THE ELEVATOR

Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2007 | 7:19 a.m.

Who's headed toward the penthouse on the local sports scene - and who's getting the shaft.

GOING UP

Natalie Gulbis

The Lake Las Vegas resident finally proved she's not just another pretty face by breaking through for her first LPGA victory over the weekend. Meanwhile, Anna Kournikova was photographed for Maxim magazine sporting a skimpy swimsuit and a 31st-place check from Indian Wells.

Tony Gwynn

I don't remember much of the conversation I had with the new addition to the baseball Hall of Fame prior to a Padres-Stars game at Cashman Field many seasons ago. But I do recall that when I asked if he had a minute he said that he had all the time I needed. Then we started talking baseball like a couple of old friends having a beer.

Phil Glover

The former Clark High star - yes, there was a time when Clark had football stars - scored a touchdown for the San Jose SaberCats in their 55-33 victory over the Columbus Steam Shovels - er, Destroyers - in Sunday's ArenaBowl in New Orleans. By the way, Glover was another guy cut by the Gladiators. Twice.

Ryan Ludwick

The former Durango High and UNLV star drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to spark the St. Louis Cardinals to a come-from-behind victory over the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend - and made local Cubs fans very, very, happy.

GOING DOWN

Mountain West uniforms

Wyoming, Air Force and Utah were ranked second, sixth and 10th by SI.com in its piece on the worst uniforms in college football. The Oregon Ducks again were rated No. 1 for not discarding their screaming yellow zonker uniforms into the nearest Goodwill bin.

Draft Track technology

This is what NASCAR calls its new graphic that shows how air flows over the race cars. The air flow is depicted by a bunch of squiggly lines that look like Rusty Wallace drew them with a Spirograph.