The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 25

jRcpslvr BUSINESS OH 7S DAVID WTTKE, executive sports editor, 515-284-8130 Thursday, May 18,1989 Events have passed on, but champs are forever MARC HANSEN By RACHEL BLOUNT Readier SMI Witter After 27 years, Kay Justice still has the medal. She thinks it's stashed in a drawer somewhere ir her Omaha home, tacked to the track letter she won at Dow City-Arion high school, right where she put it after throwing a basketball 92 feet to win the state championship. Justice has something else from that day, too. As Iowa's only state champion in the girls' basketball throw, she has the satisfaction or the novelty, anyway of knowing her record will stand for all time. Not even Carl Lewis can say that.

"I suppose it's something I'll always remember," said Justice, who was Kay Houston when she set her record as a senior in 1962. "Nobody can ever take that away. But sometimes, I wish someone would. I'll never know just bow good I really was." Such is the fate of those who hold records in dead events. Since the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union began sponsoring a track and field championship in 1962, several events have come girls something to toss besides footballs, softballs and the shot.

The athlete stood in a circle much like that used for the discus and shot put. She cradled the basketball in her arm and spun out of the circle, flinging the ball sidearm. "It was pretty unwieldy," Kloster said, noting that some accuracy was important because of the damage a basketball could do to the head of an unsuspecting bystander. "It didn't last long." "We got that out of there in a hurry after that first year," said Mike Henderson of the girls' union. "The next year, a company started manufacturing a rubber or plastic-type discus, and we replaced the basketball throw with the discus throw.

But people tried to get that one winner in the Hall of Fame for years." Another event, the 220-yard medley relay, also was scratched DEAD EVENTS Please turn to Page 4S and gone, among them the basketball throw, the football throw, the Softball throw and the 220-yard medley relay with no exchange rules. Ditto for the boys. Before World War II, Iowa boys threw the javelin; in the early '40s, they threw footballs. This spring, the pole vault will join those events in the state's track and field graveyard, conferring instant immortality upon the last teen-ager to jump the highest. "For most of these sports, I think it's just a case of changing times," said La Verne Kloster, a longtime girls' track coach now at Dubuque Wahlert.

"Over the years, we've tried to move more toward competing in the same events as college teams. Most of the events that were dropped were things that just didn't fit in anymore." Or, in some cases, things that never did fit in. Take the basketball throw. It was made an official field event in 1962 to give DAN JOHNSONTh Rrgiller talks, but Pistons walk No wonder the Detroit Pistons can't get through a game without planting an elbow in someone's eye socket. No wonder they lead the league in fines, patrolling the NBA with a per-ma-press scowl.

The reason the Pistons are surly is this: The best basketball team in the world is, by NBA standards, underpaid. They're mad as heck and they aren't going to take it anymore. Which is why they're title-bound. Sure, that's dubious reasoning, but it's more original than saying they'll win because of the playoff-long home-court advantage they earned during the regular season. First, the Pistons will beat the Bulls (or Knicks) in the Eastern Con- You can't judge a person by a check.

llo fish story: Grappie nets her $45,000 Burlington woman hooks tagged fish in tournament iff '2 -3 ,4 Mll, i mm nil i i i i '''(, i -V t-. ference finals. Then they'll defeat the Lakers for the championship. Magic Johnson, forced this year to give newcomer Mark Aguirre and old hand Isiah Thomas the traditional pre-tip peck on the cheek, will spread himself too thin. And the Pistons will win in six.

Mostly, they'll do it with that home-court advantage, that long bench, that short fuse, that stifling defense and that chip on their shoulders. And they'll do it without the normal champion's array of millionaires. It's true: The team with the best record in the NBA this season placed no players in the Sport magazine survey of the top 100 salaries. Each of the other playoff teams still ticking boast at least one player among the 100 highest-paid athletes in North America, as determined by Sport. The Lakers have Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, at $3 million a year the high By TOM ROLLINGS Reenter Staff Writer Sharon Binkley of Burlington passed her test Wednesday.

As a result, she'll pick up a check for $45,000 today. It all started last Sunday, when Binkley caught a crappie with a tag that made it worth $45,000 in the Crappiethon fishing tournament at Lake Rathbun. Wednesday, she drove 10WA SPORTSMAN to Des Moines, where she passed a polygraph test required of all big-money winners in the tournament to make certain they have abided by tournament rules and state regulations. Binkley is to receive her money at a news conference this morning at the Lake Rathbun Boat Trailer and Bait shop. The fish Binkley caught was one of about 1,300 released in the lake for tournament fishermen to try to catch.

"When I caught the tagged crappie at 11:30 a.m., I noticed the tag, but figured it was only worth a free meal at a restaurant somewhere I wouldn't have a chance to go to," Binkley said. "After we pulled the tag out of the fish at the bait house at 4:30 p.m. and found it was worth $45,000, 1 began jumping up and down and hugging everyone in the store." Binkley's fish was worth $15,000 in basic prize money, but because she was using a Cast-A-Country-Mile Johnson reel, she received an additional $30,000. Crappiethon spokesman Pete Greiner said fishing equipment companies give bonuses if tournament prize-winners use those companies' Different cast racing strip Wednesday. Peter Mouw and pacer Cowley County were first to work out on the track.

STORY: 6S. With the harness racing meet to start May 26 at Prairie Meadows, stan-dardbred horses pulling sulkies and drivers replaced Thoroughbreds on the 40 years later, Wier stars on another court Reuschel loses perfect game, but wins 201st equipment to catch the tagged fish. If Binkley had been using a Johnson Triflex fishing rod, she would have received $15,000 more for a grand total of $60,000, the biggest prize est-paid basketball player of them all. They have Magic, at $2.5 million the third-highest player in the game. They have James Worthy, tied for 17th at $1.3 million.

The Knicks have Patrick Ewing at $2.75 million. The Bulls have Michael Jordan at $2.15 mill. The Phoenix Suns have Tom Chambers, $1.3 million. Of the teams that were eliminated, Boston had Kevin McHale at $1.3 million and Robert Parish at $1.5 million. With injured Larry Bird, the Celtics had $1.8 million on the bench, nursing sore feet.

Atlanta had Moses Malone at $1.5 million and Dominique Wilkins at $1.48 million. Milwaukee had Jack Sikma at $1.6 million and Terry Cummings at $1.3 million. Philadelphia had Charles Barkley at $1.5 million. Houston had Akeem Olajuwon at $1.8 million. Utah had Karl Malone at $1.2 million.

Golden State had Ralph Sampson at $1.9 million maybe the worst bargain per inch in the league. Denver had Alex English at $1.6 million. Many of the teams that didn't make the playoffs fared better in Sport's survey. Danny Manning, shattered knee and all, gets $1.5 million from the Clippers. The lowly Nets were represented by Joe Barry Carroll at $1.4 million and Buck Williams at $1.2 million.

The Mavericks are paying Adrian Dantley $1.25 million. The Pistons have nobody on Sport's list, which proves two things: 1) You can't judge a person by his weekly check stub. (Often, it doesn't reflect deferred income.) 2) You shouldn't put total faith in Sport's survey, seeing as Thomas makes about $2 million a year and offered in the tournament. Greiner said about $200,000 in prize money is still available in the 60-day tournament, which ends By BUCK TURNBULL RnlsNr Staff Writer Perhaps the most unusual achievement of Murray Wier's distinguished athletic career was not what happened in 1948 and that was a rarity but what he did in 1988. Wier, who is retiring this month after 38 years as a coach, athletic director and teacher at Waterloo East High School, was a 5-foot 8-inch all-America basketball player at Iowa in 1948.

There haven't been many 5-8 ail-Americans, and Wier made it even though The Associated Press limited its honor to just five players. Wier had a special flair for the game, and an incredible shooting touch seemingly, at his most effective when knocked off-balance and falling down. Today, he is a tennis player, and he's becoming just as legendary on the court as he was on the basketball floor. Wier, 62, has lost only one match in June 13. One of the remaining tagged fish is worth $1,000, plus $29,000 in bonus money if a certain sponsor's fishing equipment is used; another is worth $1,000, plus a $25,000 bonus.

Had Jimmie Pearson of Ottumwa tennis success by winning the Iowa Open championship for players 55 and over. He was unseeded because he hadn't played in enough tournaments to be recognized, but he knocked off the first and second seeds on his way to the title. "I took a tennis class at Iowa under Don Klotz, and I liked it," Wier said of the former longtime University of Iowa tennis coach. "But back then, I didn't have time to play the game very seriously. So I didn't really start playing until about 25 years ago." He discovered that the fires of competition still burned.

"In one of my first matches, I lost to a pot-bellied, fat guy who humiliated me," Wier said. "I was mad totally embarrassed and I said to myself, 'If I'm going to do this, I'm never ever going to let this happen So I really got after it." He has taken no lessons, however, because, just as in basketball, he believes his style is too unorthodox. He has learned by watching others and by playing every chance he gets. He even coached tennis for 10 years after giving up basketball coaching in 1976. Wier coached basketball at Water- From Register Wire Services PHILADELPHIA, PA.

In Rick Reuschel's 200 major-league victories before the age of 40, he never pitched better than a two-hitter. On Wednesday night, one day after his 40th birthday, Reuschel flirted with perfection for the first time, retiring the first 20 Philadelphia batters he faced before Tom Herr singled past first baseman Will Clark. Herr was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double and Jeff Brantley retired Philadelphia in order in the ninth to finish a 6-0 victory for San Francisco. "You don't think about perfect games, no-hitters at my age," Reuschel said. "You don't expect no-hitters.

When you get in that neighborhood, it's nice." Reuschel said he threw Herr a sinker a little too far inside. "I wanted to throw a strike because I was behind in the count," be said. "I was going to battle him, get some good swings," Herr said. "I figured if he got by me, he might have a REUSCHEL Please turn to Page 3S been using a certain manufacturer's fishing equipment April 24, when she caught her tagged crappie, she would have won $11,000. Instead, she won $1,000.

Leonard Brunson of Hartford Murray Wier From basketball to tennis loo East for 24 years, taking eight of his teams to the state tournament. His 1960 team finished second, and his 1974 team was state champion. Although Wier admits crying the day he graduated from Iowa "Those were the best years of my life," he said there will be no tears upon his retirement. He'll miss the adults he has associated with for many years, he said, but WIER Please turn to Page 3S caught a tagged crappie last Sunday that netted $1,000. Up to 8,000 fishermen are expected to take part in the tournament, which began April 15.

the last two years. This is not just age-group tennis, Last Saturday, a one-day Crappie thon U.S.A. two-person tournament CRAPPIE either. Most of his matches are against younger players. He fills the No.

1 singles spot on a Waterloo team that is one of the best in Iowa. In 1988, he reached the peak of his Please turn to Page 3S tmmm report TV Today Baseball 8 a.m. (JjapAuto Racing A RCA 500 (R) 9 a.m. (TstTlAuto Racing IHRA Winternationals (R) 12 p.m. (JSN) Boning Danny Morgan vs Mike Po'i'tt, mKM'eweights (R) 8p.m.

(USfi Boning Uriah Grant vs MikeSediMo. light heavyweights 9 pm. tfSf) Auto Racing USAC Midgets somehow got lost in the green shuffle. Last fall, the Piston floor leader signed an eight-year, $16 million contract, which puts him right up there in the middle of the NBA top 10. All the same, how can anyone expect anything but a chip on the Pistons' shoulders when they're overlooked by Sport magazine and playing with only one millionaire? Bill Laimbeer, the ever-unpopular center, is a national object of loathing, and all for a meager $630,000 a year.

Why, his father William Laimbeer Sr. of the Great Northern Nekoosa Corp. of Toledo makes more than half that much. It must be embarrassing, an NBA starter not even making twice as much as bis father. Then there's Aguirre, an all-star, a seasoned pro, pulling in less than a million dollars.

Think of his sinking self-esteem. No wonder the Pistons are cranky all the time. No wonder Rick Mahorn has been fined $11,000 this season or $500 more than the Trail Blazers, fine runners-up. When the Pistons finally win, will they know how to smile? 1 130 p.m. (CStTAuto Racing Nissan CW-Road 400 (Tape) 2:30 a.m.

fE'StTjTcnnis U.S. Men Clay Court Championships, final match (R) AMERICAN LEAGUE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION Baltimore 8 Texas 2 Buffalo 4 Pawtucket 2 Ca'ifornia 5 Boston Columbus 9 Iowa 1 Chtcago 10 Detroit 7 LouisvHe 2 Indianapolis Cleveland 6 Toronto 3 Nashville 2 Tidewater 0 Milwaukee 9 Seattle 6 Rochester 6 Q'ahomaCity 7 Minnesota Kansas C'ty 3 Scranton-WB 3 Denver 2 OaKiand 8 New York 3 Toledo 4 Omaha 2 NATIONAL LEAGUE Hockey Chicago 4 Atlanta Cincinnati 5 Pittsburgh 4 STANLEY CUP FINALS Houston 3 St Louis 2 Montreal 4 Calgary 2 Losgtes 4 New York 3 S3n Pf go 6 Montreal 5 San Francisco 6 Philadelphia 0 KENTUCKY CANDIDATES. University of Kentucky Athletic Director CM. Newton has three primary candidates for the Wildcats' job of head basketball coach, but he says the position may stay open until early July. "Until July, when recruiting starts again, there's no real advantage in getting someone in here," he said.

The top candidates for the job are New York Knicks Coach Rick Pitino, Virginia Coach Terry Holland and New Jersey Nets assistant coach Lee Rose. AGENTS SEEK NEW TRIAL. Attorneys for convicted sports agents Norby Walters and Lloyd Bloom are seeking a new trial for their clients, contending a federal judge made errors. In motions filed with U.S. District Judge George M.

Marovich, the attorneys said he made erroneous rulings concerning evidence and testimony. They specifically complained Tuesday that Marovich barred them from cross-examining a key prosecution witness. Walters, 58, and Bloom, 29, were convicted last month on charges of racketeering, framl and conspiracy. HELP SOUGHT FKOM PROS. Drug czar William J.

Bennett suggested Wednesday that since pro sports have such a special place in society they should take the lead in setting tough drug 'or the nation. Quotes of the Day "If the fight with Tyson was in a bodybuilding school, bet on Tony If it was held in a bar, bet on Tony Dova, trainer of football player Tony Mandarich, who wants to fight heavy weight champion Mike Tyson for $10 million. "You trade Dominique, you might as well send me back Washington. Trade Dominique, put me on the ship with him. -que's not what's wrong wiu this team.

Dominique's our r-star." Mosrf Malone of the Atlanta Hawks. ifB iH. iTi ti ift ir A -ft r- rill mfc n.jft i 1J A i I 1 I.