SAUGUS GIRLS' BASKETBALL TEAM IS MULTI-TALENTED; ALL-AROUND ATHLETES GIVE SQUAD EDGE.Byline: Rizza Yap Daily News Staff Writer There's a good reason why Saugus High girls' basketball coach Susie Sparks Sparks, city (1990 pop. 53,367), Washoe co., W Nev., just E of Reno; inc. 1905. The Southern Pacific RR was the major employer until the dieselization of railroad engines forced the closing (1957) of the railroad shops there. said her 1997-98 squad is loaded with talent. Seven of 11 members play a sport other than basketball, including a trio of three-sport athletes. Lexi Phelps, a forward/center (and sometimes point guard) at 5-feet-10, kicks the school year off with volleyball volleyball, outdoor or indoor ball and net game played on a level court. An upright net, 3 ft (or 1 m) high, the top of which stands 8 ft (2.43 m) from the ground for men, 7 ft 4 1/8 in (2. , followed by basketball in the winter, then throws the discus discus /dis·cus/ (dis´kus) pl. dis´ci [L.] disk. dis·cus n. pl. dis·ci A flat circular surface; a disk. discus pl. disci [L.] 1. and shot put for the track team in the spring. Forward Jessica Burns followed a similar path last year - adding high jump to her track and field events - although she will forgo track in 1998 to concentrate on club volleyball. Kelly Cornelison, a 5-5 guard, plays softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' with Saugus and the Junior Olympic team. She gave up club soccer just a year ago to pursue high school basketball. All three are sophomores in their first year of varsity basketball, and all are integral to the Centurions squad, aiming for third in the Foothill League after a last-place finish last season. ``Any one who plays more than one sport has an athletic outlook on things, and with that comes drive and aggressiveness and dedication,'' said six-year coach Sparks. ``You have to be dedicated if you're going to play two, three sports a year - that's a big-time commitment. These girls are going at it all year round, constantly working on their skills, being in shape. ``Their dedication is evident on the floor and even off. They enjoy what they're doing and have the desire to excel. We have a lot of fighters this year compared to the last. That's just the athlete in them.'' Phelps, a standout on the junior varsity team For the American rock band, see . In sports, usually at the high school and college levels, members of a team who are not the main players in a competition (such as a football or basketball game) are called junior varsity players. last season, considers basketball her primary sport. But she's impressive enough in volleyball to earn the team's Most Valuable Player award this year and good enough in throwing to earn second place in the league as a freshman. So far this season, she paces Saugus (3-3) with 19 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocks per game. Sparks said Phelps' success stems from a lot of hard work. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a friend of Sparks who is a neighbor of Phelps, the 15-year-old plays whenever she can, constantly shooting basket after basket in her yard. Phelps attributes her affinity to sports to her family. An athletic bunch of seven The Bunch of Seven was a group of science fiction and fantasy writers who met regularly in Toronto from March 28, 1985 until the early 90s to mutually critique manuscripts with the intention of helping each other turn professional -- a goal in which several members succeeded. , the Phelpses feature four current or former basketball players, three in football, two in baseball, one in softball and a potential soccer and a fifth basketball player in 6-year-old Kalee, the youngest of five siblings siblings npl (formal) → frères et sœurs mpl (de mêmes parents) . Lexi Phelps said she enjoys being active year-round, but it's not easy juggling athletics athletics or track and field also track-and-field games Variety of sport competitions held on a running track and on the adjacent field. It is the oldest form of organized sports, having been a part of the ancient Olympic Games from c. and academics. ``It's a constant struggle, and I get overwhelmed o·ver·whelm tr.v. o·ver·whelmed, o·ver·whelm·ing, o·ver·whelms 1. To surge over and submerge; engulf: waves overwhelming the rocky shoreline. 2. a. often,'' Phelps said. ``(When I do), I cry on my mom's shoulder, then I sit down and do my work. Things sometimes get put off until the last minute, but it all works out.'' Although Phelps may have difficulty in coordinating her schedule from time to time, teammate Burns said she's still an exemplary peer. ``Lexi's my role model - I've always wanted to be like Lexi,'' Burns said. ``She's encouraging, always has a positive attitude and tries harder than anybody else.'' For Burns - a two-year starter for the Saugus High girls' volleyball team - her start in basketball was influenced by her father, who played the sport in high school. (``Mom was completely academic,'' she said.) Since her 1996-97 season with the Saugus freshman team was her first taste of competitive basketball, she considers the move to varsity a big leap. Burns said it's difficult to sit on the bench this season and not have the same opportunities for playing time, but she's holding her own. As a reserve, she contributes mostly on defense and is averaging a point and two blocks per game. Cornelison, known best for duck-like run - ``I pretty much waddle,'' she said - said softball is her first love, but the aggressiveness involved in basketball also has great appeal. A centerfielder for both Saugus and the Junior Olympic team (which meets on weekends and throughout the summer), she began playing softball at age 5. At 6 years old she took up soccer, which she gave up last year in order to make room for basketball, which demanded less time commitment and offered better-looking uniforms. ``At one point I played Junior Olympic softball, club soccer and high school softball at the same time, (but) I wouldn't notice how tired I was until I got home,'' Cornelison said. ``I was a humongous tomboy tomboy Psychology A popular term for a girl whose developmental gender-identity/role is discordant with her genotype. Cf Sissy. when I was little. I'm more like the brother of the family.'' CAPTION(S): 4 Photos PHOTO (1) Forward Jessica Burns is one of seven multi-sport players on a talented, athletic Saugus High School Saugus High School may refer to:
Tom Mendoza Tom Mendoza joined Network Appliance, Inc. in 1994 and has served as its President since 2000. Mr. Mendoza has more than 31 years as a high technology executive and has served in an advisory capacity on the board of directors of Netscreen (acquired by Juniper), Rhapsody (acquired by / Daily News (2) Burns (3) Phelps (4) Sparks |
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