Olson to make hall induction via video

Arizona coach Lute Olson, who was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame three weeks ago, announced Wednesday that his sonâs wedding overseas will prevent him from attending enshrinement ceremonies on Sept. 27.

Instead, Olson will take part in the ceremonies in Springfield, Mass., via a video feed from Italy.

ãThere is no question there are few prouder moments as a father than the wedding of one of your children,ä Olson said. ãIâm excited about both events and, although itâs impossible for me to be in both places, I am glad there is a way I can be involved with each.ä

Hall of Fame CEO John Doleva said Olson remains a member of the Class of 2002, which includes the Harlem Globetrotters and five individuals. Olson is scheduled to attend the 2003 induction ceremony to receive special recognition.

Steve Olson, a graduate of the exclusive Cordon Bleu culinary institute in France, and fiancee Sandra Belcredi are co-owners of a restaurant and catering service in Positano, Italy.

UA finishes 9th in Sears Cup

UA finished No. 9 in the 2001-2002 Sears Directorsâ Cup rankings of Division I collegiate athletics programs, rating in the top 10 for the ninth time in the awardâs nine-year history.

Arizona was paced by strong spring finishes by softball, menâs and womenâs golf, womenâs tennis and womenâs track and field, UA finished with a total of 852 points.

Stanford won its eighth consecutive overall Sears Cup, with 1,499 points thanks to four national championships. Texas, Florida, North Carolina and UCLA rounded out the top five, with Michigan at No. 6, Minnesota and Georgia ahead of the Wildcats. Louisiana State finished No. 10.

Other Pacific-10 Conference teams in the Top 25 were Arizona State and Southern California tied at No. 15, California at No. 20 and Washington at No. 25.

Developed as a joint effort between USA Today and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the Sears Directors Cup program rates institutions in Division I, II, III and NAIA.

The University of California-Davis won the Division II Sears Cup, while Williams College (Mass.) won for Division III and Oklahoma City University took home the NAIA title.

Polk earns freshman honor

UA womenâs basketball player Shawntinice Polk has been named to the WomensCollegeHoops.com ãTop 21 Freshmen of Impact for 2002-03ä list.

A 6-foot-5 center from Hanford (Calif.) High School, Polk earned USA Today, WBCA, Parade and Nike All-America honors as a senior in 2000-01.

She averaged 16.1 points, 13.1 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game while leading Hanford to its first-ever CIF Division II state championship and a No. 3 national ranking.

After joining the Wildcats midway through last season, Polk will be a redshirt freshman for the Wildcats this year. To qualify for the Top 21 Freshmen of Impact list, a player must be a true freshman or a redshirt freshman in 2002-03 and have four years of eligibility remaining.

For more information on the Top 21 list, check out www.womenscollegehoops.com.

Tennis and golf members earn academic honors

Add five more students to the ever-growing list of student-athletes on Pacific 10 Conference All-Academic teams.

Golfers junior Cathy Williamson and senior Brandon Smith, and tennis player sophomore Carl Hagman earned first-team honors, while golfer senior Cristina Baena and tennis player sophomore Debby Larocque were named to the leagueâs second-team scholastic squad.

Sophomore tennis player Perrine Pernin earned honorable mention with a 3.074 in chemistry.

Student-athletes must be in their second year at their institution, have a minimum overall grade-point average of 3.0 and be a front-line player or significant contributor.