Faces In The Crowd

Wanda Rucker, Cocoa, Fla.
Fishing
Rucker, 48, a communication specialist, became the first woman to win a Red Man bass tournament when she finished first at the Red Man Gator Division qualifier. She landed five bass weighing a total of 16 pounds 4 ounces to lead a field of 342 anglers.

Thorodd Bakken, Holmestrand, Norway
Skiing
Bakken, a graduate student in business administration at Vermont, won two NCAA Nordic titles, in the 10-km classical (27:52.6) and 20-km freestyle (52:40.6), to become the only man to win four NCAA Nordic crowns. He was the 10-km champion in 1996 and the 20-km winner in '97.

Daimen Hunter, Chester, Pa.
Basketball
Hunter, a senior guard at NCAA Division III Alvernia College in Reading, Pa., scored his 2,000th point when the Crusaders defeated Beaver College 88-82. A two-time Pennsylvania Athletic Conference player of the year, Hunter finished his career with 2,242 points, the most in league history.

Sheri Lansdown, Edmonton, Alberta
Volleyball
Lansdown, a senior left-side hitter, led the University of Alberta to the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union women's crown for the fourth straight year. Her 12 kills and 15 digs helped the Pandas beat Manitoba 4-1 in the title round and earned her the tournament MVP award.

Josh Tucker, Joplin, Mo.
Racquetball
Josh, 17, the No. 2 seed, won the national high school championship by defeating top-seeded Ryan Staten, 17, of Dodge City, Kans. Josh averaged a 15-to-2 winning margin through the first four rounds of the tournament. Last June, Ryan had defeated then top-seeded Josh for the 16-and-under national title.

Trecia Smith, Westmoreland, Jamaica
Track and Field
Smith, a junior at Pitt, won the women's long and triple jumps at the NCAA indoor championships with leaps of 21' 6'�" and 46' 1�", respectively. She was the only competitor, man or woman, to win more than one title at the championships this year. She led the Panthers to a third-place finish at the event.