Northern Arizona University

A year-old program at Northern Arizona University is helping Arizona Indians with business ventures, including plans to sell firewood in Los Angeles and to use a high school dormitory for motel-management vocational education. The NAU Center for American Indian Economic Development, which opened in late 1985, has advisory projects with tribes or individual Indian businesses and has sponsored 12 workshops in reservation communities on business-management skills.

While her classmates agonize over which college to attend, high school senior Samantha Morgan is passing up offers from Cal State campuses in Long Beach and San Jose. She is heading out of California to avoid overcrowded classes and other state budget problems. And she can afford it thanks to a little-known program that offers discounts at public colleges and universities to students from 15 states, most of them in the West. Morgan is taking advantage of the Western Undergraduate Exchange to enroll at Northern Arizona University this fall.

While her classmates agonize over which college to attend, high school senior Samantha Morgan is passing up offers from Cal State campuses in Long Beach and San Jose. She is heading out of California to avoid overcrowded classes and other state budget problems. And she can afford it thanks to a little-known program that offers discounts at public colleges and universities to students from 15 states, most of them in the West. Morgan is taking advantage of the Western Undergraduate Exchange to enroll at Northern Arizona University this fall.

Millions of people watched runner Lopez Lomong carry the American flag and lead the United States delegation into the opening ceremony at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, marveling at the Sudanese refugee who survived unspeakable horrors before an American foster family took him in and gave him a new life. Few people will see him repeat his flag-bearer role Friday in a different setting, but the occasion will be just as meaningful. Lomong will be the standard bearer for Northern Arizona University's school of business at graduation ceremonies in Flagstaff, an honor bestowed by faculty members.

Eric Saulny, who coached the Verbum Dei High boys' basketball team from 1981 to 1983, has been named a full-time assistant at Northern Arizona University.

The Loyola Marymount women's basketball team ends its long home stand and non-conference schedule at 7:30 tonight against Northern Arizona University. The Lions are 10-4, which matches the school's record victory total. Freshman guards Kristen Bruich and Lynn Flanagan lead with scoring averages of 12.3. Center Tricia Gibson is the leading rebounder at 6.6 per game, and forward Amy Atkinson is among conference free-throw leaders with a percentage of .781 (25 of 32).

La Habra High School defensive tackle Dan Ledieff said Monday that he has orally committed to attend Cal State Long Beach next fall, and Servite offensive tackle Marc Lamb has committed to Northern Arizona. Ledieff, 6-feet-4 and 235 pounds, had 105 tackles and 12 sacks last season. He was a member of The Times' All-County second team. Lamb, 6-6, 240, committed to Northern Arizona after visiting the campus last weekend. He also visited Idaho State.

Northern Arizona guard Josh Oppenheimer, who played at Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, has been suspended from the basketball team "for behavior unacceptable to the coaching staff," according to Lumberjack Coach Harold Merritt.

More than four years have passed, but Ronney Jenkins still finds himself answering questions about "that night." Most inquiries are prefaced in disbelief. You rushed for 619 yards? In one game? Jenkins, a junior running back for Northern Arizona, responds the same way he did the night he pulled off the unheard-of accomplishment--with a shy shrug. "It just happened," Jenkins said. It's still hard to believe. On Nov.

Two members of the Los Alamitos girls' volleyball team signed letters of intent Thursday. Setter Kirstin Laird signed with Northern Arizona and outside hitter Kelly Kuebler signed with USC. Joe Fuschetti has been hired as Corona del Mar boys' volleyball coach, replacing Mark Rivadeneyra, who left to coach at San Clemente. Fuschetti, 27, played at Corona del Mar and Pepperdine and was a Sea Kings' assistant coach in 1989 and '90.

More than four years have passed, but Ronney Jenkins still finds himself answering questions about "that night." Most inquiries are prefaced in disbelief. You rushed for 619 yards? In one game? Jenkins, a junior running back for Northern Arizona, responds the same way he did the night he pulled off the unheard-of accomplishment--with a shy shrug. "It just happened," Jenkins said. It's still hard to believe. On Nov.

His speech is sprinkled with giggles and chuckles, for Terrance Petty is one happy camper. It makes no difference to Petty, a two-year starter at linebacker for Northern Arizona, that he was moved to weak side after playing strong side last year. All the former standout at Ventura and Moorpark colleges wants is to be in the lineup. "I just like to play," Petty said. "Sometimes I get to play all three [linebacking] positions.

The Cal State Northridge men's basketball team is markedly improved with a respectable 4-3 record in its first season in the Big Sky Conference. But the Matadors are far from claiming the circuit's top turnaround. Northern Arizona, which plays at Northridge tonight at 7, is the most improved Division I team in the nation. The Lumberjacks, 14-3, 7-0 in conference play, were 6-20 last season.

As Cal State Northridge prepared for its first rematch with Northern Arizona since the Lumberjacks' record-setting 68-7 thrashing of the Matadors a year ago, Chad Marsalek was asked what it feels like to lose a football game by 61 points. "It makes you sick," the senior running back said. "I don't know how else to describe it." This from receiver Tim Hilton: "Embarrassed." From safety Doug Varner: "Crushed." And linebacker James Woods: "Disgraced." You get the idea.

Los Alamitos quarterback Mike Good has made an oral commitment to attend Northern Arizona, his father, Fred, said Monday. Good, a second-team Times' All-Orange County selection, picked Northern Arizona, a Division I-AA school, over Idaho State, Nevada, Nevada Las Vegas and Colorado State. Good, a 6-foot, 185-pound senior, led the Griffins to their third consecutive Southern Section championship and passed for more than 2,900 yards and 35 touchdowns.

A few snapshots from the travels of Deitre Collins through some of the world's tourist hot spots during her years as an international volleyball standout. . . . Click Here she is, fresh off the plane, wearing a lei on her way to collegiate stardom at Hawaii. Click Look at her dive and dig that thunderous spike by the Chinese outside hitter at the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988.

Steve Axman, quarterback coach at the University of Maryland this season and once the offensive coordinator at UCLA, was named head football coach at Northern Arizona Friday. Axman, 42, was offensive coordinator at Arizona under present USC coach Larry Smith from 1980 to 1985. At UCLA, in 1987 and 1988, he was offensive coordinator, quarterback and offensive line coach. Axman inherits an immediate problem at Northern Arizona.

Two members of the Los Alamitos girls' volleyball team signed letters of intent Thursday. Setter Kirstin Laird signed with Northern Arizona and outside hitter Kelly Kuebler signed with USC. Joe Fuschetti has been hired as Corona del Mar boys' volleyball coach, replacing Mark Rivadeneyra, who left to coach at San Clemente. Fuschetti, 27, played at Corona del Mar and Pepperdine and was a Sea Kings' assistant coach in 1989 and '90.

Rancho Santiago football players Gary Bladow and Scott Strini have signed letters of intent to play at Northern Arizona next season, Dons' Coach Dave Ogas said Friday. Bladow, a former Villa Park standout, was an all-Orange Empire Conference selection at defensive back last season. Strini, a former Orange High player, was an all-conference selection at linebacker and was Rancho Santiago's most valuable player.