Sports

20 years seems like an eternity

Cougar Pause

Max Welles

While mentally searching for a topic this week, I physically found one. Right next to me, in a drawer Iive rifled through dozens of times, I found a link to happier times -- an unattributed column highlighting the "golden age of UH athletics," an empty Tab can and 53 cents. So, letis travel to a time when MTV still played music and look back through the eyes and words of this unnamed and freakishly psychic writer.

"These last five years of Cougar athletics (1980-85), my life span as a student at UH, would make a midget stand tall with pride.

Look at the menis basketball program. With the foundation erected by guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Fame coach Guy V. Lewis, the menis program should never crumble. 

As long as the program doesnit depend on a former player to glide it back into contention, UH basketball will be perched near or at the top of the indestructible Southwest Conference and will be a force in the postseason NCAA Tournament for years to come.

This is somewhat off subject, but I saw a kid from Ball State named Ray McCallum who looks to have a special look in his eye. Remember that name.

Look at the football program. Head coach Bill Yeomanis program almost stands on equal footing with basketball. Three bowl games in the last five years, including an appearance in the Cotton Bowl, prove this team wonit veer from the national headlines. Mark my words, UH football has never had a winless season and never will. If they could only house the home games on campus instead of at the cavernous Astrodome, the Cougars would sell out every Saturday.

Look at the track program. Carl and Carol Lewis brought sibling dominance to UH. Coach Tom Tellez can be seen whistling while working, a la the Seven Dwarfs, collecting 10 NCAA Championships from the duo. Either the menis or womenis teams have placed in the top 10 at the NCAAs (indoor and outdoor) from i81-i83.

Look at the baseball team. Remember that incredible 21-game winning streak in i83, led by All-American Rayner Noble? The team eclipsed the 40-win plateau three times over the last half-decade. If Noble is stricken with some unforeseen mishap, he should try his hand at coaching -- he seems to have the make-up and drive of a winning skipper.

Look at the emerging womenis teams. Swimming head coach Phill Hansel has taken a squad that didnit exist five years ago and led it to a top-10 finish at the NCAAs. Dave Olbrightis volleyball team has won 20 or more matches in four of the past five seasons and had a 41-24 record in 1980. 

Three different coaches over its eight-year tenure havenit faulted the womenis tennis team. Current coach Mary Nyholm took over for Daryl Gralka and has served up the programis first-ever 20-win season.

Title IX should continue to level the playing field between the sexes. To encourage more women to participate in athletics, I think the powers that be should create more varsity scholarship sports for women. Softball and soccer look like good choices to me.

UH students, staff, faculty and supporters should stand tall and embrace this time, the beginning of the golden age of UH athletics. May it last forever."

Poor guy. Too bad forever only lasted until the dissolving of the SWC. How could he have known that the schoolis most notable programs, football and menis basketball, would have few blips on the NCAA radar in the next 20 years?

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