spent spring break capturing its fourth title of the season in the Dr. Thompson Rainbow Tournament in Kaneohe, Hawaii. The Lobos were the favorites in the tournament, which put a little more pressure than usual on the No.

Sports

Five qualify for track regionals

March 24

by Ketan Dhawan Daily Lobo Even though it was the final weekend of spring break, it wasn't all bad. While many students trudged home from their getaway destinations, UNM's track and field team was running its first outdoor meet of the season. The Lobos left Tuscon, Ariz.

Sports

Second base runs in family

Audra Meiklejohn | March 24

UNM outfielder Sabrina Sandberg said it must run in her blood. Her uncle, Chicago Cubs great Ryne Sandberg, is arguably one of the best second baseman's of all time, and her brother Jared plays second for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Ryne was traded to the Cubs in 1982, where he won nine straight Gold Gloves and played in the Major League All-Star game from 1984-1993.

Sports

Ahletes of the Week

March 22

Jennifer Delich Senior Skiing Delich is the Alpine ski team captain and won the women's individual title in the giant slalom last week at the NCAA Ski Championships in Truckee, Calif. She is only the ninth UNM student athlete to ever win an individual national title.