SPORTS

Golden
Moments

Detroit swimmer Dena
Bernstein wins four gold
medals in early Maccabi
Games competition

MIKE ROSENBAUM

Sports Writer

etroit got off to a good
start in the opening
days of the North Ameri-
can Maccabi youth
games in Chicago.
Through Monday's competition, Dena
Bernstein, a 16-year-old swimmer,
had earned four gold medals. Two
boys won bronzes while the table ten-
nis team was assured of medals in
three events. Also, all but one of
Detroit's teams were still in the
medal hunt.
The games began with opening
ceremonies at Dyche Stadium, Nor-
thwestern University's football facili-
ty, on. Aug. 18. Jay Robinson, Detroit's
delegation head, said the ceremonies
were "very impressive," adding, "It's
a big stadium. They had the whole
one side of Dyche Stadium filled up

Dena Bernstein

with people. That's pretty nice. I think
the kids had a big kick out of coming
into a big stadium."
Bernstein promptly grabbed the
Detroit spotlight, winning the 400 in-
dividual medley, 100 freestyle, 100
butterfly and 200 freestyle events.
Several other swimmers earned cer-
tificates for making the finals in their
events, although they did not win
medals. Robert Kamins was a finalist
in both the 100 and 200 backstroke.

Dan Hamburger earned certificates
in both the 100 freestyle and 100 but-
terfly. Eyal Blatman was a finalist in
the 100 butterfly, as was Jason Gor-
don in the 100 backstroke, David Hit-
sky in the 200 backstroke and Erica
Rice in the 100 backstroke.
Merrek Sakwa earned a bronze in
track, in the boys 13-14 800 meter
run. Ryan Kaluzny and David Sidder
both made the semi-finals in both the
100 and 200 meter dashes. Kaluzny,

Sidder, Sakwa and Mark Prince
qualified for the final in the 4 x 100
meter relay. Sara Kolodin and Isa
Schwartzberg were finalists in the
girls 13-14 100 meter dash while
Kirsten Silverman made it to the
finals of the girls 15-16 400 meter
dash.
Eric Swartz, a wrestler who is
new to the Maccabi Games' freestyle
format, earned a bronze medal at 185
pounds.
Table tennis has always been a
strong event for Detroit, thanks to
four-time national youth champion
Michelle Mantel. This time, the
18-year-old Mantel is only coaching,
not playing, but that coaching has
paid off with several more Detroit
medals. Rob Winer and Steve Katz
made it to the semi-finals in boys
15-16 doubles, while Winer made the
semis in singles. Table tennis semi-
finalists are guaranteed bronze

Lee Saltz Cut By Lions

MIKE ROSENBAUM

Sports Writer

Mike Rosen baum

L

Lee Saltz in happier times at the Lions' training camp.

44

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 1988

ee Saltz's year and-a-half quest
to earn a spot on the Detroit
Lions' roster ended Monday
when he was cut by the football team.
Saltz was signed as a free agent
out of Temple University in May,
1987. He was injured late in last
season's training camp and put on the
injured reserve list, where he remain-
ed for the entire season. Saltz return-
ed to practice after last season's
player strike ended, but he was never
activated for game action.
Saltz remained in the Detroit area
for most of the off-season, working to
become more familiar with the Lions'
offensive system. He came to training
camp last month ready to battle
rookie Dan McCoin for the number
three quarterback job, behind Chuck
Long and Eric Hipple.
An arm injury suffered by Long
gave Saltz more practice time than he
enjoyed last year. He played the se-
cond half of the Lions' second exhibi-

tion game, against Seattle on Aug. 12.
But the Lions, whose offense has been
sluggish in the pre-season, scored no
points while Saltz was at the helm.
"We didn't move the ball as well
as I would've liked;' said Saltz the
following week. "But they didn't do
anything that confused me this time.
I felt pretty good leading the team."
Saltz did not play in last Satur-
day's game at Cincinnati, while
McCoin saw brief action late in the
contest.
Saltz grew up in New Jersey, play-
ing football since the eighth grade. He
was a three-year starter at Thmple,
making the New York Jewish Post
and Opinion's Jewish All-America col-
lege football team for four years. Un-
fortunately for Saltz, Temple used a
run-oriented offense which
downplayed his passing skills.
One week after he was by-passed
in the National Football League's col-
lege draft last year, Saltz signed with
the Lions.
Joining the Lions meant that
Saltz had to fight to win a job for the

