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News Nuggets, 07.16.06
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

UTEP track athletes achieve in classroom

Five Conference USA women's track and field teams and one men's team were honored by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for their academic achievements during the indoor and outdoor seasons, according to an announcement on the league website.

The six squads were joined by 17 C-USA individuals in garnering USTFCCCA Academic All-America team and individual honors, respectively.

On the women's side, Rice, Tulane, Tulsa, Central Florida and Texas-El Paso were recognized for their team GPA's of 3.0 or higher, while the Miners, who finished seventh at the NCAA Outdoor Championship in June, were the lone men's team honored.

Teams meet the All-America criteria by posting a 3.0 GPA cumulative grade-point average, while athletes earn the distinction by having a 3.25 cumulative GPA and by meeting the NCAA Division I regional or national qualifying standard in their respective events.

The Rice women and the UTEP men each placed a league-high five individuals on the USTFCCCA All-America team. The Owls who earned the honor were Callie Wells, Desarie Walwyn, Florence Nwagwu, Marissa Daniels and Rachel Greff.

The five Miners represented on the men's team also earned All-America honors on the track. They are Daniel Ward, John Alipio, Mickael Hanany, Patrick Mutai and Stephen Samoei. UTEP also placed four females on the team: Desiree Crichlow, Jackie Ike, Nina Schvedoff and Olatunde Okusanya.

Jelena Jurlina and Helmi Leppanen of Tulane, along with UCF's Katie Fowke, were also honored for their academic achievements by the organization.

Former George Mason cager gives up on NFL

Former George Mason basketball forward Jai Lewis, who signed a free agent contract with the New York Giants earlier this spring, has decided to end his pursuit of an NFL career, reported Len Pasquarelli at espn.com.

Agent Jeff Jankovich told The Washington Post that his client had decided not to report to Giants' training camp later this month, and a family member confirmed that decision, according to Pasquarelli's account. Lewis had signed a one-year contract with a minimum base salary of $275,000, and a $5,000 signing bonus, after the draft.

A week before the draft, Lewis auditioned for scouts from a dozen clubs and, while his football skills were raw, he demonstrated enough potential to merit interest from a few teams. Lewis worked out as a tight end, an offensive tackle and a defensive end.

The Giants projected the 6-foot-5, 292-pound Lewis as an offensive tackle, and he practiced at that position and also as a long-snapper during spring workouts. Having not played football since his senior season at Aberdeen (MD) High School, Lewis was a long shot to earn a spot on the New York roster, but might have had a chance at a practice squad job with a strong performance in camp.

Lewis is the second former basketball standout to forego a chance at a football career. Former Connecticut forward Ed Nelson signed with St. Louis as a free agent after the draft, but was released by the Rams when he struggled with offensive terminology while trying to play tight end. He has not resigned with another NFL team.

It is believed that Lewis, who was instrumental in George Mason's surprise run to a Final Four berth last season, will explore his basketball options. In four college basketball seasons, Lewis, who earned two football letters in high school, averaged 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

A tough rebounder, it was Lewis' physical style and his ability to run the floor which initially drew the interest of NFL scouts.

Jury hears tape of Navy quarterback's call

The Capital of Annapolis, MD, reported that the defense called Naval Academy football coach Paul Johnson yesterday to testify in the rape trial of former quarterback Midshipman 1st Class Lamar S. Owens, Jr., but only after prosecutors succeeded in introducing a potentially damaging piece of evidence against last year's team captain.

The military judge, Commander John Maksym, allowed the jury to hear an 18-minute taped telephone conversation between Owens and the female midshipman that occurred about 10 days after the alleged rape.

Criminal investigators recorded the conversation unbeknownst to Owens. On the tape, Owens did not react when the woman used the term "raped."

"This seems so unfair now, the burden's on me," the woman said to Owens during the call. "Why don't you call my dad and tell him you raped his daughter?"

Owens apologized to the woman during the conversation, but he never said whether he regretted raping her, as the prosecution is expected to contend, or for having sex with her when she had been drinking, as the defense is expected to argue.

"I am so sorry," Owens said during the call. "When I woke up the next day and I called you, I really wanted to kill myself."

Owens sat at the defense table and showed no visible reaction as the tape was played. Afterward, the prosecution rested its case.

Defense attorneys had argued unsuccessfully that the tape should not be admitted because the alleged victim was acting as an agent for investigators and was trying to trick Owens into incriminating himself on the tape.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007 12:49 PM