The NCAA News - Briefly in the News

March 15, 1999

You don't have to be a student-athlete to be a part of the team at Long Beach State University.

The university's athletics department "adopted" Long Beach State nursing student Sara Hougard, who was critically injured in a car accident.

Hougard, who also worked at a local restaurant, had been sitting on a curb waiting for a ride to work when a car struck her, leaving her with numerous severe internal injuries, a broken back and a severed left leg. Hougard remains in serious condition at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, and she will require a prosthetic leg.

Individuals from the athletics department attended a benefit for Hougard held at the restaurant where she worked, and it was there that they discovered she was a Long Beach State student. That was enough to trigger efforts to help.

"You can always say, 'Let somebody else help out,' " said Roy Englebrecht of the Long Beach State athletics department. "But this is a unique university. Sara is a part of our team."

The athletics department teamed up with the Long Beach State department of nursing and hosted a benefit for Hougard at the Long Beach State men's basketball game against California State University, Northridge. Fifty percent of each ticket sold by the school of nursing was earmarked for Hougard, raising $1,200.

"Our hearts certainly go out to Sara and the Hougard family at this time," said Bill Shumard, athletics director at Long Beach State. "This game will hopefully serve as a rallying point for Sara's many colleagues to provide a tangible means of support to the Hougard family during their time of need."

Those who know Hougard expressed their gratitude to the athletics department for their willingness to make her a part of the team.

"Sara Hougard is an exceptional young woman who brings to professional nursing (her) academic excellence, values, ethics and compassion," said Christine Talmadge, director of the Long Beach State department of nursing.

"Faulty, staff and students of the nursing department thank our colleagues in athletics for this gesture of caring and compassion for one of our own."

Hougard plans to return to nursing once her injuries have healed and she is fitted with a prosthetic leg.

Those interested in helping Hougard may send checks to: Long Beach State Nursing, in care of the Sara Hougard Fund, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, California 90840.

Wilson chosen for football

The NCAA has named Wilson Sporting Goods as the official supplier of the football for the Association's football championships.

Wilson will be the official ball for NCAA football championships in Division I-AA, Division II and Division III.

This agreement will be in effect from the 1999 to 2003 football seasons.

s Wilson also will be the official ball of NCAA Football, an initiative made up of the American Football Coaches Association, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the Conference Commissioners Association and the NCAA.

Wooden award on Fox

This year the John R. Wooden Award presentation will be televised via Fox Sports Net to a national audience.

The award, given annually by the Los Angeles Athletic Club to the men's national college basketball player of the year, will be presented during a one-hour broadcast airing April 2 at 8 p.m. Central time.

A highlight for the 1999 ceremony will be the "Legend of Coaching" lifetime achievement award presented to Dean Smith, former men's basketball coach at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

For more information, see the award's Web site at www.woodenaward.com.

Hangin' with the legends

Brittany Lindhe, senior guard at the University of San Francisco, recently joined an exceedingly elite group at San Francisco.

Her uniform No. 40 was retired in a ceremony at the end of the season, putting her number up with the jerseys of former Dons Bill Russell, Bill Cartwright and K.C. Jones.

Lindhe is only the second Lady Dons player to have her jersey retired. She also joins current co-head coach Mary Hile -- San Francisco's all-time leading scorer, male or female -- who had her jersey retired in 1981.

Lindhe finished her career as the No. 2 leading scorer -- behind Hile, of course -- and she also broke the San Francisco record for games started when she made the 116th start of her career in her final game.

Lindhe also is the sixth all-time leading scorer in the history of the West Coast Conference.

-- Compiled by Kay Hawes