1991_12 The Daily Collegian December 1991

              Daily
Sports
FSU defeats
Sac State
By David Donnelly
DC Sports writer
After opening the season at
Reno, NV., in the Wolfpack
Thanksgiving Invitational tourna¬
ment, the Fresno State women's
basketball team (2-1) continues on
the road with a game at Santa Clara
tonight at 7*30 pm.
The Bulldogs defeated Sacra¬
mento State, 76-68, Sunday night.
Against the Hornets, the Bull¬
dogs shot 42 percent from the field.
Jolayne Thompson had 23 points
and 14 rebounds while sophomore
guard Tammie Beckley added 18
points and six assists. Beckley also
finished with five steals.
Saturday night, the Bulldogs
defeated the Northwestern State
University of Louisiana Lady
Demons, 82-66, to even FSU's rec¬
ord at 1-1.
Kim Hill finished with 20 points
for the Lady Demons.
Senior guard Dana Steward
finished with a career-high 20
points and freshman guard Sue
Will added 11 points.
Senior forward Stacey Cornag¬
gia cracked the top ten for career
points Saturday night when she
scored 12points. She passed Mich¬
elle Bento, who was in 10th place
with 752 points. Bento used up her
eligibility at FSU last year.
Cornaggia had 12 points and
nine rebounds in the game against
Sacramento State.Shenow has 776
points. Next on the list is Patty
DeLotto, in ninth place, with 942
points.
"I don't think about it; all I want
to do is help the team," Cornaggia
said.
Friday night, the Bulldogs were
defeated by the Oregon State Bea¬
vers 80-61 in the season opener.
The Bulldogs shot only 34 per¬
cent in the second half and were
outscored 41-29. The Beavers shot
47 percent in the half.
Fresno State had 19 turnovers in
the game.
The thrill of victory
Hector Amezcua/ DC Photographer
The Fresno State basketball team won the Coors Light Classic Saturday night In
Selland Arena, The 'Dogs play in Oregon on Thursday night.
Choose the athletes viewpoint
of the_semester       Shake college football
By Dan Evans
DC Sports writer
The moment of truth is upon us, Fresno
State.
No, Elvis hasn't returned from the dead.
And, no, it's not finals week just yet. The
time has come to pick the Fresno State
University Male and Female Athletes of the
Semester.
Alas, it's time for you, the student, to
speak out and vote. Who will it be?
"How can I vote?," you may ask. Simple!
Just grab the nearest pen or pencil, fill out
the attached ballot and either mail it to the
Daily Collegian or bring it to us in person. No
scantrons. No blue-books. No No.2 pencils.
There is one catch, though: all entries
must be received by midnight, Monday,
Dec. 9 (NOTE: Since their seasons are barely
underway, neither male nor female basket¬
ball players will not be considered for the
award this semester).
Mail all entries to: Athlete of the Semes¬
ter, c/o Daily Collegian, CSU Fresno, Keats
Campus Bldg., Mail Stop 42, Fresno, Ca.,
93740-0042.
Here's a run-down of the candidates (in
alphabetical order):
Male
Trent D ilier, football - If you haven't
heard of this guy by now, you're either
studying way too much or you're allergic to
newspapers. Alter sentora^iarterbackMark
Barsotti was knocked out of commission
with a broken left fibula against New Mex¬
ico State, Dilfer stepped up and passed (no
pun intended) with flying colors.
After losing his first start (at Utah State),
Dilfer capped off a brilliant half-season by
guiding the Bulldogs to a 31-26 win over
San Jose State and a berth in the Dec. 14
California Raisin Bowl. Dilfer finished the
regular season having completed 69 of 109
passes (63%) for 832 yards and two touch¬
downs. He also rushed for 177 yards on 31
carries (5.7 avg.) and five touchdowns
. Gerell Elliott, soccer - What a year! In
a, season that found the Bulldogs winning
the Big West Conference Championship,
Elliott scored 20 goals and racked up 13
assists. Elliott finished second nationally in
points (53) to North Carolina-Greensboro's
Mike Gailey (54). Though Elliott fought with
a pulled groin muscle late in the season, but
wasonthefield for the Bulldogs' two NCAA
playoff games.
For all intenls and purposes, Elliott is the
FSU record book where offensive statistics
are concerned. This season, he became the
school's all-time leader in career goals (54)
and points (136). He is second on the all-
time list in career assists with 28.
Jamey Harris, cross country - Harris
was crowned the Big West Conference's
"Male Runner of the Year" after finishing
first at the Conference Championships in
Tucson, AZ. last month. He completed the
1,500 meter race in 25*07, but beating the
BWC was nothing new to Harris at that
point—he was not beaten by a BWC oppo¬
nent all season.
Melvin Johnson, football - Who says
linemen don't get any respect? The 6-1,305
pound senior guard was recently named
third-team, All-America by one publication
and is certain to be considered in the up¬
coming NFL draft Johnson was named as
an honorary captain for the Bulldogs by
head coach Jim Sweeney after a stellar year
on the offensive line.
John Walker, water polo - In spite of a
disappointing season for the Bulldogs' water
polo team, Walker was brilliant. The 6-2
senior scored 42 goals (1.68 per game aver¬
age), including five at UC Davis on Oct. 26.
Walker finished his career at FSU in 8th
i-lace on the school's all-time scoring list
with 126 career goals.
Other jocks to consider Tony Brown
(football), Don Kenney (water polo), David
Kramer (soccer), Matt Petrie (swimming),
Marquez Pope (football), Ron Rivers (foot¬
ball) and Sterling Westcott (soccer).
Female
Dina Parage, crosf country - Farage
became the first runner fn FSU cross coun-
See ATHLETE, page 7
By Chris Cocoles
College football needs a w*ke-up call.
Someone needs to shake college
football, slap it and throw water in its
race.
College football is blind and its eyes
need to be opened so it can see the light.
Something needs to be done about the
bowl system and the crowning of a
national champion in college football.
Let's think back to the nati- nal champi¬
ons of the past.
How many No.l teams really deserved
that elusive No.l ranking?
How about 1984. Brigham Young rolled
through an undefeated season, beating up
on defenseless Western Athletic rivals
and Big West Conferencepatsy Utah
State.
The Cougars jumped to No.l.
But comejhe bowl season, let's see how
BYU fares against the nation's elite.
The Cougars were forced to play in the
Holiday Bowl, but instead of matching up
with at least a top-twenty school, BYU
drew Michigan, at 6-5 coach Bo
Schembechler's worst ever Wolverine
team.
BYU still fell behind to its outmanned
opponent, and needed a last second
Robbie Bosco touchdown pass to win the
game and complete an unbeaten season.
Meanwhile, 10-1 Washington took
apart Oklahoma's powerful wishbone
attack in the Orange Bowl.
But the final polls put the Cougars first
and the Huskies second.
In 1990 the season ended with split
national champs, but again the best were
denied a shot at No.l.
Colorado was as weak a national
champion in NCAA history, barely
getting by Stanford, using five downs to
beat Missouri, and outlasting a Notre
Dame team in the Oraqge Bowl that was
overrated anyway.
Georgia Tech was a little more deserv¬
ing thaiUhe Buffaloes.
The Yellow Jackets didn't lose a game
and beat then No.l Virginia in a classic
game. But Tech hardly played a tough
schedule. On the other hand, Miami had
to play Notre Dame, Florida State and
Texas in the Cotton Bowl, where the
Hurricanes punished the Longhorns46-3.
And Washington may have been
college football's strongest last season.
They lost only to an inferior UCLA
team and dominating Big Ten champion
Iowa in the Rose Bowl.
As is the case, the best college football
teams in the land finished below the top.
This season a similar situation looms on
the horizon.
Miami and poor Washington sit one-
two in all the polls, and the Huskies are
moving closer and closer to the 'Canes
every week.
Granted, Miami beat No.l Florida State
and hasn't lost at home in four years.
But Washington won road games at
Nebraska, Stanford and California, teams
ranked in the top twenty-five, and boasts
college football's best defense.
The Huskies may be able to jump over
Miami after New Year's Day, but take a
look at the bowl matchups: Orange: No.l
Miami against No. 11 Nebraskh; Rose: .
No.2 Washington against fourth-ranked
Michigan.
One against eleven?
Give me a break.
Think about other potential Hurricane
bowl opponents: Florida, Texas A «fe M,
Tennessee, or Alabama, all ranked ahead
of Nebraska.
Translation: to win a national champi¬
onship Washington needs to blow out
Michigan and Nebraska will have keep
the score close against Miami on the
Hurricanes' home field.
the NCAA needs another slap to the
face.
Mr. Cocoles is a Junior, majoring in
Journalism.
\    i '   .
ammm]