Maria Villaroel Narrows Choices

[35TangoTango]

Article from and El Paso paper - they are obviously thrilled to be in the running.
http://www.borderlandnews.com/stories/sports/todaysstories/20020502-194160.shtml

Teaming Maria and Dionnah would obviously give OU a potent guard combination!

[Jennifer]

I really hope OU can land her, she sounds like a great one.

At 5'8, she shot 73.4% from the field--that's very impressive!
OU has a great engineering program--hopefully that will help.

[swok34]

Our local news tonite reported that Maria had signed with OU....
yippee!!!!!!

[35TangoTango]

The OU Athletic Dept web site is reporting the same thing!
http://soonersports.fansonly.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/050602aaa.html

[YCN]

We are set!

Let the games begin!

(The only thing that keeps me from going crazy this time of year is an insanely talented team of skaters I'll be following until sometime in June.)

[Jennifer]

Sounds like she could be a great one.
Here's a pic from the NEO A&M homepage
http://www.neoam.edu/~dgrover/images/VillaMVC-033S.jpg

[KSUron]

Good job OU! Its great to see good players chose the Big 12. We will just have to limp along with the players we have up in Manhattan.

I'll bet Kendra Wecker can beat her in a Javelin contest though.

http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/wink.gif

Go Big XII!

[YCN]

KSURon, you are a cheater!

How can you expect Maria to beat Kendra in a fixed contest like that?

But I hope Kendra eventually is a world champion, does that count?

I have a personal connection with someone who was a world record-holding javelin thrower, believe it or not.

(It was a VERY long time ago!)

[labcoatguy]

All i know is now i have to buy a venezuelan flag to go along with my canadian flag.

[dem]

Originally posted by YCN:

I have a personal connection with someone who was a world record-holding javelin thrower, believe it or not.

(It was a VERY long time ago!)

Not wanting to pry [too much], but was that Kate S.? She was the first female American javelin world record holder since 1932. (Of course, there were several on the men's side.)

[Jennifer]

http://www.newsok.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=858016&pic=none&TP=getsooners

about her signing.
Here's a quote:
OU hopes Villarroel and Welch can start immediately alongside sophomore guard Dionnah Jackson, senior forward Caton Hill and senior forward Teresa Schuknecht.

[swok34]

Jennifer, I was coming to post the same quote.......

I was wondering how this would change the starting line-up that I've been guessing at.....so, out of this bunch, who's playing out on the wing?.....my guess is Welsh.

[Jennifer]

Yeah, of those I would guess Welch would be at the wing.

And I think this would mean Wadsworth could be a spark off the bench, like Jackson this year.

[35TangoTango]

And then for wildcards, there's the two girls from Oklahoma, both coming off ACL injuries.

Erin Higgins was generally considered to be the best of the Oklahoma class 6A shooting guards, and at 5'11" has the height to play small forward. Her injury occurred early enough that she should be back in shape by October.

Laura Andrews, at 6'0", was more of a beat people off the dribble slasher, with a lot of ways to score. Her injury occurred almost at the end of the season. That, together with the adjustment from 2A high school to major college may make for slower development.

Altogether, it looks like there may be even more offensive firepower this year than last! But I think it would be hard to match that in-your-face defense that took people completely out of their game.

[KSUron]

Originally posted by soonerman:
But I think it would be hard to match that in-your-face defense that took people completely out of their game.

Did Jackson graduate? http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/wink.gif Methinks there will be a defense in place soonerman. You do make a good point about it being a smoothering one last year. I realize you lost some great players but when you can start your defense with the player my daughter immediatly dubbed "spiderwoman" for her quick hands that seem to be able to reach anywhere you have a great start. Add to that the OU coaching staff and the rest of the team and I don't think anybody better assume OU will have a soft defense.

Frankly I think most fans and the press are taking OU way too lightly for the coming season. I'm glad we only see them once in the regular season. (but its at OU)

[KSUron]

Originally posted by YCN:
KSURon, you are a cheater! How can you expect Maria to beat Kendra in a fixed contest like that? But I hope Kendra eventually is a world champion, does that count?

I have a personal connection with someone who was a world record-holding javelin thrower, believe it or not.

(It was a VERY long time ago!)

You bet it counts YCN. Thanks. Now as I have explained to racers from time to time, there is cheating fair and then there is cheating. You can push the rules to your advantage and even take liberties where others don't see the possibilities but you can't break the rules. I wasn't cheating! http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/wink.gif I was just searching for a way to get an advantage. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/wink.gif

Kendra, as you know, is already in the top 5 in the NCAA this year in the Javelin at 179' 9". I wonder how far she will get. If I read the track listings right it would seem her throw at Nebraska would be among the top 50 in the world this year. It was SEVEN FEET past the prior alltime KSU record. I marvel at the talent some of these young people have.

Its neat that you have a connection with a world record holder.

[YCN]

To dem and KSUron,

I have to confess, although I have looked at many links to track and field records, I cannot find any link to confirm my claim of a personal connection to a javelin world record holder.

My parents both spoke on several occasions of a good family friend, when we were living in OKC and I was very young, who held the world record (men's) in the javelin for quite a few years.

I always believed what they said, and from what I have seen, the records listings for those very old performances may be very incomplete and/or inaccurate or politically-based. The IAATF only lists records from the last 20 years or so, and they are the international governing body for the sport. It may be that at the time that sanctioning and such was so sketchy that no one will know the truth one way or another.

But my folks told me this OKC native was the world record holder, and I believed them then and now. I'll speak to my mom soon to see if she can recall more details about this.

I guess in the meantime my only claim to sports fame was competing and losing to defending state 120 yard high hurdles champion Steve Owens as a sophomore. I was just learning the event at the time, and lost very badly. By my senior year I think I probably would have beaten him, but since he was on his path toward winning the Heisman trophy at OU, that is merely conjecture.

[dem]

Here is a complete list of all U.S. men who have held the world record in the javelin throw:

Bud Held, 1953-1956
Al Cantello, 1959-1961
Tom Petranoff, 1983-1984

(Unratified records: Tom Petranoff, 1986; Brian Crouser, 1986)

Reference:
http://trackfield.brinkster.net/RecProgression.asp?Tour=W&EventCode=MF8

And here is the complete list of all U.S. women who have held the javelin world record:

Nan Gindele, 1932-1948
Kate Schmidt, 1977-1979

(unratified records: Pauline Hascup, 1926; Lillian Copeland, 1926-1927; Margaret Jenkins, 1927-1930; Babe Didrickson, 1930)

Reference: http://trackfield.brinkster.net/RecProgression.asp?Tour=W&EventCode=WF8