THE ELEVATOR

Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007 | 7:28 a.m.

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

GOING UP

Back of the net

Carlos Martinez, a 15-year-old midfielder from the Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club, scored earlier this month for the U.S. national under-17 team in its 2-0 victory over Brazil at the Nike Friendlies in Florida. It was the first time the United States had beaten a South American team in the tournament.

On par

Seung-su Han will stay at UNLV. The junior golfer became the first collegiate player to advance to the final stages of the PGA Tour's qualifying tournament, and he had 10 days to turn pro. He averages a Rebels-best 68.33. UNLV begins its spring season in late January in Tucson.

Chasing Harry Taylor

UNLV swimmer Kier Maitland, a freshman from Canada, has qualified for the NCAAs in March in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Maitland idolizes Taylor, another Edmonton native who finished 19th in the 1,500 freestyle at the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea.

A kick

Yes, a Nevada team is in a bowl. Check out UNR and Las Vegas native Brett Jaekle today against New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl. A junior kicker out of Bonanza High, Jaekle is second in scoring on the Wolf Pack with 99 points. He missed a 54-yarder against Idaho but nailed a 50-yarder in a victory over UNLV. He also kicks off - he's made four solo tackles - and he's punted twice.

GOING DOWN

Bowled over

A couple of dozen Florida State football players will miss the Music City Bowl for online academic fraud? Sort of reminds us of the 1984 California Bowl, won by UNLV, 30-13, but then forfeited by the Rebels because they used ineligible players - who didn't play in the bowl game - during the season.

Ouch

Grab this week's Sports Illustrated and take a gander at Jonathan Tavernari, a Brigham Young sophomore who played a season at Bishop Gorman, getting an eyeful from the index and middle fingers of Pepperdine guard Jason Walberg's left hand. It's on page 22. Visine, anyone?

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