Southern Illinoisan from Carbondale, Illinois • Page 21

www.thesouthern.com Sports 53 Texas' T.J. Ford wins Wooden Award The Southern Illinoisan Sunday, April 13, 2003 Preps Thompson wm il in Harrisburtfs win -A LOS ANGELES (AP) T.J. Ford won the John R. Wooden Award on Saturday, the Texas point guard's second major college basketball player of the year honor. The sophomore, who also won the Naismith Award last month, beat out a quartet of upperclassmen and finished with 4,418 points 846 ahead of second-place David West, a senior from Xavier.

Senior Hollis Price of Oklahoma was third with senior Nick Collison of Kansas was fourth with and junior Dwyane Wade of Marquette was fifth with 2,522. I "I was real surprised," Ford said. "The other four guys iplayed so well, so it could have gone either way. I really thought Nick Collison would pull it off. He took his team back to the Final Four, so I figured he had an edge." Ford accepted the trophy Wooden in front of his parents, Leo and Mary, and Xonghorns coach Rick Barnes at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

"It always pleases me to see the point guards do well," Wooden said. Ford led Texas to its first Final Four appearance since 1947, and led the Longhorns with averages of 15 points, 7.7 assists and 2.0 steals. He was named to The Associated Press All-America first team, along with Collison, Wade and West. Ford is the first Texas player to win both the Wooden and Naismith awards. "I try not to put any pressure on myself at all," he said.

"I play the game of basketball because I love playing, it's something that's supposed to relieve your stress." Wade said he had not decided about whether to return to Marquette next season. "I'm trying to finish up strong with school, trying to get a 3.0 this semester again," he said. "I'm not thinking about it right now." Roy Williams of Kansas received the Legends of Coaching award, first won in 1999 by Dean Smith, the former North Carolina coach. Williams spent 10 years as an assistant to Smith. "I'm extremely honored to have my name on an award with John Wooden," Williams said.

"Coach, if I didn't have all this tux on me, you'd see the cold chills on my body." Williams has won 418 games and been to four Final Fours in his 15 seasons at Kansas, but has never won the national title. The Jayhawks lost to Syracuse 81-78 in the championship game last Monday. Williams is talking to North Carolina officials about the coaching job there, which opened when Matt Doherty resigned April 1. Before Williams appeared at a post-award news conference, officials said he would not answer any questions about North Carolina. He planned to play golf Sunday before taking a late flight back to Lawrence, Kan.

"I'm so out of it right now," Williams said. Williams said he would not talk to any North Carolina official until Monday at the earliest. "There's so many things that would draw him back," Wooden said. "It isn't a matter of prestige or more money, it's the other things." Three years ago, Williams turned down a chance to coach his alma mater, and Doherty was hired. Williams sought Wooden's counsel back then.

"I told him he had to think the situation over, it was a family affair and family is most important," Wooden HARRISBURG Walker Franks went 2-for-4 and drove in four runs to help Harrisburg give longtime coach Jay Thompson his 500th career win, an 11-1 victory over Lincoln on Saturday in prep baseball. All of Thompson's wins have come at Harrisburg, where he is now 501-153, which is a .766 winning percentage. Thompson has coached baseball at the school for 21 years. The milestone didn't seem to excite Thompson too much. "I don't think about stuff like that," Thompson said.

"I never thought about getting 500." After getting his 500th win against Lincoln, Thompson guided the Bulldogs to a 9-2 win over Cape Central for victory No. 501. Harrisburg 11, Lincoln 1 Lincoln 000 10 1 4 1 Harrisburg 160 0411 11 0 Fitzpatrick and Peters. Denbow, Riley (3) and Hall. Denbow (3-0), Fitzpatrick.

Top hitters Harrisburg: Franks 2-4 (4 Bl), Gaskins 2-4 (Bl), Williams Harrisburg 9, Cape Central 2 Cape Central 001 001 02 6 0 Harrisburg 002 025 x--9 1 0 2 Keating, Denbow (4), Oestrich (7) and Hall. Keating (4-0). Top hitters Harrisburg: Williams 3-4 (2 Bl), Mitasek 2-3 (4 Bl), Hughes 2-3. Records Harrisburg is 1 5-0, Cape Central is 8-3. Eldorado 10, Du Quoin 7 Du Quoin 020 005 0 7 9 2 Eldorado 002 107 10 8 1 Oakley, Jackson (5), Sizemore (6) and M.Darnell.

Wilson and Sims. Wilson (3-1), Oakley. Top hitters Du Quoin: Jackson 1-4 (HR); Eldorado: Randolph 2-3 (2B, 2 Bl), Morse 2-4 (4 Bl). Eldorado 4, Du Quoin 1 Du Quoin 010 000 01 2 1 Eldorado 102 010 4 4 1 Jaroski, Piper (5) and Bullock. Etienne and Sims.

Etienne 1 -0), Jaroski. Top hitters Du Quoin: Bullock 1-3, Wilson 1-3; Eldorado: Randolph 1-1 (3B), Baugher 2-3 (3B), White 1-2. Record Eldorado is Carterville 11, Z-R-C 1 Z-R-C 000 100 1 3 0 Carterville 530 10211 14 3 Kretz and Sim.Stephens. Greenlee and Bittle. Greenlee (3-1, k's), Kretz.

Top hitters Carterville: Burgrabe 3-4 (Bl), Drust 1-2 (Bl), Barrington 2-4, Greenlee 2 2 (5 Bl), Whitecotton 2-3 IBI), Prince 2-3 (Bl). Record Carterville 6-3 overall and 2-0 in the Black Diamond. Carterville 11, Waltonville-SV 2 Waltonville 200 000 0 2 2 5 Carterville 710 003 11 11 2 lamke, Dees (2) and Wingo. Capie and McCann. Capie k's), Lamke.

Top hitters Carterville: Whitecotton 3-4 (3 Bl), McKinney 2-4 (2 Bl), Capie 1-2 (Bl), McCann 1-3 (Bl), Greenlee 1-3 (Bl), Drust 1-3. Pope County 10, Carrier Mills 0 Carrier Mills 000 000 0 2 3 Pope County 242 10110 10 2 Dillard, Maier (5) and Johnson, Dillard (5). Atkinson and Morse Atkinson (2-0, 14 k's), Dillard. Top hitters Carrier Mills: Dillard 1-2 (26), Martin 1-3, Pope County: Atkinson 3-4 (HR, 5 Bl), M.Broadway 2-3, Pence 1-3 (HR), Boaz 1-2 (HR). Record Pope County is 10-0 overall and 3-0 in the GEC.

Marissa-Coulterville 3, Lebanon 2 lebanon 000 020 02 6 0 Marissa 000 030 3 9 1 Sellers and Davis. Cobb, Marlow (7) and Miesner. Cobb (1-0), Sellers. Top hitters Marissa: B.Lloyd 1 -3 (HR, 2 Bl), R.Lloyd 2-3 (2B, Bl), Marlow 2-3. Marissa-Coulterville 13, Lebanon 3 Lebanon 001 02 3 7 2 Marissa 219 0113 15 0 Noldner, Schubert (4) and Lamar, Davis (4).

Kirkman and Galle. Kirkman (3-0), Noldner. Top hitters Marissa: Adam Howell 4-4 (2 3B, Bl), Laumbattus 2-4 (3B, Bl), Brad Kirkman 3-3 (2B, HR, 4 Bl), Galle 2-3 (2 Bl), Jackson 2-3 (HR, 2 Bl). Record Marissa is Anna-Jonesboro Quad State Tournament Anna-Jonesboro 14, S. Fulton, Tenn.

6 South Fulton 101 031 0 6 8 3 Anna-Jonesboro 160 012 414 14 2 Graves and Parham. Treece, Wright (4) and Hartline. Treece (1-0), Graves. Top hitters Anna-Jonesboro: Bittle 3-5 (4 Bl), Chamness 2-3 (3 Bl), Carter 3-3 (Bl), Wright 1-4 (Bl), Webb 2-5 (Bl), Livsey Anna-Jonesboro 6, Evansville Reitz 4 Evansville Reitz 120 100 0 4 5 1 Anna-Jonesboro 101 310 6 9 3 Oxley, Paul (6), Mitchell (7) and Taylor. Miller, Webb (6) and Hartline.

Miller (2-0), Oxley. Top hitters Anna-Jonesboro: Webb 2-2 (3 Bl), Hartline 2-3 Bittle 2-4. Record Anna-Jonesboro is 11-0. NOTE Evansville Reitz def. Jackson, 3-2.

Jackson, Mo. def. South Fulton, 1 7-0. Anna-Jonesboro won the tournament with a 2-0 record. Friday's Late Result Murphysboro 1 7, Massac County 4 Gophers take home second straight Murphysboro 150 204 010 517 12 "1 Massac County 020 1 4 63 Keener and Douglas.

Morrow, Trovilllon (5), Barnhiff () and Whalen. Keener (1-0), Morrow. Top hitters Murphysboro: Winters 4-5 (4 Bl), Keener J-S (Bl), R.Biooks 1 -1 (2 Bl), Tuttle 2-6; Massac County: Whalen 2-3. Record Murphysboro is 5-4 overall and 1 -0 in the SIRR Ohio Division. Softball Sparta 9, Valmeyer 0 Valmever 000 000 00 1 3 Sparta 340 110 9 12 2 Rodeberg and Huffman.

Robison and Woodworth. Robison (15 k's). C.Rodeberg. Top hitters Sparta: Robison 2-2, Gibson 3-4, Gerlach 2-4 (5 Bl), Mafield2-3. Sparta 1 0, Valmeyer 0 Valmeyer 000 00 0 0 2 Sparta 108 0110 11 2 Untersy and Shiftman.

Robison and Woodworth. Robison (7-1, 7 k's). Untersy. Top hitters -r Sparta: Robison 3-3, Gibson 1-3 (3 Bl), Gerlach 1-3. (Bl), White 1-2, Woodworth 1-2, Hess 1-3.

Record t- Sparta is 7-1. Coulterville 5, Chester 2 Coulterville 000 301 15 8 2 Chester 010 000 12 5 4 Wine and Mezel. Eggemeyer and Arbeiter. Wine, Eggemeyer. Top hitters Coulterville: Smith 2-4, Juenger 2-4; Chester: Arbeiter 1-3, Mathis 1-3, Grab 2-3.

Chester 6, Coulterville 5 8 innings Coulterville 102 020 005 90 Chester 100 004 016 9 4 Robinson and Juenger. Miller and Arbeiter. Miller, Robinson. Top hitters Coulterville: Cometto 2-5, Juenqer 1-5, Smith 2-4, Fullerton 1-4;" Chester: Hoffman 2-4, Mathis 2-4, Arbeiter 1-4 (2 Bl), Grah 1 -3. Record Chester is 4-6.

Friday's Late Result Du Quoin 6, Chester 1 Du Quoin 011 103 06 8 0 Chester 000 000 11 2 -4 McCune and Smith. Bohnert and Arbeiter. McCune, Bohnert. Top hitters Du Quoin: McCune 2-3, Davison 2-2; Chester: Hoffman 1-3, Mathis 1-3. Boys Tennis CARBOND ALE WINS -TOURNAMENT: At Fairfield, Stephen Yau and Larry Speara won their singles flight, and both of Carbondale's doubles teams' won their flights at the Fairfield Invitational.

Carbondale also won the team title. Fairfield was second, Benton finished third and Mount Vernon was fourth; Yau won three matches at No. 1 singles, while Spears did the same at No. 2 singles. Michael Gross and Doug Sheffer teamed up to win the No.

1 singles flight, and Mohan Kochgal and Brian Zargham won No. 2 singles. Carbondale 5, Benton 0 Singles No. 1 Yau (C) def. Otterson, 10-2.

No. 2 Spears (C) def. Saunders, 10-0. No. 3 Basler (C) def.

Whitehead, 1 0-6. Doubles No. 1 GrossSheffer (C) def. SatterfieldDiefenbach, 10-0. No.

2 KochgalZargham (C) def. JohnstonHoller, 10-2. Carbondale 4, Fairfield 1 Singles No. 1 Yau (C) def. Meeks, 10-1.

No. 2 Spears (C) def. Rockett, 10-5. No. 3 Braddock (F) def.

Basler, 10-8. Doubles No. 1 GrossSheffer (C) def. VaughanScarlett, 10-0. No.

2 KachgalZargham (C) def. DavisWhite, 10-J. Carbondale 5, Mount Vernon 0 I Singles No. 1 Yau (C) def. Hamilton, 10-0.

No. 2 Spears (C) def. Boles, 10-0. No. 3 Basler (C) def.

Payne, 10-0. Doubles No. 1 GrossSheffer (C) def. May Carlson, 10-0. No.

2 KachgalZargham (C) def. Williams Koenerstein, 10-0. Boys Track Jackson Invitational Murphysboro Results Discus 6. Mark French, 122-0. 100 8.

Jeremy Hale, 1 1.4. 3,200 relay 1.8:20.0. 1 10 hurdles 5. McNeil, 15.4. 1.600 l.Lovell, 4:32.0.

300 hurdles 3. McNeil, 39.9. 800 I.Doran, 2:00.0. 1,600 relay 2. 3::31.0.

Girls Track Jackson Invitational Murphysboro Results 100 1. Burkes, 12.1. Long jump 1. Burkes, 16-8. 3,200 relay 8.

11.50.0. High jump 3. M.Dean, 4-10; 5. L.Dean, 4-10. Shot put 3.

Strack, 33-0. Pole vault 3. Swearingen, 7-6; 6. Belyeu, 7-0. 400 relay 1.51.2.

400 4. M.Dean, 1 :02.6; 5. Wright, 1 :02.7. 300 hurdles 6. Bame, 52.4.

Discus 7. Wingerter, 90-1 200 1. Burkes, 25.4. 800 6. Burke, 2:32.0.

3,200 6. Fiorino, 14:17.0. 1,600 relay 4. 4:19.0. UNIVERSITY PLACE (Across from University Mall) 1340 E.

MAIN 618-549-0765 Also in Paducah 270-443-1401 and Cape Girardeau 573-335-9194 Sean Collins scored for New Hampshire (28-8-6), which was denied its first championship despite making its fourth Frozen Four appearance in six years and seventh overall. The Wildcats, in their only other title game, lost to Maine, 3-2 in overtime in 1999. Vanek continued his knack for scoring in the clutch, two days after his overtime goal sealed Minnesota's 3-2 semifinal win over Michigan. Against New Hampshire, Vanek sparked the win with a great individual effort to put Minnesota up 2-1 8:14 into the third period. Driving up the left boards, Vanek cut to the middle, getting around New Hampshire defender Mick Mounsey.

Drawing Mike Ayers out of position, Vanek got around the sprawled goalie Texas sophomore point guard TJ. iur pidyer or ine year on Saturday. recalled. "If you're happy where you are, I would see no reason for jumping. He's from North Carolina and I believe his wife is from there, too, so there'd be certain ties there.

I don't like to see him jump all over the place." Wooden said he would say the same thing to Williams again. "Absolutely," he said. Collison said Williams had been "hiding out" because of and fired a shot that sneaked in under a diving Mounsey. Of Vanek's 31 goals, five have been game-winners and 17 have come in either the third period or overtime. The Gophers, who possess the nation's third-ranked offense, wound up scoring three goals over a 5:20 span.

Waibel, set up by Vanek, and Tallackson, stuffing in Gino Guyer's pass through the crease, made it 4-1. Tallackson then sealed the win by scoring into an empty net with 1:29 remaining. It was the largest margin of victory in an championship game since Boston University beat Maine 6-2 in 1995. And it was an unlikely outcome, considering how tightly contested the first two periods were. DeMarchi opened the scoring 10:58 into the game Frankel watched on television as his other Derby contender, Peace Rules, won the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

Now the trainer has two colts headed to the Derby, each coming off two big wins. "You get confident, but you can't get overconfident," Frankel said. "You can talk all you want, but until you do it on the track it doesn't matter." So far, Frankel is 0-for-4 in the Derby. His best finish came in 2000 when Aptitude was second. He finished fourth with Medaglia d'Oro last year.

Empire Maker, sent off as the 1-2 favorite, covered the 1 AP Ford holds the John Wooden award the intense media interest, and Barnes noticed the coach wasn't his usual laid-back self Saturday. "I feel for Roy. It's really, truly a gut-wrenching decision he's going to have to make," Barnes said. "I'm sure he's extremely torn because of his loyalty to the Carolina family and I think he was torn last time he decided to stay. I can tell just being around him, he's under a lot of stress." hockey title with a snap shot from the top of the right circle.

The Wildcats tied it with the prettiest goal of the game, coming with 18.9 seconds left in the first period. Justin Aikins, from just inside the blue line, fed Nathan Martz, parked to the left of the net. Martz one-timed the pass through the crease to Collins, who snapped it into the open side. Ayers was solid in keeping New Hampshire in the game. His best stop came with under three minutes left in the second period, diving across the crease to stop Troy Riddle's one-timer from the slot.

Weber was just as sharp for the Gophers. On separate chances through the first two periods, he stopped point-blank one-timers by Kevin Truelson and Jim Abbott. 18 miles in 1:48.70, nearly a second off the stakes record. The pace was a solid one as Empire Maker broke alertly and was a well-placed third until the far turn. Bailey only asked Empire Maker for something extra in the final strides with hand slaps instead of going to the whip.

"This is exactly what we wanted to get out of this race," Bailey said after winning his first Wood on his eighth try. "I knew as soon as wre broke, he would handle the surface. I didn't want to get in any trouble, and being in the outside post, we didn't." Oaklawn with Lopez. Sir Cherokee, known as a late-charging horse, jumped out fast before fading in the Rebel Stakes, the final prep for the Arkansas Derby. When Thompson worked him for the first time April 8, he found out that pulling on Sir Cherokee's reins made him want to run, so he held off at the start of the race.

"Coming around the final turn I grabbed a hold of the reins and it did just what we wanted Thompson said. "He took the bit and started making up ground." BUFFALO, N.Y.(AP) Freshman Thomas Vanek sparked a four-goal third period, leading Minnesota to a 5-1 victory over New Hampshire in the NCAA championship game Saturday night. Barry Tallackson scored 'twice, including an empty-, netter, as the defending champion Golden Gophers became the first team to repeat since Boston University won in 1971 and 1972. Matt DeMarchi and Jon Waibel also scored while Travis Weber stopped 26 shots as Minnesota outshot New Hampshire 45-27. The Gophers (30-8-9) won the school's fifth hockey title, joining Wisconsin and Denver, who also have won five.

Michigan is first with nine championships, followed by North Dakota with seven. Horse Racing Empire Maker NEW YORK (AP) Bobby Frankel got exactly what he wanted from Empire Maker a nearly effortless victory in the Wood Memorial. Now, the Hall of Fame trainer is looking for the biggest win of his career in the Kentucky Derby in three weeks. "He ran a great race, but the big one is still coming," Frankel said Saturday after Empire Maker's half-length victory over determined Funny Cide. "The second horse ran a great race, too, but this horse is something special." wins Wood, solidifies status as Derby favorite I Wolverine Steel Toe Boots and Shoes are built to protect your feet with no compromise on comfort.

It's that simple. Since 1883. Rated, ANSI Class 75. So special that the son of 1990 Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled could go off as the shortest-priced Derby favorite since 1992, when Arazi finished eighth at odds of 9-5. Taking the lead just inside the eighth pole, Empire Maker held off Funny Cide over a muddy track as jockey Jerry Bailey didn't ask the bay colt to work too hard.

"Empire Maker probably could have won easier if Jerry got after him," Frankel said, "but Jerry did the right thing with the Derby three weeks away." An hour after the Wood, for this horse because Terry has very quiet hands," Tomlinson said. "He sits very still on a horse. When he picks up and asks them to run for him, the horse really responds for him." Five other horses came to Oaklawn looking to earn their way to the Kentucky Derby on May 3. But the 55-1 longshot notched the biggest upset at the Arkansas Derby since 1983, when Rockamundo won with odds of 108-1. Thompson moved the son of Cherokee Run from ninth to Sir Cherokee beats talented field for Arkansas Derby crown BOOTS AND SHOES SINCE 1883 i 1 i HOT SPRINGS, Ark.

(AP) Mike Tomlinson needed someone with a gentle touch to handle Sir Cherokee, so he decided to switch jockeys. The trainer's decision paid off. With Terry Thompson aboard instead of James Lopez, Sir Cherokee charged from last at the half-mile mark to surprise a stacked field with an upset victory in the $500,000 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. "We felt like Terry's riding style was absolutely a dream third on the curve for home by swinging six-wide. He pulled up beside Christine's Outlaw, who finished third, in the stretch and closed 2lA lengths down the stretch on Eugene's Third Son to win by l34 lengths.

"I liked where we were coming home," said Pat Byrne, trainer of Eugene's Third Son. "I sure didn't think the winner would beat us." Sir Cherokee, owned by Kenneth Jones of Domino Stud in Lexington, was fourth in his last two starts at But 4 thou fer ttitif mtlk if lift.