The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 19

Slje Bcs illomcs He DAVID WITKE, Executive Sports Editor, 515-284-8130 No Pain, Only Gain Ankle, knee and groin injuries, plus a virus and too much fat, can't stop Monica Seles in Australia. Page3S Tuesday, January 23, 1996 "jj" Lni TJ1 "I really enjoyed last year, and I'm clad to be Iowa trades Loots for lineman Orta back with the Barnstormers. Maybe the older a person gets, the wiser he gets." Haege, 58, of Alden, was part of a staff that led LAMJ The Iowa Barnstormers have traded quarterback Jeff Loots to Florida for offensive-defensive lineman Ralph Orta. The Florida franchise played in Miami last season. The franchise has been sold; the team now is known as the Bobcats and will play in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Orta, 6 feet 3 inches and 275 pounds, played colle-giately at Maryland and went to training camp in 1993 with Washington of the National Football League. The Redskins released him during the exhibition season. After a failed tryout with the World League of American Football, Orta signed 'with Orlando of the Arena Football League. He was traded to Miami. "I saw Ralph Orta during the World League Football camp, and he was one of the players who really impressed me," Iowa Coach John Gregory said.

"I like his size, quickness and determination. He'll be a strong competitor for one of the line positions." Loots was the third-string quarterback behind starter Kurt Warner and Ron Lopez. Loots did not take a single snap last season. Iowa lost starting lineman Mike Sunvold to Minnesota in the expansion draft. Haege suffered a stroke Nov.

19, which delayed his start with the Fighting Pike. But he insisted his health wasn't a factor. "It really wasn't my health," Haege said. "I realize I was injured, but I'm getting better. I've been very, very fortunate to get better." Haege said he took his recovery better than his employers in Minnesota did.

He said some members of the organization expressed doubt that he could return to coaching. However, Scallen said he made concessions that would have allowed Haege to remain with the team. "We were concerned on whether he would be able to perform the responsibilities with the stresses involved," Scallen told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "We tried to be very supportive. We asked him to come to see a couple of doctors here who could check on him, and on the days he was supposed to show up, he said the roads were too icy and never made it.

We told him he could have another job in the organization." Art Haege quits as coach at Minnesota, rejoins Iowa's Arena Football team. By COREY ROSS Rkgister Stapf Whiter In November, Art Haege was hired to coach the expansion Arena Football League franchise in Minnesota. Last week, Haege became the first Fighting Pike that got away. Haege resigned Jan. 15 and will return as defensive coordinator and personnel director for the Iowa Barnstormers.

On his first day on the job in Minnesota, Haege attended a team try-out camp at Macalester College in St. Paul. He walked out in mid-session and faxed his resignation to owner Tom Scallen the next morning. "I was there for about 4 hours, and it was just a situation where I felt that I was better off to come back to Iowa again," Haege said. the Barnstormers Haege to a 9-6 record Iowa assistant and into the play- off semifinals in their inaugural season.

It was the latest stop on a long coaching trail for Haege. He has coached at several high schools and junior colleges and worked as a college assistant at Wisconsin, Northern Michigan and Westmar. Haege was an assistant at Drake in 1988. A head coaching job seemed enticing, but Minnesota wasn't the right situation, Haege said. "There was just something about the situation that didn't feel right," Haege said, declining to be specific.

Scallen said he was shocked when Haege walked out of the tryout camp. "I said, 'Where are you He said, 'Back to Scallen said. "I didn't want to make a big deal out of it because a lot of people were watching. I'm sorry this didn't work out." Other reports from Minnesota said Haege was dissatisfied with his as I'm concerned." Iowa Coach John Gregory said he was surprised by Haege's decision, but he welcomed Haege back. "We worked well together last year," Gregory said.

"I think he enjoyed the Barnstormers and the people he worked with, and I don't think he saw that kind of stuff up I'm not sure that's where he wanted to be." sistants, although his son, Frank7 was one of them. "Some of the stories are just a little on the wild side," Haege said. "Sometimes people in Minneapolis can go berserk as to how you leave, and I'm not going to get into the reasons I left. "I know I should've left and my reasons are very accurate as far as Steeler Might Play in Super Bowl, Cowboy Might Not Woodson OK; Haley has fever Kahn twins double up on their opponents By GARY LAKE Rkoistkk Staff Writf.k win sisters Megan and Mollie Kahn of Newton wouldn't be caught dead Des Moines man named to Super crew By TOM WITOSKY Km UNTF.K Staff Wxirhk Des Moines businessman John Keck has been named as a member of the officiating crew for the Super Bowl i i A I- I )r i 1 vl XXX game Sunday. Keck, who just completed his 24th season as a National Football League official, said Monday that he will be the umpire on a Keck Umpire Tempe, Ariz.

(AP) Here's a switch: The AFC champion looks like it's one up on the NFC champion heading into the Super Bowl. Rod Woodson, Pittsburgh's ailing cornerback, was cleared Monday to play at the same time Charles Haley, Dallas' sidelined defensive lineman, missed practice because of a fever. Any edge for the AFC, which has lost 1 1 consecutive Super Bowls, is greatly appreciated. Even as early as Monday. "Rod is going to play," Steelers Coach Bill Cow her said after the Steelers arrived in a town gripped as much in Cowboys fever as Super Bowl fever.

But the fever of most concern was the 101-degree temperature that slowed Haley, who is trying to return from back surgery seven weeks ago. The Cowboys' main pass-rushing threat, Haley hasn't played since Dec. 3. "He didn't feel well at breakfast, then felt worse this afternoon," Cowboys Coach Barry Switzer said. "Doctors were giving him some intravenous fluids to try to get him well from the viral infection." While Haley's return is on hold, Woodson's isn't because Cowher was impressed with how Woodson moved during practices.

Woodson has been out since the season opener after injuring his right knee, the kind of injury that normally sidelines players for a year, not four months. Woodson began working out before the AFC title game. He limped noticeably and had trouble cutting, so Cowher's decision to scratch him against Indianapolis was easy. Woodson's work the past week made the latest decision relatively easy, too. "He's made progress," Cowher said.

"Now we have to find out to what extent. We'll probably decide on game day." Being in uniform on game day is the first reward for the nine-year veteran. Playing a significant role would be miraculous. "It would have crushed me if the Steelers made the Super Bowl and I couldn't play," Woodson said. "The Super Bowl is what kept me going.

If SUPER BOWL Please turn to 35 wearing the same outfit unless it was a basketball uniform. But there must be a little variation on the court. If one wears a white ponytail holder, the other wears black. "We fight over clothes, especially when we are shopping and see the same thing," Megan said. "We don't wear the same thing or dress the same way." Mollied added: "Sometimes we will come out of our rooms in the morning wearing the same thing.

So one of us has to go back in and change." Attire is about where the distinctions end. Megan and Mollie are senior starters on the Newton basketball team. They are excellent students who will take their talents to Northeast Missouri State with identical career goals. Gary and Janie Kahn gave the two eldest of their three children the choice of message for the license plates on their Pontiac Grand Am. "H8-2-LUZ." They hate to lose, but at times find themselves competing against each other.

f'They don't want the other to get ahead," Gary said. "But we have a rule to not rub it in." Mollie recalled a basketball camp at Nebraska last summer. "Our teams were playing each other, and my coach told me to guard Megan," Mollie said. "This one time I thought I was playing awesome defense and I was really concentrating, but my team was on offense. Everybody cracked up." In the classroom, the twins are tied for second in their class, behind teammate Amy Spaur, with a 3.98 grade-point average.

We got a B-plus in the same literature class our sophomore year," crew to be headed by veteran referee Red Cashion. It will be Keek's first Super Bowl, having been selected as an alternate once previously. Keck also was a member of the crew that officiated the 1992 AFC championship game between Buffalo and Miami. As umpire, Keck will be the one of the most visible members on the seven-man crew. Keek's position on most plays will be directly behind the defensive line.

He will be responsible for readying the ball at the line of scrimmage prior to each play. In addition, Keck will be responsible for overseeing play along the line of scrimmage wit a primary duty to watch for holding penalties, false starts and illegal bkx'ks. "It is the pinnacle of all assignments in the NFL," Keck said. Crew selection for the Super Bowl is based on performance during the season. Each official is graded and the top-rated official in each category is chosen.

DOUGWKLLSTiikRkiiistkk Twins Mollie, front, and Megan Kahn provide a basketball team. The seniors both plan to com- TWINS Please turntoPage 3S potent one-two punch for the Newton girls' pete for Northeast Missouri State next season. School Board Approves, 8-0 Morning Report Johnston votes to join GIML in '98 Scores NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Atlanta l05Hou5tqri 96 96 San Antonio Milwaukee Miami Vancouver By JOHN NAUGHTON Rwhstkk Staff Wkitf.k 100 BIG EIGHT BASKETBALL (3) Kansas 72 Oklahoma 66 NCAA shakes up staff Daniel Boggan, who joined the NCAA 15 months ago, was put in charge of almost all staff activities Monday in one of several high-level changes announced by executive director Cedric Dempsey. The staff changes are in anticipation of the new governing structure NCAA schools adopted earlier this month. Kinser again invited to I ROC Steve Kinser, who won the Knox-ville Nationals in August for the 1 1th time, will compete in the International Race of Champions for the third consecutive season.

Kinser was invited Monday with NASCAR Winston Cup drivers Rusty Wallace, Terry I.abonte and Johnny Benson Jr. as the field MISSOURI VALLEY BASKETBALL Illinois State lb Mo ndianaState 66 Wichita State 51 TOP 25 BASKETBALL 8) Vajech 66 St Bonaventure 58 NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE CIML. When membership was offered, Ottumwa wanted to join by 1996, but Johnston balked. Growth was catching up to Johnston, a member of the Little Hawkeye Conference. In 1984-85, the school had 463 students; in 1995-96, the number is 846.

"It wasn't many years ago that we were a 2-A school," Johnston Superintendent Dick Sundblad said. "We had two major concerns. No. 1 was our enrollment. No.

2, we felt like our programs could have two additional years to get ready." The CIML's members include five Des Moines schools, two West Des Moines schools, Ames, Ankeny, Fort Dodge, Indianola, Marshalltown, Mason City, Newton, Southeast Polk andJJrbandaleAll arejClass 4-A schools, the state's largest class. Monday, Johnston's school board gave its approval to join the league. "We have anticipated it for about nine months that we were going to go in in 1998," Johnston football coach Garry Auxier said. The CIML would not accept Ot- tumwa without Johnston joining in the same school year; an odd number of schools would have presented scheduling difficulties. Monday's decision came as a relief to Ottumwa officials, whose school board twice approved membership only to be told it couldn't join.

"It's been somewhat frustrating for us," Ottumwa Athletic Director Dave Clement said. "We thought a couple of times that we would be in in 1996. But it's something that's beyond our control." Johnston is anticipated to be Class 4-A in all sports except football this fall. "It's just a time lapse," Sundblad said. "It's like a young guy who rose rapidly and whose coordination hasn't yet caught up with him." The school added a gym last year.

It also will examine expanding its football stadium to accommodate larger crowds. Johnston will use the next two years to prepare its athletes. "We're scheduling as many CIML teams as we can," Johnston Principal Jim Casey said. "By the time we can roll into 1998, we figure kids will have had a chance to play against each other, so it won't come as a shock to them." 7 Ottawa 3 Johnston, la. Two years of speculation ended Monday.

The Johnston school board voted to join the Central Iowa Metropolitan League, beginning in the 1998-99 school year. "It would appear that we're going the way we want to go and at the time we want to be there," said board president Doyle Sanders. The 8-0 vote clears the way for the CIML to expand from 16 to 18 schools by 1998, pending approval by the CIML's council of principals. The principals meet Feb. 8.

Two years ago, Johnston and Ot-tumwa inquired about joining the ChicagCj Colorado Dallas JJsJ.inriors 3 Vancouver 4 Philadelphia 1 Boston Florida Range's Pittsburgh Tampa Bay 4 Montreal reached eight drivers. Previously invited were Winston Cup drivers Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Sterling Martin and Mark Martin..