Basketball When Weber failed to win the Big Sky Championship this year, a seven year basketball dynasty was overthrown. Although several cagers returned from last year, most of Weber's players had never played varsity ball. Weber lost four important players this year when they graduated or became ineligible. Only starter players, Dion and Watts, a 6'7" forward returned from last year to the forward positions. Even with Fleming and Dion shooting consistently in double figures, Weber's inexperienced team was no match for other Big Sky competitors. Weber's team had a rough year compared to past years. Basketball has always been a favorite sport of WSC sports fans. Many of these fans were disappointed in Weber's basketball team this year and showed it. Guard Dan Dion became the butt of WSC's fans' boos because of a poor start in the beginning of the season. Towards the end of the season, Dion returned to shooting consistently in double figures and was often the leading scorer for the Wildcats. Upper left, sitting: Dan Dion, Assistant Coach Blaine Sylvester, Head Coach Gene Visscher, Assistant Coach Neil McCarthy, Steve Fleming. Standing: Tom DeVita, Kim Vernon, Steve Gemelos, Brad Tausheck, Jimmie Watts, Paul Mangney, Al DeWitt, Willie Jackson, Don Collins, Scott Gardner, and Bill Lewis Lower right: Steve Fleming dribbled many balls for Weber State College. Wrestling is one of the toughest sports in existence today. College wrestlers must expend all the energy in six minutes (three two minute periods) that football players have forty-eight minutes to expend. To prepare for those six minutes, wrestlers lift weights, run many miles, and then practice the many holds and escapes that all wrestlers must know. They must also starve themselves much of the season so they can maintain the exact body weight that will allow them to keep just enough strength and energy to beat their opponent. With Chick Hislop as the new wrestling coach this year, Weber State's wrestling team apparently had the right amount of weight lifting, running, practicing, and starving. They placed eighth out of sixteen teams in the annual MIWA (Mountain Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) meet this past year. This was a disappointment to Coach Hislop after such a bright showing at the beginning of the season. At season's end, though, the wrestling team showed its real strength as they placed second in the Big Sky meet held in Boise, Idaho. Upper right: Mike Ferrin tried to edge his opponent off the mat as Ref Twist Jones watched. Middle left: Weber's man. Ed Spann, tested the leverage of the man in red. Middle right, first row: Trainer Gary Shriver, Rob Lundgren, Blaine Yoshimura, Bill Jensen, and Bill Murphy. Second row: Mike Ferrin, Reed Swenson, Jerry Staley, Ed Spann, and Chuck Siefert. Third row: John Webb, Pete Garcia, Barry Hunter, Stan Pack, and Phil Orton. Fourth row: Assistant Coach John Knight, Kim Peterson, Steve Winward, and Gary Hutchinson. Lower left: A Utah State rival attempted to pin Bob Lundgren (in white) during a match.