1987_05 The Daily Collegian May 1987

              Thursday, May 7,1987
Sports
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Page 6
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Jufitor Mike Ostrom will defend his PCAA javelin title during the PCAA track championships this weekend.
GkttwUoon/The Daly Colegian
Ostrom gives it his best
A disability can't slow him down in class or in throwing
By Jon Metsune
Sports Writer
Fresno State throw specialist Mike Ostrom
is about as much of a "scholar-athlete" as one
can possibly be.
In his first season as an FSU athlete,
Ostrom competed in four different events, led
the Bulldog men's track and field team in
scoring with 65 points, captured the Pacific
Coast Athletic Associatin javelin title and
qualified for the NCAA Championships in the
exceedingly strong throwing arm might cause
some to think that he's a waste of a good
quarterback, and while Ostrom grew up
idolizing football players and actually did do
some high school signal-calling, he never
really thought of putting the sport above track
and field.
'Track, for mc in the long run, has more to
offer such as individual awards, travel and
knowing you really don't have to depend on
anyone else. It's all you. If you want to have
fun, you can. If you want to be intense you
can."
At Las Lomas High School in Walnut
Creek, Ostrom's specialty was the discus. Yet
in an off-season event during the summer, he
managed to uncork a javelin throw of 218.
This played a major role in his being recruited
by a large assortment schools that included
See-OSTROM, page 7
A team with no size, name
semesters i
rt industrial technology,
Ostrom compiled grade point averages of 3.8
and 3.5 despite suffering from dyslexia, a
reading impairment that causes printed words
to appear backwards.
r^-/ "It really doesn't bother me," Ostrom said
of his disability. Tve been able to
compensate. I've been gifted with other things
that help balance it out."
One of the "things" Ostrom speaks of has
to be an aching desire to perform well both in
the classroom and on the athletic field. This,
according to Ostrom, came as a result of some
sound upbringing.
"My mom was the one who really helped
me," he said, "A lot of people I've known who
had learning disabilities have given up My
mom has given me inspiration and a push
when I needed it." .    v
Despite all his lofty achievements, Ostrom
remains unsatisfied with his collegiate track
and field career. "You always want to compete
better," he said, "If I were satisfied with my
performance, why should I go on?"
Ostrom's 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame and
By Mike Butwe11
There's a new team in town. A new
professional basketball team that is.
No, the NBA is not kicking the Clippers out
of LA and sending them to central California.
Fresno is the site for one of the newly-founded
International Basketball Association teams.
The season has been announced to begin in
May of 1988 with a 60-game schedule that
runs through September.
The teams are scattered all around the
country for the latest experiment in
professional sports. The IB A includes
participants from New York, Boston,
Washington, Chicago, Irvine, Los Angeles,
Louisville and Winnipeg. Other cities
interested in a club are San Jose, St. Louis,
Seattle,-Memphis and Ontario.
There's only one catch to this league. No
giants'allov/ed. To be more specific if you're
taller than 6-foot-4, you cannot play in this
league.
Gee, I guess the league won't be stealing
Kareem, Moses, Joe Barry Carroll, Ralph
Sampson, Akeem Olujawon, Jack Sikma, Tree
Rollins, Larry Bird or even Magic Johnson
away from "that other league." Well heck, it
doesn't look like the NBA has much to worry
about:
The owner of the'Fresno team, John
ODonald, has already emphasized that he will
be looking for local talent, and named such
former Bulldogs as Tyrone Bradley, Mitch
Arnold, Donald Mason, RoruStrain and
Marvin Carter as possibly prospects.
It might very well be fun seeing a
combination old Bulldog members of past that
played that tenacious defense and gave even the
R unnin' Rebels a fright. The fact is, though,
how long will it last? Will it be exciting see
undersized centers and forwards and puny ««•
guards trying to give the sport of basketball a
new look? Will Fresno go "ho-hum" over the
"short" league?
Dunks, one of the things that makes the
sport so thrilling, might not be in this
league's forte. The hope is, however, that the
league can find a few Spud Webbs with the
ability to leap to the rim in a single bound
What will it take for mis league to be a   '
success? First, there must be tots of sharp
shooters. Players like Ernie DiGregorio, Billy
Donovan and of course, Steve Alford (Alford,
however, is far too talented for (his "shrimp"
league). You get the drift, though. Guards
who will shoot die lights out at Selland
Arena.
The point guards most be quick and flashy.
There's nothing more exciting then watching a
Tyrone Bogues or Spud Webb controlling the
tempo and darting past taller players.
Another key is the big men, who in this
league are not real big men. Sure, they will
only be 6-foot-2 or 6-foot-4. but their role is
to haul down rebounds and if they can
dominate the inside like a 6-foot-10 player is
capable of doing in the NBA they might be a
joy to watch.
Community support is vital. If the Fresno
See HOOPS, page 7
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