1993_02 Insight February 1993

              Page 7
February 17,1993
Sp
Insight
orts
FSU Athletics— This Week...
February 18
Men's Basketball @ Brigham
Young, 7:30 p.m.
Women7s Basketball vs Texas-
El Paso, 7:30 pm.
Women's Softball @ Arizona
State Classic, TBA.
February 19
Wrestling @ Boise State, 7:30
pjn.
Men's B£. vs Cal, 7:00 pjn.
Women's Softball @ Arizona
State State Classic, TBA.
Men's Tennis @ Las Vegas
Tournament, TBA.
Women'sTennis vs New Mexico
State, 9:00 am.
February 20
Men's Basketball @ Utah, 7:30
pjn.
Men's Basketball @ Utah, 7:30
pjn.
Women's Basketball vs New
Mexico, 7:30 p.m.
Wrestling @ Brigham Young,
7:00 p.m.
Men's Baseball vs California,
1:00 p.m.
Women's Softball @ Arizona
State Classic, TBA.
Men's Tennis @ Las Vegas
Tournament, TBA.
Women's Tennis vs Colorado,
9:00 a.m.	
February 21
Men's Baseball vs California,
1:00 pjn.
Women's Softball @ Arizona
State Classic, TBA.
Men's Tennis @ Las Vegas
Tournament, TBA.
Women's  Tennis   @  New
Mexico, 9:00 am.
February 23
Men's Baseball @ Santa Clara,
2:00 p.m. |
Slap-Shot
Fred Lee/ Sports Editor
A few weeks ago I worte a letter to
the most influential player in the NBA
today. It was short and sweet:
Dear Mr. O'Neal..
How. in a league so demanding, do
you average 23 points per game and
grab 14 rebounds per contest?
Are you a bird, a plane?
Shaquille O'Neal the rookie sensation out of Louisiana Statehas turned
the lowly Orlando Majic into a possible playoff contender.
Last week Orlando equaled it's total
wins of a year ago (It's not even the
All-Star Break yet!). Not many players can or have come straight out of
college and turned a team around so
dramaticly. So he's a Hall of Fame
future inductdec?
At 7'1", 300 pounds plus, O'Neal
can be a very dominating force in the
middle. He is currently third in the
league in blocked shots behind David
Robbinson and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Docs he feel like he gets enough
respect? No!
Lets be realistic Shaq. You know
your going to get your fair share of
endoesements and publicity so enjoy
your youth.
You've already got a new line of
shoeoutandArseniois thinking about
getting a rap group together with you
at lead vocals.
Just as the Heavyweight Champ
Riddick Bowe is like a young
Muhammad Ali you are like a young
Wilt Chamberlain, cocky, confident,
talented and extremely charismatic.
You gel my vote for rookie of the
year!
You have overcome many of life's
obsucles and deserve the attention
very much, but don't let it go to your
head.
Abdul-Jabbar, Walton, Russet and
Chamberlain all praise you and wish
you the best but if your going to break
the backboard your going to have to
clean it up' rookie'.
Quit crying about the fouls and get
in shape. Be smart and most of all be
a team player, that is how dynasties
are built.
Here is his short reply:
Don't fake the funk
on a nasty dunk!
FSU wrestlers crack Top 10
^Bulldog wrestlers
advance from #11
to # 9 in latest
American Wrestling
News poll
By Kathy Airoso	
Sports Writer
The Fresno State wrestling team,
once a diamond-in-the-rough program, is currently ranked #9 in the
nation according to the latest Amateur Wrestling News poll.
This puts FSU ahead of its previous
all-time-high ranking of #11 at the
conclusion of the '91-92 season.
The FS U wresdi ng program has been
gradually improving every season.
Their success can be seen in their
record since Dennis DeLiddo took
over as head coach. The Bulldogs
have had only one losing season in the
past 10 years under DeLiddo.
The programs consistent improvement has paved the way for them to
become a top competitor in the West-
em Athletic Conference.
Wrestling was the Tint FSU athletic
program to join the WAC at the beginning of the '91-'92 season.
The Bulldogs have come on strong
since their entrance into the WAC and
there's no sign of them letting up.
The wrestlers revealed their competitive potential last season by accumulating a 19-1 record and a second
place finish in the conference.
Their competitiveness come from a
desire to win the WAC Championship at this years tournament in Utah.
FSU lost to Wyoming at last years
tournament, upsetting the teams
chances of capturing a third conference championship.
A disappointing quarter-point was
all that stood between FSU and the
conference title.
Dennis DeLiddo, head coach of the
FSU wresUing team, still has night-
marcs about ihe championship slipping through their fingers.
"Our main goal is to focus on winning the WAC Tournament," DeLiddo
said. "Everyone is wrestling well this
year, wc have a good shot"
DeLiddo is no stranger to FSU wrestling.
He was a member of the program
during the'60s when FSU wrestled in
Division II.
DeLiddo grew accustomed to winning while fulfilling his duues as head
wresUing coach at Clovis High.
DeLiddo joined the Bulldog staff in
1982, leaving behind a 10-ycar span
of winning seasons.
He left Clovis with an overal I record
of 145-7-1 and threeconsecutive state
championships under his belt
DeLiddo never expected to become
head wresUing coach al FSU.
"I thought I could be the wresUing
coach at Fresno City, but never thought
I'd be coaching Fresno State,"
DeLiddo said. "It's exciting to be
coaching the program I was once a
part of."
The winning didn't stop after he left
Clovis.
Entering his 12th season, DeLiddo
is FSU's winningest coach, compiling a 170-89-3 record thus far.
Some key wresUers whom DeLiddo
hopes will help steer FSU towards a
WAC Championship include: Robbie
Sordi, Harold Zinkin. Lorenzo Neal
and Gerry Abas.
Sordi, Sr., is the defending WAC
Fresno State
'Athlete of the Week'
Lorenzo Neal, Wrestling
Height: 6'
Weight: 230
Hometown: Lcmoore, CA
Major: Criminology
Last week Lorenzo compiled a 2-0
record in helping the 'Dogs knock-off
#11 Oklahoma.
Neal is now 4-0 on the season and
50-14-4 lifetime but is unranked
nationaly in the heavyweightdivision
due to his inactivity.
Lorenzo Neal
Neal posted a seventh place finish ai
last year's NCAA championships.
Should Neal become ranked in the
next poll it would be the first time
FSU has had more than five ranked
wresUers at one time.
In addition to his wresUing accomplishments, Neal has excelled as al
fullback on the Bulldogs football team.
He has participated in the Japan,
Hula and East-West Shrine games in]
the last month.
Lorenzo is currcnUy at the NFL combine making his bit for a spot in thel
lcagues's draft. Next week we wU
unvail the" AH-Benzo" team as com
piled by Neal. (Based on postseason)!
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Robbie Sordi, ranked #8 nationally at 118, is #8 on the FSU career wins list with 84. The 'Dogs beat
#11 Oklahoma 22-14 and are now 14-5 on the season. Friday the 'Dogs travel to Boise State,
champion in the 118-pound division.
Sordi was recruited by DeLiddo from
Madera High School where he holds
the school record for most career
wins with 141.
Sordi is also ranked 14th on the FSU
most career wins list.
Harold Zinkin, Sr., is one of three
Zinkin brothers on the Fresno State
wresUing team.
Following in his footsteps arc
Dewaync and Nick Zinkin.
Harold is no stranger to WAC competition. He placed second in the
WAC last year after winning three
individual tournaments and going undefeated for 17 matches.
Zinkin is also ninth on the Fresno
State career win listand was ranked in
the top 10 nationally in preseason
poUs.
Zinkin's leadership qualities helped
him achieve the Most Valuable WresUer award for the '91-92 season.
Zinkin's strategy both on and off
Ihe mat makes him one of the team's
best wresUers.
On the mat, Zinkin is focused on
winning the match any way he can.
He's a smart defensive wresUer.
Zinkin's wresUingdoesn'tstoponce
his match is over. When he's not in
his chair cheering on his team he can
be seen pacing up and down the edge
of the mat shouting advice and strategies to his teammates.
One teammate Zinkin and the rest of
the FSU fans enjoy cheering on is
Lorenzo Neal
Neal is the defending WAC heavyweight champion, but most know Neal
for his accomplishments on the football field. After FSU's upset of USC
in the Freedom Bowl on Dec. 29,
Off The Wall
Neal's schedule was full with three
postseason college all-star football
games. Neal played in (he Japan,
Hula and East-West Shrine Bowls
during the Christmas break.
Neal finally returned to the mat Friday, February 5 against the 14 ranked
Arizona State Sundevils.
With Neal back in the heavyweight
division, the FSU wrestling team wUI
be in contention for the WAC Championship on March 6.
"Lorenzo has a unique effect on the
team," DeLiddo said. "It seems to
boost the moral of the team to know
he's back in the program".
Another wresUer who will help put
FSU in contention for die WAC titie
this year is Gerry Abas.
Abas is a sophomore out of Oakland
See Wrestling, Page 8
* Saturday's Softball match vs #1 UCLA set a new all-time NCAA attendance record at Bulldog Diamond. 3,510 saw the double-header, shattering the old mark of 3,357.
* Fr. guard Staci Oddo set a new FSU women's basketball record Feb. 10
vs Sac. State for most consecutive free-throws made (24 and counting)
* Wednesday's women's basketball game also set a new team record for
total points scored by two teams in a game (208).
* The women's track team set a new sprint medley record Feb. 6 at the
Bakersfield Invitational. Michelle Allen, Janisha Richardson, Lisa Wiederin
and Aimee Cohon ran 4:06.5 breaking the old mark by 5.1 seconds.
* 1,441 wrestling fans came to last fir-day's match vs #4 Arizona State. I
was the largest crowd in FSU history to see a home match since 1S84
when 1,255 saw Oklahoma vs Fresno State.
* The oldest FSU football record was set in 1924 for fewest points allowed
in a seeson (44). The 1324 squad went 7-2.
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