St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 61

tart The St. Charles Post Apr. 3, 1 984 5SC Howell )e Stair Inlesiding Dflissoju I i i aL Potthoff possesses an amazing shooting touch for a man his size. He can drill in the 20-foot shot with consistency and also handles the ball well. His strength inside and rebounding abilities need more work, but that is something Coach Norm Stewart and the Tigers brass can help him with.

"Mike is a real hard worker," Howell coach Gerry Boehm said. "I think the thing that impressed the coaches about him the most was his potential. He's still growing and still learning. His size and his shooting ability really stand out." Potthoff is actually 6-8 12 and could be around 6-10 by the time he stops growing. "There is an awful lot of talent there," Boehm said.

"He's got the ability to be a real good one." Potthoff talked with Stewart last week. The Missouri coach explained that he probably would not start much his freshman year, but that Potthoff figured strongly in the Tigers' future plans. Barring anything unforeseen Stewart has Potthoff penciled in as a starter his junior year. "He explained that it takes a year or so to learn the system," Potthoff said. "It all really depends on how much I improve." Potthoff visited all three schools before deciding on Mizzou.

In Columbia he got a chance to workout at the Hearnes Center and had dinner with several current Tigers players including starting forward Greg Cavener. "It was all fun and I really liked it up there," he said. led the Gateway Athletic Conference in scoring and was second in rebounding. Potthoff spent his Junior and sophomore years at Apple Valley High near Minneapolis, Minn, amassing similar statistics. Now he will take his show to Columbia.

"It was a tough decision, but I think it was the right one," Potthoff said. "There are so many more benefits going there (Missouri) than the other schools." The "benefits" that most impressed Potthoff were the Tigers training facility at the Hearnes Building, and tte chance at playing in a big time basketball program. "They have a real good winning history and that's the kind of team I would like to be a part of," Potthoff said. Boehm is a close friend of both Stewart and St. Louis U.

coach Rich Grawer. He instructed Potthoff on what to look for in picking out a school, but never told him which college to choose. "I think he really wanted me to tell him which one to go to," Boehm said. "But the kids have to make their own choice on this kind of thing. I just helped point out the advantages and disadvantages of all the programs." Potthoff carries a 3.3 grade average and is interested in a career in the business field.

"The bottom line is Missouri had everything he wanted," Boehm said. "Norm likes the hard-working hustling type guys and Mike is sure one of those. "I'm really happy for him. There is See TIGERS, Page 7 By Steve Overbey Of the St. Charles Post Francis Howell High senior Mike Potthoff wants to aim for the top.

That is why the 6-foot, 8-inch forward chose to attend the University of Missouri at Columbia next fall on a full basketball scholarship. Potthoff, one of St. Charles County's most sought-after players, narrowed his choices to Mizzou, St. Louis University and Southwest Missouri State at Springfield, before finally settling on the Tigers late last week. "I would have felt bad if I didn't try the toughest place," Potthoff said.

"And I thought going to Missouri would be the biggest challenge." Potthoff averaged 20.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game at Howell. He fx is --6- xr Pot? ProToui? When Tracy Goettel entered the Ladies Professional Bowling Tour at age 17, she knew things would be tough. But she had no idea how tough. "I had seen ladies in the scratch league and figured the bowling would be similar," she said. "But all the ladies were really good.

They were so good that I found myself asking, 'What am I doing "I guess that kind of hurt my confidence a little." Goettel's two years on the tour were not easy ones. She struggled to adjust to the different surfaces and the tougher competition. Her top finish came in her sixth tour event when she finished 21st to win $515 at the Stardust Classic in Addison, 111. "I did really lousy in my first few events, but after I finished in the money, I figured I could do it again," she said. She never did.

"Each week you bowled on a different surface," the St. Charles West grad explained. "You bowl on a surface for a while and you can get used to it. With a new surface every week, I didn't know what to expect. I found it very hard to adjust." With her entry into the pro ranks, Goettel became the youngest female on the tour.

Still, she feels her lack of experience, and not her age, was her main problem. "I had really come straight out of juniors," she said. "There was a lot of pressure because everyone was as good or better than I was. They all had a lot more experience." Goettel, who began bowling at the age of 9, credits her father, Wayne, IOCCG? Lea Ann Miller (left), who with her partner took a 10th place in the recent Olympic pairs figure-skating competition in Sarajevo, Sam LeoneSt. Charles Post Yugoslavia, teaches Jennifer Davis, 10, some techniques at the Creve Coeur Ice Rink.

Vympic Skater May Mot Try Again Mike Potthoff Tracy Goettel Wants another opportunity with her pro career. "I owe everything to my dad. Without him I never would have considered going pro," she said. Wayne's support was more than moral, though. His advice and financial backing kept Tracy's career going as long as possible.

Obviously, traveling and competing take money. "It was costing him about $500 a See BOWLER, Page 7 team," Burke said. "We just need some playing time to develop. Right now, the schedule has been redone four or five times, and now we're losing our parks to baseball. "It's almost impossible to pick out any outstanding performances because we haven't been able to play." Under-16 Boys Coach Don Rogers has tried to avoid the weather by having one practice a week indoors.

His squad is 2-3, but the record doesn't tell the whole story. "Two of our losses were while we were short-handed," he explained. "We only had eight guys for one of them." Despite the problems, Rogers is still confident of a good season. United still has five games in the Steak 'n' Shake league and will also play in the Plumber's tournament in May, a spring season in April and the Junior Cup. "We should be pretty busy if the weather gives us a break," Rogers said.

Under-lt girls No one had a more frustrating season than Coach Tom Hahn. In the first year of girl's soccer at United, Harm's team played only one game and that was in November or See SOCCER, Page 7 Brannon Champagne JL Olub Setiup Hag 1 I 'i i ailed 'Mixed Vis I iA Just because Jack Burke is the president of the St. Charles United Soccer Club doesn't mean he can keep up with all seven of the club's teams. What with all the nasty weather this winter, it would take a genius to keep up with the schedule revisions alone. "It's sort of a mixed bag," he said.

"Some teams have finished their winter seasons and are beginning spring sessions. Others still have almost an entire winter season to make up. It's nearly impossible to keep up to date on all of them." Burke, who coaches the under-19 and under-14 teams, feels the snow and rain hampered everyone's season. "It's hit and miss. You can't even schedule practice," he said.

"The under-19 boys played some indoors at Twellman's, but it still isn't the same. They need to get outside and working together. We just haven't had enough time to form a cohesive unit." Here's a summary of the United teams: Under-19 Boys Burke's under-19 team is 1-2 so far this year. It was scheduled to play Busch Gardens Sunday in the McGuire Cup at St. Louis Soccer Park in Fenton.

The game has been scheduled for three weeks. "I think we've got a pretty decent Champagne Wins First Miller Plans To Consider Her Options When Olympic figure skater Lea Ann Miller looks back on the many hours of practice that made her one of the world's best, she wonders if she would choose that path again. "When I was little I had a dream about making it to the Olympics," Miller said. "But then I didn't know what it took to make it. If I had known, I don't think I'd do it again." Now Miller knows about the endurance training, the ballet classes, the gymnastics classes and the all-night sessions on the ice.

And now she must make that choice whether or not to spend the next four years training for another shot at an Olympic medal. "Four years sounds like a very long time," she said. "But for me, another four years is not that unrealistic. I'm young enough." But the solution is not that simple. The 23-year-old Miller must confer with her partner, Bill Fauver.

Fauver is 30. Miller and Fauver placed 10th in the pairs figure skating competition in this year's Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. She graduated from Wentzville High School in 1980 and calls Lake Saint Louis home, although her parents' home there has served as a resting spot for only one week in the last 10 months. Fauver's home is Cleveland. But in the next couple of days the pair will talk and see if they have a similar future in mind.

"Bill would probably like to skate for another year and win a national championship," Miller said. "As much as I'd like to do that, I'd have to do what's my best for my career. I would consider changing partners. It has nothing to do with Bill personally, it would just be something that I would have to do." Although Miller says that she has not made a decision, she speaks of her chances for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. "I've learned so much from the last four years of competing and with my experience from the Olympics, I know I could do it better if I had a chance," she said.

One reason Miller would like another chance is that she feels that she missed her first opportunity at the Olympics In 1980. She suffered a See SKATER, Page 7 IT I Former St. Charles High pitching standout Brannon "Boo" Champagne led the University of Illinois to a 3-1 win over Missouri in a college baseball game Sunday in Columbia. Champagne, a freshman, hurled four scoreless innings to pick up his first collegiate win. 1 He allowed three hits during the first four innings before leaving the game with a blister on his throwing hand.

Illinois (9-13) led 3-0 at the time of Champagne's departure. Nine-year-old Emily Baer seems to enjoy they spend some herself with the support of Lea Ann Miller, as Coeur Ice Rink. Sam LeoneSt. Charles Post time on the ice at the Creve I I.