A Lions' share
Grace Prep baseball coach David Reese wanted his players held in a high regard.

UTA class leads to triathlon training
Patrick Schuster once thought running felt like a chore. Now, he willingly runs 26-mile races.

Scoring mark a plus for Jackson
In its return to the playoffs under coach Angela Banks, the Sam Houston girls basketball team had plenty of highlights along the way.

7th Heaven
When 7-year-old Briana Mills turned to her parents and said she's going to be the next Marion Jones, they didn't laugh at her.

Martin duo carries Swoosh
MANSFIELD – The Arlington Swoosh 15-and-under AAU girls basketball team was without two of its main post players in Bowie's Laurin Coleman and Mansfield's Ashley Vation for Thursday's tournament game against the Rowlett Lady Texans.

Steps and strikes
Look at the clumsy kid now, how far he's come.

After long layoff, rust shows in West all-stars' sloppy defeat
A month of inactivity had passed since some of the players in Tuesday night's D/FW Softball All-Star Game last played a regulation game.

Golfers don't enjoy runners on course
There's no better place to run than on a golf course. There is soft grass, rolling hills, shade trees and absolute tranquility.

06/07/2001

Martin wrestlers pin down successful season
In a relatively quiet athletic season at Martin, the one team that stood out the most in 2000-2001 was the boys wrestling squad.

Martin's Jones taken by Braves
Pitcher will probably follow scholarship to Notre Dame rather than sign MLB contract.

UTA's Preston gains national exposure
Darrell Preston, a freshman from Mount Vernon, Texas, led UTA with 45 RBIs -- the first freshman in UTA history to do it. He has been named as an honorable-mention member to the Louisville Slugger All-American Freshman team.

06/06/2001

Practice makes perfect
GRAND PRAIRIE - Chuck Young's golf roots are in teaching the game.

Move southward can prove profitable in coaches' wallets
Instead of The Grapes of Wrath, call it The Grapes of the Prairie. Unlike John Steinbeck's classic novel of the Dust-Bowl-era Oklahoma, this story has a happy ending in Grand Prairie.

Crusaders earn berth to National Invitational Championships
The DFW Crusaders 17-and-under basketball team may not be headed to Disney World in mid-July, but it did earn a national berth with its play at the 2001 Southwestern AAU Association Championships in Mansfield.

FW Nolan's Littleton finds fast success playing for Delmarva
In his first full season of professional baseball, B.J. Littleton is headed to an all-star game.

Brewers take Alvarado in 19th round of MLB draft
UTA junior catcher Joel Alvarado is a veteran of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft.

Taylor picked by Rockies
In Mansfield pitcher Trey Taylor's opinion, Denver is a great place to live.

Swoosh remains alive
The Arlington Swoosh 15-and-under Amateur Athletic Union girls basketball team didn't take losing well Saturday. Unfortunately for the Texas Fire, they were next in line.

Getting in a groove
Walnut Creek Country Club members Bob Neal and Brian McCoy never lack for confidence on the golf course.

Mansfield pitcher picked by Rockies

06/03/2001

Cowboys may bring more business to Arlington
The prospect of Jerry Jones moving the Dallas Cowboys to Arlington could mean more than the city playing host to two professional sports teams. Under preliminary proposals, Arlington also would become home to two new major business developments -- one surrounding each team's stadium.

Flores struggles in final round at NCAA golf championship
Former Mansfield golfer Martin Flores had a wild closing day at the NCAA Men's Division I Golf Championship. The Oklahoma freshman finished with a 75 in the final round that included one birdie, six bogeys and an eagle.

Major league draft could shut out Mavs
When Major League Baseball's annual draft begins Tuesday and concludes Wednesday, UTA may not see any of its front-line players selected.

Martin passes on 7-on-7 state tournaments
Martin's 7-on-7 football league team won't compete in state tournaments, coach Ronnie Laurence said this week. The Warriors' 7-on-7 team will play in a league with Ennis, Midlothian and Burleson.

Two teams share lead at Arlington two-person tournament
Mansfield residents Doug Hopton-Jones and Jim Quinn fired a 6-under par 65 to tie for the lead in the championship flight of the Greater Arlington Two-Person Golf Championship. Also atop the leaderboard are Gary Ezmerlian of Fort Worth and Scott McLargin of Tulsa, Okla.

Kennedale cleans up all-district honors
Kennedale, which earned its second consecutive 20-win baseball season, landed three of the superlative honors on the District 8-3A team as selected by the coaches.

Braddock, McGuire earn 7-5A all-district spots
Grand Prairie senior pitcher Clayton Braddock and South Grand Prairie junior catcher Cameron McGuire earned spots on the first team of the coaches' all-District 7-5A baseball team.

Bowie-ex bolts to third in 400 meters
EUGENE, Ore. -- Geno White knew his dream of winning a national championship was over Saturday even before his race was done. But the Florida senior, who attended Bowie through his junior year, was only slightly disappointed in the third-place effort he produced in the 400 meters in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Playoff run hoists Lamar among best
For just the second time in 30 seasons, Lamar reached the state semifinals.

Mansfield coach tries to emulate father's success
This year, Sonny Cason drove the Tigers to district perfection. Mansfield ran the table in District 8-5A at 14-0 to win the district title, finished the season at 24-7 and advanced to the Region I quarterfinals before falling to Carrollton Newman Smith. After running his program for three years, Cason, the Arlington Morning News' 2001 Coach of the Year, feels totally at ease.

06/02/2001

History shows attracting the Cowboys is a game of aggression, planning
Dallas, once home to the Texans and the Cowboys, lost both franchises in a nine-year span, simply by doing nothing.

Law offers way to pay for stadium
Arlington's ability to help finance a new stadium for the Dallas Cowboys isn't in doubt, city leaders and analysts agree. Arlington's ability to help finance a new stadium for the Dallas Cowboys isn't in doubt, city leaders and analysts agree.

Friday proves unkind at NCAAs

Rain holds up Flores, Sooners
The third round of the NCAA Men's Division I National Golf Championships was suspended Friday after rain stopped play in the afternoon on the Duke University Golf Club in Durham, N.C. Oklahoma's Martin Flores, a 2000 Mansfield graduate, was at par for the day through 14 holes when the tournament was stopped.

Despite missing the playoffs, there was success for Grand Prairie

Booth: Supreme Court's decision on Martin gets mixed reactions

Lamar fills coaching vacancies
Athletic coordinator Eddy Peach on Friday hired David Jones to coach the baseball team and Leo Jones for the boys basketball job. They replace Tommy Moore and Mark Moore, respectively, who both resigned at the end of the school year.

Neal and McCoy favored at Greater Arlington Two-Person Golf Championship
Bob Neal and Brian McCoy are members of Walnut Creek Country Club and hope to use this weekend's event as a warm-up for next week's Texas Amateur Championship at the Houston Country Club in Houston.

06/01/2001

Manahan advances but disappointed by showing at NCAA track meet
More than anything, UTA senior LaQuinta Manahan wanted to advance through the preliminary rounds in the 100 meters -- something she failed to accomplish last season.

Mansfield-ex on road back at NCAA golf tournament
Martin Flores often answers adversity with something special. The Mansfield product did that Thursday during the second round of the NCAA Men's Golf Championships.

Long-time Burton AD, basketball coach resigns
Monroe Solomon Jr. said when he left full-time teaching to be a coach, he intended to return. Even though his time as a coach has been successful, he is living up to his word. Solomon has resigned as the boys basketball coach and athletic director at Burton, with the move becoming official in August.

New vision, coordinator spell success for Bowie
With a young group of athletes, Bowie snapped a major losing streak in football, made a name for itself in track and field and finished one game out of the race for a postseason berth in volleyball, boys basketball and softball.

Jones ready to talk about new stadium
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Thursday that the time is ripe to negotiate for a better home for his team. Mr. Jones or his representatives have met several times with Arlington municipal and business leaders over the last six months about possibly relocating the team to Arlington.

05/31/2001

Arlington pitches sites for Cowboys
During talks between Arlington municipal and business leaders and the Dallas Cowboys 400 acres in far North Arlington have been identified as a possible site for a new 100,000-seat stadium for the team.

Areas remain where Mavericks need improvement
Even in this banner year for the Mavericks in which they went 39-25 and went to the NCAA tournament, there were several parts that didn't function as well as the coaching staff hoped.

Transfers, freshmen pitchers help make UTA's baseball season a success

Area athletes excel at NCAA track meet
LSU senior Sa'Donna Thorton, a Bowie grad, ran the leadoff leg for LSU's 400-meter relay team that had the top qualifying time for Friday's finals.

Mansfield-ex Flores struggles in first round of NCAA golf championships
Oklahoma freshman Martin Flores didn't take advantage of his approach shots and finished with a 4-over par 76 on Wednesday in his opening round of the NCAA Men's Golf Championships at the Duke University Golf Club in Durham, N.C.

Four coaches added to Arlington's workforce
Rocky Frye, who has coached 19 years in the Judson Independent School District in Converse, Texas, has joined Mickey Finley's football coaching staff at Arlington. He is one of four new coaches on Finley's staff.

George: Switch allows Sibley to turn it on
Track and field athletes usually don't switch from one summer club team to another. But for Everman graduate Licretia Sibley, doing just that was the right move.

Goodson: Colts' Chowdhury searches for experience
Sarah Chowdhury is used to getting up early and hitting the tennis court before most people wake up. The Arlington High tennis player has made some huge strides in her game since she first started playing tennis four years ago.

N. Garland grad pushes into track's elite
No matter if 100-meter record holder Maurice Greene is to his left and world-class sprinter Jon Drummond is to his right, J.J. Johnson believes he's the center of attention. Johnson, a 1994 North Garland graduate, doesn't know he's supposed to feel intimidated. He's a rookie with little knowledge of the professional track and field environment.

Bowie's volleyball coach resigns position
On Friday, Bowie lost one of its most revered coaches and perhaps one of its biggest athletic cheerleaders. Lady Volunteers volleyball coach Mandy Ham officially resigned and accepted the volleyball position at Keller Fossil Ridge.

Comeback trail good for Colts
Football's turnaround began year of success for Arlington teams

05/30/2001

UTA sprinter thrives under stress
The key for UTA sprinter LaQuinta Manahan at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships this week will be nervousness. Not blocking it out, but welcoming it.

UTA hurdler has determination to succeed
UTA's Erica Martensson won't be the big-eyed newcomer when she competes at her first NCAA outdoor track and field championships this week in Eugene, Ore. She won't be, her coaches and teammates say, in large part because she's competed in big meets before and she's not the usual freshman.

SGP coach loses second job, gains a fiancee
Scott Parlin, 27, just finished his fourth year at South Grand Prairie. He is a 1991 graduate of Martin High School, where he played basketball and baseball, and a college graduate of Dallas Baptist.

Jennings: Basinger accepts position at Birdville after SGP coaching snub
Kenney Basinger originally thought he would coach at Euless Trinity next fall, but a teaching slot didn't open. Things clicked much better at Birdville, a 3-year-old school located in North Richland Hills. The chemistry teacher resigned at the end of the school year, opening a teaching slot for Basinger.

Team unity - not flashy statistics - led to UTA's record-breaking season
Although Houston regional champion Rice eventually eliminated UTA (39-25) on Sunday in a rough 14-2 decision, this was easily the most special year of Mavericks' baseball.

Atlas hopes to map new course for Texans' golf teams
Jeremy Atlas said the problem with Sam Houston's golf team is this: Half the school doesn't know there is a Sam Houston golf team. So, as the new coach, his first chore is fanning an interest in a team that returns six boys but only one girl.

Woodward: Filling in not all Blank wants to do
Matt Blank made his first major league start against Atlanta but gave up six runs in 4 1/3 innings including two home runs to Chipper Jones. He was recalled from Triple-A Ottawa on Monday after compiling a 5-4 record with a 3.94 ERA in 10 starts.