Cats Gear Up For Winter Sports The winter sports whir is in full swing at Weber State College, with five intercollegiate sports on the activities calendar. On the distaff side, girl’s gymnastics and basketball take the spotlight for the first time ever under the Athletic Department. An allfreshman gymnastics team under coach Diane Whitely performed well in their first meet at Logan in early December, and has a lot of promise for a fine showing when competition intensifies after the Christmas break. The girls’ basketball team has several weeks of work behind it as the holiday break approaches, and will also have a full and busy schedule when school resumes after New Years. Coach Joy Wood’s cagers will have a good chance to be on display before the community, too, as some games are tentatively planned to be played as preliminary contests to the regular men’s basketball clashes in Wildcat Gym. On the men’s side, three in- tercollegiate sports are underway, and look promising for the Wildcats. Coach Chick Hislop’s wrestling team, suffering from a lot of inexperience but with a wealth of talent (three fresnmen who were high school state champs are on the roster) fared well in early- season competition. The team took a fifth place finish — their best ever — in the Air Force tournament, then came back the following weekend to a third place showing in the Western State Invitational. The team presently does not have a_ heavyweight, which hampers the overall score a great deal. Coach Hislop feels that the team will continue to improve with experience, and will be highly competitive by the time the conference meet rolls around. The Wildcats took a second place finish last year. The Weber State wrestling team. toughest competition they have ever faced. Again this year the Wildcats will compete in only the Alpine events. The On the slopes big however, The Ski Team, hampered by the late snow fall, is finally on the slopes and anxious to prove themselves in the new setting. Coach Earl Miller’s charges had supposedly run out of life when the Big Sky Conference dropped skiing from the league sports docket. However, community support that was strong and generous allowed the ski team to continue, and they will participate this season in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association, the most prestigious ski circuit in the nation. Composed of the powerful Colorado schools (including Denver University, which has failed only twice to win the national championship) the Wildcats will find themselves in by far the buzz around Ogden, is the Wildcat basket- ball team. Coach Gene Visscher’s team was known to be good, but not until the opening game was it known how exciting they were. With a strong, experienced squad returning from last year, some good talent moving up from the junior varsity, and some of the most exciting freshman talent ever seen in Ogden, the Wildcats Young toyed with Brigham University in the first game of the year, then pulled away for an easy 13-point victory. Another Wildcat dynasty could be shaping up, too, as Visscher started three juniors and two sophomores, and went to freshmen off the bench in the win. recruiting wise, that Weber State has ever enjoyed. Two frosh guards sparked the team and excited the more-thancapacity crowd at Wildcat Gym with their speed, quickness, and sheer love of the game. Darnell Flourney, a tiny 5-10, Jimmie Dave Bekedam, ‘‘Mr. Motion’’ all-conference season, Watts, performer showed in the and curtain- last season. At 67, Watts tion. Bobbie Roots, a 6-6 hunk of games at home in the month the road, the schedule takes tournament, Oklahoma; and to to -—" - = ord (p hoto Tulsa, Illinois; as well as to the Big Sky cities and Utah State. Weber also ¥ played early December games) against the Air Force in Colorado} and participated in Salt Lake City in the Ute Classic. Weber State Wildcat 1975 Home Game Schedule Jan. 25 No. Arizona Feb. 6 Boise State Feb. 8 Idaho State Feb. 13 Univ. Idaho Feb. 15 Gonzaga Feb. 27 U of Montana Mar. 1 Montana State Mar.5 Utah State All games 7:30 p.m. Wildcat Gymnasium one of Weber’s finest teams.” “wy the DeKalb, “Our club has the potential of being A WSC player scores two more points against the by Stephen Matlow) | of December, and having just aj single appearance on the boards of Wildcat Gym in January. On rebounding power from Stockton, ee | is probably the quickest big man in | the country, and he ran circles around the sluggish cougars in their first-ever appearance in Wildcat Gym. He popped for 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, both high marks for the game. : The Wildcats are on the road a lot this year, playing only three his Alvin teammate highschool Charles, a “towering”’ 6-0, proved that you don’t have to be tall to be big. The little gnats were BYU, against everywhere causing turnovers, stealing the ball, and scoring a total of 15 points between them in just over 10 minutes. They had the crowd on its feet several times with their daring, exciting play. Two other freshmen also are suiting up with the varsity, and will likely see their share of ac- a* an last raiser that he is even quicker than mas By all counts this season is the one, and team to Long Beach for a Christ- | Freshman stars best California, who stands 6-7 and carries a straight-A scholastic average are the other two blue-chip players now on the roster at Weber. Weber’s All-America candidate — By John Peterson Sports Information Director J