Sports briefs for January 28, 2005

Friday, Jan. 28, 2005 | 10:22 a.m.

Cheyenne star makes college choice today

Cheyenne High School running back Torrie Coleman (6-foot-2, 210 pounds), a second-team member of the Sun's all-state football team, has scheduled a news conference today at the school to announce his college choice.

Coleman will pick between UNLV, the early favorite, and Oregon State, where he visited last weekend.

The Rebels have already landed three first-team all-state picks, including Coleman's close friend, Palo Verde quarterback Jarrell Harrison, as well as Las Vegas offensive lineman A.J. Rodriguez (6-4, 315) and two-way line star Perry Eppenger (6-3, 320), a teammate of Coleman's at Cheyenne.

Meanwhile, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported Wednesday that UNLV has received a verbal commitment from defensive tackle Malo Taumua (6-2, 295) of Na Alii High School in Honolulu.

Taumua, who carries a 2.9 grade-point average and missed passing the SAT by 20 points the last time he took the test, was also getting recruiting interest from Colorado and Utah.

The national letter of intent signing period begins on Wednesday.

--- Steve Guiremand

UNLV picked for third

The UNLV baseball team was picked to finish third in the Mountain West Conference this season in a vote of the six league head coaches and a select media panel. The two-time defending Mountain West Conference tournament champions received two first-place votes and 61 total points. San Diego State, last year's regular-season champion, was picked to finish first. New Mexico took second place and the Rebels were followed by BYU, Utah and Air Force.

Alumni game Saturday

The UNLV softball team will face live competition Saturday when former teammates and UNLV alumni take to the field at Eller Media Stadium for the annual Alumni Game. The game is free to the public and begins at 1 p.m. The 2005 edition of Rebels softball will be led by second-year head coach Lonni Alameda and her four seniors: Morgan Bostwick, Amber Campbell, Pauline Glenn and Jacque Kerrigan. Alameda returns eight letter-winners and welcomes 10 newcomers to the program.

Fights at Silverton

The Silverton hotel-casino will host a five-bout women's boxing card at 8 p.m. Saturday. Bantamweights Lakeysha Williams (8-6-3, 1 knockout) of Philadelphia and Elena "Baby Doll" Reid (15-1-5, 4 KOs) of Phoenix square off in the main event. Tickets are $30. Call 914-8557 or (866) 946-4373.

No progress in talks

After trying again to find a solution to the lockout that threatens to wipe out the entire season, the NHL and the NHL Players Association broke off talks Thursday night with "significant philosophical differences," according to a statement issued by the union. No new talks were scheduled, according to Ted Saskin, the senior director of the union.