The Elevator

By Brian Hilderbrand

Saturday, July 12, 2008 | 2 a.m.

GOING UP

DeMarco Murray

Murray, a sophomore running back for Oklahoma and a Bishop Gorman High product, is ranked 11th in the country at his position by Rivals.com. Murray rushed for 764 yards and 13 touchdowns last season despite missing three games. In addition to his prowess on the field, Murray earned a spot on the Academic All-Big 12 first team.

Daniel Cruz

In addition to being named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Freshman of the Year this past season for UNLV, Cruz has been selected to the United States’ Under-20 Men’s National Team. Cruz is joined on the team by five Major League Soccer players and seven collegiate players — although Cruz is the only player on the team from the Mountain Pacific.

Karla Gergelova

Gergelova, a forward on UNLV’s women’s basketball team, has been named to the Czech Republic’s Under-20 Women’s National Team and will play in the 2008 U20 European Women’s Championships, which began Friday in Pescara, Italy. Gergelova, a native of Zlin, appeared in 17 games for the Lady Rebels last season and had eight points and eight rebounds in 79 minutes.

Jeremiah Wagner

Wagner, a 15-year-old racer from Las Vegas, earned his 17th Legends victory of the season July 3 at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and then picked up a trophy dash victory and a runner-up finish two nights later at Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino, Calif. Wagner, a four-time Bullring track champion, is third in the 600 Racing national points standings with a division-leading 21 victories in 35 races.

Dominique Dorsey

Dorsey, the last UNLV football player to rush for 1,000 yards (2004), this week was named the Canadian Football League Special Teams Player of the Week. Dorsey, from Tulare, Calif., returned three kickoffs for 82 yards, four punts for 68 yards and a missed field goal for 63 yards for the Toronto Argonauts in a 32-13 loss July 3 to Hamilton. It was the eighth career CFL special teams award for Dorsey, who is in his fourth season in the league.

GOING DOWN

Cashman Field

The once-quaint baseball park, which opened in 1983, is showing its age. When the facility no longer can adequately accommodate a crowd of more than 7,000 — as was the case July 3 when 11,599 showed up for cheap beer and fireworks — it’s time for a new stadium. When the 2009 Pacific Coast League season opens, the Las Vegas franchise will be playing in the second-oldest stadium in Triple-A baseball. That should change.