Jenner named Athlete of Year
By HAL BOCK
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) -
Bruce Jenner, who captivated
the crowd at the 1976 Olympics
with his gold medal perform
ance in the grueling decathlon
competition, was named Male
Athlete of the Year by The As
sociated Press today.
Jenner, a 27-year-old gradu
ate of tiny Graceland (Iowa)
College, earned the AP honor
with a world record total of 8,-
618 points in the two-day, 10-
event competition at the Mon
treal Olympics.
He received 237 votes from a
nationwide panel of sports
writers and broadcasters, eas
ily beating Tony Dorsett, the
University of Pittsburgh’s
record-breaking running back,
who finished with 105. Cincin
nati Reds second baseman Joe
Morgan, the National League’s
Most Valuable Player for the
second straight year, finished
third with 47, and another
American Olympic hero, swim
mer John Naber, was fourth
with 23.
Others finishing high in the
voting were pro football’s O.J.
Simpson and Walter Payton;
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baseball’s Mark Fidrych, Thur
man Munson and Johnny
Bench; pro basketball player
Dave Cowens, tennis star Jim
my Connors and heavyweight
boxing champion Muhammad
Ali.
Jenner is the 46th winner of
the award which was originated
in 1931. He and Nadia Comaneci
of Romania, AP Female
Athlete, will be honored in the
spring at the Tampa, Fla.,
Sports Club’s annual dinner.
Jenner’s performance in the
Olympics was a personal vindi
cation for the 6-foot-2,195-pound
athlete who had finished 10th in
the decathlon competition at the
1972 Games in Munich. The
winner that year was Nikolai
Avilov, whose total of 8,454
points set a record.
After Avilov clinched the 1972
gold, Jenner walked up to him.
“Next time,” the American
athlete said, “I’m going to beat
you.”
He proved to be a man of his
word and Avilov had to be sat
isfied with the bronze medal at
Montreal.
Jenner went into the Games
with a reputation for per
forming best on the second day
of the decathlon competition.
“If I am within 150 points of the
leader after five events,” he
said, “I’ll run away with it.”
After the first day, Jenner
was only 35 points behind Guido
Kratschmer of West Germany
and 17 back of Avilov. Just as he
had predicted, he took charge
on the second day, gradually
pulling away to his victory.
On the second day, he covered
the 110-meter high hurdles in
14.20 seconds, threw the discus
149 feet, 7 inches, set a personal
high with 15-9 in the pole vaul,
threw the javelin 204 feet, 3
inches, and was timed in 4:11.61
for the 1,500 meter run.
The 1,500 was the final event
and with his victory clinched,
Jenner sprinted the last 300 me
ters. He was met at the finish
line by his wife, Chrystie, who
was weeping with joy as they
embraced.
Jenner, whose victory earned
him the unofficial title of
World’s Greatest Athlete, is the
fifth Olympian to win the AP
honor. The last two were swim
mers, Mark Spitz in 1972 and
Don Schollander in 1964. Two
other .decathlon performers,
Rafer Johnson in 1960 and Bob
Mathias in 1952, also won the
award as did sprinter Jesse
Owens in 1936.
Georgia
grabs
Womack
By The Associated Press
The University of Georgia
says it has signed one of the top
running backs from Warner
Robins, the state Class AAA
high school football champion.
James Womack, 5 feet 10 and
197 pounds, who rushed for
more than 1,600 yards last sea
son, was Georgia’s 28th signee.
Albany State College signed
three Augusta area prep play
ers Wednesday. They are de
fensive and offensive tackle De
rek Harris of Thomson, and of
fensive guard Robert Stephens
and lineman Clarence Farmer,
both from Wrens.
Deßenedittis
rolls 203
Agnes Deßenedittis rolled a
203 game and a 527 series
Wednesday in the Holt’s
Reloading & Equipment Ladies
League.
Norma Head had a 190 and a
523 and Mary Reed bowled a 176
and a 519 series.
Other leading bowlers were:
Marlyn Shackelford 197,
Mary Harrison 186, Shirley
Travis 184, Mary Johnson 176,
Gerry Gillespie 175, Fab
Manning 173, Jean Knight 172,
Eda Barry 171, Gail Bush 170,
Pat Gore 166, Marjorie Lasseter
166, Nellie Pitts 166, Bonnie
Pfrogner 164, Dianne Boswell
160, Pearl Welty 160 and Martha
Johnson 160.
The Buckshots beat the
Sureshots 3-1, the Peashooters
stopped the Gatlin Guns 4-0, the
Thirty-Ought Sixes beat the
Sharpshooters 3-1, the Saturday
Night Specials beat the Pistols
3-1, the Daisy BB’s stopped the
Four Muskets 4-0 and the Pistol
Packing Mamas defeated the
Bullets 3-1.
B ~ J| ■
■ wll
bb 11
Billy Smith (23), right, of Georgia Tech, and College of
Charleston’s Bob Jolly struggle for the ball during first
Jolly apparently quitting Jackets
ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia
Tech quarterback Michael Jol
ly-Macon Central’s All-State
quarterback a year ago—
apparently is quitting Georgia
Tech and volunteering to play
football at Tennessee State.
Jolly’s aunt and guardian,
Rosie Mae Mallard, said Jolly
left their Macon home Wednes-
Colts 9 Thomas may join Falcons I
ATLANTA (AP) - Baltimore
Colts General Manager Joe
Thomas is on the verge of be
coming the new general man
ager of the National Football
League Atlanta Falcons, the At
lanta Constitution reported in
today’s edition.
Al Thomy of the Constitution,
in Mobile, Ala., for the Senior
Bowl, reported that Thomas
spoke with Atlanta owner
Rankin Smith Tuesday for the
third time.
“You don’t talk about a job
three times if you’re not serious
about it,” Thomy said one pro
Flames rips
Canucks, 4-1
ATLANTA (AP) — “We were
just adequate. Our defense
played well, but it was not one of
our better games,” said Atlanta
Flames goalie Phil Myre.
The words of a loser, right?
Wrong.
Myre and his teammates
skated to a 4-1 National Hockey
League victory over the Van
couver Canucks Wednesday
night as Tom Lysiak scored one
goal and assisted on two others.
“They played pretty well,”
said Myre, who stopped 26 shots
and missed a shutout when
Gerry O’Flaherty scored his
sixth goal of the season late in
the first period.
“They have a much better
team than their record shows
and you can’t take them light
ly,” said Myre. The Canucks
are 11-28-7 and in fourth place in
the Smythe Division.
"-— 1 11 1 1
Tom Thumb season
1
starts Saturday i
The 1977 Tom Thumb
basketball season opens
Saturday with 10 games at the
City Park gym.
The Warriors and Eagles kick
off the full slate of games at 9
a.m. The Falcons and Bulls end
play at 6 p.m.
There will be seven games in
the boys’ division and three in
the girls’ division.
The schedule is as follows:
9 a.m., Warriors vs. Eagles;
10 a.m., Cardinals vs. Braves;
11 a.m., Eaglettes vs.
Georgettes; 12 (noon), Blue
Page 11
day with two Tennessee State
coaches.
Head Coach John Merritt de
nied by telephone any in
volvement in Jolly’s move
ments and said he had no infor
mation that the quarterback
was en route to registere there.
Tennessee State is a member
of the National Collegiate Ath-
coach told him. ]
“Normally, Thomas is in Mo- i
bile during Senior Bowl week.
He’s not here. That tells me
something,” the coach said.
Smith fired Coach Marion
Campbell during the past sea
son as Falcons head coach and
named General Manager Pat ‘
Peppier interim coach. He has
been searching for replace
ments for the two positions
since the season ended.
Thomy quoted a reliable
source as saying that if Thomas
accepts the Falcon position, his
choice for head coach will be
The Flames, now 19-14-7,
moved to within five points of
the idle New York Islanders
who are second in the Patrick
Division.
Lysiak opened the scoring
with his 16th goal of the season
after 3:50 of the opening period,
beating Vancouver goalie Ce
sare Maniago from in close. He
assisted on Richard Mulhern’s
goal in the same period and
Willie Plett’s in the final stanza.
Curt Bennett also scored for the
Flames.
“We played a real steady
hockey game,” said Atlanta
Coach Fred Creighton. “We
checked well.”
Canucks Coach Orland Kur
tenbach moaned that “the puck
just wouldn’t go in for us. We
didn’t play badly, but the re
sults are there. We couldn’t put
the puck in when we needed to.” ,
Jays vs. Royals; 1 p.m., Kittens 1
vs. Rockettes; 2 p.m., Jazz vs.
Packers; 3 p.m., Saints vs.
Topcats; 4 p.m. Bullets vs. -
Bucks; 5 p.m., Blue Birds vs. 1
Hawks and 6 p.m., Falcons vs. 1
Bulls.
The 20 Tom Thumb League 1
teams each will play an eight 1
game schedule. The regular ’
season ends on Feb. 26.
Each team in the boys’ 1
division will play six division '
and two non-division games. 1
The non-division games will not 1
count in league standings.
— Griffin Daily News Thursday, January 6,1
half play at Georgia Tech’s Coliseum in Atlanta on
Wednesday. (AP)
! letic Association, and under its
rules Jolly wouldn’t be eleigible
■ to play there until the 1978 sea-
■ son.
Tech Coach Pepper Rodgers
■ was unavailable for comment.
Jolly, who led Macon Central
to the state Class AAA cham
pionship, was backup to Bucky
■ Shamburger at the start of the
Pete McCulley, current coach of
wide receivers at Baltimore.
Thomy quoted another source
as saying Thomas had asked
Colt owner Robert Irsay for a j
five-year contract at $350,000 a ]
year. ]
’Barna doesn’t
surprise Newton
By TOM SALADINO
AP Sports Writer
“I’m not surprised at what
my team does any more,” said
Alabama Coach C. M. Newton
after his fourth-ranked Crimson
Tide came from behind to
topple Florida.
“But I am surprised we won
considering the way we played
in the first half,” said Newton
whose Tide defeated the Gators
83-71 Wednesday night after
trailing 47-44 at intermission.
It was unbeaten Alabama’s
11th consecutive victory and its
second in the Southeastern Con
ference race. Florida is 9-2 and
1-1.
In other SEC contests, Mis
sissippi State edged Auburn 81-
79 and Vanderbilt trimmed
Georgia 72-69.
Freshman Robert Scott,
starting in place of the injured
Anthony Murray, led the Crim
son Tide with 20 points, in
cluding six straight that en
abled Alabama to take a 67-59
lead with 7:17 left to play.
Alabama had to survive the 71
per cent field goal shooting off
the Gators in the first half,
hitting 20 to 28 baskets. Florida
cooled in the final 20 minutes,
however, connecting on only 10
of 33 shots.
Florida’s Bob Smyth had 17 of
his 23 points in the first half and
Al Bonner all 15 of his before
intermission.
“I’m disappointed we
couldn’t sustain a lead,” said
Florida Coach John Lotz.
“You’ve got to give credit to
Alabama, even though they
didn’t have Murray. They have
a lot of depth.”
Al Perry tossed in three free
throws in the final 24 seconds to
cement Mississippi State’s
victory as freshman Rickey
Brown led the Bulldogs with 26
points. Eddie Johnson led Au
burn, 6-3, and 0-2 in the SEC,
with 17 points. State is 9-2 and 1-
1.
“This win should really help
i Tech season.
: He started against Clemso
■ and Virginia, when Tech abai
doned the wishbone offense an
i went to the veer to get the mos
out of his passing arm.
I He was injured in the Virgin!
game and suffered anothe
’ injury three games late
: against Duke.
“I appreciate what Joe hu
done,” said Irsay, “but I can’ 1
go in the red to keep Joe Thom
as.”
Irsay said he has had manj
inquiries for the Colts general
manager job, including former
Baltimore great Johnny Unitas.
us after what happened to us at
Gainesville Monday night (a 97-
75 loss to Florida),” said State
Coach Kermit Davis.
The loss didn’t help the tem
per of Auburn Coach Bob Davis
who had blasted Johnson after
the Tigers’ 74-71 loss to Ala
bama Monday night.
“We’re in a lot of trouble. We
have to start over. You get to
the point where you think you
got a ball club and everything
falls apart,” he said.
“We had a total team break
down. We got beat in every de
partment. We will get it
straightened out if we have to
practice three times a day.”
Freshmen Mark Elliott and
Charles Davis each scored 15
points to help Vanderbilt break
even on the season at 5-5 and in
the SEC, 1-1.
Georgia, 0-2 in the league and
5-5 overall, was led by Curtis
Jackson with 15 points.
“It was a great win because
we’re still fighting to keep our
heads above water,” said Van
dy Coach Wayne Dobbs.
“I don’t think we had an
emotional letdown after the
Kentucky game (a 64-59 over
time loss Monday),” said Geor
gia Coach John Guthrie.
“I don’t believe in emotional
letdowns. You have to be ready
to play anytime.”
Saturday’s SEC schedule in
cludes Florida at Georgia, Au
burn at Tennessee, Kentucky at
Vanderbilt on regional tele
vision, Louisiana State at Ala
bama and Mississippi at Mis
sissippi State.
Ted Sizemore
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -
The Philadelphia Phillies com
pleted the deal for second base
man Ted Sizemore Tuesday,
sending left-handed pitcher
Quency Hill to the Los Angeles
Dodgers’ Albuquerque farm
team in the Pacific Coast
League.
