Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Steve Parker Sports Editor VL. Quarterfinal selection questioned Why on earth would the NCAA desire to take a very attrac tive NCAA tournament doubleheader of Southwestern Louisiana-Houston and USC-Texas Tech and have it played before an empty house at Wichita State University's Henry Levitt Arena is beyond comprehension. True, the NCAA committee did pick the Wichita State site for the quarterfinal round in the Southwest region of the tournament before the team match-ups for the games could even-be guessed at with any accuracy, but when such an attractive day of games draws only 6,389 fans it has to be questions why the Wichita was ever even considered. Suppose if the games would have had any less appeal, there might have been just the families of the contestents as spectators.-Even as it was, many of the 6,389 exited prior to the Carolina-Texas Tech match-up leaving the arena just over half empty for that second NCAA tournament game. And just 6,389 for a game like Southwestern Louisiana Houston-one of the best collegiate games one could picture this season--is a .dellorable attendence figure. Especially considering that the Wichita residents didn't comprise that figure by themselves as all four of the competing schools sent their own fans. Maybe the Wichita residents really don't care to see the NCAA tournament-but if that is the case, and apparently it is, why were they ever given the opportunity? For what reason did the NCAA committee chose such a God-forsaken place such as Wichita to hold the quarterfi nals Why was Wichita ever chosen? For what reason did the NCAA committee chose such a God-forsaken place such as Wichita to hold the quarterfi nals of their biggest basketball attraction? Surely not for the facilities of the arena itself as the anchient Henry Levit1 arena hardly compares with most other schools' courts Surely not for the fan appeal as the abundance of empty seats and benches (most of the arena is benches) would evidence. And surely not for the reason of picking a neutra site for the games as the NCAA's site selections left oper the possibility that Houston could go seeking a finalist spol in the friendly confines of their own home court, befor Southwestern Louisiana setback the Cougars, and UCLA will be advancing to the finals while defeating opponents on their own Pauley Pavalion floor. (See PARKER, Page 11) Monday Nig Student Spec *2.99 U.S. Choice Sirloin Choice of Potato Salad Bar 741 SALUDA AVE. - COLUtMBIA. SOUiTH Swimme In Easter BY MARK LEARY Sports Writer WEST POINT, N.Y.-The Caroli na swimmers placed seventh out of a field of 36 teams in the Eastern Seaboard Swimming and Diving Championships, which was held at the United States Military Academy. Through the three-day meet , which started on Thursday personal bests and Carolina school records fell constantly. On the first day of the meet Chip Newman qualified sixth in the 50-yard freestyle, tying the USC record. The Gamecock's medley relay team of Casey Claflin, Jeff Neuburt, Brad Hitchings and Newman set a school record while placing second in the event. This record time also earned them the right to go to the Nationals. Rounding out the first day of com petition, Tom Schmidt captured first place in the finals of the 500 yard freestyle. On the second day of the meet, Schmidt set a school record in the 200-yard freestyle to qualify fourth. His time of 1:44.2 gives him the right to participate in this event in the Nationals. Brad Hitchings qualified eighth in the 100-yard butterfly with a school record time of 0:52.43. Earlier this season Hitchings had qualified for the NCAA in the 200 yard butterfly. Three more school records fell in the final day of swimming. Glenn Spears, Claflin, Hitchings and New man broke the school record in the 400-meter freestyle with a 3:11 tim ing. One of the members of the team, Hitchings, also broke his own school record in the 200-yard frees tyle with a 1:55.9 clocking. Schmidt closed out the final day of competition by setting another school record, this time in the 1,650 meter freestyle. Not only did the team, which took seventh at West Point, do well in the Easterns but all the members of the nine-man squad qualified for the Nationals which will be held at the University of Tennessee in Knox ville March 22-24. The way a swimming team gets a national ranking is by scoring in ht 1al Reservations Please FIVE POINTS AROLINA 29205 rs Place.1 ri Champ the Nationals. With the Gamecocks having nine members of their squad in the meet the prospects are good for a national ranking. The stalwart of the Gamecock swimmers, Schmidt, has the best chance of scoring points for Carolina as he has qualified for the 200-yard freestyle, Fexas Tn With T6u BY JIM HERSH Asst. Sports Editor Bill McClure says that his track team's upcoming week-long tour of Texas will accomplish a number of things, all of which will apparently help make the Gamecocks a better team this spring. "The main purpose for the trip," McClure said on Sunday, "is to pol ish our techniques, especially in the field events." McClure also thinks that the "c rucible of competition" and the advantages of training in the warmer Texas temperatures will make the trip worthwhile. The tour, which will start March 17 and end March 24, will take the Gamecocks through three meets against the toughest teams in the Southwest, one of the toughest teams in the Southwest, one of the top track areas in the country. Carolina will meet Rice, Houston and Texas in Houston on the 17th, travel to Beaumont to face Lamar and Southwestern Louisiana on the 10th and finish their tour on the 20th at College Station against Texas A&M, Abilene Christian, Baylor and Texas Christian. I don't expect us to win any of the meets," McClure said. "All the teams we will run against have had four outdoor meets already, and we haven't had any yet. The type of teams we'll face are the best in the area." However, McClure believes that his team might have a chance to win lOsi BICY Quality European Bi Manufactured By: 0 Paris-Sport, Falcon-NV In Colu C AT E'S C Box Cedar Terrace! 6420 Sumter Ph4 776 1:15 to 8p.m. M eventh ionships 500-yard freestyle and the 1,650 meter freestyle. The nine-man team which will be making the prestigious trip to the Nationals will consist of Schmidt, Neubert, Spears, Claflin, Hitchings, Newman, Nick Kesslering, Gary Weatherhold and Sam Wauford. p Loaded gh Meets one meet and that individually the Gamecocks should do well in cer tain events. "We might surprise some people in the Beaumont meet (where they face Lamar Tech and Southwestern Louisiana, March 20). Individually we'll win points in all the meets. Our sprinters are as good, maybe stron ger, than the ones we'll see." McClure said that he expects his sprinters--Milton Reid and Jim Small, half-milers--Mike Sheley, Don and John Brown; and high jumper-Ron Adams, to be in the thick of the competition in all the meets. Although this Saturday will be their first meet 'with outside com petition, the track team did have an intra-squad meet March 2, and McClure said that he was satisfied with the way his team performed in meet conditions. "I felt like they performed about as well as we expected," he said. "The rainy weather was not condu cive to good times but I thought we performed well. "I was surprised, he continued, at the times Sheley, John Brown and Bob Dempsey had in the 660, con sidering we had not worked toward any time at that distance. And Billy Novo got over the hurdles real-well, 14.3, for the first time he has run the whole set this year. "We're just about where we want to be as far as conditioning is con cerned," he said. "We've pointed toward the Texas trip." PEED CLES eycles From $95.00 ritanle, Bottecchia, laino, CinelII, Colnago mbia See: OTTAGE 9342 shopping Center Hwy. (29209) mne: 1209 Ion. throuqlh Sot