The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 22

Page 4C Tuesday, June 12, 2001 The Des Moines Register ST High School Soccer Bonds on track to hit 80 home runs SPORTS I Slugger still 230 short of career record With the bar set at 70 home runs, Barry Bonds still needs to hit 39 more in a little more than VA months just about what he has averaged per full season over the past 10 years to become baseball's single-season leader. As for being the all-time leader? Bonds, 36, is in 11th place with 526 career home runs. He's rapidly closing in on Jimmie Foxx (534) and Mickey Mantle (536). He's 230 home runs short of breaking Hank Aaron's all-time record of 755. The Giants play six games this week at Pacific Bell Park.

But Bonds isn't in the mood for talking about the record chase. "You can do anything," Bonds said. "But to talk about it (so early) is ridiculous. You can get hit by a truck tomorrow and then what? (The media) needs to do something else besides hyping up something that isn't there." BONDS, from Page 1C year," says Neagle, now pitching for Colorado. "But when he's making a run at it like that, it's hard not to say, Wow." Neagle says he doesnl believe Bonds' personality will work as a negative.

"Barry's a flamboyant type," Neagle says. "He's always been one of the stars of the game. There is a different star quality to him. There's an aura, a presence to him. There is to McGwire, too, but McGwire's is the more laid-back, dont-give-me-the-attention." Some of Bonds' style, of course, is an acquired taste.

Baltimore Orioles vice president Syd Thrift, who as Pittsburgh general manager brought Bonds to the majors in 1986, recalls phoning Bonds earlier this year to congratulate him on his 500th career home run. According to Thrift, "Barry said, 'It would have happened sooner if ALEX REGISTER Making the call: Soccer is the only Iowa high school sport that allows high school students, such as Urbandale freshman Nate Borland, right, to officiate boys and girls sub-varsity contests. Shortage of officials out of the race and there is little else about the team for fans and media to focus on. "If he starts to let his image in the press get into his mind, he wont be able to do the things he's capable of doing," says Colorado's Ron Gant, who watched McGwire close-up as a teammate in 1998. "That's the reason (Bonds) is such a good player, because he's not worried about those things." Besides, Bonds' personal history indicates he might not even be warming up.

July and August traditionally have been his big power months. Over his 15-year career, he has hit home runs at a 24 percent higher rate during July and August than he has in all other months. As mind-boggling as it might seem, that could put him past McGwire by Labor Day. lets students referee sub-varsity matches No. 1: In a USATODAY.com survey, Barry Bonds was the fans' choice as the greatest player of this generation, receiving 44.8 percent of votes.

Mark McGwire was second with 15. 1 percent. speedway's future Vision Iowa money you had brought me up That's Barry's way of saying, Thank you'" Though reigning National League most valuable player Jeff Kent provides protection batting behind Bonds, the walks continue to mount. He is on pace to walk more than 140 times this year. When the time is right, you put him on," Colorado manager Buddy Bell says.

"But depending on the situation, you need to give a little bit of credit to your pitcher." Giving credit to Bonds is more difficult for some. Skeptics will point to his poor performance in the postseason, when he has a career .196 batting average, as evidence that the pressure will get to him if he approaches McGwire's record. Especially if the Giants are Proposed linked to SPEEDWAY, from Page 1C will consider it. Board members then would vote whether to negotiate the track's request. A final decision is expected within months.

Vision Iowa, a state program that provides financing to build major attractions in Iowa, also is considering a $75 million request for a arena the Iowa Events Center and two other projects in downtown Des Moines. Other proposals competing for Vision Iowa's $95 million balance include riverfront revitalization projects in Davenport and Waterloo. "I would never say yes or no until the application is submitted and it goes through the normal processes," said Michael Gartner, chairman of the Vision Iowa board of directors. The application is expected to include an estimation of the track's economic impact on the state and a market feasibility report. Developers say the track would bring into Iowa as much as $67 million a year.

This should have the biggest economic impact on the state of Iowa than any of the other projects IVe read about," Clement said. "I know what happens around racetracks. I'm not going to say anything negative about other projects. We just think ours is better." The plan has generated contro versy in the Newton area, with opponents criticizing Gerald Low-rie, the track's lead developer, and the Jasper County board of supervisors. Lowne, real-estate developer from California, is a partner in the proposed Yosemite Motor T4 ERIK S.

LESSERASSOCIATED PRESS NFL Green arrives in K.C.: Trent Green throwing the football to living, breathing human beings was a welcome sight Monday at Kansas City's minicamp. It was the first time he had done anything but toss the ball around to spots. His surgically repaired left knee, he said with relief, "felt fine." "IVe been throwing for about three weeks now, but everything IVe been doing has been stationary targets," Green said. "This is the first time throwing to moving targets." Tennis New rules: The four Grand Slam tournaments announced changes Monday in their seeding systems designed to protect star players and satisfy specialists. The tourneys are doubling the number of seeded players to 32, with the order determined using a formula that assesses past performance on each event's playing surface.

The new system ensures that the top 32 players in the ATP and WTA rankings will be seeded. Auto Racing Monday's news: a judge upheld a new Florida law that was crafted to seal autopsy photos of Dale Earnhardt, rejecting arguments that it unfairly prevented access to public information. IRL driver Davey Hamilton was in stable condition after a crash at the Casino Magic 500. He broke both legs and severely injured his feet in turn 2 on Saturday. 3 victory LA LAKERS (Ml MIN F0 FT RB A TO PF TP 22 1-3 1-2 3 2 2 2 3 29 2-5 0 0 7 1 0 3 4 41 11-20 8-9 12 3 3 6 30 31 2-5 3-4 2 2 1 6 7 Fox Grant ONeal Fisher Bryant Shaw Horry Lug Team 48 13-30 6 6 6 3 3 2 32 28 0-3 0-0 5 3 2 3 0 24 4-5 4-4 4 3 1 2 15 17 2-4 0-0 1 1 1 2 5 7 240 17 ii i ik Totali PHILADELPHIA 191) MIN F0 FT A TO PF TP Jones Hill Mutombo McKie Iverson Snow Geiger Bell MacCulloch Ollie Team 18 1-2 0-0 1 26 1-7 0-0 0 113 0 14 2 42 9-14 5-8 12 a i 2-8 1-1 6 8 3 1 5 4 12-30 10-13 12 4 1 1 35 34 4-11 6-7 5 3 4 14 0 2 3 4 5 2-2 0-0 17 1-5 0-0 0 13 2 8 0-0 0-O 0 0 0 0 0 1 1-11-1 10 0 13 Totali 240 33 80 23-30 nil 17 it vt Lakert Jfi Philadelphia 25 20 21 2591 Ihree-pomt goals-LA Lakers 4-10 (Horry 3-3 Lm 1-2.

fisher 0-1. fox 0-1, Shaw 0-1. Bryant 0-2) Philadelphia 2-12 (Jones 1-2, Iverson 1-6 McKie 0-1. Snow 0-1 Bell 0-2) Technicals Lue. Grant.

Iverson A 20 900 4 TP Reus By LISA C0L0NN0 REGISTER STAFF WRITER When 15-year-old Nate Borland steps on the soccer field, his appearance is unlike any of the other players. Instead of school colors, he wears an official's uniform. Borland is a freshman at Urbandale High School who is helping change the face of high school soccer officiating in Iowa. Soccer is the only Iowa high school sport in which a student can officiate. High school students are restricted to officiating junior high-level contests in all other sports, but teenage soccer officials may officiate sub-varsity contests involving schools other than their own.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union approved the variance in policy last winter due to the shortage of high school soccer officials in Iowa. Mike Ballard of the Mid-Iowa Soccer Officials Association, which is in charge of assigning officials to matches in the central Iowa area, said the move served a huge need. "Its biggest advantage is to relieve stress on officials," Ballard said. "Freshmen games killed us for assignments. It will help because soccer is growing so quickly." The IHSAA has 326 officials registered for soccer in Iowa, compared to about 1,000 officials for baseball.

The IGHSAU has 374 officials registered for soccer in the state. The number of high school students registered to officiate high school-level soccer is low because this is the first year they can officiate at that level. Three high school students are registered with the IGHSAU to work soccer matches. Fourteen high school students are registered through the IHSAA to officiate boys' soccer matches. Dave Anderson, an administrative assistant with the association, expects the number of high school-aged soccer officials to rise.

"Next year, as we get the information out earlier, there will be more students showing interest," Anderson said. Potential officials must pass a written rules examination and pay to register, as do all other individuals wanting to officiate. The young officials' hardest test comes on the field. "It's more difficult to officiate if you are younger," Anderson said. "Others question your experience and knowledge.

It takes a special personality to be an official. Not everything directed at you is Iowa Football signings: Larry Ebel, a defensiveoffensive tackle from Leavenworth, has signed to play football at Northwestern College in Orange City, la. Ebel was a second team all-league selection. Indianola's Blair Westerly has announced he will attend Augusta College in the falL Westerly, a 5-foot 1-inch running back defensive back, was a second team Soccer playoffs start Wednesday The 2001 girls' regional soccer tournament begins Wednesday and runs through Monday. The champions of the eight regions advance to the state tournament, scheduled June 22-23 in Muscatine.

positive." Borland, who started officiating when he was 10 years old, said he has yet to encounter anyone in the four sub-varsity matches he's offi ciated to rib him about his age. "You have to act professionally at the high school level," Borland said. From pregame to postgame, you put on a show. You have to make professional calls. If you slip once, they re on you for the rest of the game.

A lot of kids don want to do that." Borland's first high school-level contest was a freshmen boys' match between Newton and Valley in early May. "It was kind of weird," Borland said. "There was a kid I used to play with We were doing the coin toss and he cracked up, but people respect me. I know I have a job to do and I do it. Newton freshmen boys' coach Chuck Knutsen thought Borland appeared younger than other offi cials he had encountered.

"It went well. He made calls to keep the guys in check. He read the book and knew what was going on, Knutsen said. Borland worked as the center official in the four matches he has worked. Both the IHSAA and the IGHSAU do not plan to allow high school students to officiate at the varsity level.

Troy Dannen, an associate executive secretary with the IGH SAU, is unsure if the next step will be taken. "We haven't even discussed it," Dannen said. "High school students cant officiate at the sub-varsity level in other sports. Anderson said the IHSAA has yet to evaluate how the new offi cials are working out, but he is in unaware of any major problems. While players on the field may dream of advancing to play college soccer and professional soccer, Borland dreams of advancing to the top level of officiating.

He wants to be able to officiate NCAA Division I soccer in his freshman year of college. Eventually, he would like to officiate Major League Soccer. "I want to get up to the highest level I can, Borland said. Reporter Lisa Colonno can be reached at (515) 284-8012 or colonnolnews.dmreg.com Scene all-conference selection last season. Meder on foreign team: Iowa's Lindsey Meder has been selected by the Big Ten Conference to compete on the 2001 women basketball foreign tour team on Aug.

7-18, which includes games in France and Switzerland. The team will be coached by Wisconsin head coach Jane Albright. The powers behind Iowa Motor Speedway Gerald Lowrie and Ron Kusch, California real-estate developers who are partners in the proposed Yosemite Motor Speedway in Madera, Calif. Ben Shawneego, president and general manager of Shawneego Electric Co. Michael Cardenas, owner of Michael Cardenas Accountancy Corp.

and past director of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Larry Clement, a Fort Dodge auto dealer and race-team owner. Stan Clement, a Newton farmer and commercial developer. Speedway in Madera, Calif.

a project that has yet to get off the ground. "I've got 852 signatures on petitions from people opposed to the county just giving this property away," said Marvin Woods, who lives near the speedway site. "You've got $5.8 million in land that's being given to a property developer from California who hasn't developed anything." Track supporters disagree, saying a partnership between the county and track planners will require developers to pay for the land at its appraised value while the county handles road improvements, sewers and other infrastructure costs. "It's not a bad investment, in my opinion," said Leo VanElswyk, chairman of the Jasper County board of supervisors. While the county board of supervisors has gone along with the plan, some area residents have questioned what Woods calls "the weird stuff" surrounding the project.

Some of Woods' accusations stem from the closing of a county care facility on the speedway site Schedule BEST-0F-SEVEN ALL GAMES ON NBC SUNDAY'S GAME L.A. Lakers 96, Philadelphia 91 (Lakers lead series, 2-1) WEDNESDAY'S GAME 8:00 L.A. Lakers at Philadelphia FRIDAY'S GAME 8:00 L.A. Lakers at Philadelphia MONDAY, JUNE 18 8:00 Philadelphia at L.A. Lakers, if necessary been able to do what weVe been able to do thus far this year shows our heart." The victory means the Lakers have the luxury of two more home games if needed.

But having improved to 6-0 on the road in these shortly before plans for the track were made public in January. Woods says the county still owes for a new heating and cooling system for the building, which now sits empty. "The taxpayers are left with the bill for the heating and cooling on this building, and the county is just giving this land away," Woods said. "A lot of people here don't trust our county supervisors. They don't believe that it was just coincidental that this racetrack came along right after the county home was shut down." County officials have said the care facility was closed because it was losing money, not because of plans for the racetrack.

"This board worked very hard to keep the care facility open, but the financial picture was so dim that we would have had to increase taxes to keep it open," Van Elswyk said. "But you will never convince some people of that. This racetrack came after the closing of the care facility." The Vision Iowa staff has received correspondence from people for and against the track, Gartner said. The letters will be submitted during the process. "It's one of the two projects that seems to have stirred the letter writers," Gartner said.

"There are letters coming in every week, and we keep them on file. "IVe had no personal contact with anyone about it, but the board always looks at public reaction. I don't know if controversial is the right word, but weVe received letters on both sides." The track's developers still remain confident. "We think the numbers will speak for themselves," Clement said. for Game playoffs, they appear fully capable of closing out the series here.

Games 4 and 5 are Wednesday and Friday. O'Neal picked up his third and fourth fouls within a 15-second span late in the third quarter and went to the bench with 124 left in the period. O'Neal was able to play most of the fourth but with limited effectiveness. His final foul came while backing down Dikembe Mutombo under the basket. "I didn't think the best defensive player in the game would be flopping like he did," O'Neal said.

"That's a shame that the referees buy into that. I wish he'd stand up and play me like a man instead of flopping and crying every time I back him down. It's just a shame." I Horry rescues Lakers FINALS, from Page 1C the bench, the 76ers closed the gap to 8938. But Horry hit a three-pointer from the left corner with 47 seconds to play, then hit all four of his free throws down the stretch. "I guess you'd have to say that Robert Horry stepped into a mas sive role again like he does," coach Phil Jackson said.

It came out of necessity. Bryant led the Lakers with 32 points but struggled in the second half. O'Neal scored 30 points but spent the final 2 minutes 21 seconds on the bench. "We had to play through a lot tonight," said Shaw. "The fact we won the championship last year shows our heart.

The fact we've.