SAUL LOEB/Arizona Daily Wildcat Hoops coach Joan Bonvicini was named this week as one of 25 finalists for the Naismith National Coach of the Year award.

No. 5 Icecats run over ninth-seeded Michigan-Dearborn to open tourney

The fifth-seeded Arizona Icecats jumped into pool play last night with a 9-2 win over No. 9 Michigan-Dearborn at the ACHA National Tournament in Athens, Ohio.

After No. 6 Delaware downed No. 10 Towson 5-3 yesterday morning, No. 11 Eastern Michigan pulled off the tournament's first upset with a 4-2 win later in the day.

No. 12 Saint Louis cashed in with an upset win in overtime, 6-5, over No. 8 Drexel in the afternoon.

Arizona will take on the tournament's host and fourth-seed Ohio tonight night at 7:30 p.m. for a berth to the semifinals.

Bonvicini announced as finalist for women's hoops coach of the year

UA head women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini has been named a finalist for the 2003 Naismith Women's College Basketball Coach of the Year Award. Bonvicini is one of 25 head coaches who have been nominated for the award, which is presented annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Bonvicini is joined on the finalists list by fellow Pac-10 coaches Tara VanDerveer of Stanford and June Daugherty from Washington. This marks the third time Bonvicini has been a finalist for the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award, as she was previously nominated in the 1999-2000 and 1997-98 seasons.

Fellow UA hoops coach Lute Olson was announced as a nominee for the award on the men's side yesterday.

The winners of this year's Naismith Awards will be honored in Atlanta on April 11.

Linnen honored as NCAA national track and field athlete of the week

Junior Amy Linnen was named yesterday as the NCAA Division I track and field athlete of the week by the Division I coaches section of the United States Track Coaches Association. Linnen earned the honor after taking the lead on the NCAA descending order lists in the women's pole vault.

Linnen's vault of 14 feet, 4.75 inches (4.39m) helped her win the conference title at the Mountain Pacific Indoor Conference Championships on Feb. 21. She is the defending NCAA indoor champion and the current collegiate NCAA indoor record holder in the pole vault (14-10 ¹).

The junior vaulter will compete this month at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., to defend her title.

Baseball's Rierson featured in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated

Arizona right-hander Sean Rierson was selected as one of seven athletes for this week's edition (March 3) of Sports Illustrated's "Faces of the Crowd."

The junior pitcher was selected by the publication for his two-hit, complete game shutout at UC Irvine on Feb. 15. Rierson also garnered Collegiate Baseball National Pitcher of the Week and Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week honors for the effort.

Rierson is scheduled to start Arizona's three-game series opener against Texas A&M this Friday at Frank Sancet Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Barnes in hunt at PGA's Chrysler Classic at Omni Tucson National

Arizona star Ricky Barnes showed yesterday that he has the ability to play with the big guns.

With a sponsor's exemption into this week's PGA Chrysler Classic in Tucson, the reigning U.S. Amateur Champion posted a 3-under-par round to put himself into a tie for 16th place after the first day.

The UA Senior carded six birdies on his way to a score of 69.

Ricky wasn't the only Barnes in the field, as his brother Andrew also qualified, shooting an opening round 77 and putting himself well off pace to make tomorrow's cut.

The leader after the first day is Dicky Pride with an opening round 65, bringing himself one stroke ahead of the rest of the field.

Play continues today at the Omni Tucson National Golf Resort and Spa.