SHOCKER SPORTS

Aaron Hogg, a 6-6 junior guard shown here in action against Western Illinois, netted 26 points in WSU's come-back win over SMSU. For the first time since 1996 Wichita State led off Missouri Valley Conference action with a 3-0 record, defeating the Panthers of Northern Iowa, 79-55, on Jan. 4; the Sycamores of Indiana State, 71-55, on Jan. 7; and the Southwest Missouri State Bears in a 67-63 come-back win on Jan. 11 at the Kansas Coliseum. "That was one heck of a game," WSU head...

Cristina and Joe Palacioz, who've been avid supporters of Shocker track and field for a decade, have an added reason for enthusiasm: their son John competes on the team. While Joe Palacioz '71/76 probably possessed the drive and determination to develop into a successful runner, he lacked one very important quality: speed. "But," he notes with a chuckle, "I was pretty fast for a lineman." Even so, Palacioz can spin a fine yarn about a memorable spring afternoon wh...

WSU's Koya Webb is the defending champion in the heptathlon. The sports world is full of coaches who try to lower expectations during the preseason, so WSU coach Steve Rainbolt's optimistic outlook for his men's track and field team is refreshing. "We're really excited," he says. "We feel like we're the team to beat in the Missouri Valley. This could be one of the best teams there's ever been at Wichita State." Rainbolt has reason for such high ex...

Too Much to Handle Wichita State's Angela Buckner, above, has been too much for opposing teams to handle. To cite two examples: Buckner scored 18 points in the Shockers' 67-63 win over Drake on Jan. 12, and she led all players with 15 rebounds in WSU's defeat of the defending Missouri Valley Conference champions, Creighton, 74-73, on Jan. 10. Her athletic feats are even more impressive when set in context: the Shockers trailed the Creighton Bluejays 44-29 at half time before chargi...