St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 12

A. E5N0V251999 Girls basketball previews Turn to today's Community Sports section for previews of high school girls basketball. Proehl plans quick return Rams wide receiver Ricky Proehl is enjoying the team's success, and he wants to get over his shoulder injury quickly to get back to the fun of winning. F3 if; Thursday, November 25, 1999 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH Section It Giving thanks "I woke up and I couldn't feel my legs.

That's it" '4 Illinois will go to bowl in Miami i .7 i it 5 7 LAURIE SKRIVAN POST-DISPATCH Dana Meyer's basketball chair has five wheels, enabling her to maneuver quickly on the court with her St. Louis Rolling Rams teammates. Sports help teen learn to live on wheels Here are 10 keys I wfe fateg tofep about Rams' revival I give thanks for the Rams, St. Louis football fans have patiently waited for a season like this, and the ride is only beginning. After all of the years of frustration, after all of the years with no football, it's great to see so many people enjoying the season and rallying around the Rams.

St. Louis can look forward to being host for an NFL playoff game for the first time. And if the Rams can fin- ish strong and clinch the home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs, the Super Bowl will be within reach. These are the best kind of seasons, because the success was so un-expected especially after Beraie pJdasz starting quar terback Trent Green went down with a season-ending knee injury in the preseason. Instead of going into mourning, the Rams threw a surprise party.

In no particular order, here are my 10 reasons why the Rams went from being the worst team of the decade to one of the best teams in 1999: 1. The Marshall plan: Marshall Faulk might be the best all-around player in the NFL. He leads the NFC in combined rushing-receiv-ing yards. He's tied for the league lead in the number of runs of 10 or more yards. He leads the NFL in most yards gained after making a catch.

He leads the NFL in percentage of passes caught; when the Rams attempt to throw to him, it has ended in a reception 84 percent of the time. Because of his multiple skills, Faulk is the Rams' counterattack to any defensive strategy, and he creates freedom for teammates. 2. The new Vermeil: Coach Dick Vermeil provided the impetus for change by recognizing that his old-style ways were obsolete. He broke his sentimental ties to mediocre players and ineffective assistants, opening the door to new talent and new ideas.

And DV repaired his fractured relationship with the players. Talent is up. Morale is up. Rams Park is a happy place. 3.

Bruce on the loose: When Isaac Bruce is healthy, there isn't a more dangerous wide receiver in the NFL. And after two years of chronic hamstring problems, Bruce is back, with 56 catches for 787 yards and 11 TDs. Defenses are obsessed with shutting Ike down, and that creates opportunities for other members of the Warner Brothers. And Bruce's intensity generates sparks that excite the other players. 4.

Special Where would the Rams be without Kurt Warner? The organization was emotionally devastated when Green got knocked out for the season. The Rams had to turn to Warner, a little-used former Arena Football Meyer's basketball, tennis prowess may win her a college scholarship By Shannon Conner Of the Post-Dispatch Close your eyes, and it sounds like a car crash. All metal on metal, screeching tires and yelling. Burning rubber. Fingers smashed and pinched on the wheels.

Strapped in and ready for the ride, Dana Meyer, 17, invites the crash. But she didn't ask to be in the seat. It's basketball practice for the St. Louis Rolling Rams wheelchair team, and this is how Dana spends every Tuesday and Thursday night. She cruises alongside Casey, 11, and Kevin, 15.

Both have spina bifida. There's Silas, 17, who was born with one functioning leg and only half of the other. Jim is the coach. He lost both his legs, but he'll tell you right where they are Vietnam. Dana's legs are long.

She's 5 til nil in- I -T W-rmnl -If- srl and one in back for balance. The big wheels are cambered. Her legs look heavy as she arranges them and straps them iu. Then, they involuntarily begin bouncing in place. It looks as if she's jittery, but she has no control.

Dana steadies each one by placing a hand on her thigh and holding it there. She is also strapped in at the waist. Because she has no abdom LAURIE SKRIVAN POST-DISPATCH Dana Meyer's social life includes hanging out with her boyfriend, fellow Lutheran South student Chris Shearman. Illini get invited to play ACC team in MicronPC.com Bowl By Nick Wishart Of the Post-Dispatch Turning to the next chapter in its surprisingly successful football season, the University of Illinois on Wednesday accepted an invitation to play in the MicronPC.com Bowl on Dec. 30 in Miami.

"We're really excited and happy to be a part of this," Illinois coach Ron Turner said during a media call. "I know our guys will be extremely excited. This is the bowl game they were hoping for, and none of us wanted to be home for the holidays." The game will be televised nationally on TBS (cable) and will be played at 6 p.m. St. Louis time at Pro Player Stadium against an Atlantic Coast Conference squad that has yet to be selected.

Mitch Morrall, executive director of the bowl, said likely opponents are Virginia or Georgia Tech, with Wake Forest being a long shot. This weekend's game between Georgia and Georgia Tech will help determine which team from the ACC plays where, Morrall said, and the Illini's opponent probably will be known by Sunday. See Illinois, F3 MicronPC.com Bowl Illinois vs. TBA (ACC No. 4) When: 6 p.m.

Dec. 30 Where: Pro Player Stadium in Miami TV: TBS Tickets: Orders will be accepted at the Illinois athletic ticket office in the Assembly Hall North Box Office beginning at 9 a.m. Monday or by phone at (21 7) 333-3470. Tickets also will be available via the Internet atwww.fightjngillini.com Prices: Club-level seats are $48, and lower-level seats are $39. Estimated payout: $750,000 per team of a showdown for first place.

Rookie Tyson Nash tried to get the Blues going early by drawing a roughing penalty on Mathieu Dandenault on his first shift at 5 minutes 57 seconds, but the Blues couldn't score when they had a power play. Goalie Chris Osgood gloved a Michael Handzus shot and blocked back-to-back chances by Jochen Hecht and Derek King. Referee Rob Shick evened out the penalties by whistling Blues captain Chris Pronger for holding Stacy Roest's stick at 10:34. With some inspired play by Craig Conroy, the Blues killed the penalty, but the Red Wings caught the Blues on a line change after the penalty expired. Winger Doug Brown took a break-out pass from Igor Larionov See Blues, FS inal muscles, Dana cannot pick herself up if she slumps over or reaches for a ball and misses.

She follows the same procedure when getting into her tennis chair two big wheels and a little one in back for balance. The tennis season ended last month after she won a singles title at the U.S. Open in San Diego. She is ranked 49th in the world. Forfeiting her legs Almost four years ago, Dana walked into Missouri Baptist hospital for surgery to correct scoliosis.

She had a chance of losing the use of her legs. She never walked again. Doctors inserted rods into the 13-year-old's curved spine to straighten it. The procedure failed when the blood supply to Dana's back was cut off, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down. She was supposed to be in the hospital for a week.

She stayed for almost six. "I woke up and I couldn't feel my legs," Dana said, her green eyes wide. "That's it." What happened afterward forever changed the Meyer family. See Meyer, F6 2 for 28 points, two behind the Red Wings in the Central Division standings. The Red Wings, who had lost back-to-back games, improved to 13-6-3-1 for 30 points.

The loss ended the Blues' unbeaten streak at six (4-0-2) It also extended the Blues' regular-season winless streak to eight games (0-6-2) at Joe Louis. The Blues trailed 3-1 entering the third period, but cut the Red Wings' lead to 3-2 on Pavol Demitra's rebound goal at 4 minutes 23 seconds. After the teams battled on even terms through much of the third period, Brendan Shanahan scored his ninth goal of the season for Detroit, an empty-net goal with 30 seconds left. The Blues fell behind 2-0 in a listless first period that lacked the energy, emotion and enthusiasm Gift of turkeys, time with Rams brighten season Red Wings get a quick jump, then find way to fend off Blues feet 9. The Lutheran South High junior has a brown ponytail down her back and is wearing black sweats.

She moves with grace. Her half-open mouth is always turned up at the corners, even when she's shooting. Twice a week, she loads herself from her everyday chair into the basketball chair it has five wheels, two big wheels, two Rollerblade-looking ones in front staff members distributed the fixin's' for 864 turkey dinners. Staffing the Northland site were linebacker Mike Morton and defensive tackle Ray Agnew. Tony Home, Joe Germaine, Jeff Robinson and program progenitor D'Marco Fair handled duties at the Urban League's center in the Central West End.

Roland Williams, Troy Pelshak, Ron Carpenter and Lionel Barnes distributed the birds at the East St. Louis Armory. The players brought with them an army of office staff, cheerleaders and spouses, all of whom ended up doing much of the heavy lifting. Not that Morton and Agnew weren't willing. They started out as the front-line troops, heaving the 15-pound turkeys, until someone in line recognized them and asked for autographs.

See Turkeys, F6 "For someone like me, this makes Thanksgiving'' By Kathleen Nelson Of the Post-Dispatch Imagining a gloomier place than the Urban League offices at Northland Shopping Center would be tough. A single lamp illuminated its 1,000 or so square feet Tuesday. Then, the rain came, further darkening the interior. But add a few turkeys, a few Rams and the spirit of giving, and the cavern turned into a beacon of light and hope. Northland was one of three sites where Rams players and Early leads give Detroit a leg up en route to lead in Central Red Wings 4, Blues 2 By Dave Luecking Of the Post-Dispatch DETROIT After staking Detroit to a pair of two-goal leads, the Blues couldn't come back against the Red Wings on Wednesday night, losing 4-2 in a first-place showdown at Joe Louis Arena.

The loss left the Blues at 13-7- Ulione takes over League star who had attempted only 11 passes in the NFL. But Warner believed in himself. After his confident performance in the final preseason game, Warner's teammates quickly developed faith in him. Unshakable under pressure, challenged in a variety of ways by defenses, Warner continues to stand tall and make plays. He's thrown for 27 touchdowns and 2,649 yards and is the NFL's most heartwarming story in 1999.

5. Air Martz: The Rams have an impressive cast of playmakers, but someone had to choreograph the show of stars. Enter Mike Martz, a former Rams assistant and a football descendant of Don Coryell. Martz draws the best X's and O's in the NFL this season the Rams lead the NFL in points and yards but he connects with the players. He finds ways to spread the ball, share the wealth and keep everyone satisfied.

Bruce was emotionally rejuvenated as soon as Martz walked into Rams Park. 6. Armey men: Charlie Armey, the Rams' vice president of personnel, keeps supplying players for Vermeil. Armey has done well with the more expensive free agents guard Adam Timmer-man, defensive tackle Ray Agnew, outside linebacker Todd Collins and safety Devin Bush. But Armey really has an eye for the bargains that keep the salary cap in line.

Armey signed Warner, he found middle linebacker London -j- See Miklasz, F3 at Gateway International Raceway Preventing academic scandals As the 1999-2000 college basketball season gets under way, the ramifications of a widespread academic scandal at the University of Minnesota hover over the sport. The Post-Dispatch examines how the University of Missouri, St. Louis University and the University of Illinois have reacted to the matter and why the schools believe they have safeguards against such an occurrence. F8 Brian Ulione, a former Rams vice president of sales, has been named vice presidentgeneral manager at Gateway International Raceway. Ulione, 45, replaced Rod Wolter, who was promoted to vice president of constructiondevelopment for all Dover Downs Entertainment Inc.

motor sports facilities in the Midwest region: Gateway, Memphis Motorsports Park and Nashville Superspeedway. "For me, this is a great opportunity to manage a first-class sporting venue in a first-class market," said Ulione, who spent four years with the Rams before leaving earlier this year. Ulione is a native of Paramus, N. and played football at Rutgers, where he received a degree in public administration in 1976. Ken Roberts Clem Haskins lost his job at Minnesota for academic misconduct..