Great Falls Tribune from Great Falls, Montana • 21

QUESTIONS OR TIPS? Call Sports Editor INSIDE: Scoreboard Women's preview NIT championship Great Falls Tribune SPORTS 6C Friday March 28, 1997 ummf i i i i 1 George Qeise 3 4 at 791-1470 or NBA, NHL (800) 438-6600 RMHbTMBMbWbIIb rSraat Pallc Trihi ma uivur i WMIW h. Friday, March 28, 1997 Casey tournament provides enjoyable windup to season By GEORGE GEISE Tribune Sporta Editor New 1997 4 DOOR nMf0fe; 1 0r4 AbI bbLbIbbM BBp Bfl ESBvBjb lRAkBflBA hUk N4 RbI rViLA I Jlir iijKwlBJJ ELwzt-DjiBKSBLwB TRACKER 4X4 lilBl Was $18,055 1996 1997 here, and there were facility problems at Four Seasons Arena that didn't bode well for the sport. "The city was thinking about spending $200,000 to fix the plastic tubing for the icemaking, and I told them we could bring in youth hockey tournaments that would pay off in the long run," Cunniff recalled. "This tournament now brings in about $15,000 per team. We've got 14 teams bringing in 18 players plus fans and parents for three or four days.

It means about $250,000 in new money to the city this weekend." Seven years ago, the tournament was a two-day event with eight See HOCKEY, 2S time director of the Casey tournament. "But we're sure glad they do." Schow said the Casey tournament symbolizes a fun ending to what often is a long hockey season for Canadians. "This is the wind-up for youth hockey up there and down here, and we enjoy coming down to Great Falls," said Schow, who has been referee-in-chief for all eight years of the Casey tournament. He plans to keep volunteering his time through the year 2000. Back in 1990 when the Great Falls Youth Hockey Association considered sponsoring a Midget (high school) tournament, it was somewhat of a gamble.

Only one youth hockey tourney was being played LUMINA There's something about the Terry Casey Memorial Cup tournament that obviously appeals to hockey fans. Otherwise, why would Leroy Schow and six of his buddies from Lethbridge drive 180 miles to referee games? And they don't get paid, either. Otherwise, why would a team from Forest Lake, drive 16 hours one way to play three games, when they could find competition right down the road? The Rangers have made the trip five years in a row, too. "I don't know why these people do it," said Jeff Cunniff, the long 9 Loaded, 4,980 miles Loaded, 6,000 miles Auriemma Wolters Tribunt Dhoto bv Winn ArnH -I 18,180 $1 6,480 Great Falls Muskrats' Jeremy Anderson (35) sprawls to save this shot by Edmonton Lighting captain Kent Plewes Thursday night If action at the Casey Cup Tournament at Four Seasons Arena. fjBJBjtflfBPr 3 TBHBBjBjfBK''tS Elk ahead of Players pack aaaaj 2957 1997 METRO Fifteen within two shots of lead NEW 1996 CAMARO Was Less City Motors Company Discount 1996 LUMINA MINI VAN FWD V-6, Auto, Tilt Wheel, Cruise Control, Power Locks, Cassette, Aluminum Wheels, Demonstrator, 2 to choose from List Price $21,284 By RON SIRAK AP Golf Writer Wis "9.614 Less City Motors Company Discount -729 Less Factory Rebate -'300 Only Payments Only $178 1997 34-T PICK-UP reg.

cabs ext. cabs QMAC Financing up to 60 months O.A.C. 2 Wheel Drive Only As Low As Mb luw 5 i PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -The snarl at the top of the leader-board at The Players Championship was as thick as the tangled rough on the Stadium Course at the TPC. Steve Elkington played a near-perfect round marred only by a watery double bogey and shot a 6-under-par 66 for a one-stroke lead Mi OAC 60 mo.

APR BASKETBALL UConn pair gainers coach-player honors CINCINNATI Kara Wolters and Geno Auriemma, the key figures in their team's 33-1 season, combined for a Connecticut sweep Thursday of the top individual awards in women's college basketball from The Associated Press. Wolters was voted the national player of the year, the third straight season that award has gone to a Connecticut standout. Auriemma, whose No. 1-ranked team missed a third straight Final Four appearance by just one game, was honored as coach of the year for the second time in three seasons. The winners were chosen in a vote by AP members nationwide.

Wolters' selection kept the player of the year award in the exclusive domain of Connecticut. Rebecca Lobo won the first AP award in 1995 and Jennifer Riz-zotti won it last year. A 6-foot-7 senior, Wolters averaged 17 points, eight rebounds and 2.8 blocks while playing only 26 minutes a game in a system that strives for balance. She shot 62.3 percent from the field. But her real value, Auriemma says, showed in what the Huskies accomplished as a team.

Connecticut went 132-8 in Wolters' four seasons and won the national championship in 1995. Auriemma, also the AP coach of the year in 1995, is 294-86 in 12 seasons at Connecticut with nine straight NCAA tournament appearances and three Final Four trips. The Huskies dominated opponents from the start this season and were ranked No. 1 the final 12 weeks. mj ran ab a1 4,990 2435-2470 (GMAC financing up to 60 months 1.000 2 wheel drive only) REBATE ALL S10 PICKUPS 2WD 4X4 Motor Trond As Low As $8990 Stock 2420 1996 S-10 pickup price includes rebate.

While the heavy rain of the week softened the course and made it play easier it also sprouted the rough into a bogey-making mess, "I have never seen it this thick or high," Calcavecchia said after he played the final eight holes without a par, making four birdies, an eagle and two bogeys. "1 think this is by far the worst rough I have ever seen" here." The back nine in particular played easier than usual because of the wet conditions. Taylor Smith shot a 30 on that nine, while Calcavecchia had a 31 and Edwards a 32. "You have two par-5s back there that you can reach in two and with, the soft conditions the two par-3s' play a little easier," Elkington said. In fact, the famous island green, 17th hole averaged 2.826 and was; the third easiest hole of the day, behind two par-5s.

Elkington, who like Lehman shot a 32 on the front nine, played the. back nine first and started with four' consecutive birdies before closing the nine with a double bogey 6 on No. 18, the dangerous dogleg left that bends around the water. Elkington, who won at Doral three weeks ago and took this tour-, nament in 1991, bounced back with, birdies on the next two holes then closed with birdies on Nos. 6 and 9.

to finish off his 66. While Elkington's leading score came on the strength of his iron play all eight of his birdies were on putts of less than 15 feet as he needed only 25 putts Lehman, usually one of the best iron players on tour, was uncharacteristically' shaky with his short shots. But he bailed himself out with a strong putter, as he needed only 26' after Thursday first round but naa a dozen and a half others shooting in the 60s and breathing down his neck. "I had one bad hole," Elkington said after hitting 12 of 14 fairways on the day. "I hit it into the water in No.

18," when he pulled his 2-iron second shot from 220 yards into the hazard left of the green. With all the top-50 players in the world in the field chasing the $630,000 first prize and with the Masters only two weeks away it was perhaps no surprise that the field was so bunched up. British Open champion Tom Lehman, Mark Calcavecchia, Fuzzy Zoeller, David Edwards and Russ Cochran were one stroke back at 67. Ten other players including Ernie Els were two strokes back at 68 as 19 players shot in the 60s and 57 scores were under par. With the course playing soft and slow and the rough deep and thick, a premium was put on hitting fairways.

"Two of the three times I missed Sllll sr A a COROLLA uei aii i nis for only this much RETAIL $16,567 iW aaaj bbm'- (MTV TOYOTA Con CE Classic Edition" Mag! includes JJ Jj 7iX fM PnMcrSlreriniiJ'iiwcrVCindrws, Power Dtinr DISCOUNT locks. CFC-free Air Cnnditinmng. IX'luxe Stereo riftTARV nCDATC 1 AAA Mo Speakers, Dual Manual Remote Exlcrii Bj rMl I Un I nCDMI I jWV time Edition Hot Mats TOYOTA 4X4 STANDARD PICKUP 1 1 'JrRH tBBBBa BBRH kLi9W 1 36 mo. lease AC, 1st month payment ft deposit due on delivery HtlAIL CITY TOYOTA DISCOUNT FACTORY REBATE aaiilSaa I I II 1 111 i 1 1 1 IVjl' JaWaViKxMBiiafcllJ BBBBRffijf-0 -ikalH klllH the fairways, I hit sand wedge and could only move it 60 yards," Greg Norman said after shooting a 71. "That tells you how thick it is." But with the course so soft, putting the ball in play made every hole a birdie possibility.

"You can really take advantage of the good conditions if you hit the fairway," Lehman said about the soft landing areas, receptive greens and gentle wind. "And I drove the ball very well," he said after also hitting 12 of 14 fairways. On the other hand, Curtis Strange missed half of the 14 driving fairways and shot an 81. Tiger Woods, Masters champion Nick Faldo, and defending champion Fred Couples shot 71, along with Norman. shots on the greens.

He made seven birdies the longest on a 40-footer on No. 6 and made a double bogey on the 336-yard 12th hole when1 after hitting into two bunkers he still wasn't on the green. "Hit a bad drive, bad second, bad third, bad fourth, bad fifth and tapped in for a bad sixth," Lehman said. "1 have been stroking the ball well the last few days and made some putts today," he said, explaining his 67. First-round scores, Page SOAR OK W9TH m-OWHet) UH9CJCeS fi BASEBALL Braves trade Dye to Royals for Tucker BASEBALL CITY, Fla.

Two days after a major trade that reshaped their outfield and payroll, the Atlanta Braves sent outfielder Jermaine Dye and pitcher Jamie Wajkftr to the Kansas City Royals Thwsday for outfielder Michael Tucker and infielder Keith Lock-hart -The Royals announced the trade during an afternoon game against the Cleveland Indians, who just received Marquis Gris-som and David Justice from the Braves in a deal involving Kenny Lofton on Tuesday. Tucker started in right field for the Royals and was taken out after the third inning. Atlanta saved a total of $7,714 million in its trade with Cleveland, which allows them to try to sign potential free-agent pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. This trade involving all low-priced players increases the team's payroll a marginal $215,000 and its luxury tax $325,000. Dye, 23, batted .281 with 12 homers and 37 RBIs last season filling in for Justice, who missed most of the season with a shoulder injury.

Atlanta's trade of two-thirds of its outfield to Cleveland appeared to make room for Dye and another talented youngster, Andruw Jones. HOCKEY Thursday's NHL scores N.Y. Islanders 6, Boston 3 New Jersey 4, N.Y. Rangers 0 Hartford 5, Tampa Bay 2 Steve Elkington reacts to a birdie putt during first-round action of the Players Championship Thurs day. Elkington fired a six-under 66 to take a one-shot lead into today's second round.

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CAB diesel, auto, loaded, 2 96 5A '96 CHEV S-10 4x2 PU V-8, aulo, loaded, 2912A MW Everyone calls him Doc. Doc is a smiling gentleman who was quite a Softball player in his day. We know this because a few decades ago Doc and his pals recruited us to play a couple of times, not out of any admiration for our skill but rather for the accurate assumption that we'd show up. Big Trevor was probably little Trevor at the time. At any rate, we've always been tight.

As proof, we recount this chance meeting: A few years ago at Christmas time, a couple of the local fellows back home were down at the gym working out the kinks when Trevor, then an All-State senior, strolled in and suddenly shrunk the size of the building. We sidled over to the youngster, stuck out our right hand and said something like: "Hiya Trev, you remember us. Now we're a bigshot sportswriter and just wanted to say how glad we are about you making us so proud to be from Slayton." Trevor said, "What's your name See MANSCH 2S 3-cyl, 5-spd, tope '96 NISSAN SENTRAGLE So here comes the Final Four business, an event that usually causes trouble for many of us out here in the boondocks. It's because we have nobody to root for, no team to call our own, no players to identify with. Choosing the choicest bandwagon to climb aboard this time of year can be stressful.

That's the way it usually is. But not this time. This weekend, when teams from Kentucky, Arizona and North Carolina gather in Indianapolis for the championship of men's college basketball, many Montana residents shouldn't have a problem picking a favorite. Personally, we like the Minnesota Gophers, and not just for the obvious reason that they're going to win the whole works. What's not so obvious is the real motive for our loyalty.

So we'll let you in on it: Trevor Winter plays for the Gophers. That would be the Trevor Winter who is 7 feet tall, Minnesota's valuable reserve and co-captain. That would be the Trevor Winter who has had a largely anonymous career but now has an opportunity to 6cyl, 5spd, loaded '92 OLDS T0R0NAD0 6cyl, outo, loaded '90 PONTIAC GRAND AM IE 4-cyl 5-spd 2373A. '95 GMC SONOMA SI 4X2 Ottawa 3, Florida 2 '93 FORD 12-TON 4X2 SUPER CAB V-8, oulo, loaded, 30X '93 CHEV 34-T 4X4 SUBURBAN V-8, auto, loaded, 2339A 1f99S 4-cyl 5-spd, AMFM coss, topper 1 St. Louis 2, Los Angeles 1 Toronto 1 Phoenix 1 4-cyl, 5-spd; loaded Uni '96 CHEVROLET IMPAUSS V-8, auto, loo, 34X '93 CHEV 12-T 4x4 EXT CAB '91 CHEVY 12-T 4X4 SUBURBAN mil Grand Frn Conversion V-8, loaded, W3 4-cyl, 5-spd, AMFM coss, air, 2999A '89 CADILLAC SEDAN DEVILLE V-8, outo, loaded '89 PONTIAC FIREBIRD GTA Grand Pni V-8, aulo.

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Anyway, Winter is from this small town on the southwestern Minnesota prairie, a Shelby-sized community that resembles any number of villages in Montana. His dad is the local eye doctor and also a former city councilman. II V-8, auto, AMFM cass, dual oir, 2ux I MfV Details, Page 4S BASKETBALL Thursday's NBA scores Chicago 96, Toronto 63 Atlanta 103, LA. Clippers 88 V-8, auto, loaded Wf 1 '92 TOYOTA EXT CAB 4x2 RU. '88 fORD MUSTANG GT 4-cyl, 5-spd, loaded 4-cyl, 5 spd, AMFM coss, topper JT489A 4 95 CHEVY MONTE CARLO '91 FORD 12-T 4x4 SUPER CAB AP Photo 15,665 V-8, 5-spd, looded '87 TOYOTA CELIU GTS 4-cyl, 5-spd, loaded loaded 6-cyl, AMFM stereo, Ijj V-8, loaded 106X WWW -mm I '91 GMC 34-T 4x2 EXT CAB Minnesota's Trevor Winter, far right, is lined up in an Indianapolis hotel's gift shop waiting to buy souvenirs for the folks back home in Slayton, Minn.

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