Yes 46%

No 31%

I don’t know or I don’t care 23%

Poll results are not scientific.

TUESDAY’S POLL QUESTION

Are premarital abstinence pledges made by teens
effective? A new study indicates that teens who pledge to remain
virgins until marriage are just as likely to have pre-marital sex as
those who do not promise abstinence.

ONLINE POLL

Vote at tucsoncitizen.com.

Should an 8-year-old accused of killing his parents be tried as an adult?

Question: Veterans Day is Tuesday. Do you have to work? If not, are you planning on celebrating?

I have to work 49%

I have the day off and plan on going to a Veterans Day event 11%

I have the day off and I plan to do nothing 40%

Poll results are not scientific.

The story: The method Pima County employs to inspect restaurants is debated. Some restaurateurs say the county should adopt Los Angeles’ requirement that restaurants prominently display their inspection grades.

Your take: If you can’t take the heat. . . . The Citizen’s online community strongly feels that restaurants owe it to their patrons to post the results of their inspections. As Charlie M., who made the comment atop this column, says, “Restaurants become hugely motivated to better themselves” if the world knows what’s going on beyond closed kitchen doors.

“Who’s going to decry the expansion of the Nanny State in this case?” asks F.B., who’s all for the prominent posting of the ratings. “This is a public safety issue,” Bob F. adds.

But one reader, Steve H., isn’t biting. He claims to eat only at state and county fairs, “the one place I can eat stuff-on-a-stick without having to worry about ingesting a label that reads . . . ‘Warning! Everything in the state of California is known to cause cancer!’ ”

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

MOST-VIEWED LOCAL NEWS STORIES

For Monday, Aug. 18

1 Force eateries to post inspection grades?

2 Man killed in front of sons; another arrested.

3 Teenager killed outside Southwest Side mart.

RESULTS OF MONDAY’S POLL

Question: If Pima County adopted the A, B, C health inspection rating system, would you eat at a restaurant with a C grade?

Yes. 1%

No. 66%

It depends. 33%

Total votes: 297. Poll results are not scientific.

srivera@tucsoncitizen.com

Former Arizona State assistant Russ Pennell, who coaches a high school guard Arizona covets, is expected to join Lute Olson’s staff as an assistant.

Pennell, 47, agreed to take the job Wednesday in a meeting with Olson, who was searching for an assistant after he announced that Kevin O’Neill would not be on his staff next season.

“Russ announced to his (AAU) team that was his intention (to take the job),” said Gilbert Highland High coach Mark Carlino, whose son, Matt Carlino, plays for Pennell’s Arizona Premier Basketball Academy in Gilbert.

UA offered Matt Carlino, a freshman guard at Highland, a scholarship when he was in seventh grade, his father said.

Pennell, a longtime assistant to former ASU coach Rob Evans, told the Arizona Republic he could not comment on the projected hiring, which UA is expected to announce within a week.

UA athletic director Jim Livengood told the Citizen no one has been hired yet and that the position came open Wednesday. It’s expected to hit the UA jobs Web site by Friday.

“We’re in the process of looking at people,” Livengood said Thursday. “We have to go through a (waiting) period like everyone else.”

Mark Carlino said he knows Pennell “very well,” that “he’s a great coach, great floor coach and has a great rapport with his players.”

Carlino said hiring Pennell would only “enhance the recruitment of Matt.”

“Matt would have to speak to that, but he thinks the world of Lute and Russ,” said Carlino, whose son would enter UA after Olson’s contract runs out in 2011.

Pennell, who left Evans’ staff in 2004, has worked as a radio analyst for ASU games. Pennell and Olson did not return calls left by the Citizen.

O’Neill, Arizona’s interim coach last season during Olson’s leave of absence, was reassigned this week to a fund-raising job in UA’s athletic department.

Former UA player Reggie Geary and ex-UA assistant Rodney Tention told the Citizen they spoke informally with Olson about the assistant’s job.

Contributing: Norm Frauenheim of the Arizona Republic

• Geary shows interest in UA job, 2C

Your take: It’s not every day that a public policy debate features Bob Marley. But the late reggae star’s lyrics (“Herb is the healing of the nation,” etc.) were quoted by Julian H. to bolster his contention that marijuana should be legalized – a position that many members of the Citizen’s online community also held.

Joe Q. thinks the drug is harmless: “Crack and meth and heroin are one thing, but pot? C’mon. The only downside to legalizing it is second-hand smoke.”

Anthony H., who’s not a “pothead,” thinks the problems associated with the drug trade go away when the prohibition against the drug disappears. Likewise, Francisco L. – “a teacher and a father” who doesn’t smoke marijuana – believes “putting it behind counters” would make it more difficult for kids to get; his students say it’s harder for them to buy a 12-pack of beer than to obtain pot.

That would make America a lot like Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where drugs have been decriminalized. But that’s the problem, says Eric J.: “Amsterdam has huge drug-related problems and is the poster child of why legalization does not work.” And P.S. asks, “Is life for you so crappy you have to resort to chemicals to help enjoy it?”

Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

MOST-VIEWED LOCAL NEWS STORIES

For Wednesday, Nov. 21

1 Tucson teeming with marijuana “stash houses.”

2 Win over ASU no guarantee of bowl for UA.

3 Cleaning death scenes is crews’ task.

RESULTS OF WEDNESDAY’S POLL

Question: What should be done to reduce marijuana smuggling in Arizona?

Add law enforcement 4%

Add barriers, weaponry, surveillance 13%

Add law enforcement and barriers 28%

Legalize or decriminalize pot 53%

I don’t know. 3%

Votes: 226. Poll results are not scientific. Because of rounding, totals may not equal 100 percent.

ANTHONY GIMINO

There was an interesting college football note on ESPN.com recently, and it went like this: In each of the past 10 years, at least two teams unranked in the preseason have finished in the national top 10.

That got me thinking.

First, who were these teams?

Second, what could we learn about these teams that might have some predictive value about this season?

Third, how closely do your hometown Arizona Wildcats fit the criteria of an underrated team?

To start with, there have been 24 total teams to go from unranked to top 10 in the past decade.

Let’s break it down, scientifically . . .

The mid-majors

Five cases of severe underranking can be attributed to bias against smaller conference teams – 1998 Tulane, 1999 Marshall, 2003 Miami of Ohio, 2004 Louisville (then of Conference USA) and 2006 Boise State.

The most significant thing those teams had in common was underappreciated star power at quarterback. To wit: Shaun King of Tulane, Chad Pennington of Marshall, Ben Roethlisberger of Miami of Ohio, Stefan LeFors of Louisville and Jared Zabransky of Boise State.

Each team was coming off a winning season and had an abnormally high number of returning starters – an average of 18.

Keeping in mind that Hawaii, TCU and Boise State start the season in the AP Top 25, does any unranked mid-major fit the profile this season?

Utah comes close. The Utes were 8-5 last season, have 16 returning starters and bring back Brian Johnson at quarterback. He sat out last year because of a knee injury, but he was the national leader in passing efficiency when he got hurt late in the 2005 season.

The QB factor

Nineteen of the 24 teams who came out of nowhere had a returning starter at quarterback. That seems like a high number, and likely not a coincidence.

Moreover, most teams had a returning starting quarterback who was really, really good and about to hit the big time.

Cade McCown at UCLA in 1997, Joey Harrington at Oregon 2000 and Brady Quinn at Notre Dame in 2005 are three examples.

The tricky part here is identifying which quarterback from this season is ready to emerge.

Experience counts

Just as with the non-BCS conference teams, the major teams who unexpectedly launched into the top 10 had an above average number of returning starters.

The figure for the BCS-level teams isn’t as sizable, but it’s still noteworthy. Those teams averaged 16 returning starters.

That will be our loose baseline in helping determine our sleeper teams for 2007.

Having a solid base

Most of the unranked teams weren’t flying too far under the radar, having at least a .500 record the year before. Three more teams finished 5-6 the previous season.

The three exceptions were 2001 Colorado (3-8 the previous season), 2001 Washington State (4-7) and 2005 Penn State (4-7).

For the most part, though, we’re looking for teams that are already at .500.

Stop the run

The numbers aren’t complete for the 24 teams – the NCAA on-line stats go back only to 1999 – but none of the 17 sleepers this decade finished worse than 36th nationally in rushing defense.

Eight finished in the top 10.

The average improvement in rushing defense was 24.5 spots in the national rankings, and the average finish was 16.6. Only two sleepers teams were worse against the run over the previous season – and one of those was 2003 Iowa, which had an insignificant drop from fifth to eighth.

What we’re looking for is an unranked team that is at least average against the run, with a chance to be dominant.

New coaches

Three first-year coaches have led significantly underrated teams in the past two seasons – Charlie Weis at Notre Dame in 2005, Chris Petersen at Boise State in 2006 and Bret Bielema at Wisconsin last season.

Coaches always talk about how their second year is so much easier, with everybody on the same page. Five second-year coaches, including Dennis Erickson at Oregon State in 2000, have led our sleeper teams.

So, one-third of our 24 teams were led by a coach in his first or second year, when the false perception might be that the team is still in transition.

Does luck matter?

It might be counterintuitive, but what we’re looking for in terms of predicting a sleeper is a team coming off a bad season in turnover margin.

That’s because turnover margin can bounce wildly from one season to the next, and a team that has bad luck one season should, based on the law of averages, has better luck the next time.

And, preferably, a sleeper is a team that lost several close games the previous season, indicating that the record is not as bad as it seemed and a turnaround could be at hand.

So, who’s a sleeper?

After analyzing the past decade of sleepers, here’s what we want to see:

A team with an experienced, emerging quarterback coming off a winning record with a high number of returning starters, with a very good rushing defense, preferably with still-new coaching blood that is due for some good luck.

Some of the areas are quantifiable. Some require judgment calls. There are no absolutes, with exceptions to every rule.

Some teams considered but dismissed for various reasons:

• South Carolina, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Oregon and Purdue (can they stop the run?).

• Kansas, Georgia Tech, Oregon State, Miami (new starting quarterbacks, although that might be a plus for Tech).

• Wake Forest, Boston College (due for worse luck in turnovers, close games).

Based on the criteria of the past decade, here are the top five teams that have the potential to go from unranked to top 10:

1. Alabama. The Crimson Tide spent enough money for a savior when it hired Nick Saban, and he just might be it.

He takes over a team that went 6-7 and has 16 returning starters, including talented junior quarterback John Parker Wilson. The rushing defense was 46th nationally last season, and should be improved under Saban and coordinator Kevin Steele.

Alabama lost five games by a touchdown or less last season, suggesting just a little improvement could go a long way.

2. Missouri. The Tigers are on the cusp of the Top 25, so this isn’t much of a stretch.

Nonetheless, they neatly fit most of the criteria, with probably not enough voters realizing just how good junior quarterback Chase Daniel is.

3. Virginia. More of a long shot here with the Cavs coming off a 5-7 season. But this list is all about long shots.

Virginia has 20 returning starters, a potential star in dual-threat sophomore quarterback Jameel Sewell and a rush defense that was 41st in the country last season.

A more aggressive defense could tilt the turnover/luck factor more to the Cavs’ favor. They were 44th nationally in turnover margin last season.

4. Arizona State. The Devils are energized by a new coach, 17 returning starters, a better-than-you-think run defense (39th nationally last season) and a quarterback that can be about as good as any in the Pac-10.

The only negative here is that the Devils lost several games by blowout last season. The gap from a 7-6 season to the top 10 might be too great to jump in one season.

5. South Florida. Another team nearly in the preseason top 25. To get to the top 10, the Bulls will have to overcome West Virginia, Louisville and Rutgers in the Big East. Watch for QB Matt Grothe and 17 other returning starters to win one or two of those games.

How ’bout them Cats?

Arizona was 6-6 last season, so there is a solid base. Nineteen starters return. Junior quarterback Willie Tuitama, coming off a concussion-plagued season, no longer is surrounded by hype. The call here is that the potential is still there for greatness.

So far, so good.

UA’s running defense was 42nd nationally last season and easily could be a top 20 team in that area.

Arizona was relatively lucky with turnovers last season, losing only five of 20 fumbles and finishing 23rd nationally in turnover margin. Question is, was that just luck or was it good play?

The Cats fit many of the sleeper categories. Could they end up being a top 10 team?

Well, strange things happen every year.

Anthony Gimino’s e-mail: agimino@tucsoncitizen.com

ZEROES TO HEROES

In the past decade, here have been 24 college football teams that have gone from unranked in the preseason to the final AP top 10.

Year Team Final rank

1997 UCLA 5

1997 Washington State 9

1997 Georgia 10

1998 Tulane 7

1998 Georgia Tech 9

1999 Michigan State 7

1999 Marshall 10

2000 Oregon State 4

2000 Oregon 7

2001 Colorado 9

2001 Washington State 10

2002 Kansas State 7

2002 Iowa 8

2003 Iowa 8

2003 Washington State 9

2003 Miami (Ohio) 10

2004 Louisville 6

2004 Virginia Tech 10

2005 Penn State 3

2005 West Virginia 5

2005 Alabama 8

2005 Notre Dame 9

2006 Boise State 5

2006 Wisconsin 7

NICK PIECORO

The Arizona Republic

SAN DIEGO – Brandon Webb pursed his lips and furrowed his eyebrows. He pounded his fist into his mitt. He clenched his teeth.

Webb, easygoing by nature, was a portrait of frustration on the Petco Park mound on Tuesday night, his anger palpable during a game that easily was his most important of the season, scoreless streak or not.

His reactions during a 6-4 loss to the San Diego Padres helped illustrate just how badly the Diamondbacks needed him to win, and how potentially damaging it was that he could not.

First, the Diamondbacks lost to the hard-charging Padres and their ace Monday night. Now, Arizona lost there with its ace.

“We beat a good pitcher today,” said San Diego outfielder Mike Cameron. “It’s going to take that down the stretch in order for us to approach the goal we need to get to, a chance to play in the postseason.”

That five-game NL West advantage the Diamondbacks had the morning of Aug. 19? It is now is a sliver of a lead.

With a win Wednesday, the Padres can draw even in the standings with the Diamondbacks. By the conclusion of this four-game series, it’s possible Arizona could no longer could be a first-place team.

They could only grudgingly accept their fate on Monday night, when the league’s leading Cy Young Award candidate, Jake Peavy, shut them down. But this time they came away with plenty to regret on a night when San Diego’s Justin Germano pitched six uneven innings yet secured a victory.

The Diamondbacks had a runner aboard in each of the first five innings, and seemingly had Germano on the ropes a handful of times. But they could manage with only single runs in the first, fourth and fifth innings.

Still, it looked like it might be enough for Webb, even on a night when his body language said it all. He was not at his best.

He was able to get by for five innings, holding tightly to a 3-2 lead. But it all unraveled in a four-run sixth.

Mike Cameron started it with a tying home run to left field. After a walk to Milton Bradley, Webb allowed consecutive singles to Adrian Gonzalez and Khalil Greene, whose base hit to center field gave the Padres a 4-3 lead.

Webb then fielded a Kevin Kouzmanoff bunt and turned toward third base, where he appeared to have a play. Instead, he turned and threw to first base, where first base umpire Lance Barksdale ruled that Orlando Hudson’s foot was not on the bag, a call that Diamondbacks managed Bob Melvin disputed. Melvin was ejected, his second in the past five games.

Josh Bard followed with an RBI single and, two batters later, Webb hit pinch-hitter Rob Mackowiak with a pitch, forcing in San Diego’s fourth run of the inning.

> Box score, Page 3C

UP NEXT

Arizona (Owings 6-7) at San Diego (Maddux 10-9), 7:05 p.m. Wednesday. Radio: 1490-AM

On Friday, the University of Arizona-led Phoenix Mars Lander Mission is scheduled to take off and begin its nine-month journey to the red planet.

The mission, slated to land on Mars on May 25, 2008, will search for evidence of water beneath the Martian arctic surface. The lander is called Phoenix because UA scientists hope it rises from the ashes of a lander that crashed in 1999.

COUNTDOWN TO MARS 3 DAYS

Quiz: Think you know your Mars trivia? Find out with our online quiz.

Stories: A talk with Peter Smith, the brains behind the missions. Plus, drinking water on Mars.

• Check back every day for more.

TUCSONCITIZEN.COM/MARS.

MARY BUSTAMANTE

mbustamante@tucsoncitizen.com

School starts in a couple of weeks or sooner for thousands of Tucson students. But it’s not too late to help them shift their sleep schedules, get their shots and brush up on the learning they’ve lost over the summer.

Teachers say they see a lot of sleepy faces the first week or so when parents haven’t eased their children into a bedtime ritual before school starts.

Experts say 5- to 9-year-olds need 10 or 11 hours of sleep a night; 10- to 14-year-olds need nine to 10 hours; and high school-age students need eight to nine hours.

The Pima County Health Department and the El Rio and Marana community health centers are offering free or low-cost immunizations at convenient locations through Aug. 14.

There’s also time to squeeze in a trip to local interactive museums such as the Tucson Children’s Museum, the International Wildlife Museum or the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to get those brain cells sparking again.

Students, on average, lose about 2.6 months of grade-level equivalency in math computation skills over the three summer months, according to information on the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Summer Learning Web site.

It states children of low-income families experience an average summer loss in reading achievement of more than two months.

Game plans for academic brushups don’t have to be complicated. Reading is the key.

“The ones who have read have an easier transition to assignments and just the whole school concept,” Hohokam Middle School teacher Stacia Reeves said.

For those who haven’t, “there are a few cobwebs and the beginning of school is sort of a shock to their system,” Reeves said. “They also will have a shorter attention span.”

Her advice to students, especially middle schoolers, as summer comes to a close: “Libraries have phenomenal selections of teen literature. And young people can read just a little bit a day. It just gives them a little structure.”

For parents: “Don’t put parameters on them that are so strict. . . . It’s hard to say, ‘OK, sit down and read for an hour,’ when that attention span isn’t there.”

Steve Courter, president of the Tucson Education Association, said the teachers union at Tucson Unified School District agreed that this time of year is “ideal for parents to get their kids back into the habit of school.”

“During the summer a whole lot of kids just sit in front of the TV or play games, and when you ask them to sit down and apply themselves, there is a lot of psychological adjustment.”

Courter said if parents have intriguing things for their children to do and to read and maybe even some math review sheets, “it not only will help them academically, but will make them more psychologically prepared so back-to-school won’t be so brutal.”

The Alvarado family has been plugging away all summer and definitely isn’t letting up these last weeks before school.

Elizabeth Alvarado, 8, sits in a low chair at a big round table at Mission Branch Library, reading quietly to herself, while her brother Damian, 13, reads a wrestling magazine.

The library trip is a daily excursion for the pair, along with dad, Jesus Alvarado, who says it is going to keep his children sharp and ready to start learning new lessons in school.

Damian doesn’t have to read a textbook to keep his brain in gear. The wrestling magazine will serve the same purpose. It’s fun to read and will give him something interesting to talk about with his friends.

Reeves said the Alvarados are on the right track. “Let them choose what they want,” she said, “and it could be the beginning of engaging them to read more, to spark their interest.”

It’s great if students read all summer long, Reeves said, but “it’s never too late. Never, never, never.”

TUCSON-AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT START AND END DATES AND PROJECTED ENROLLMENTS

District – First day – Last day – Projected enrollment

Sunnyside Aug. 7 May 20 17,500

Sahuarita Aug. 7 May 22 4,308

Amphitheater Aug. 9 May 22 16,685

Flowing Wells Aug. 9 May 21 6,000

Tanque Verde Aug. 9 May 22 1,400

Marana Aug. 13 May 22 13,229

Catalina Foothills Aug. 13 May 22 4,577

Tucson Unified Aug. 14 May 22 59,075

Already begun

Vail July 16 May 21* or 22** 8,900

* high school; ** kindergarten through eighth grade

IMMUNIZATION CLINICS

• The Pima County Health Department is providing back-to-school immunizations at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave., Exhibit Hall A.

Thursday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Aug. 7: 1 to 7 p.m.

Aug. 9: 10 am. to 4 p.m.

Aug. 11: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Aug. 14: 1 to 7 p.m.

Cost: $15 per child (not per shot). Fee is based on ability to pay.

• El Rio Clinic and Food City are offering free immunizations for school-age children.

Wednesday: 1 to 4 p.m. at Food City, 1221 W. Irvington Road, near Interstate 19.

Aug. 11: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Food City, 428 W. Valencia Road, at South 12th Avenue.

• Marana Health Center and Marana Unified School District will have their sixth annual Marana Care Fair, including free immunizations and dental screenings and $20 school physicals for students.

Saturday: 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Marana Middle School, 11279 W. Grier Road.

At all the clinics, parents must bring their children’s immunization records.

READING HINTS

The Pima County Public Library’s 2007 Licensed to Read program offers these book suggestions for teens to read before school starts:

• “Stormbreaker,” by Anthony Horowitz

• “Payback,” by Andy McNab and Robert Rigby

• “The Tuxedo Junior Novelization,” by Ellen Weiss

• “Modern Crime & Suspense Writers,” by Harold Bloom

• “R.O.D.: Read or Die: Volume 4,” by Hideyuki Kurata

• “Twins,” by Francine Pascal

• “Disappeared,” by Lynn Mason

• “Man vs. Beast,” by Robert Muchamore

• “River Secrets,” by Shannon Hale

• “The Great Game: The Myth and Reality of Espionage,” by Fredrick Porter Hitz

STUFF THE BUS

Liz’s Pantry, a group run by teenage sisters Sasha and Tamara Laczkowski, will have its sixth annual Stuff-the-Bus event for Tucson Unified School District students from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Wal-Mart, 7150 E. SpeedwayBlvd., near Kolb Road.

Any type of school supply is welcome, the sisters say.

FROM OUR BLOGS

Roxy, DC, Quicksilver, Volcom and Hurley. These are the name-brand clothes that my kids want, no, scratch that, they demand or else they will branded losers or worst of all NERDS. Well, what this means to me is $20 to $30 extra per pair of pants and $10 to $15 extra on shirts. Not to mention that my son Robert’s DC shoes cost almost $75.

My daughter’s name brand of choice is Roxy. So all I ever hear is Roxy shirts, Roxy pants, Roxy belt, Roxy shoes, and don’t forget the Roxy watch. She spent about $450, and she still is not done with her school shopping.

When I used to start school as a kid, I got two pairs of jeans and a couple of shirts and a brand new pair of Converse Chuck Taylor high tops (this was before they were popular and only $14 a pair). I couldn’t even begin to recall what I wore, but I know it was whatever was on special at the time.

Today my youngest son, Tony, spent most of the morning looking online for the perfect pair of DC shoes (only $85 plus shipping). . .

With the money I am spending on getting my kids ready for school, I think I can probably feed a small country.

Francisco Medina

• Check out the “Mamas and Papa” blog and the Mom’s page at www.tucsoncitizen.com.

Bryan Lee

Sports Reporter

Pacing along, caught in a breeze of promise, 15-year-old Thomas Jondall realized twice in the last year what “team” means in the punishing sport of bicycle racing.

It was the first phase of the 109-mile main event at last year’s El Tour de Tucson. Summit Velo veteran Denny Vaughan damaged his wheel and required assistance from Jondall, who displayed a take-my-wheel-take-my bike attitude.

“He proved himself that he will sacrifice for a teammate,” says Vaughan of the then 14-year-old. “He knew the rule and willingly offered the wheel. He might not be finishing the race, but he is rewarded with the respect of his teammates.”

It was repeated this spring when Jondall offered a wheel to teammate David Swanson in the Tucson Bicycle Classic and took himself out of the Category 3 race. He was as much a contender as Swanson after a seventh-place finish in the previous day’s time trial.

That Jondall, a sophomore at Edge Charter School, is even a teammate of these guys – some are old enough to be his granddaddy – is a marvel.

His coach, Neil Stewart, insists Jondall is a natural talent but also a worker and “was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth.”

Stewart tutored another natural, Andy Bishop, in the mid-1980s. Bishop, a Catalina High graduate, went on to race in the Tour de France four times for the 7-Eleven and Motorola teams.

Jondall is young for the junior class, yet he upgraded his racing class this year to Category 3 and will soon be pushing for Category 1-2 status. That will come when the time is right, he insists.

“I’ve always compared myself to older riders; I liked to keep up with them,” he says. “It motivates me, helps me train harder.

“I just like to hang out with the older guys, not with the kids.”

To demonstrate his promise and his right to compete with the older guys, he was co-winner with Rob Alvarez of the annual Tour of the Tucson Mountains, also this spring.

“Watch this guy,” Alvarez remarked afterward.

Most of the Tucson bicycle community is watching this kid, who is mature beyond his years, Stewart said.

The lean Jondall – “climbing is my forte,” he said – definitely is learning to take the bounces with the bounds in the sport he chose at age 9, inspired first by older brother, Ryan.

Thomas had his heart set on qualifying for the U.S. National Junior Team this summer. But he crashed and broke a collarbone at a camp in Flagstaff in the early summer.

“I was looking down, not paying attention,” he says. “Totally spaced out. I didn’t know what hit me.”

He is doing fine in his rehab, having dealt with the disappointment. Things might have literally been going too fast.

“You know, it might be good for us,” he says. “Maybe I needed a little break from racing now.”

“Us” means Stewart, a former top-level amateur who has coached internationally and who recently accepted Jondall as a student. Vaughan also mentors Jondall.

“He has a lot of character,” Vaughan says, striking off requirement No. 1. “He has lots of confidence and the mind-set to be successful.”

Jondall, who has eschewed junior racing, first raced at age 9, finishing 58th of 87 riders in the 2003 Tour of the Tucson Mountains’ 29-mile event.

“I just went out and rode . . . pretty bad, I guess,” he recalls. “But I guess pretty good for a 9-year-old.”

This year he admitted he had some doubt he could contend for the big prize in the TTM – “I downplayed myself.

“I didn’t know how to execute so I thought I’d follow Rob and bridge everything he did. He ended up attacking me.”

The two ended up coming in together in a mutual respect gesture in a ride that is as much tour as race. Still, no joy riders have ever come close to winning it.

In Arizona Bicycle Racing Association events, Jondall caught statewide attention when he won in Category 5 at the Snowbowl Hillclimb and Wupatki Road Race. This spring, he was second in Cat 4 in the Tumacacori Road Race before upgrading to 3. Things have been a little more difficult in Category 3 this year, but his presence is known.

His road presence is that of somebody who wants to do it right. The kid is aware that flash in the pan can mean burnout.

Stewart is not a touchy-feely coach. He’s straight-forward and Jondall is no token youngster. The student knows the meaning of pain, a big help in this business.

“He’s tough-minded but he doesn’t want to make things harder than they are,” Stewart says. “There is a lot of dynamics to being a great rider. At what point is somebody a great rider? We don’t know now.”

In other words, he isn’t going to predict Jondall can follow in Bishop’s footsteps and be the second Tucsonan to reach the Tour de France.

“I want Thomas to prepare for a full life, especially beyond cycling,” Stewart said. “I want him to develop as he can but not at the expense of his education.”

THOMAS JONDALL FILE

Age: 15

School: Edge Charter

Team: Summit Velo

Category 3 highlights: 7th, Tucson Bicycle Classic Time Trial

Category 4 highlights: 2nd, Tumacacori Road Race

Category 5 highlights: 1st, 2006 Snowbowl Hillclimb; 1st, 2006 Wupatki Road Race; 2nd, 2006 Superior Road Race