Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph from Colorado Springs, Colorado • Page 41

Sunday, 'Jan. 4, 1970 Colorado Cob. GaaaHo TaioyapS- Peggy's Exploits Named Top Sports Story of 1960s 2Z.E*.Â"^53 tripe, IW NC a a Caad, cf Hill CHmb. Falcon junior bumed up No otiier driver on the lii-mUi couni ta ta bas won as many as beat the prevloos mark rbimer Telefrafdi Sports Writer Dprtag the past decade Pikes PoaftC Region athletic endeavors gaftp at ttie World, and State level. Notless than seven of the accomplishmenta, aslSected the Gaaette Sports to- cbampiiMfis on (me of thels planoi of competitkm.

the list is time Woild Ladlas Figure Skating Cham- itIS Olympic titUst in Grewtaie, France. Miss Fleming also collected an abundance tropWes while doataating Naticmal and North AnWrican during her reign as World Champion Since leaving the amateur she joined Bob Banner Asaemtes the and Joitafon Ice Follies on a profea- sioiU level. Ranking number two the tap stories of the was the tragte ItBI Brussels plane crash ttiat wiped out the entire Unltad States figure bating team liicludtag members Imm Ccderado Among those kilted was Edi Scholdan, teng time at tae Broadmoor. FiJlowing to the ttdrd title, turning tone to the slide meet Then he captured the pree- natlomil Junior (Mympic title with another time. too, rtwred toe next spot ta the baUoCtag.

Palmer 4rack great Jim MUter and race Palmer track sansatlcn Holmes, who w(m honors ta Na- tkmal, Regional and State competition. As a junior on toe Terror track team, Holmes started his fast climb to national prominence by winning the 100 and 220 yard dashes ta the meet. His sizzling clocking In the century broke one of the state records on the books. But he was not content with state records. He went on to na- tlonal conapetitlcm and won tiUes.

First he captured the driver Unaer tar the fourth spot on toe track accomfdiih. ments overshadowed idl in toe first half of the decade, and would have dominated the over the entire decade It not been for the adi- tevements of Holmes. The speedy star won two state championships in 1980 as a junior, and in 1961 went on to capture four individual titles ta toe state meet. His two state hurdling records set ta 1961 were stiU on the books when toe final state meet of toe decade was run ta accomplitoments Uiwer. Included ta his long Uirt are irtns ta the stock, and dutmpioototo car dvislons at one tone or another over the pad decaite.

Unser has been so raccesstal in his taade, that he has established new records ta the stock and Champlontolp visions. 1965 State Class AAA championtoip baseball team ranks number rtx the top 10 list of toe decade, and has toe destinction of being toe only Pikes Peak Itoglon AAA club to win state crown dur tag toe past 10 years. Coach Jerry Terrors finished the year with a (Tverall record, a pair extra toning wins ta the by better than 44 seconds triumita hto personal slate ctean for the year, and stretched his dual meet unbeaten to tvro years straight Thunderbird football teani spanned toe extreme of football fortunes during 1914 which saw them mired ta their worst losing streak, and eventually finish wlto the most hoixars ever in toe state play- Tennis Gains Support in 1960s; Facilities Abound finals of the state tourney. WWW offs. The aco)mplitoment eaiwd them the number eight spdt ta toe top stories of the decade.

The st(My was one of an almost fantastic reversal of fortunes. Altoough Wamon toe yew lostag torwi straight encounters, they bounced cross to win the South (tentral League and finish second ta toa Class AAA Coach Gii) birds mowed down Cheyenne MounUta ta torir game, and toei an early season km to Anrahi Central by destroftag toe prevtooa- ly unbeatea Trojans, I1-14 Buttoatwastobetoemdof toe road. The smaltar T-Blrds fen to Lakewood ta the state finals. However, the campaign had to go down ta history as one (d the most farllUaiit comebacks ever ta prep ifiorts. VMa Legion A mond club ranks as the ntato best story ta toe decade wtantag toe state and regonal titles, out at the Legteo World Series.

Ron ted ViMa Grande crew batdt toe bradiet to take toe crown after dropptog Its Viste Grande, sparked toe Ray swept to torae the World Series. At toe Stftas ta Hastliip Nebraska, Vltia Grande dropped its openliM two eocoal- ters to be eltmtaated from the toumimeid. How- It was a teng and rodgr todudi: 11. Tta World Bteetay 1W3, and toe WOAA's toiaiter toa el taKtoay in after a Wifear dbtmmi a gudhn to road, and the local crew tented Colorado Sprlnfi betore dosing out its season. Rounding out the top storlee toe decade Is the United toe Broadmoor.

The S. 190 Curtis team at compoitd of Judy Bett, Barhara Mra. Cllftord Creed, Joitone Gtmderion, Ann Dellser and Phylfia Pnieti, won the match by the margin ever, 1-1 over Great Briteta. The U. 8.

victory saw mAy atm team nwntoer fafl to record win, tta)ugh toe tees waa a IM; 14. iMj to atri, Ctom AAA brntaM tounwant; IS. fif Academy awtmmef We nmm tuMte champtontoip te Ate Force Anatosny appian te a cloae one The aecood 19 stortei of toe decade aetectod by toe Gaatate Sporti Department Igea playeto Gator Bowl, drepf a to Norto Cardtaa; 17. Tis, AIR Force Acadtmy 5.9 milltan doOar fWd Hwaa, md te. taplmmm State Pirodilal batewtoall crown; 19.

Cotortute teammakaa cittag comdiadt to fltaMi wSfc a f-S overall record, md a lito place rattiM ta toe ndkmd small coltagi foototll Colorado wtes IIO RliC tMtOtetotal berth te toe WCAA Few sports have made suchiachod tournament held at the strides in the past decade in Air Force Academy last season us ad to he in la. up Colorado Springs as tennis. From few courts in the early the area has been continually sprinkled with new courts. New tennis ctabs have sprung up ta town and more people have taken up the sport. Fyom only a handful erf tennis the average netter can now find half a dozen frays during the summer to keep Wm busy.

Among the most popular arc the Broadmoor Invitatlcmal Fatally Doubles tournament, Colorado Springs Open and the tant aspect Pikes Peak Open. find plenty Periodically, other tournaments are scheduled here, such as the Cirforado state high Colorado College and the Air Force both have varsity tennis squads. New courts, Uke the ones at Memorial Park, have been constructed to keep up with toe to- creasing demand. The Peak Tennis aub, the first club to start ta Colorado Springs solely as a tennis club, boasts some 200 members and holds clinics and tournaments during the season. The Juniors, the most ta sport, of action in Named in the memory of Doug Corley an enthusiast and devptee of toe sport who spent much of hli time to the development of junior tennis players ta toe area, toe Corley Cup is one of toe most sought after prizes ta the state.

The Broadmoor, with its pro Chet Murphy, has not only provided expert teaching for toe put decade, but has erected a bubble top that provides year- ar(Hind play. Hw nylon structure towers 50 feet over the two center courts. can The decade of the has the shown much improvement and tournaments and the Corley the next decade should bring Cup, a tourney designated sole- one much ly for the junior netter. CHUtR hlava we ield eeo unz Vot- irtev bol- taper in 1965; taed mri imed-. beer to; I ita- spec- OTtta- I home 31,398 Fountain, St.

Show Great Track Programs prep athletic programs of ttie were the track and field at St. and Fountain. Fountain won the state Class A title in 1960, and the Class AA title in 1966, 1967, and The Trojans finished in St. program was almost as successful. The Pirates the state private school chatapionship in 1965 and 1966, were runner-ups in 1963 and 1964, most successful yeprti were under coach John at the end of the de- Schultz-coached teams won the state title in 1966 arta' 1967, and took second in 1968.

Schultz handed the coaching reigns over to assistant Ben Brown in 1969 when he accepted a job as assistant coach at Colorado University, and Brown endfd the decade the same way it began at Fountain with a state meet victory. Leading the first state champion. Fountain team of the decade were sprinters Sterling Kelley McCartney, Mlkp. Rodriguez and Don Bla zee. None of the four won a first Frobaita the most successful place at the stale meet, hut all pole vault and placed and toe four combined the high hurdles and fifth ta the for two second-place relay fi- lows to lead toe Trojan coo- nishes.

tingent. In 1966, under Schultz, the Trojans scored 29 points in the Class AA meet to win all the marbles. Mike Ward was the lone individual first place winner for the Trojans, as outstanding depth was the key for the squad. Ward captured the 180-yard low hurdles with a Own Height Biggest Worry Air Force Gagers Face Height always has been a pittalem for Air Force bmkdr ban coach Bob Spear. Usually because not enough of It.

The academy started to the mkl-19S0s with a heiiprf limit of 14 for tacomtag cadets. Later about toal time tha rert of the toe limit was rtased to 44, but country was dealing to seven- fixrfers. So Spear, Ata head bateetoaU coach, decided work with the material he had. His oft-maligned shuffle of fetise the most exciting, but it got the Falcons to a couple of NCAA playoffs the ast ten years. In fact, It was In that Air Force first received a bW to the grueling NCAA tournament.

The Falcons finished toe regular season 124 and met DePaul in the Midwest Begionals. DePaul won, 6943. But toe was noted few three play ers Don Wolfiwriidbta, Jim Uhn and Terry Norris, who ushered to toe sixties with double- figure Wolfswtakel stands third, UUn sixth and Norris on toe aU-time Ust (rf Falcon scorers Spear called Wolfowtaktl most wtaer-rated frfayer ta Rocky Moimteto Wlten cana. Spear needed an astastaot fretai- man coach ta he calted on Wolfowtakel. The Fcarce captain was named riitef astortant ta to replace toe popular Bum Ciriello.

The best season was to when toe Falcons wwe 174. The best of the sixties was 16-7 ta when the FalcOTs received their NCAA tournament bid. That was a heart-brcaker, too, as toe Cadets lost to the first round to Texas The only otoer wtantag season was ta 196546, a 14-12 campaign. the shuffle offset the advantage other teams carried. The next year was supposed to be differeai.

CUft Parsons, taU lad from Pennsylvania, was darttag his sophomore Uited offleitalf 44 itaM tot sesdmiy, hi at 4-16 Most ha a ooipls ol liiehts tiAw torn that Partoes was toe aten tos Falcomi Ha aat afi boundliif and imm tat at toa acadwaya aecood-Miiig aeeear wlto He was staected to try oat lor toe Obrmplc team, filled stiff oteitaatttoai aad make tha cut Spear amwunced at tot tang of toe 1964-76 aeaaoe he would return to toe sfaolfle he had abandoned toe ptil years. Oidy gamas ww itaiediiled ta mid toa Falcoiis wetam were eipectod to tefl how well toe couM perform tetth no tafiar toan 64. :20.4 clocking. Also winning for the Trojans was the mile relay team, composed of Neil Fleischauer, who also placed second in the high hurdles; Steve Gerleman, who took second in the 220; Carlos Morales and Ward. In 1967 it was again depth that keyed the strong showing.

'This time it was pole vaulter Clyde Graves who was the only individual Trojan winner. But the team took two sec onds, three thirds and three fourths to roll up 31 points, two more than Schultz had predicted the team would need for a win. Star of state champs in was hurdler-pole vaulter Mike Hall. He took first in the It took a full team tafort by the Trojan squad to overccnne a fantastic (Moe-man performance by Scott Nelson to win the title. Nelson won four individual events for all but three of his 27 Fountan finished with 31 points.

'The only state record setter of the decade for the Trojans was discus ace Bob Potkonjak, whose 161-9 heave was goof for first in and smashed the old state record. Potoonjak also placed first in the shot put, the only double winner for toe Trojans throughout the entire decade. His toot put heave was 520. Manitou Springs had several outstanding tracksters during the decade. Best among them was pole vaulter Ron Smith, whose 13-7 pole vault seffort stUl stands as a state Class AA record the otoer Manitou standouts were Ken John Moore, Graves aita Joe Navarro.

MIKE MONROE QUEEN FOR A DECADE Receivtag congratulations on her triumphal return to ColOTado laringi In 1968, Peggy Fkanlng had just won the 1968 Olympic figure skating championship. Her success in the 1960s was deemed the Pikes Peak best sports story of the decade. (Gazette Telegraph Photo) Quarterfinal Hard Enemy to Defeat For PPL Football Outstanding Cage Talent Has Frustrating Decade Eloon 0 the Abnef jnd In Mlle' of a metro. The million politan 1 isc I to jed up- of tHe lounced Speedic of too ced by Il ir fran- a -Bronco yai beUer I Saban. Buftalo im, was Denver, igned generai 9L1) Always Rebuilding, Can't Seem to Finish Job (C(Hitintted from Page 4-E) manager and head coach.

Up, up went the attendance. New Faces, New Everything; Same Team The Bronc(Xs got a general face-lifting when they moved their training site and offices to a new sutairban location with practice field and locker room facilities. But it help and Denver wound up with a worse record than the year before. Denver voters turned down a stadiom bond issue but Bears Stadium was improved through too help of a large fund raising drive. Additions to the Bronco staff tactoded Dave Costa from Buffalo and Floyd Little, their No 1 draft pick.

Others included Current and Frank Richter. And, of course quarterback Steve Tensi. For Tensi, Saban shelled out to San Diego first round draft choices for and 1969'. SttH the fans poured In to see Denver post a 3-11 record as another mark was bro- kea'when fans watched 7 1 the Brcmcos at home. And still they came.

Maybe Just Maybe This is the year that saw Bears Stadium given as a gift to the city of Denver. A civic fund drive raised $1.8 million and bought the stadium from Empire Sports, and pre- swited it to the city. The stadium was renovated by the addition of more seats on the upper decrfc that raised the seating capacity to The stadium was renamed Mile High Stadium during last game of the season. The Broncos also set an attendance record by piling ta fans to watch Denver get creamed by Oakland, 43-7. The only glory in the 54 season was a 21-13 win over World-Champs-to-be-the New York 62,052 fans at Shea Stadium.

Over fans saw the Broncos at home. They keep coming back for more. Maybe There Is No Santa Claus Things began well for the Broncos during this last season They took Borton, 35-7, ta the opening game and then upset the Jets 21-19, for the third straight time a new record of fans at Mile High Stadium. The crowd came to see Broadway Joe get his and loved every minute of it. The cocky young Bronccwi stood at 24 but would win only three more games.

Injuries hit Denver like no other team in football. Mike Haffner, BiUy Van Huesen, Floyd Little, Steve Tensi, Tom Beer and others missed up to five games each. The Broncos also blew three games which they should have won hands it was Denver who went aside and played with hp hands down. A 54-1 record anything to be proud of, especially to a veteran team that has consistently come up with losing seasons. What 1970 will bring is guess.

The question is how long the fans wUl stay should the Brcmcos lose in Should Denver find a stable (quarterback, with its fleet of receivers the might do it in 1970. Certainly, another decade is too long to wait. By BOB LUDWIG Gazette Telegraph Sports Writer Football prowess in the Pikes Peak League has long been of acclaim in AA circles out the state, but the teams have had ccmsiderable trouble in getting past tte quarterfinals during the last four years. Newccnner Salida started the off with a bang when tite Spartans captured the PPL title in their rookie year, moved through the quarterfinals of toe AA tournament, but fell prey to Nucla in the semis, The Spartans their championship ways in when they downed Air Academy in the final game of the PPL seascm with two in the final two minutes for a 19-15 victory. Defeat set in again in the playoffs when SaMa lost to the eventual state kingpin, Lamar, 264.

Then came two consecutive state championships for the loop with Air Academy garnering toe title in 1962 and Cheyenne Mountain in 1963. The Kadets, led by Hank Arnod and Jay Hendricks, wnn- ped through league competition with an unblemisted, 74, mark. Coach BUI crew then bested La Junta in the finals, 14-7. Eldon Helm, wm- ning basebaU coach, turned his coaching talents to football in 1963 as his Indians Urn state AA crown in a battle wito Lamar, 27-13. Greg Cramblit and Gary Graham were standouts on the Indians championship club.

1964 brought a new scene to toe PPL gridiron with Air Academy, Harrison, Widefield, and Cheyenne Mountain leaving the league to form the Will Rogers League. To bring the loop up to full strength, Crowley County, Florence, and Fowler were added to the already present Fountain. Manitou Spring, Salida, took the league crown with an impressive 9-0-1 mark. Salida returiMd to the kingpin spot in 1965 but toe runner-up positicm was split between clubs. Fountain, BiMsna Vista and Crowley County.

In order to decide the finish, a playoff game was called with Fountain and Buena Vista meeting in the first half and the taking on C(Hmty. The 'Trojans dropped Buena Vista in the first half on a touchdown by Joe Martinis. In the serond half, the elute battled to a tie, forcing a sudden death overtime. On the last play of the period, Manuel Regalado went for one and half yards over tackle for toe winning margin. The Spartans made it two-to- a-row in and started a chain of events which has yet to be broken.

Ttey moved Into the state playoffo ahd lost to Lafayette in the first round. Ihe name of the game to the PPL for the past three years has been Fountain and the yet to fair better to state tournament action than tte Salida team. In 1967, the Trojans, headed by Bob PotkiHijak, Ray Hedley, Jim Mathes, and Terry Watkins, feU prey to team which would prove its way again. And Sheridan wait long to hand Fountain its second secutive quarterfinal defeat, that being a 44-14 lashing ta In toe Torjans. led by quarterback Rick Martinez, Ray Melendez, and Hal Herrington, topped high Leadville and fullback John The ten years from to wca-e years of frustration for the South Central entries.

In spite of having some of toe top teams in the state, toe league did not produce one state champion during tte entire decade. It was afro a frustrating decade for Colorado tftanM in the pwentaally-tough league. Only did one of the local schools emerge with a league title, in spite of having several very good teams. Hie best state tournament finish by a Colorado Springs school came ta when Palmer finished third in one of the tefjit years for the to hard court actiaa. Pueblo Ontral took the titte that year, as both Central and Palmer won playofts for berths ta toe Loading toe Terrors, who played under Terry Woodward, were Joe WaUace and A1 Mul- Itas, a ifflir of forwaida.

Wallace was tte leading scorer, teadly both at long range and on driving, one sitiiatfons. He went on to star for toe Sooth squad ta toe annual Colonnto all-state tte following summer. The only league champton from Colorado Springs was also a Palmer Tte Terrors took tite tite, with a loss to Puri)to Central marring tte otherwise-perfect league recad. The Terrors, under coach Jerry Hughes, were led to coring by Jessie Simpson, who averaged only 11.7 points per game. Balanced scoring tte key to tte succew.

Tte team was to be tte most weU-drflled fundMniaital team in tte state, and could get by without a scorer because of toe few mistakes mada by the team. Tte Terrors that year made ft to tte state semi-finals after eating Greeley in the quarterfinals. They lost to eventual state chamirfon Denver George WashingtoQ ta tte Msni-finata, 75 53. Wasson also had one erf iii top teanut toat year, led by Beta Joyce, who was later to star for Colorado. Ite T-Birds toird ta toe league.

The teague prodhiced toe tallest player ever to ta Colorado when big Rem Smith began Ws cana at Purirfo tentaal to 190. tonito grew to 7-2, aad toe Btaktogi went all tte way to toe state finals ta wtam Smlto was a senior. But tte taague was frustrated for a league title te of Snuto. Ite BuUdopi lost to Manual. During tenure at (ten- he and Ed Fitzgerald condiarfed one of the hottest individual struggles of toe decade.

6-7 giving IQ) pteity of nevertheless mamiged to hold hta own agatast giant Smith. Centennial waa frustrated to a second attest to vrfn toe rttae title ta The BuUdofi, led ma tone by 44 Doug Temfrfe and 4-7 John Smith, younger wen again te- feated ta toe toiais, this tone fay Wheat Ridge. best finish toirtag toe decade a finish ta while Smith lad Centewiltl to a nm teape title. Ite T-Birds fi- nitoed with a 64 league toat year, as toe only tettle in toe league that was for Lately, PPL Baseball Just Appears to Lie Dormant Pikes Peak Leagw baseball action was completely te toe hands of Cteyeraae Mountain ville, and Buena Vista. Florence Mallow in the final game of the season to preserve an unblemished, 64, league mark.

But the quarterfinals agate took their toll with tte Trojans ywing to Denver Lutheran. G.iiette Tele-jraph Miusing? Dial 61': 4f, before 8 p.m. weekdays. 2 week-ends CC Gains 6-2 Mark In 1969 (Continued From Page 3-E) yards on cania for a 5J average. He led tte Bengali to socxrtag wito points Quarterback Art Stapp led the team ta passing wito yards, completing 77 of 141 with 6 ta- terceptioM and 15 touchctowns.

His favorite receiver was Mike Mtrfler who roared II aerials for 455 yards and 7 Field goal Ben Nltka set a CC record wito a 52-yaiti boot and fitashed second ta wito potato on 24 potato after toodidown and seven teld goals. Ml tte flrrt hrif of the and for tiie last five years tte has hero one of alnaost complete dormancy. Prior to tte break away of Cheyenne, Widefield, and Air Academy te 1664 to form the new AAA WiU League, the PPL diamond race was controlled exclusively by tte Indians. Under the guidance of Eldon Helm, tte frxfiaes rariced up six gonsecutive teague crowns, garnered eight loop titles and state Ttey also went to tte state seven out of nine In 19 the Tribe captures their tiiird consecutive state tiUe, and returned to the state te tl only to tost ttefr bid tor a fiStolh arown. In tte when it Qieyeae, finals, 5-1.

But Drita Its revroge toe frilowteg whro toey stopped CSieyeiuie. 9-4. In thrir finri season in toe final game, hurler Jefl Brooms saw his of 85 coitoecutive wtes halted. PPL. tixe loop crown and mored ee to tiie state toaroey briore fad- iing agate to Ddtta.

The iteMitotei ycMi of IN have hero somewhil dlstppolntment toe entrants hswe decreased to toree teuns. Iteriden tte hrif of toe period wlto its first teagne erown rince Bin Harper headed tte teem to ite ll-l record bet coach Riipcft team ten to Broondieki, 74, te tte state finals. bobludwms There have bees POMS ef Marrid led toe IndiaM te bowisd by their fourth state crown ta llOwiiDg Ooogrres mrotoirs..