Severely handicapped class arrives - The Lowell

tjt HL 7.V IWl. Mjrt* 7. I9SS
SPORTS^
extra innings^
Sandra Wong
If you're a 6 foot 11 inch senioi in high school who can
dribble a basketball, you don't have to worry about finding
the right college. Colleges are sore to find you instead.
Just ask Chris Washburn.
From thi time Washbum was in the ninth grade, he has
been the object of many a college basketball coach's
dreams. He received personal lctteis from Louisville Cardinal
coach Denny Crum and North Carolina Tar Heels
coach Dean Smith that showered him with compliments
concerning his play. His ego soared. He was just a
freshman in high school who happened to be 6 feet 9 inches
tall.
By the time Washburn was a senior, he had received
over 1,000 pieces of mail from varioia colleges and
universities irxluding Brown, Cornell, Duke, Maryland,
Clemson, and North Carolina State. He was one of the
most sought after college prospects in the nation.
Washbum, a resident of North Carolina, chose to ati-nd
Notth Carolina State, the 1983 NCAA champions.
'. olfpack conch Jim Valvano and his coaching staff actively
pursued Washbum throughout his high school
years with hundreds of letters, postcards, and handwritten
notes. Everything was going wonderfully for
Chris until he actually stepped on csmpus.
On the basketball court he was doing great. Off the
court was another matter. On September 19, 1984,
Washbum was fined a mere S25 and received a 30-day
suspended sentence for slapping a female MUIICIU.
On December 21 he was arrested and charged with second
degree burglary. He later pleaded guilty to a lesser
charge. His crime: he had stolen $800 worth of stereo
equipment from the dorm of a Wolfpack football player.
Washbum, who was dropped from thr team upon his arrest,
received a six-year suspended sentence. His punishment
was to do community work. Wow!
During his trial, it was revealed that he scored a total of
470 on the Schob'tic Aptitude Test (SAT). With total
scores of 270 in main and 200, the lowest possible score,
in the verbal section, one has to wonder whether or not
the colleges who desperately tried to recruit him ever
bothered to check out his academic record. Brown, Cor
ncll, ana other universities, urc you listening?
' For the record, Washbum passed all of his fall
semester classes. His courses included the history of
American sport and public speaking.
Perhaps I am being naive when I think of sports in
terms of camaraderie and competition. After all, who
doesn't want to be • part of a winning team? However,
there is a very ugly aspect of sports that often remains
hidden. Beyond the smiling cheerleaders and adorng fans
are the agents and recruiters who often exploit athletes.
Who cares if an athlete can't read? As long as he can slam
dunk or breal :..~iugh tackles...
Washbw • * back with the Wolfpack next seasor
if all goes •' --oolong towards the future, he one-:
remarked, '. en my kids see all the letters that I
icceived from aii these schools, I think they're going to
be proud of me." For your sake, Chris, I hope they will
be too.
Softball team is optimistic
With the softbal) season hiving
begun only yesterday for Lowell,
team couch Lorctta DcAndreis u
optimistic about the v»wn.
tbz tram should be lurcg again
thi«. "eai because the hitting and the
infield have improved v*Jt)y since
last year, DcAndrrii noted. The pitching
sufl could prove to be
ulened, the rided,
DeAndrcis » shying away frcm
mentioning any Ley player* before
the season really geu underway.
"We r nllo play a few games
before we get our starting line-up
established." she commented. She
indicated the team consists ol returning
play=n Cindy Brown, Virginia
Cameron, usi Tina rVnkooe (all
seniors). Uly Tong. Lunnc Young,
and Jennifer Y«mg (junior;), and
Tina Hoppc and Dalkia Nance
(sophonorei).
The team has two auburn
coaches, Kriucn DeAnJrttt and
Cheat Jimcoez.
DcAndrei* says that team
members arc enthusiastic.
Freshman Courtney LubeU added.
"I think the team is excellent. We
really i-orfc well together." She joked.
"After practicing on h £
Senior VLrgtaU Cameron pne
tlco her bunting technique*.
we dtservc to win."
ladioe Manhalt. a sophomore and
a new (-layer, said. "We really tutve
a good time. We help each other
sport*wise and playing; in
everything.*' She adicC. "U'i not
jutt us working for ourselvei, or inv
prusing the coaches. We realty help
cadi other."
Maody l^wis, a freshman, said,
Ve have a really .vwg team.
Everyone is good In all aspcrts.**
Fnmcc* Gee, a junior and a new
team member- commented. 1 nave
• tot of confidence in the team."
Cameron, a Tieuibcr for three
yean, noted, "You have to have a
good attitude on this team. Of
course, we'U win."
Tim Gord'n. i sophomore and
ancher new player, pointed, out.
"We are very good and competitive
in both fielding and hitting. We are
aggressive."
DeAodrcis said Out Wilson Is the
toughat opponent. Wilson beat
Lcwell in lite chrapionship game
last vcir. "We always cr>*oy hrating
Wilson." she concluded.'
Fencers get points from Olympian
By ArabeTa Walker
The Lowell fencing team. looking
forward to the 19&3 tcaioo. .rill hive
its first league match today against
McAtccr at the Jaguars' campus.
Before the Academic Athletic
Association individual preliminaries,
the team will compete against
Berkeley. Washington. McAteer.
Galileo. Wilton. Balboa. Lincoln,
and Mtuion.
Coach Adair Tench stated. "\'Je
have all the nope in the world t> give
al! eight competitors a good match
and we hfe to win.
Tnit iea-on*» team consuls of
Glenn Aueda. Michael Cho. Karen
Hall. Shijc Kubou. Patrick Loute.
Cek-ue Soi-od. Jamet Tarn. Coruuelo
rolentino. Bob Tong. ArahclU
Walker. Sanuntha Walker, and
Ha*Lin Woo.
; they have actually fenced on the
itrip wr.h people ud^xlge* witching
them, accuniing to Tench. "U wil* be
Tench feels that having 12 a cha.'ltn;e for uVm to practice
members on the team i\ tm advantage harder to achieve the top spou." she
beewe "... it allow \ more tndiv iauil affirmed.
attention and practice time tor c**h Sine: Tench started coaching, she
team member."
has teen lon'-iug for guests to give
Tench remarUd. "We inow our pointers and to neln the team. This
skilU. and all of us are working hard season, the H&Txnud. Fencers' Club
in «laily practice. With our oesl cf- referred Peter Schif rin. a memba of
r-fu. goud sponunamhip and i lit* th» t9M United States Olympic Fen*
tic more confidenvc. we can reach out cin* Team, to Tench.
and go for the gold."
Y^nch enthused. "The team U
The team's weakness is that man> dclightrd tv lave Peer with us. We
of latl season's starters graduated. all. from the coach on down, have
The four reMrning players. Asacda. learned so much and arc so grateful."
Cho. XUNHJ. and Ton.;, were ne* Tench welconrts spectators to the
sunrrs la*t VCOMMI, >ct they all team's first home match on March
"strip experience." meaning 21. versus Berkeley.
Netters confident as season begins
By Julie Yamaka»a
The reigning charnpionihip bays'
varsity tennis team ha* high expectations
to mcccufully defend its city
title »ihe new VXMKI gew underway.
Coach Barbara Pralu t\ confident
that the team will succeed. "We
shouldn't have any problem w inning
the champtomhip." *hc dcclirrd.
In recent year*. Lowell has
dominated the league, having won
wen of the Uu eight city trUc*. With
16 returning player* from Utt year"*
cr»mp«on>hV team. Pram espectv .he
winning tradition to continue.
She fccU that the team's main
strength* arc experience and depth in
both single* and double*. Praio added
ihat the team's morale is "very
good" and the players arc "very enthusiastic,
confident and ready to
p^y."
Senior Henry Wong explained.
"Last year no one really knew each
other well, but this year, we're more
of a tam'-Jy."
Senior Peter Woo agreed- "1 think
we're better as a team than as individuals.
We're going to be really
good this year because we're experienced."
be said.
There are 20 players on this year's
squad. The five top singles players
and the top ***» doubles teams rcprcscai
Lowell in the varsity matches.
Returning varsity singles players
are the number one seed, sophomore
Kirby Y?c. and seniors Eric Lin and
Ramon Calnoun. They will be joined
by -t newcomer, junior Jiaitn Chen
and a fifth player to be named later.
Four vniors. all returning players,
fill the varsity doubles spou. Wong
and Barry Tsai arc seeued first.
followed by Woo end David Pong.
In the first two aon-Ecaguc mat*
ches of the year. Luwcll easily
defeated Sacred Heart and St. Ignatius.
bJth by scores of 6-1.
Lowell will f«ce San Rafael on
March 12 uitd Mission, in a Icigue
contest, on March 13. Both matches
wili be played at home.
Senior Ratnoa CaBwoa returns the ball.
vAUrrvaASB \*Herejt is — spring sports^ schedule
q. UMA 27 o Halo. %t.
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