WINNING WAYS
Women's hoops squad makes the Elite Eight during record-setting season
By Michael Green

Under the inspired coaching and leadership of Charli Turner Thorne, the women's basketball program blazed their way into the record books this season. With a run to the Elite Eight level of the NCAA tournament, many are calling the 2006-2007 season the program's best year ever.

Senior forward Emily Westerberg certainly though so. "I feel that it's our best year ever because of all the adversity we've overcome," she says. "Record wise we've been amazing. We work so hard and have such a long off-season, so it's very gratifying. I'm very proud of our team."

The amazing record of which Westerberg speaks includes winning the most conference and the most regular-season victories in the history of the program. The team went an amazing 31-5 overall. One of those losses cam against powerhouse Tennessee, then the fifth-ranked team in the country, and the final loss came in a 64-45 heartbreaker to Rutgers in the NCAA Regionals final in Greensboro, N.C.

In addition to leading the women's team to its best run ever in the NCAA Tournament, Coach Turner Thorne (whose lifetime record with ASU is now 203-134) guided ASU to single-season school records this year for most overall wins (31), most Pac-10 wins (16) and most road wins (10) while also having ASU Ranked as high as No. 7 during the regular season in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, which represented ASU's highest ranking ever in either of the major polls. As a result of this ASU offered her a contract extension that will run through the 2012 season.

The season was marked not only by its consistency but also by a wealth of contributions from the players. Individual players stepped forward at different points and had spates of big games. Early on before her season-ending injury, freshman Dymond Simon emerged as a strong candidate for PAC-10 freshman of the year, averaging almost 10 points a game off the bench. near season's end, senior Aubree Johnson had a series of monster games, which included one 27-point outing. Mainstays such as Westerberg (the team's leading scorer), Jill Noe and Briann January all had stellar years as well.

Along with all of the on-court success, ASU made a mark off the court as well.

After posting the highest finish in the NCAA Tournament of any school in the Pac-10 Conference this season, the team also had the best year in the classroom of any school in the Pac-10. The Sun Devils placed a program record eight players on the Pac-10's All-Academic Women's Basketball Team.

The year marked the final games for Westerberg and Johnson, best friends and stalwarts of the program who began their careers at ASU together. Of their final home game, Westerberg said, "It was very emotional, very exciting to play our last game. It was a really special moment, seeing [Johnson] play so well." Westerberg was drafter by the Phoenix Mercury, and Johnson was asked to join the team's training camp as a free agent.

Overall, Johnson attributed the team's great year to discipline, tenacity and the simple fact that the players all really cared about one another. "We push each other and really work hard to make each other better. It's [all been] so much fun. I couldn't have played with a better group. It's been a special experience."

-- By Michael Green, a Tempe-based freelance writer.

GOOD AS GOLD
Women's track team takes indoor championship

Jacquelyn Johnson successfully defended her national crown and Amy Hastings turned in another clutch performance to pace the Arizona State University women's track and field team to its first NCAA CHampionship March 10 inside the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. It is the first national title for the women's team and the second in program history after the men took the outdoor title in 1977. The championship is the first for the school since the women's golf team won the 1998 championship and is the 10th in school history.

The Sun Devils 4 x400m relay needed to defeat Tennessee to win the team title and did just that as the quartet of Bridgette Williams, Jacquelyn Johnson, Shauntel Elcock and Latosha Wallace finished second in their heat, ahead of third-place Tennessee, assuring the maroon and gold of the title.

Hastings ran a solid race after running a grueling 5,000m run the night before in which she placed fourth. Hastings ran the 3000 meter in 9:19.31 and placed sixth, earning four points for the ASU team that solidified the scoring.

Johnson opened things up with a personal best and third-best time in school history with a time of 8.3 seconds in the 60m hurdles. Leading by 11 points heading into the second event, Johnson was surpassed in the high jump by Diana Pickler of Washington State, but Johnson reclaimed the lead in the next event, however, as she tossed a person-best mark of 45 feet, 1.25 inches in the shot put. Her overall total of 2,693 points was just four ahead of Pickler.

The victory of the women's team was extra sweet for Coach Greg Kraft, as he was selected as National Women's Coach of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association just days after the team won the championship.

COMMUNITY ASSET
Freshman Torrez stresses teamwork in debut season

Freshman Raoul Torrez places a high value on community, whether it is the community of family, school or team.

A 2006 graduate of Brophy College Prep in Phoenix, Torrez helped lead the school to three straight regional championships, as well as last year's state championship. But it is the sense of camaraderie at the school of which he speaks most highly.

"Brophy was a really unique school," he says. "A lot of people question it because it is all guys, but it's like a bunch of brothers. Everyone was included in everything. It was a very cool experience."

It is easy to see how this sense of community became so important to him.

"Twenty-five to 30 members of my family live on the same street, in one cul-de-sac," he says. "We have a family business and all the houses are behind it."

His huge extended family was a major factor in Torrez coming to ASU. Growing up in Phoenix, Torrez had admired the university's storied baseball program and was thrilled to suit up for the Sun Devils as a utility player. But just as important was the perfect situation for his family, who can watch him play.

Torrez attributes his athletic genes to his mom, who has played softball all her life.

"I remember watching my mom and dad... in co-ed games. [We were] always at the baseball field, learning everything f5rom watching my parents play," he says.

His two younger brothers, Riccio and Emilio, are also talented baseball players. Riccio, at Brophy now, may follow in his brother's footsteps and play at ASU. Both brothers declare that the development of Emilio, who is in sixth grade, is "amazing."

Playing with ASU in the College World Series and eventually for a professional baseball team is his "ultimate dream," but for now Torrez takes it one step at a time, savoring the experience.

"With the locker room, the sponsors, the equipment - it feels like it is pro ball," he says. "So I'm just enjoying this now." The team was doing well in mid-April, with a record of 26-10.

Beyond baseball, Torrez says he is working on declaring a major and learning to take care of a community of one: himself.

"I live in an apartment now," he says, "Cooking and fending for myself. I'd like to learn how to make something else besides spaghetti and microwave pizza."

-- By Michael Green

GOT BOUNCE?
Hegarty uses senior moment to mentor younger tennis teammates

Nick Hegarty was talking about the ARizona State University men's tennis team not long after a weekend in late February in which the Sun Devils lost to Stanford 5-2 and were blanked by Cal, 5-0.

"I think this weekend was good for us," Hegarty said. "It got us those road matches and now we know what to expect, and hopefully we'll have more success in the future."

Huh? These were the first two losses of the season for the Sun Devils, leaving them 6-2, and Hegarty sounded so...mature about the whole thing. He's handled the team's season record, 11-8 in mid-April, with equanimity.

As well he might: he is the team's only senior. It's placed him squarely in a leadership role by default, and it's a role he is growing to relish.

"If I could have it the way I wanted, maybe I'd have another guy or a couple guys who are seniors," Hegarty said. "But I like taking on the role and the responsibilities."

Good thing; the ASU men's team includes four freshmen, two sophomores and two juniors. So even though he's only 22, Hegarty finds himself the elder statesman. The Sun Devils' schedule is brutal, so Hegarty's experience is invaluable.

"It's not so much of a tennis aspect as letting them know what to expect and not letting them down after a loss, things like that," he said.

Again, huh? No racket throwing? Just wisdom? But if he sounds mellow, it's not because Hegarty isn't competitive. It's because he's learned to pace himself emotionally - and to pass that along. Indeed, it wasn't always like this for Hegarty.

"I remember as a freshman, whenever I'd lose a match it would affect me for several days afterwards," he said.

Not good, not at this level.

"In this conference and this sport, you play on Friday and then you have a match again on Saturday," he said. "Say you lose on Friday - you gotta be ready to go on Saturday morning. That's hard, after a win or a loss. Getting up for that second day is huge. Helping the younger guys out with getting reading for that mentally and stressing the importance of it is something that I try to do."

If not him, who else would?

-- By Bill Goodykoontz, a Chandler-based freelance writer

HEAVEN CAN WAIT
Osborn happy to stay and play for Sun Devils women's golf

You hear about golf wunderkinds like Michelle Wie turning pro while still basically children, trading their adolescence for the hope of big paychecks.

But you won't hear it from Jennifer Osborn. The sophomore on the Arizona State University women's golf team is a returning All-America selection. She thinks about turning pro, sure - someday.

"It's the ultimate goal," Osborn said. "But I'm not in any big hurry...I Feel that all the time after college is a good time for pro stuff. Right now I love it here. I love paying for the school.

"Young golfers on tour, they don't have that. They're never going to be able to experience it."

What Osborn is experiencing, along with her teammates, is another stellar season; the Sun Devils were ranked No. 1 in the nation after a March victory over UCLA, and were named the Golfweek team of the week in early April

"We still have room to do better," Osborn said. 'We all haven't played our total best yet. And yet we've still won a couple of tournaments and had high finishes.

"The goal, obviously, is to be ranked No. 1," she continued. "If we keep doing what we're doing, hit a few shots here and there, then we'll be at the top."

It's probably less fair than inevitable, but ASU's past success in golf leads to just those sorts of expectations.

"I don't really think about that," Osborn said. "I just go out and play...Honestly, it's really enjoyable, because a lot of kids dream about coming to a school like this, an extreme golf school. We just do the best that we can, so there's really no pressure."

Having a close-knit team helps.

"I don't know how other schools do it, but when you have tension on the team, it makes everything more difficult," she said. "If everyone is always there for one another and cheering each other on, it makes it more pleasant. It's like one big happy family, basically."

It took some getting used to for Osborn, an only child who wasn't used to being on a team.

"Golf is so individual," she said. "The concept of teamwork, I don't know, just pulling together was different. I love it."

So much so that she's keeping those professional dreams on hold.

-- By Bill Goodykoontz

NICOLE PLUGS AWAY
Sophomore gymnast leads determined team

Did someone associated with the Arizona State University women's gymnastics team walk under a ladder?

Break a mirror, maybe? Step on a crack? Something must be to blame for the Sun Devils' extraordinary run of bad luck.

Tia Orlando, a sophomore, is out for the season, rehabilitating a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Jose Hancock, a junior, gave up the sport due to injury. Ashley Toner, a sophomore, sprained her ankle early in the season.

And then Lauren Powell, a senior, tore her anterior cruciate ligament in practice and was lost for the season. The losses have taken their toll. The team struggled this season. But the damage, of course, goes beyond mere wins and losses.

"Watching part of your team go down, it personally feels like it was you," said Nicole Harris, a sophomore and the team's only returning All-America selection.

Which is not to say the team's giving up. Not at all.

"Even though we keep hitting the bad-luck wall, it's OK," Harris said. "We keep putting out aggressively."

Harris, who along with senior April Boone was name to the Pac-10's all conference team this season, has continued to perform well this season, winning the all-around at two meets.

Naturally she would be counted on even more next season - but Harris has a decision to make. She qualified for the 2004 Olympic trails. She's mulling over whether to compete for a spot on the 2008 U.S. team.

"Inside of me, I say I don't want to look back when I'm 30 years and say, 'Why didn't I try for it again?,'" she said. "At the same time I say I'm in college. I absolutely love life, more than most people I know. I have an opportunity to really take hold of the team next year. I'm somewhat torn right now. Obviously I know I need to make up my mind soon."

The decision is hers, of course. But the team could use the luck.

-- By Bill Goodykoontz