Morehead State University - Raconteur Yearbook (Morehead, KY)

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It's hard work playing for two teams, Ah Chong admits. He says that having friends on both the soccer and tennis teams makes going to practice easier, however. PHOTO BX- JeffColquhoun Long hours of practice and staying in shape do not keep Dominque Ah Chong from studying. He even Fmds time to serve as an assistant teacher in some F rench classes. PHOTO BY.- IefColquhoun At home on the island of Mauritus, Ah Chong played for the national tennis team. He also played soccer and he could not decide which sport he loved the most, so decided to continue in both. PHOTO BY? jefColquhoun Dominque Ah Chong 111

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Sports Featured; 110 More Than A Good Sport Back at home on the island of Mauritus soccer is a way of life much like football is to the United States. Soccer is the number one sport on the island with tennis coming in second. With this background, it isnt surprising to find Dominique Ah Chong on the University,s tennis and soccer teams. Ah Chong is a junior physical education and French major from the island. He has been in the States since 1985. During that summer the Indian Ocean Games were held on the island of Mauritus. The US. had a swimming team and basketball team to compete in the games. The coach of the basketball team was George Saddler, womenls tennis coach at the Uni- versity. Saddler saw Ah Chong play for the Mauritus national tennis team in the games and offered him a tennis scholarship to the University. Being awarded the tennis scholarship was the only way I could afford to come to the United Statesf, said Ah Chong. Ah Chong first started playing soccer in grade school. While most ofus were playing dodge ball he was learning to perfect a sport that he would use throughout his life. Ah Chong started tennis when he was 1 2 years old and played in his first tourna- ment at the age of 13. iiIn Mauritus I was considered a good tennis player. But even when I played for our national tennis team I never decided between tennis and soccer, said Ah Chong. Ah Chong receives much support from home which is 35 plane hours away. He often sends Video tapes and newspaper clippings of each team to his parents and younger brother. Ah Chong says that both parents play tennis and his brother is t , ranked the number 5 tennis player on the island. Even though Ah Chong received the MVP last year for tennis, things are not all fun and games. Its hard sometimes. I often get very tired when both seasons are in full swing but I have friends on each team so that makes it easier to go to practicesf, said Ah Chong. When both seasons are in progress, Ah Chong spends as many as l 7V2 hours a week in training. Two and a halfhours 0n the courts and 1 hour is spent lifting weights. With such a loaded schedule, how does school work fit in, especially with a double major? II was afraid that my grades would suffer, at first. I have learned to stay up late and studyfl he said. iiI would like to stay 100a; healthy next year, something I couldn,t do this season. I want to help lead both the tennis and soccer teams to the OVC Championships? said Ah Chong. During the 1987 soccer season, Ah Chong suffered a wrist injury. Although it was only a sprain, he was ordered to not use it for 3 months. Ah Chong concluded by saying, iiI love tennis but I love soccer too. IfI can help both teams win then that is what I am going to do? Ah Chong plans to teach tennis or soccer 0n the high school level in the United States or in the British school system on Mauritus. . eBy: Tresa A. Roberts 6: Bryon Souder

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Sports :25 Bradley takes a boost from $t7 Bryant to help win the Austin Peay game on October 16. MSU won 3 out of the 3 games played. PHOTO BY: jej? Colquhoun To get the ball up and over is the main goal to scoring. Sophomore Melissa Papoi from La Porte, Ind., Owl gets it up as freshman Patricia Fulk W120 from Antwerp, Oh., is ready to assist. PHOTO BY: Ray Bradley Up and Over With sixty percent of the seasons games as wins, Coach Jim McClellan has a definite right to feel good about the Lady Eagle Volleyball teamls success. In his seven years as coach, the team has had a winning season for six years in a row, finishing in the top four of the con- ference every year. This year was topped off by winning the Ohio Valley Conference Champion- ship over Eastern Kentucky University in November. In addition to this, three players, Missy Blanford, Anne Bradey, and Dayle Hamontree, were named to the All-OVC Volleyball team. Members are chosen by the coaches of the OVC. With the graduation of only two play- ers, Coach McClellan feels very confi- dent about next year. In fact, he feels that, We have a good opportunity to win the conference again? McClellan feels that the team has signed some good recruits for next sea- son, including two six-footers who should be able to make an immediate contribution to the team. Along with the conference win, the team was responsible for breaking EKU,s fifty-eight game winning streak. The team also came very close to realiz- ing another of their goals this season. They wanted to win more than twenty games and to lose less than ten games. With a twenty-one and ten record, the team came within one game of realizing this goal. Coach McClellan was very happy with this record because the team ended the season with a good, strong finish. Coach McClellan stresses that the team does their best and does not con- stantly dwell on winning. In fact, he is sometimes satisfied when the team loses, as long as they put forth their best effort. McClellan feels that it is impor- tant to find some good in losing, or the team will sink deeper and deeper into a losing streak. McClellan tries to avoid the tendency toward burn out by doing things outside of the gym, such as running, and by giv- ing the team time off from practice as a reward for a good performance. He feels that it is important to keep the players excited about volleyball, and that the team will remain a lot sharper if they are given some breaks. McClellan feels that the teamls phys- ical strength, they work with weights three times a week, gives them more confidence, which is important since they play such a tough schedule. The players feel that their strength lies in the good communication skills they have on the court, their mental strength, their excitement for the game 112