Sioux City Journal from Sioux City, Iowa • 17

Sioux City Journal. Tuesday. May 10. 2005-B3 www.siouxcityjournal.com Musketeers Bl 4 3 i A i It -V" lA ill A two rounds and they followed that domination with a 5-0 shutout of the Musketeers in the championship opener. But, the Musketeers snapped a nine-game CR.

winning streak (including victories in the final two regular season games) ith a 2-1 triumph here in the second game. The RoughRiders took Game 3 in Sioux City in overtime, 4-3, but Sioux City evened the series at two games each and forced the deciding contest Monday with a 2-1 victory in Sioux City Saturday, also in overtime. In 2002, when the Musketeers claimed the franchise's third Clark Cup championship, Siciliano's icemen rallied from a 3-1 deficit after two periods to defeat Omaha 4-3 in overtime in old Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum in Omaha. The Musketeers, who tied Lincoln for second place in the West Division, defeated their rivals from Lincoln in the first round of the playoffs in four games, then took out Tri-City in four in the West Division finals. i continued from page added another red-lighter five minutes later to open a 3-0 cushion.

'On the Ricci goal it was a matter of try, try and try asain. The Riders peppered Sioux City goaltender Jimmy Spratt with three straight staccato shots before Ricci found the back of the net from short range. Musketeers got their first power play opportunity midway in the second period when Steffes was ticketed for interference. However, the RoughRid-ers employed their smothering penalty kill to keep Stalock tracking toward a shutout. A second power play chance for Siciliano's skaters came late in the second when the lightning quick Erik Felde was charged with a high sticking infraction at 16:40.

not long Sioux City's Travis Turnbull was penalized for slashing to negate the advantage. Cedar Rapids expanded its lead to 4-0 on a Matt Vokes goal at 1:21 of third period, a devastating red-lighter that broke Sioux City's hope of a comeback. After clearly outplaying Cedar Rapids by creating far more quality scoring chances, the Musketeers suffered at the foot of Rider dumb luck with 53.4 seconds left in the first period. In a mad scramble in front of Spratt, the puck rattled off several players before Ray Eichen-laub waved his stick into the correct air space and shoved in a short shot for the game's first goal. Cedar Rapids was credited with a 13-8 shot advantage in the first period, but a more real- Explorers continued from page West's Natalie Olorundami battles with Sarah Jane Bowden of North during Monday's game at Leeds.

(Staff photo by Jerry Men-nenga) Lohry's penalty kick gives North victory over West Sioux City's Peter Lenes slams Zachary Miskovic of Cedar Rapids against the wall duing the Clark Cup finals Monday. (Staff photo by Jim Lee) we didn't, but losing doesn't diminish what we accomplished." Musketeer team captain Louis Liotti agreed. "I told those guys in there (lockerroom) they're the greatest teammates I ever had," said Liott. "It was an honor to be their captain. This is so disappointing to lose." The Riders run to the Cup included three-game sweeps of Indiana and Chicago in the first Bl 10 o'clock and there was a high school team on the field." Coach Chris Bork and his Heelan High squad, unaware the Explorers were using the facility, had already begun practice.

"I went over and talked with Chris," said Shirley. "What a great guy. He had 45 or 50 kids out there. I went over to my guys and said, 'Hey, it goes against everything I know to go out there, and kick a high school team off a baseball field. We're coming, back at 1 Hi one eyebrow was raised.

The guys all said it was bad kharma to mess with some kids on a field. We're the ones intruding." Working out in a park far cozier than spacious Lewis and Clark, Shirley knows he's seeing lots of baseballs fly over the fence that won't be home runs during the season. see some guys who can throw it, man," he said, excit- Athlete continued from page Cedar Rapids 4, Sioux City 1 First period: 1, Cedai Ratwls Raymond Gereniauto (Malt Vokes. Brandon Sverwsen), 19 06- Penalties Lenes SC. routjnmg, 6:51: Miskovic, CR.

holding. 6 51. Second period: 2. Cedar Raotds Rob Rica (Jordan Pietrus. Ted Purcell).

2 40. 3. Cedar Raoids Gary Sterlet (Justin AMetkaderl, 7 43. Penalties Slettes. CR.

interference. 10 59 Fekte. CR. high sticking, 16.40; Turnout. SC.

slashing 17:52. Third period: 4. Cedar Rapids Malt Vokes (Greg CoHtns. Brandon Svendsenl, 1:21. 5.

StiUK City Joe Cnariebow (Tim Kennedy, Justin Bostrom. 14.45. Penalties McCauley. SC. roughing.

11:19: AbderkarJer. CR. holding. 12:41. Bostrom.

SC. delay of game. 12.41: Meyers, SC. roughing 12 41; Vokes, CR. delay of game, 12:41.

Score by periods: Souk City 0 0 11 Cedar Rapids 1 2 1 4 Shots on goal: SouxCity 8 11 6 25 Cedar Rapids 13 11 13 37 Power play: Sioux City 0-2, Cedar Rapids 0-2. Goalkeeper: Sioux City Jimmy Spratt 37 shots. 33 saves: Cedar Rapids Alex Stalock 25 shots. 24 saves. Referee: Tyler Johnson.

Linesmen: Bryan Panach, Justin Lyle. Attendance: 3,413. catcher Marcel Longmire who ranked fifth and ninth, respectively, in the final batting statistics. Mid-season acquisition Matt Howe, the son of former New York Mets manager Art Howe, batted .305 in 41 games after taking over at third base midway through the season and he's another key holdover. Howe and newcomer Ryan Gripp, a former Creighton will divide duties at third base and designated hitter, while veteran first baseman Dan Meier, shortstop Todd West and second baseman Justin Turner are a few more of the notable newbies.

Six scheduled pre-season games, weather permitting, include four with the Canaries and two with the Lincoln Salt-dogs. Three "home" games for the X's will be played Wednesday in Sloan (6 p.m.), Friday at Bishop Mueller (noon) and Tuesday, May 17 at Akron (7 p.m.). practice tougher, but the commitment she has to both sports keeps her going. "Natalie enjoys the game," said Gengler. "Sometimes, we incorporate practice to game situations and drills so it's not always flat-out running.

I've never had problems with Natalie dogging out or saying she's tired. She jumps in there, the senior captain that she is and she's usually the leader of the pack." "We've got the attitude and the drive," said Olorundami. "We want to go to state this year. There's four seniors on the team and we want it pretty bad." SPECIAL MENTION Boys Track Bret Hoch, South Sioux City The junior won the River Cities Conference meet in the 100 meter dash, tying a school record with a hand-held :10.77. Boys Soccer Ryan Jennings, Bishop Heelan The senior forward scored two goals in a 3-0 win over Unity Christian.

He also recorded one goal and one assist in two other games for a squad that went 2-1 last week. BASEBALL FANS EtI2 Molly Lohry scored on a penalty kick at the 18:06 mark of the first half, the only goal of North's 1-0 win over West Monday at Leeds. North (2-4) had a 12-2 shots on goal advantage. Winning goalkeeper Carrie New had one save in the shutout. West (5-2) got six saves from goalkeeper Laura Lenhart.

Leah Caputo and Sandy Suarez provided goals for North's junior varsity during a 2-1 victory. North will play at Council Bluffs against Abraham Lincoln Tuesday. Heelan 5, Spencer Andrea Tritz scored two goals and Laura Rickert provided two assists and one goal as the No. 14-ranked (Class 1A) Bishop Heelan girls soccer team rolled to a 5-0 non-conference win Pope continued from page "The lure of this card is very much his recent death and the fact the pope was an extremely popular world leader," Beckett Baseball editor Mike Payne said. "Even if he was still living, I think the card would bring a significant figure." Why Topps even made a pope card is a story itself.

About a decade ago, card makers rejuvenated their industry by putting "inserts" into a limited number of packages. Topps stretched the boundaries last year with cards featuring autographs of every U.S. president. Since George Washington isn't around to give his John Hancock, Topps used "cut signatures" autographs cut out and embedded into a card. While historians might be horrified, it's an accepted, authenticated practice.

So Topps responded with two sets this yean the 48-card World Treasures collection featuring historical heavy hitters such as the pope, Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill; and a 5 lord Power Brokers series that ranges from John Paul Getty and P.T. Barnum to Thomas Edison, Martin Luther King Jr. and Helen Model DX AO Farmall tractor with loader only $287.15 per month HISTORY REPEATING 1 1 Call For over Spencer Monday at Faber, Field. Heelan (4-3) scored all five of its goals in the first half. Tritz scored the first two goals for Coach Shawn Mansfield's Cm-' saders on assists from Rickert' and Maxey at respectively, the 16th and 23rd minute marks.

Rickert also assisted, on. Amanda Rossi's goal, then increased Heelan's lead to 4-0, when she scored on Ashley Sutherland's assist. Sutherland scored on Bridget Skaggs' assist for Heelan, which outshot Spencer 22-2. '(' Goalkeeper Claire Goins recorded two saves. Spencer goalkeeper Sheila' Jones recorded 17 saves.

Heelan won the junior varsity', match, 4-0. Heelan will play at East, today. Bl Keller. "By taking autographs of some of the most famous people who have ever lived, it really attracts new collectors," Topps spokesman Clay Luraschi said. The cards actually are bland.

There's no picture, just the autograph on the front and a short, bio on the back. The pone's auto-(i graph looks like II," a short-, ened version of his full "Joannes Paulus II." The pope card was "pulled," as.j traders say, from a box of 36. packs, said Jerry Schoolcraft owner of Big Valley Collectibles, who unknowingly sold it. He said, the lucky buyer was an infrequent customer. 1 "He said, "Is this a good cardT'J Schoolcraft said.

"I told him if he wanted to sell, now was the time." Why would anyone pay sot much for it, especially when a pope-signed, official Vatican photo of John Paul and Mother Teresa recently went for on eBay? "Really, it's about bragging i rights," Payne said. "You can buy a pope autograph cheaper, but Deep Pockets wants this one." Model DX25E Farmall tractor with 54" deck only $155.23 per month CASE Cherokee 712-225-5500 istic count was 12 shots to a side. Just two penalties were whistled in the first period, coincidental on Sioux City's Peter Lenes and Cedar Rapids' Zach Miskovic for roughing at 6:51. "It's just unfortunate we weren't able to win the Cup because our team deserved it," said Spratt, a Bowling Green recruit. "Congratulations to them, though.

They got the breaks and Explorers Cwftikil'iAnc stiniTV rtrv LAIIIUIUUlia EXPLORERS Today: Sioux Falls i at Yankton, S.D., 7p.m. Wednesday: Lincoln at Sloan, Iowa, 6 p.m. Thursday: Lincoln at Columbus, 7 p.m. Friday: Sioux Falls at Bishop Mueller Field, Noon i May 16: Sioux Falls at Huron, S.D., 7 p.m. May 17: Sioux Falls at Akron, Iowa, 7 p.m.

edly. "I also see some guys who can swing it. You have to temper your enthusiasm, though. The same is true for the exhibition games. I'm not going to get too excited about those, either." Ruiz, returning for his third season with the Explorers and his seventh in the Northern League, shares Shirley's early Olorundami also said sophomore Ashlee Andersen has pushed her during meets.

"She's always on my tail," said Olorundami. "For her first year, she has done very well. She'll probably be the dominant one next year because she wants it so bad." "Natalie likes running with Ashlee because Ashlee pushes her," said Lara. "She competes very well against the competition. If there's a quick girl in her heat, she'll know about her and compete very well with the talent that she has.

"She's got long legs and she's a good sprinter," added Lara, who has also featured her in the 4x200, 4x100 and sprint medley relays this season. "Generally, she can get quick over the hurdles. When we went to the South Sioux City meet, the hurdles were an inch higher and she worried about it, then she practiced going over them and said it was no big deal." converted from the 1:50.0 Cedar Rapids Washington's David Korir ran in an 880-yard race -has held up since 1975. Still third on that list with 1:51.6 (he ran the 880 in 1:52.3) is Bob Prince, a 1973 East High grad and a former NCAA indoor national champion for Kansas State. Also, the converted clockings of former Central stars Steve Gerkin (1:52.8) and Steve Koson (1:52.9) are Bl enthusiasm.

"I'm very impressed up until now," said Ruiz, a leadoff hitter who batted .310 last season and has been one of the league leaders in walks for the last four seasons. "I think our defense has really improved and I'm very impressed with the pitchers." Ruiz played the final two weeks last season with the Schaumburg Flyers, who eventually lost to St. Paul in a league championship series that went the full five games. Sioux City retained the rights to Ruiz when they made the late-season swap just before the trading deadline on Aug. 20.

"The lineup I see out there right now is really similar in experience and status to the team that Schaumburg had last year," said Ruiz. In addition to Ruiz, who finished 20th in the league in batting, the Explorers return left-fieFder Casey Baker (.337) and Gengler utilizes Olorundami as a left forward to take advantage of her speed and strong left-foot kick that has produced 12 goals over the last two seasons. Both of Olorundami's assists have gone to freshman Ernestina Tinajero, the Wolverines' scoring leader with seven goals. "Her strong point is her speed and the way she crosses the ball," said Gengler. "A big part of our offense is using her on the wing to get her to get the ball across to the middle.

"We give her the ball going long so she can outrun somebody and get a shot off. The biggest thing she does is set us up in the middle and we hope we can finish." Olorundami is among four Wolverines who double in soccer and track, joining Kelsey Johnikin, Alex Lohry and Callan Anderson. Olorundami occasionally comments that she "gets kicked" during games, which makes the following day's track still sixth and seventh fastest ever in Iowa. Maybe today's athletes are way better than ever. In this one particular sport where such things can be measured, though, they're not making much of a case.

Sioux City Journal sports editor Terry Hersom can be reached at (712) 293-4214 or by e-mail at IS ITSELF. 'Olorundami has won each of the seven 100-meter hurdle races she has entered this season. She was clocked in a season-best 14.85 at the Crusader Relays on April 26, a time that was good enough for the Drake Relays, but she bypassed the prestigious meet because of a soccer fact, Last Thursday, she beat the former MRAC record of 15.40 set by East's Laura Tomes in 2003. freshman and sophomore year, Laura was always the one who beat me and I'd try to catch up to her as much as I could," said Olorundami. "She'd always tell me that I could beat her if I tried.

She tried to help me with my form." Olorundami has also worked on form with her brother Shawn, who was timed in 14.85 while winning the 110 high hurdles at last year's Class 4A state meet. Eric Strim, another former state champion hurdler for West, has also aided with her technique. Hersom Free Demo 1S00-765-2944 continued from page Bl NEVER STOP Vern Anderson Inc. Your Siouxland "Farmall" dealer Kingsley LeMars Anthon 712-378-3731 712-546-8838 712-373-5231 Chicago (Cubs Sox), Cincinnati, Milwaukee Detroit. August 5-9 Coach bus trip Starts at $575person (507)627-2722 Davenport West's two-mile relay clocked 7:47.0 in 1977 and that time is converted to 7:44.2 for the metric distance, a shorter race Likewise, Central's 7:47.4 in the two-mile race, a state record at the time, translates to 7:44.6, which still ranks third all-time.

For what it's worth, too, no one has cracked Iowa's all-time top 10 in the 800 meters since 1990. The record of 1:49.3 i Sw youi Case IH deatsr tor dwarfs Ftnftnetrug fes avaitsbto (or ctw ouaWtw cusomrs thmuoh CNH Opt1 'rtc LLC Capital I Th interest fate wifl be 0 00 APH lot 36 months CWr ctxxxi un June na-ttctpM-tnq Case IH ctaf-t the Unilwi States oNv Ttw amount ot th sefwJutM pynnts due ftmng me term erf tfw coo trad will be S27 78 monthly to every SI 000 itnanotxl A down payrrwnl pursuant to shwln'd CNH Capital tfrna required and some administrative tees may apory Standard CNH Capital Terms and conditions appv CNH Carnal reserves the right lo cancel arty program without notice. Payments based on 1Q down 0 tor month..