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Sports

Thursday, May 6, 1999

All-sports banquet set for tonight


PECOS, May 6 -- The annual Pecos High School All-Sports
Banquet will be held tonight, with Dr. Chet Sample of Sul
Ross State University as the guest speaker for this year's
event.

The banquet will be held starting at 7 p.m. in the Bessie
Haynes Elementary cafeteria. Along with the keynote speech
by Sample, all-district certificates will be presented to
Pecos High School students, along with the Doc Lunday, Craig Woods, Joe Shoemaker and Joe Bob Kelton awards.

All-district selections for the Pecos Eagle girls' softball
team will also be announced among the other all-district
awards. All-district softball and baseball teams were
selected in Van Horn on Wednesday.

Tickets to the banquet for the general public are $8
apiece, and are available at Pecos High School, Gibson True
Value, Dan's Music and Video and at KIUN.

Balmorhea HS hosts volleyball tourney


PECOS, May 6 -- An adult volleyball tournament has been
scheduled for Saturday, May 22 at the Balmorhea High School
gym.

The tournament, sponsored by Balmorhea High School's junior
class, has an entry fee of $100 per team, with a limit of 10
players per team. The tournament will begin at 9 a.m. on May
22, and the top three finishers will receive trophies and
T-shirts.

For further information, call either Liz Lozano at
915-375-2223 or Eilda Mendoza at 915-375-2228.

Ex-Cowboy Tuinei dies in Plano


By CHRISTY LEMIRE
Associated Press Writer
PLANO, May 6 -- Mark Tuinei, who helped lead the Dallas
Cowboys to three Super Bowl championships during his 15-year
career, died this morning after a friend found him
unconscious in his car. He was 39.

Plano police chief Bruce Glasscock said the unidentified
friend had been called and told to pick up Tuinei, and found
him in a vehicle outside his home. After the man called for
help, firemen tried to revive Tuinei, but he was pronounced
dead upon arriving at Medical Center of Plano.

The cause of death was not immediately known. Glasscock said
foul play, alcohol or drugs were not believed to be
involved.

``There is nothing in the investigation at this time that
would indicate that,'' Glasscock said. ``We're treating this
like any other unattended death.''

Glasscock said the medical examiner could have a preliminary
report by mid-afternoon. However, he said it could take days
for any definitive information from an autopsy or toxicology
reports.

Glasscock said Tuinei was not known to have had a
life-threatening medical condition.

The chief said he wasn't sure how long Tuinei had been
unconscious.

``The only information we have at this point is that it was
a good portion of the morning,'' he said. ``The friend was
contacted and asked to pick up Mr. Tuinei. We're still in
the process of interviewing that friend.''

Glasscock said he didn't know whether the man was a member
of the Cowboys. Tuinei's wife was in Hawaii, where they both
are from, and was notified by family members. They did not
have children.

``We do know Mr. Tuinei was in Dallas last night,'' Glassock
said. ``Our goal is trying to backtrack the last 24 hours of
Mr. Tuinei's activities in an effort to find someone who can
provide us with any further information.''

The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Tuinei came to the Cowboys in 1983
as a free agent from Hawaii and made the team as a defensive
lineman. He was switched to offense in 1985 and became a
full-time starter in 1987.

Tuinei played several spots along the offensive line but
settled in at the crucial position of left tackle, where he
was responsible for blocking the quarterback's blind side.

His protection of Troy Aikman and his run-blocking for
Emmitt Smith were big reasons why the Cowboys went from 1-15
in 1989 to Super Bowl champions in 1993, 1994 and 1996.

Tuinei played in the Pro Bowl after the 1994 and 1995
seasons. Knee problems ended his career after the 1997
season.

``Mark has been an example to everybody on this team,''
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said when Tuinei released in April
1998 as a cost-cutting move. ``He's played hurt at a really
superhuman level, and obviously, we've had some great
success during his career.''

There was no immediate comment from the Cowboys or players.

Will Morris, a friend who arrived at Tuinei's sprawling
mansion this morning, said he last saw Tuinei about 6 p.m.
Wednesday. Tuinei and his wife were planning to move back to
Hawaii this week so Tuinei could be offensive line coach at
his old high school, Punahou High School, Morris said.

``He never seemed healthier or happier about going home. He
was happy as can be,'' said Morris, who also attended the
private school and met Tuinei at a Texas reunion of Punahou
alumni about five years ago.



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Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.

324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net

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Copyright 1999 by Pecos Enterprise