The Daily Tar HeelThursday, April 20, 19899
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C r adl d o c Ik w d 1 1 v e t
tfamoloair track, for
By MARK ANDERSON
S&ft Writer
; Dennis Craddock returns to his old
stomping grounds, the University of
Virginia, this weekend, but this time
the crowd won't be so friendly. That's
because Craddock is leading his
powerhouse North Carolina track
program into Cavalier country for the
ACC Outdoor Championships.
t In Craddock's nine years at Vir
ginia, he coached four men's and five
women's teams to Top 20 finishes.
Unfortunately for Wahoo fans,
. Craddock brought that success with
him to UNC, as his Tar Heel women
will be shooting for their fourth
consecutive ACC title.
"I haven't been as excited about
aj team since my indoor national
champions at Virginia," Craddock
sid. "I think we're bigger and better
than that team. They had six or seven
scorers and we have 16. 1 don't know
if people really realize it, but this is
a pretty awesome team."
iThe women proved that during the
1$89 indoor season with an ACC
championship and an eighth-place
national finish. That success has
carried over into the outdoor season.
'."It just gives us more and more
confidence; the team spirit has been
great," Craddock said. "Coaches
worry that, when you win by big
margins, you start to take things for
granted. We keep reminding them
that someone is always out there who
can knock them off."
Craddock felt some of that relaxed
attitude crept through against
Tennessee.
"They knew they had more talent
than Tennessee," he said, "but they
responded the next week when they
ran against teams that had beaten
them indoors."
j By respond, Craddock means
destroy because that's what UNC
Sroweir wins 20th over UNCG
l From staff and wire reports
J GREENSBORO Sophomore
pitcher Tracey Brower chalked up her
20th victory of the season Wednesday
as the North Carolina softball team
swept a doubleheader at UNC
Greensboro (UNCG).
; Brower, a right hander from New
kown, Pa., hurled the first game ofi
the twinbill, allowingone run on just
three hits to raise her record to 20
.6. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels put
together a nine-run, 10-hit attack of
their own.
1 Senior shortstop Gina Elmore
Iheaded up UNC's offense with three
Ihits, two runs scored and an RBI.
,Tracey Beine and Jenny Reed added
;two hits apiece.
; In the second game, Regina Finn
Jed the way on the mound with a
; complete-game 7-2 victory. Finn, a
isenior from Ramsey, N.J., scattered
.five hits and upped her season record
;to 10-7.
; Freshman Michelle Rupp pounded
;out three hits and scored twice in the
; nightcap while Reed had two hits and
I Beine added two RBI.
; With the sweep, the Tar Heels
; improved to 30-13 on the year.
UNCG fell to 12-15. North Carolina
; will play next this weekend at the
I Frost Cutlery Tournament in Chat
! tanooga, TN.
J NFL tickets to go on sale Friday
; RALEIGH Tickets for an NFL
We will review and critique
your resume when
you Laser set with us.
Reviews Tuesdays and
Thursdays from 2-4 pm.
LASER PRINTERS
rushes possible
on Franklin Street above SadladCs
967-6633
Yes, that's right There is non-fat frozen yogurt at the
Yogurt Pump. And, it's only 98 calories; per 5 ounce serving.
Come check it out - it's delicious!
llliw.
, a
y'-'';X. '2''- T
did to Alabama, Nebraska, Indiana
and Mississippi, four of the Nation's
top programs.
"With every score that was
announced, you could see their
confidence build," Craddock said.
By now, some of them should be
overflowing with that confidence.
ACC indoor MVP Kim Austin was
the top-ranked collegiate triple
jumper after the indoor season.
Craddock also feels Kendra Mackey
(last year's ACC outdoor MVP), Mia
Pollard and freshman Rebecca Rus
sell are ahead of schedule.
"I used to say that long distance
was our weakness," Craddock said,
"but now the only people not
responding are the throwers."
While the women cop the head
lines, the men's team has gone
through a rebuilding year. Devas
tated by graduation, Craddock has
had to rely on a lot of younger
athletes. Still, the men took third at
the ACC Indoor Championships.
"WeVe had an excellent effort,"
Craddock said. "People thought I
should be unhappy with third, but
you have to be happy if it's the best
you can do."
With added experience, Craddock
would like to see the men repeat last
year's jump from fourth indoors to
second outdoors.
"We keep reminding them of that,"
he said. "They are improving and
getting more aggressive. You can see
it, but they just aren't consistent yet.
They're getting tougher on them
selves. The men could sit back and
wish they were as good as the women,
but they have to put it into action."
So far, Sean Murray has qualified
for the NCAAs in the javelin. Crad
dock has also been impressed with
Donald Colson (400 meters), Tim
Swaim (pole vault), Mike McGowan
(5000) and Eric Hichman
preseason game designed to showcase
North and South Carolina as a
possible expansion market will go on
sale through all Ticketron outlets
Friday, the game's promoters say.
Tickets for the Aug. 20 game
between the New York Jets and
Philadelphia Eagles are $21.50 for
permanent seats and $18 for- the -hillside
at the south end of Carter
Finley Stadium. Telephone orders
can be placed by calling 1-800-543-3041.
There also will be a limited number
of club seats, which will include
premium seating, hospitality access
HE'S
on the Village Green.
presents
Carrboro's Grandstand
Fundraiser
Thurs. Night, April 20th
From 8 to 11 pm, Rock-n-roll with
FUST mo JETS
No Admission - It's Free!
(Donations for the Grandstand appreciated)
,,,, r u
u r mi to
ACC's
(steeplechase).
Unfortunately, two key scorers will
miss the ACC meet. Vaulter Maxwell
Thompson, who scored at the indoor
ACC meet, has missed the entire
outdoor season with a back injury.
Jon Mikula, last year's ACC runner
up in the javelin, has a pulled groin.
Right now, Craddock is concerned
with preparing both teams for
Saturday.
"I always tell them the hay's in the
barn," he said. "That means the work
has already been done, we have no
secret workout this week. We work
on their sleep, nutrition and their
mental frame of mind - visualizing
their success.
"We have to get them excited, but
not so their nervous energy drains
them."
Craddock's goals this weekend
depend on the weather.
"If it's windy and cool, well just
shoot for the win and as many All
Conference people we can get,"
Craddock said. "If the weather is
good, we have a lot of people who
could qualify for Nationals. The only
problem is there might not be enough
competition in those events."
Many of the women have the
added challenge of defending their
1988 titles.
"They dont take it lightly," Crad
dock said. "Once they're champions,
they dont want to lose. Clemson and
Virginia could challenge us, but we're
really going to have to mess up to
lose."
On the men's side, Craddock would
like to see someone rise to the
occasion and replace last year's
horses.
"Many of them could do it, but
they only have this one chance,"
Craddock said. "Well be in the fight,
but I'm afraid Clemson and N.C.
State have too much depth."
and parking passes. Those seats may
be ordered by calling 704-364-2775
in Charlotte or 919-781-4666 in
Raleigh.
The exhibition is sponsored by
Jerry Richardson, a Spartanburg,
S.C., businessman and former NFL
player who is trying to lure an
expansion team to the Charlotte area.
George Shinn, the owner of the
NBA Charlotte Hornets and Char
lotte Knights of minor league base
ball's Southern League, is mounting
a rival campaign to attract an NFL
team.
NOT HEM
a u y
106 W. Franklin St.
(next to Pizza Hut)
After fou r years, Swaim has
finally vaulted over the rest
By MARK ANDERSON
Staff Writer
After four years of injuries and
disappointments, North Carolina
pole vaulter Tim Swaim has finally
done it. He has become the best
in the ACC.
"When you talk about Tim, you
have to talk about guts," said UNC
head coach Dennis Craddock. "He
doesnt know when to quit. He kept
telling himself he was the best in
the ACC, and now he is."
Swaim's persistence led to his
jump of 16'4" in the ACC Indoor
Championships this spring. That
not only gave the senior from
W allburg the ACC title, but he now
also owns the Tar Heels' second
best jump ever indoors.
Ironically, this titleholder was
originally a reluctant participant.
"My high school football coach
suggested we all go out for track,"
Swaim said. "I started vaulting
because it looked like the most fun
with the least amount of running."
Unfortunately, fun didn't
transfer into immediate success for
Swaim.
"It was a slow learning process,"
Swaim said. "It took a long time
to clear that first height."
Swaim began t.o take off, liter
ally, in his junior year. Swaim tied
for the state title that year, before
winning it outright his senior
season.
This success brought with it a
swarm of recruiters. Swaim was
pursued by almost all the ACC
schools and many small area
schools. Former UNC track coach
Hubert West recruited Swaim.
"I was impressed with his
approach," Swaim said. "I liked his
honesty; he didn't gloss over
anything about the program. I also
liked the school here. It offered a
broad education, and I wasn't sure
what field I wanted to enter."
The high expectations following
Swaim were quickly swallowed by
frustration. In his first two years,
he was tormented by a long series
of injuries. And the end of the
tunnel was very dark.
Swaim blew out his knee in the
spring of 1987.
"My leg was in a cast for eight
weeks," Swaim said. "Then, in July,
6MNIBUSI Joe BoErsays check if out!!
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Tim Swaim
I had arthroscopic surgery."
Finally, Swaim's dedication
began to pay dividends. Through
his hard work and the help of the
Tar Heel trainers, a projected .
seven-month rehabilitation time
was cut in half. True to form, he
saw the adversity as nothing more
than a learning experience.
"It really changed my whole
outlook," he said. "Coaches always
tell you to approach each game and
practice like it's your last. I finally
realized what they meant."
Swaim was cleared for a healthy
1988 indoor season. Not surpris
ingly, success followed: a sixth
place finish at the ACC
Championships.
"Coming off the injury , I was just
looking to compete," Swaim said.
"Once I got to the ACCs, I was
just hoping to score."
But the story couldnt end this
well.
"In outdoor, I was out of shape," '
he said. "I pulled a hamstring."
The return of the injury bug
caused Swaim to focus his off
season goals.
"I had to get in shape," he said.
"I was overweight, so I lost 25 to
30 pounds."
Those lost pounds translated
into extra height on Swaim's jumps
this spring. On his way to the ACC
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CALIFORNIA
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title, he nailed four of the top six
jumps in Tar Heel history.
"Off the injury, I'm surprised I've
jumped as high as I have," Swaim
said. "(Assistant) coach (Jeff) Ward
has also made technical differences
in all our vaulters. He makes us
see that going higher is never
impossible."
Swaim now moves , outdoors,
where pole vaulters have to make
more adjustments than other track
athletes.
"Vaults are higher outside,"
Swaim said, "because the surfaces ,
are faster. You also have to adjust
to the winds. With a tail wind, you
can hold the pole higher."
Swaim said he has high hopes
for the men's squad a unit that
has been overshadowed by the
women's team all year in the
ACC Championships.
"I think we can win the title,"
he said, "but Clemson and N.C.
State are going to be tough.
Personally, I'd just like to qualify
for the NCAAs (17'6 1T). What
ever comes with that will be all
right."
Swaim also praised Craddock
for this year's success.
"Coach Craddock has installed
a winning attitude," Swaim said.
"Before, people were sort of lax
about track. He's also given us a
tougher schedule. It's helped us all
to face stronger competition."
Craddock knows he can expect
Swaim to rise to the occasion.
"Tim has been outstanding for
us all year," Craddock said. "He
has bounced back from adversity
that would have made the average
person give up."
When the season ends, Swaim
won't be able to escape the athletic
world. He enjoys skiing, both on
the slopes and in the water, and
golfing. He plans to get a degree
in recreation administration and
would like to .coach at the college
level.
"I enjoy helping high school kids,
and I help my little brother," he
said, "but I dont think I have the
patience to coach them."
If he learns how to transfer some
of his own dedication to his
athletes, Swaim will have a long
and storied coaching career.
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