Sunday, November 1, 1998

Red Raiders come to town and other tidbits

By Bill Hart

Senior Staff Writer

Sports smorgasbord, while wondering whatever happened to former Sweetwater girls track athlete Tara Lemmons:

-- Texas Tech's Red Raider Club is coming to town Friday for a session at Joe Allen's Corral. Assistant coach Jack Tayrien, former track coach Corky Oglesby, athletic director Gerald Myers and former Raider great E.J. Holub are making the trip to enlighten ex-Techsans on what's going on at the Lubbock school.

If you want to attend, contact Wanda Fuller at 672-9948. Cost is $12, but you need to let her know by Monday...

-- NCAA Division I and II have enjoyed so much success holding their indoor track meets together in Indianapolis that they are going to hold their cross country championship at the same site, in Lawrence, Kan., on Nov. 23.

The Division II South Central Region will hold its cross country meet in Abilene next Saturday at Pecan Ridge with 19 women's teams and 14 men's team competing. Four men's teams and the top three finishers not on those squads qualify for nationals. The top three women's teams and top two athletes not on those teams also advance.

Adams State, which has won the last five women's national titles, will be here along with the Western State (Colo.) men, ranked No. 1 nationally and Abilene Christian University, ranked No. 3.

ACU's Musa Gwanzura, who won an unprecedented fourth straight Lone Star Conference title last week, will be seeking his third straight regional crown....

-- Brownwood quarterback Colby Freeman is one of five finalists for the Fox Sports Southwest Class 4A football player of the year. The other candidates are Dayton quarterback-defensive back Dakari Pearson, Andrews running back Shaud Williams, Terrell tackle Sterling Harris and Carthage running back Kris Briggs.

Class 5A nominees are Killeen Ellison center Greg Barnum, Tyler Lee receiver-kicker Shane Hudnall, North Mesquite linebacker Josh Bull Cy-Fair running back Ryan Beard, and Galena Park North Shore linebacker Cory Redding.

The candidates in Class 3A, 2A, A and Six-Man will be announced later this week....

-- Don't get this mixed up with the Downtown Athletic Club of New York's award, but there is another Heisman Award -- for high school athletes. It is sponsored by Wendy's and honors students who excel in academics, citizenship and athletics.

The original list of nominees has been cut from 11,000 to 102 state award winners, and 12 will be national finalists. One male and one female winner will be crowned on Dec. 12.

Area nominees are Rodney Adams and Nicole Butts of Bronte, Roddy Alexander of Roscoe, Kendra Anderson and Matthew Hoyle of Colorado City, Kaci Bland and James Toney of Hawley, Scott Bull of Wylie, John David Caffey and Angela Sandbothe of Anson, Crystal Hernandez and Nick Williams of Abilene Christian High School, Paige Lancaster and Chris Meeks of Brownwood, Larry Martinez and Miranda Speer of Ranger, Justin McNair of Snyder and Jennifer Roemisch of Hermleigh....

-- The area mourned the passing of two great sports fans this past week. Michael Conklin of Lake Coleman was always on the Cooper High School bench during the Jack Mildren-Randy Allen days in the late 1960s.

Charlie Marshall was the pleasant man who handled the public address system at Eastland High School football games for many years. The new basketball complex is named for him and his wife.

Both will be missed....

-- The University Interscholastic League's Internet address, for those who have asked, is http://www.utexas.edu/admin/UIL/....

Recent wondering whatever happened to found former Putnam great and former Albany and Winters superintendent Carroll Tatom serving as a consultant at the Region IV Service Center in Abilene.

After high school, ol' Crazy Legs played at Tarleton for a year, then went to Daniel Baker College in Brownwood and was a Billy Goat for three years. He later played service football. One of his teammates was Bo Schembechler, the former coach at Michigan....

Bill Hart can be reached at 676-6773 or at sports@abinews.com.