The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 31

i 4 lf fT-TrTTrrrrr TTT SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1980 THEY ALL KNEW SAUCE JOHNSON THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR PAGE! 31 U.S. Ring World Mourns Crash Deaths it iW- I Lateness No Joke To Clark New' York (UPI) Jimmy Clark says his friends have always kidded him about being late to his own funeral. On Friday, it actually happened. Clark, one of the nation's leading amateur fighters, was late on a conrieit-ing flight from Philadelphia to New York Thursday night. Thus, he missed bis flight to Warsaw, a trip which ended in disaster Friday when the Soviet-built Polish airliner crashed attempting to make an emergency landing.

The disaster took the lives of 87 persons 22 of them members of a U.S. amateur boxing team which was to face a Polish team next week. Clark, a 24-year-old heavyweight, delayed by a snowstorm which hit the northeast Thursday night. He spent the night in a Philadelphia hotel and said he had been angry and upset because he had missed the flight by minutes. "This morning I got a call from riiy mother," the Coatesville, boxer said.

"She told me the plane had crashed and that all were killed. It's unreal. It's jgst unreal. I feel real bad. I lost a lot -of friends and a' lot of people I love.

After that it was total disbelief. I am very upset and am not able to eat. "IT'SFUNNY I'm always late and I was once told I'd be late for my own funeral. I guess they were right." Several others could consider themselves lucky. Tony Tucker, the light heavyweight gold medalist at the Pan American Games in Puerto Rico last summer, injured his shoulder in Europe recently and returned home rather than go -to Poland.

"I had hurt my left shoulder over there in East Germany and I got a raw decision in my exhibition bout so I came home," Tucker said. "I didn't know anything about the crash. I'm just dazed. "I'm hurt over these guys. I had become real close to them.

I ate, slept, argued, fought and played with those guys." American Dead New York (UPI) Polish LOT Airlines Friday issued the names of the following 22 U.S. amateur boxing team members and seven other Americans who were aboard the jetliner that crashed in Warsaw. The hometowns of the boxing team members were provided by Col. Donald Hull, president of the International Amateur Boxing Association. 1.

Bland, Joseph, team manager; High Point, N.C. 2. Smiegel, Steve, assistant manager and interpreter; Boca Raton, and Paterson, N.J. S. JOHNSON, TOM, national coach; Indianapolis.

4. Robles, Junior, assistant coach; San Diego, Calif. 5. Radison, John, referee-judge; St. Louis 6.

Callahan, Bernard, referee-judge; Gettysburg, Pa. 7. Wesson, Ray; team physician; Biloxi, Miss. 8. Wesson, De Loras, Wesson's wife, team nurse; Biloxi, Miss.

9. Rodriguez, David, San Diego, Calif. 10. Young, Lonnie, Philadelphia. 11.

Pimenthal, George, New York. 12. Stewart, Jerome, U.S. Navy, Norfolk, Va. 13.

Steeples, Lemuel, St. Louis. 14. Palomino, Paul, Los Angeles, younger brother of Carlos Palomino, 1976 World Boxing Association welterweight champion. 15.

Robinson, Richard (Chuck), Seattle, Wash. 16. Payton, Byron, Troup, Texas. 17. McCoy, Andre, Bedford, Mass.

18. Harris, Walter, San Francisco, Calif. 19. Chavis, Elliott, Fort Bragg, N.C. 20.

Andersen, Kelvin, Hartford, Conn. 21. Clayton, Tyrone, Philadelphia. 22. Lindsey, Byron, San Diego.

23. Noonan, California, a retired TWA employee. 24. Noonan, Noonan's wife. 25.

MERRIAM, ALAN, Blooming-ton, Ind. 26. Misiaszek, Herkimer, Y. 27. Pilcer, Pompton Lakes, N.J.

28. Pilcer, J. Pilcer's wife. 29. Kurtz, Max, Manhattan.

CAREER IN PICTURES Patricia Clayton of son, Tyrone, one of the U.S. boxers killed in a Philadelphia views a collection of pictures of her plane crash in Poland Friday. (UPI Photo) New York UPI Shaken by the loss of a 22-member national boxing team in an air crash in Poland, the United States boxing community Friday began a day of mourning for its amateur fighters. "It's just so hard to believe," said WBC welterweight champion Sugar Ray Leonard, a gold medal winner in the 1976 Olympics, when reached at his suburban Washington training camp. Leonard, preparing for a March 31 title defense, was coached in the Montreal Games by Indianapolis' Tom (Sarge) Johnson, who was among the 87 persons killed on the Soviet-built IW2 craft that crashed during an emergency landing outside of Warsaw's Okecie Airport.

It was the worst foreign air disaster involving Americans since the 17-member U.S figure skating team was killed in a crash in Belgium in 1961. "We were very close," said Leonard. "Sarge was the guy who pulled our Olympic team together for Montreal. He meant as much to every boxer outside the ring as he did to all of us inside the ring. And now this.

The U.S. boxing team was one of the surprises of the Mohtreal Olympics, winning five gold medals. That team produced three world champions Leonard and heavyweights John Tate and Leon Spinks. The U.S boxing team consisted of 14 fighters, four coaches, two referees, a doctor and a nurse. The team was primarily a developmental unit and did not include many of the top American amateurs.

The most prominent boxer who perished was Lemuel Steeples, the national AAU champion last year and a gold medalist in the light welterweight class at the Pan American Games at San Juan last summer. Steeples, a product of the St. Louis black ghetto, aspired to an Olympic boxing medal. ALSO KILLED WAS Paul Palomino of Los Angeles, younger brother of Carlos Palomino, former World Boxing Association welterweight champion. One other leading amateur, heavyweight Jimmy Clark of Coatesville, was scheduled to make the trip but missed the flight from New York's Kennedy Airport when poor weather conditions delayed a connecting flight from Philadelphia.

"This morning I got a call from my mother. She told me the plane had crashed and that all were killed," said Clark. "It's unreal. It's just unreal. I feel real bad.

I lost a lot of friends and a lot of people I love." Johnson, 57, of Indianapolis, was one of the most respected boxing coaches in the country. Pat Nappi, the Amateur Athletic Union's head boxing coach, served as co-coach with Johnson during the 1976 Olympics and worked with all of the fighters on board. "What can you say?" said Nappi from his Syracuse, N.Y., home. "I saw them last night at the airport. They were gay, happy all looking forward to it.

It's a great loss. They were all wonderful people. Right now, I just see their faces. NAPPI, WHO HANDLED the U.S. team in the 1976 Summer Olympics and also in the Pan American Games in Puerto Rico last summer, returned re- THREE VKBEATENS LEFT Ripple Tops Hot Regional U.S.

Basketball Regional Pairings AT HINKLE 11 a.m. Franklin Central (12-13) vs. Manual (16-6) 12:30 p.m. Broad Ripple (23-2) vs. Washington (15-9) AT ANDERSON 11 Carina) (IM) vi.

AMtriM Hlthlaad J-a Kofcoma -)) v. Dalta (11-11) AT COLUMBUS 11 SaatDwIlla IH4I va. CalurnDua fill (ia-1) 1J: Indian Craak OS-7) n. Bloomtnalon Narta 11 11: AT CONNEBSVILLI Sauth Daartara (1111) vs. Milan (11-7) CannanvllM 0- t.

Graanabura (14) AT ELKHART Elkhart Mamorlal (IM) v. Wareaw (1-4) V- Arm IM) v. Manchatlar IIHI AT EVANSVILLC Evamvllla Nam tM) v. Vlncannaa IIUI Prlncaran (11-71 vt. Harllaaa HIIH DM) AT FORT WAYNE Limand (1a4) vs.

DaKalb (IM) Chuck Robinson mue' Steeples ti ll 10 FW Narthraa (114) VI. FW Sautn (K-O AT FRANKFORT FlalnHald (11-11) vt. Union Canrral (17-i) 11 11 10 Nona Momsomarv (M-a) vt. Zranavflta (17. AT GARY Hammond Nail (IJ-) vt.

Andraan (11-1) I- Sarr wallaca (11-10) vt. Laka CaMral (11-11) AT LAFAYETTE Lalayarta Jarl (ll-n) vt. Kankakaa vallay 111- ra Tola Lakat (HI) vt. Attka (11-10) AT MARION cently from an amateur boxing tour in East Germany. "I was originally scheduled to go (to Polandl," Nappi said, "but it was then decided that 1 would go to East Germany.

National AAU Chairman Robert Sur-kein was stunned by news of the crash. "It's just a shock to me and I don't know how the hell we're going to come out of it," he said from his Illinois home, "It's the worst shock I've ever had in 40 years. I've got personal friends on board I've' got Tom Johnson on board. "These are the kind of things you just don't dream will happtn to a sport a bunch of young guys. These trips are the magic words to them.

They look forward to representing their country and then something like this happens. I just don't know what to say." Argos, 1979's Cinderella State Finalist with a 49-game regular season winning streak, also will be hard pressed to repeat in the Elkhart Regional. Elkhart Memorial and Warsaw match identical 19-4 records in the opener while Argos puts its 24-0 record on the block against Manchester (16-6). It's the third straight trip to the regional for Argos' Dragons one of the tournament's smallest schools (enrollment 265). MARION'S NCC champs head a dwindling list of 15 state champs still in the running.

Marion, fourth in the polls with a 21-2 record, leads the Hoosier state with five straight Semistate appearances and the Giants are prohibitive favorites to pick up No. 6 in their own regional. Marion opens against Homestead (another first-time sectional champ) with Logansport (14-9) opposing Norwell (19-5) in the second game. Other state champs suiting up for the tournament's second week are New Albany, Carmel, Fort Wayne Northrop, Fort Wayne South, Connersville, Ev-ansville North, Lafayette Jeff, Kokomo, Milan, Shelbyville, Logansport, Vincen-nes, Muncie Central and Indianapolis Washington. Not many will be favored to make it safely through today's regional fireworks.

One of the hottest battles sends Northrop (18-4) against South Side (20-4) in the afternoon at Fort Wayne. South Side is a 22-time regional champ and the Fort Wayne city tourney winner but 1974 state champ Northrop has been coming on strong. Northrop held all three sectional opponents under 40 points. ANDREAN WITH its 21-1 record is the Gary favorite and Valparaiso (21-2) shares that role with South Bend LaSalle (19-4) at Michigan City. Valpo's Dune-land Conference champs must beat Rogers for the third time before they can think about LaSalle's Northern Conference titlists.

Andrean was ranked fifth, Valparaiso 10th and LaSalle 12th by the pollsters. Terre Haute South State Finalist for the last three years, appears to have a clear shot to the Evansville Semistate. Columbus East and Shelbyville figure to slug it out at Columbus and Lafayette Jeff expects to be tested at home by Kankakee Valley (22-1). Bedford rules only a slight favorite at Washington, Connersville heads the lineup in its own regional, and Evansville and Frankfort tourneys fall into the coin-flip class. 11 11:11 11 Marlon (11-1) vt.

Hamattaad (11-11) UwaM (144) vt. Narwall (IM) AT MICHIGAN CITY SB LaSalM (IM) vi. OraaMi Davit (10-4) MicnlM City Raaart (la-7) vt. ValMrata By BOl? WILLIAMS Broad Ripple and several other front-runners will be seated nervously on the bubble at 16 regional sites today when firing resumes in Hoosier Hysteria's 70th state basketball tournament. If it's any tougher than last week's sectional round, No.

1 ranked Anderson Highland (23-0) and No. 2 New Albany (22-0) could be rearing the end of the month-long tournament trail. Highland needed a last-second shot to come from 11 down against Anderson, 76-75, still gasping from a 3-overtime nightmare against Madison Heights. It took 12-of-15 shooting in the second half to save New Albany in its 57-54 comebacke over Jeffersonville. SEVERAL CLASSICS are shaping up in today's regionals where the cast will be determined for next week's Sweet Sixteen at four semistate centers Ev-ansville, Fort Wayne, West Lafayette and Indianapolis' Hinkle Fieldhouse.

It's the second step on a bumpy path that leads to the State Finals at Indianapolis' Market Square Arena March 29. One of the state's 'most attractive regional matchups will take place at Hinkle with Broad Ripple, 23-2 and city champs ranked seventh in the final wire service polls, squaring off against Washington (15-9) in the 12:30 p.m. second game. Manual (16) battles underdog Franklin Central (12-13) in the opener at 11 a.m. For Bill Smith's talented Broad Ripple crew led by 6-9 junior standout Jeff Robinson, it will be the third meeting with Washington's two-time, state titllsts.

Ripple was a 13-point winner when the two met in the city tourney. One week later Washington slipped the Rockets the first of two losses, 62-60. Basil Sfreddo starts three juniors and a super soph named John Williams but don't be misled they go like seniors. MANUAL HAD to go two overtimes to slip past Franklin Central rear the end of the regular season and the Redskins are digging in for another-wire-to-wire struggle in the tourney opener. All the experts look for a Ripple-Manual windup (8:15, WTTV-4) and if that happens, Ripple will have to whip a good team for the third time to qualify for the Semistate.

All-State candidate Byron Frierson and his Redskin running mates have to be convinced. Muncie Central's 14-8 defending state champs scrambled through the Muncie Sectional, reducing the huge odds against their bid for a third straight state title. Old North Central Conference combatant Richmond 17-6) is the next big stumbling block for the Bearcats in the New Castle Regional, but they can't meet until the title clash. One of Muncie's eight regular season losses came against Richmond in a one-point heartstopper on the road. AT NEW CASTLE WliKhaatar (17-11 vt.

Richmond (17-4) IB Muneta Caalral (144) v. Naw Palaltina (11- AT SEYMOUR George Pimental Paul Palomino Floyd Cantral (l-7) vt. JaMlnn Covntv (1S-7) I Naw Albany (114)) vt. invar Croak (10-4) AT TERRE HAUTE daomllaM (11-10) vt. TH South (104) 11 11:11 II UK 11 (11-11) 11:11 99 i vaa sura (17-S) vt.

Brain (10-1) AT WASHINGTON Bad ford North Lawraaco (174) vt. SavthrWaa a- Crawford County (21-1) vt. Barr-Roav (It- final Bomoo a.m., local tl ma) (All io More Overseas Flights For Boxer Nashville, Tenn. (AP) A member of the U.S. amateur boxing team said Friday an airplane crash in Poland that killed 24 teammates has convinced him never fly overseas again.

"I don't plan to make any more overseas trips. My plans are to wait and fight all the international matches in the United States," welterweight Johnny Bumphus of Nashville said. A Polish airlines jet from New York crashed near the Warsaw airport Friday, killing 87 persons including 24 members of the U.S. boxing team. "It's got me down pretty much because all the guys that were there I knew," Bumphus said.

"We were going in the same direction a week ahead on the same plane and everything, so I'm just grateful it wasn't me that went down in the crash." Bumphus was in Europe last week with the U.S. team that fought East Germany. He was the only American boxer to win his bout. nit Yon? All three unbeatens Highland, New Albany and Argos will have no time to admire their press clippings. HIGHLAND MUST turn back 1977 state champ Carmel (16-6) in the Anderson Regional opener, all the time contemplating a much bigger hurdle against former state champ Kokomo in the regional final.

Kokomo (19-3) should have a much easier time getting there against first-time sectional winner Delta (11-U). Jerry Bomholt and his incredible Highland Scots continue to gather momentum, dedicating their second unbeaten season in five years to Coach Bob Fuller, who died at mid-season. New Albany's first unbeaten team in the school's history heads a Seymour Regional field billed as one of the state's strongest. The 1973 state champs bump into Silver Creek (18-4) in the afternoon with Floyd Central (16-7) tackling Jennings County (15-7) in the lid-lifter. We think so, especially after you see these 3-piece vested suits, which sell in many leading stores for up to $150.00 These suits, are graded "irregulars" by our factory, but we select only the best from each lot, the imperfections being so minor that only your tailor will know.

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