The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 110

i CIhe Charlotte Ohserver Wednesday may 1999 Section 0 Cubs match rallies beat Rockies 13-12 Baseball 4B NHL anxious for future of Penguins to be decided 3B Inside ESPN suing Major League Baseball to keep contract sports on THE AIRPAGE 2B Panthers look at but sign Newton PAGE 4B Sting fills needs from deep talent pool in draft Point guard Staley expected to start ON THE ROSTER great job of getting the ball in the hands of the shooters put her in the middle of an Andrea Stinson and a Tracy Reid running the floor and I tell you what you ask for anything more a Each team was allowed up to three former ABL players but the Sting only drafted one Smith Staley a former Virginia star who played two seasons in the ABL count against the Sting's ABL total because she had left that league to sign with the WNBA before the former folded Staley who turned 29 on draft day was one of three point guards the Sting targeted with its first pick Jennifer Azzi and Edna Campbell were the others and Azzi went to Detroit with the No 5 pick Phoenix picked Campbell at No 10 really matter where go in the Staley said by conference call from her home in Philadelphia just wanted to go to a team that needed a point guard and would appreciate what I bring to the us to go and pick a Staley in the first round I mean going to be the point guard for the Please see DRAFT page 3B Sharon Manning FC 6-3 Tia Paschal 6-1 Charlotte Smith 6-0 Christy Smith 5-7 Tora Suber 5-7 Stephanie White-McCarty GF 5-11 By MARJO RANKIN BUSS Staff Writer The Charlotte Sting made all its dreams come true in WNBA draft starting by selecting the player many consider the point guard of the in basketball Dawn Staley The Sting filled its need for a point guard then added perimeter fire power with its second-round pick 5-foot-11 guardforward Stephanie White-McCarty of Purdue The next objective was to find active post players Former North Carolina star Charlotte Smith a 6-0 forward was the third-round pick and 6-2 forward Angie Braziel from Texas Tech was the fourth-round selection is the one draft in the history of the WNBA Charlotte Sting where we addressed and actually received every single thing we said Maiynell Meadors the coach and general manager were just so lucky to get a Dawn Staley as our No 1 pick A player who has the international experience she has She does a Video could shed light on tragedy Speedway officials to review tape made by fan of wheel in accident By UZ CHANDLER Staff Writer A race videotape that shows a wheel flying into the grandstand where three people were killed Saturday might help investigators re-create a slice of the tragedy but is far from conclusive The 10-second clip dropped off anonymously Monday night in a mail slot at the Charlotte speedway captures the wheel in flight but does not show it clearing a race-track fence or landing in the crowd The wheel does appear to have sailed many feet into the air almost reaching the level of the corporate sky boxes a speedway spokesman said "It sheds a little light on things but the whole sequence of events is still very said Jerry Gappens spokesman for Motor Speedway in Concord sending it out to see if we can slow it down and enhance it so we can figure out trajectory and anything else it Meanwhile mourners in Hickory gathered for the Tuesday afternoon funeral of Jeff Patton 32 a food service worker who served as an usher at Sandy Ridge Wesleyan Church where his funeral was held Speedway President Humpy Wheeler and Indy Racing League Executive Director Leo Mehl attended the first of the three funerals Wheeler who has declined interview requests also visited Monday with the family of Randy Pyatte in Connelly Springs Pyatte whose funeral is today was also killed by debris in accident came here and he really showed that he said father Roger Officials estimate the Speedway lost up to $2 million by canceling the race after the accident that sent the wheel and attached debris into the stands Three days after the wreck officials say they still know why driver Stan Wattles hit the Turn 4 wall or whether it was his wheel that flew into the crowd Also in question is whether another car might have hit an errant wheel and sent it flying Two other drivers became entangled in the accident The camcorder videotape was shot by a spectator CHUCK BURTONAssociated Press Eric Snow (right) and Charlotte's Derrick Coleman battle for a loose ball on Tuesday The game was In progress at press time Md PMadeEpItoiia i i i i Ij i 1:1 I I 28 points propel Charlotte in overtime By LEONARD LAYE Sports Editor After losing a 21 -point lead the Hornets went to overtime Tuesday night for a 1 17-110 NBA victory over Philadelphia at the Charlotte Coliseum Eddie Jones led scoring with 28 points and provided the tying basket at the end of regulation David Wesley had 19 points and 10 assists Elden Campbell 18 and 1 1 rebounds Allen Iverson scored 39 for the Sixers The Hornets who had led by 21 in the first half trailed in the late stages of regulation They forced overtime with 29 seconds to play when Eddie Jones grabbed a Chucky Brown miss and slammed in a two-hand reverse dunk for a 100-100 tie Charlotte got the first four points of the five-minute extra period on an Elden Campbell free throw and David three-pointer The margin later hit six 112-106 on score underneath with 57 seconds to play then to eight on Eddie fast-break basket 14 seconds later changes (Jordan) might come aboard (through an ownership role with George Shinn now being discussed) Those things have to be dealt with at some point and at some point get to Derrick Coleman signed to play center before the Hornets acquired Elden Campbell in a trade shifted to his natural power forward spot after arrival Later when Coleman was injured Chucky Brown moved into that role and excelled becoming a consistent scorer during the late season surge Coleman is completing the first season of a five-year contract worth an annual average of $8 million Brown who has also played small forward in Charlotte will become a free agent on July 1 though Bass said like to have him return had a great year for Bass said definitely interested in having him stay and be a part of this LOTTERY: If the Hornets finish the regular season with the best record among non-playoff teams they will have five chances in 1000 of winning the top spot in the NBA draft lottery scheduled later this month The team with the worst record Vancouver or the Los Angeles Clippers will have 250 of 1000 chances It was over at that point assuring the Hornets of no worse than a break-even season after a 4-11 start marked by serious injuries to key players They are 25-24 and finish up today at Boston Bass: Mason will remain a Hornet The season ends and the rumors begin the situation facing the Charlotte Hornets today as they play their final regular season game in Boston One report already making the rounds has the Hornets shopping power forward Anthony Mason the veteran who sat out the season recovering from a tom biceps tendon just way way off Hornets vice president Bob Bass said Tuesday personnel I foresee any changes on this team to speak of other than (adding) draft choices This team really been together and had a chance to agent Don Cronson of New York said heard that at all But keep my ear to the Mason and Cronson want to renegotiate contract which has two years remaining Mason said a few weeks ago he hoped to stay in Charlotte until he retires not even allowed to be negotiating until July Cronson said becomes relevant but not right now The team has gone through some Please see IRL page 3B After 25 years Holden leaves job he loved By LANGSTON WERTZ Jr Staff Writer North Mecklenburg basketball coach Leroy Holden has been at the school since 1971 through Vietnam and Desert Storm MTV and generations of teen-agers he loved and who loved him why writing his resignation letter Monday while sitting in his pickup was the second-toughest thing done The toughest he said was burying his mother Mary Louise I handed in my letter to the principal (Tuesday) and walked down to my office it hit said Holden who was 460-244 in 25 seasons as Vikings coach He will remain athletics director and continue teaching something been doing for so long just hard to perceive myself not being in the Holden 54 did not rule out coaching again but seemed at ease with his decision Others said he will be missed on the sidelines but were glad he was staying around Huntersville a good friend and an exciting said North Mecklenburg principal Jimmy Poole who coached Vikings football with Holden in 1971 so dynamic and such a great motivator He could take kids and get the best out of them be very difficult to find someone to fill his Maggette still in school but NBA decision nearing mom Marguerite said her son is weighing his options still undecided but he wants to come to a decision as soon as she said "I just want him to do what he really wants talked about it Personally I would like for him to stay in Maggette has enrolled for summer school and fall classes while speculation swirls about his plans A Duke spokesman said Tuesday afternoon he did not know when licly about pending decision He endorsed decision but support Maggette who averaged 10 points and 17 minutes as a freshman would likely be a top-10 selection perhaps going near the top of the draft according to NBA sources There has been speculation decision could hinge on whether he receives assurances from the Chicago Bulls that he would be their selection Maggette is from Bellwood 111 By RON GREEN Jr and STAN OLSON Duke is Staff Writers recruiting Duke freshman Corey Maggette widely is completing his final exams sought LaVe working out on his own this week Blanchard and pondering his future perhaps as Whether Maggette leaves Duke hedge on early to enter the NBA draft next Corey month or returns for his sopho-Maggette more season remains the biggest going pro question in the Blue tumul-2B tuous postseason that has seen three underclassmen announce they be back in Durham decision would come but likely to be near the May 16 deadline for underclassmen to make themselves eligible for the NBA draft Already ACC Player of the Year Elton Brand and point guard William Avery both sophomores have announced they will enter the draft However Duke has the best recruiting class set to enter school this fall Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski recovering from hip replacement surgery has not commented pub Please see HOLDEN page 2B.