The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 27, 2004, Page 10, Image 10
Campus Recreation
to begin new year
of intramural sports
By JIM ROCHE
THE GAMECOCK
With the start of football seasoi
less then 10 days away, many US(
students are looking forward t<
the start of flag football seasoi
Sept. 7. The popular annual spot
will start the new year o
intramural sports at the Blatt P.E
Center and the Strom.Thurmom
Wellness 8c Fitness Center.
With the addition of th
Wellness Center, sports lik
basketball, swimming am
racquetball flourished in 2003
Flag football, the most popula
sport, had almost 100 teams o
seven or more peopl
participating last fall. This year’
numbers should surpass that.
Flag football sfnd indoor socce
start Sept. 7. Students can sign u|
for these sports through Monda
in the Wellness Center rotunda
The cost is $20 per team. Fla;
football teams can consist of sevei
or more members of USC students
faculty or staff members that wisl
to play. A valid USC-Columbia II
is required upon registration o
that particular team. Indoor socce
teams consist of five members
with valid USC-Columbia ID
required upon registration.
“The best part of flag football i
just getting to compete,” Derel
Nattier said. Nattier said most fla;
football games last about one hou
a week, which doesn’t take u|
much time in a student’s schedule
The regular season for botl
sports will consist of a five-week
round-robin tournament witl
each team playing four games. A
teams with at least a 3 J
sportsmanship rating and no mor
than one fortified contest ar
eligible for the playoffs. Th
playoffs will, be a single
elimination tournament.
Third-year history student Te<
Givler said he is looking forwar
to the start of the flag footbal
season.
“It’s a great way to get involved
on campus and meet new people,”
i Givler said.
New in 2004, the Office of
i Campus Recreation has changed
i the divisions in which teams will
t compete in intramurals of all
f sports. The Gold Division,
formerly Men’s A, is comprised of
1 highly competitive play; the
Garnet Division, formerly Men’s
r B, is for moderate competitive
■ play; and the Black Division,
I formerly Men’s C, is for more
relaxed, recreational play.
“It’s great to be able to play
f some competitive sports with
: people you know,” said Paul
; Edwards, a second-year exercise
science student. “You just have to
remember ,that it’s only
i intramurals, and you’re supposed
r to have fun. Enjoying yourself is
the most important thing.”
; Campus Recreation is also
i looking for officials for upcoming
, intramural sports like flag football
i and indoor soccer. Students need
> no prior officiating experience to
f participate. Intramural sports
r. employees teach rules and conduct
, during official training clinics.
> Training for flag football officiating
will be held Sunday from 7-9 p.m.
i at the Wellness Center, and
c training for * indoor soccer
; officiating will be held 9-11 p.m.
r Students can contact the Office
of Campus Recreation at 777
4687 for more information about
flag football, indoor soccer and
upcoming intramural activities.
Sports such as basketball, tennis
1 and swimming will start up later in
) the year. Students should keep an
eye out around the Wellness
Center for updates. With the flag
football and indoor soccer seasons
quickly approaching, sign-up time
will be limited.
) -
1 Comments on this story ? E-mail
1 gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu
OLYMPIC UPDATE'
By ALEX RILEY
THE GAMECOCK
♦ USC volunteer coach Allen
Johnson’s shot at Olympic gold
came to a sudden and stunning end
Wednesday as the 2003 world
champion crashed into a hurdle
during the second-round heat of
the 100-meter hurdles, sending him
tumbling under the next hurdle and
ending his Olympic run. Johnson
walked off as a gracious and
humble man after the turn of
events.
“I was (thinking), ‘Oh my God, I
can’t believe it’s over,’” Johnson
said. “You have to look at it like it’s
just another race. You have to put it
behind you.”
Johnson’s running days are far
from over as he travels to Berlin
and to the Grand Prix finals during
the next few months.
♦ USC sophomore Tracey
Richardson finished 28th in her
diving prelims Wednesday and
failed to qualify for the semifinals.
Richardson scored a 209.34 and
would have needed 18th place to
advance. “She gave it a good shot,
and she really went after it,” USC
head diving coach Todd Sherritt
said. “But she isn’t near done yet.
This is her first Olympics, and she
certainly wants to keep training to
2008.”
♦ Former USC track star Terrence
Trammell advanced to the finals of
the 110-meter hurdles Thursday as
he placed third with a time of 13.17
seconds. Trammell was the silver
medalist in the 110-meter hurdles in
Sydney in 2000.
♦ Another USC alum’s Olympic
medal quest came to an end
Wednesday as Aleen Bailey
finished1 fourth in the 200-meter
finals. Bailey, a member of the
Jamaican track team, ran a time of
22.42 and came close to an
appearance on the podium. She is
expected to run the 4x100-meter
relay for her home country. Bailey
finished fifth in the women’s 100
meter race, as well.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Members of the United States Olympic women’s soccer team celebrate Thursday after defeating Brazil
to win the gold medal. The game was the last for star Mia Hamm and four of her teammates.
♦ USC graduate Shannon Johnson
had her best night of the Olympics
thus far, as she poured in 20 points to
lead the U.S. women’s basketball
team past hometown-favorite
Greece, 102-72. Teammate Tina
Thompson matched Johnson’s 20
points, while Yolanda Griffin had a
double-double with 14 points and 11
rebounds.
OTHER NOTABLES
♦ The United States women’s
soccer team completed their trek to
gold Thursday, defeating Brazil 2-1
on an Abby Wambach goal in the
second overtime. The game was
the last competitive match for U.S.
Soccer’s Fab Five. Mia Hamm,
Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett are
retiring from the national team,
leaving just Kristine Lilly and
Brandy Chastain as active members
who participated in the first World
Cup championship in 1991. The
team also won the World Cup in
1999.
♦ Marion Jones has put talk of
steroid and doping use behind her
as she qualified for the finals of the
women’s long jump. Jones’ first
atterript was flawed, but her
second run came up big, as she
jumped a distance of 22 feet, 11
3/4 inches to place seventh and
advance. Jones also received news
that she would be running for the
United States’ 4xl00-meter relay
team.
♦ Windsurfer Gal Fridman
became the first Olympic gold
medalist out of Israel, as he blew
past Greece’s Nikolas
Kaklamanakis for the gold.
Fridman realized the magnitude of
his victory just after he completed
the race and wrapped himself in an
Israeli flag as he dove into the
Saronic Gulf, tears streaming from
his eyes. All of Israel celebrated,
too, as people filled the streets
chanting and celebrating the
country’s first gold win.
♦ After the United States
baseball team failed to qualify, the
race for the baseball medals was left
wide open. Cuba got past Australia
for the gold medal with a final
score of 6-2. Japan blew past
Canada 11-2 to claim the bronze
medal.
♦ The United States men’s
basketball team is finally turning^
heads for positive reasons. The™
Dream Team beat previously
undefeated Spain 102-94 Thursday
in the quarterfinals and will play
Argentina today in the semifinal
round. Stephon Marbury broke the
ynited States’ Olympic scoring
record with 31 points in the contest.
The game ended in a shouting
match between the two sets of
coaches.
♦ Medal count: The United
States continues to separate itself
from the pack, as its leading medal
total grew to 79. Twenty-six of
those medals shimmer wi^i gold.
The Russians have made their way
to second with 57, while China
holds on to third with 54. In an I
interesting twist, if the United States I
wins one more medal, swimmer
Michael Phelps will account for 10
percent of the country’s total
medals.
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Ashley Williams dribbles the ball in a game late last season.
Williams and the Gamecocks play two games this weekend.
■ WOMEN
Continued from page 9
at Greenwood High School.
After facing Georgia State, the
Gamecocks will go on a two-game
road trip, visiting James Madison
University on Sunday and playing
intrastate rival Furman on Tuesday.
James Madison finished below .500
for only the second time in its 14
year history last season.
Last year appeared to be a
rebuilding season for them, and
they are looking for a strong start
this season. It will be their first
home game of the season, and the
Gamecocks are expecting an
energized crowd in Harrisonburg,
Va.
The season will feature an
extremely competitive schedule
for the Gamecocks, and it starts
early, facing two very difficult
programs. Kickoff is scheduled for
7 p.m.
Comments an this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu
Basketball to battle
top Canadian squads
The USC basketball team will
spend its fall break in Canada.
The Gamecocks will play three
exhibition games versus Canadian
college teams to prepare for the
2004-2005 season.
“This is a very exciting trip for
our team, and I would like to
thank the administration for
having the foresight to make it
possible,” head coach Dave
Odom said. “We are playing
some of the very best teams in
Canada, and that should be a
beneficial experience for our ball
BRIEFS
club. The idea for this tour has
always been in the back of my
mind since we were unable to
play in another exempt
tournament, like the Guardians
Classic last year. This is an
excellent opportunity for our
team to get to know each other
and get ready for our upcoming
season. One of the best things
about an in-season foreign tour is
that you can involve your
newcomers unlike a summer
tour.”
“We will prepare hard for this
trip and when we return — we
will take three or four days off
and then go back at it,” Odom
said. “We are excited because we
will be able to progress more
rapidly, identify areas that we
need to improve upon and have a
good opportunity to play
everyone in game-like situations.”
The Gamecocks will leave
Columbia on Oct. 13 and fly to
Ottawa, where they will play
Carleton University, the
Canadian nation champion, the
following day. USC will then
take on Ottawa University on
Oct. 15 before a bus trip to
Montreal where they will play
Concordia University on Oct. 16.
The team will fly home from
Montreal the next day.
■ SOCCER
Continued from page 9
halftime. Just one minute into the
second half, forward Michael
Sambursky found Ayo Akinsete on
a sharp cross into the top of the
box. The Nigerian-born striker
unleashed a bullet that clanked off
the right post. The Gamecocks had
another near-miss four minutes
later.
USC’s best scoring chance came
in the 55th minute when
Sambursky, who constantly gave
the Virginia defense fits, sent
another cross into the box. The ball
trickled along the goal, just missing
in the end. Twelve of Carolina’s 17
shots came in the second half.
The most impressive aspect
about the team’s play was its ability
to play together as a unit. The 25
man roster is sprinkled with just
nine returning players from last
year, five of which are now
sophomores.
“For this being a preseason game
and seeing that we have 15
freshmen, we gelled *> together
perfectly,” Guzan said. “A lot of
guys stepped up today and took
leadership upon themselves and
everyone was accountable for their
responsibilities.”
The Gamecocks will look to ride
the momentum gained from their
first outing into the opening of the
regular season. The team begins its
campaign against William and
Mary at home Sept 1.
Comments on this story? E-moil (
gamecocksjiirrts@givm.se. edu