Dome

NEW ORLEANS - In the wake of yet another heartbreaking loss to Connecticut in the national championship game last night, it was hard for Tennessee's returning players to see a bright spot on the horizon. But for the Lady Vols, who made their third straight Final Four appearance, next year promises to be more of the same, as they welcome a star-studded freshman class that includes Candace Parker, a 6-foot-3 forward who last week won a dunk contest over five high school boys. With six high school All-Americans coming to Knoxville next year, Tennessee appears to be poised to stay near the top of women's college basketball.

Jasmyn Watkins is ready to do her part for the space initiative President Bush announced last week. Inspired by the portable planetarium now inflated in her Featherbed Lane Elementary School gymnasium - as well as the astronauts who came to her school yesterday to celebrate it - the second-grader explained why she, too, is ready to don a spacesuit. "Because you can go up to space and see all the stars," Jasmyn, 7, said as she stood at the structure's tunnel-like entrance. Her reaction is what Baltimore County public school officials were hoping for when they purchased two $17,770 inflatable Starlabs, the county's newest astronomy and science teaching tools.

Clif Everett, part-time soccer player, knew he saw a void in Howard County's soccer-loving marketplace because he could no longer find a place to play indoors. So in the middle of last year, the Jessup resident took one of those life-altering gambles, turning avocation into vocation by starting a new business, his first. He called it SoccerDome, a marketable name, although not descriptive of the building itself. From its exterior, the county's only permanent indoor soccer facility, also in Jessup, on Montevideo Road off U.S. 1, resembles many of the metal-sided trucking warehouses in the area.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. - Far below the blue waters of Yellowstone Lake, a mysterious dome 2,100 feet across and 100 feet high is causing concern among scientists and people who don't know whether it's a harmless curiosity or a hazard on the verge of exploding. The dome, also called a bulge or an elevated plain, is less than a mile from shore and was recently explored by researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey, using unmanned submarines and sonar. "It could be the precursor to a hydrothermal explosion," said Lisa Morgan, a geologist leading the team.

SCOUTING REPORT Ravens run offense vs. Rams run defense -- RAVENS Jamal Lewis lacked explosiveness last Sunday, when the Jacksonville Jaguars held him to a season-low 68 yards rushing. But the league's leading rusher has not been held under 100 yards in consecutive games this season and could break a couple long ones against an average St. Louis defense. The Rams have allowed 4.6 yards per carry (29th in the league) and could be without three injured players in their starting front seven - tackle Damione Lewis, end Leonard Little and weak-side linebacker Tommy Polley (Dunbar)

After playing in half-filled stadiums in Arizona and Cincinnati, Ravens rookie quarterback Kyle Boller is about to experience what the St. Louis Rams refer to as their "dome-field advantage." Noise levels at Edward Jones Dome have been known to reach as high as 125.8 decibels, which is akin to standing next to a jet engine. In what has become one of the NFL's most intimidating stadiums, the Rams have won 10 straight games - the league's longest current home winning streak. "I heard it's one of the loudest stadiums," said Boller, whose only dome experience was a preseason game in Atlanta.

A Memorable Place The Renaissance comes to life By Don Stoddard SPECIAL TO THE SUN Is there such a thing as spirit of place? Do some locations radiate an essence of their nature, an ambience of their atmosphere or time? When I entered the Piazza Duomo in Florence, Italy, I sensed such a spirit. Strolling Florence's winding streets, I stepped a few feet into the crowded piazza and discovered the history and spirit of the Renaissance. I looked up to see Brunelleschi's cathedral and its magnificent dome, the largest of his time and a masterpiece of art and engineering.

ATLANTA - For most players, reaching a Final Four three times in a career would be an indescribable honor, but for Tennessee seniors Gwen Jackson and Kara Lawson, the feeling is slightly hollow. Final Fours are a seeming birthright in Knoxville, as the program has reached the national semifinals a record 14 times. But Lawson and Jackson are members of only five Lady Vols senior classes to leave the program without a championship. "Being at the Final Four three times in your career, it's tough not to come home with a championship," said Lawson, who had 18 points in last night's 73-68 loss.

ATLANTA - Maryland All-Americans and the Georgia Dome can be a sweet combination. Back in April, Juan Dixon was the key player in the school's national basketball championship won here. Though the stakes weren't as high, linebacker E.J. Henderson's farewell to college athletics is also one he will remember fondly. The Butkus and Bednarik Award winner played up to those accolades in last night's 30-3 victory over Tennessee, recording 12 tackles in a performance that earned him the Peach Bowl's defensive MVP award.

ATLANTA - Maryland's Brooks Barnard began college with aspirations of becoming a meteorologist, so he appreciates the wind, snow and rain. But as a punter in tomorrow night's Peach Bowl against Tennessee, he looks forward to the conditions at the Georgia Dome for his final college game - sure to be 72 degrees with no wind. "This is going to be the first time where the weather is perfect," Barnard said. "The ball really flies in this dome, so I'm really gearing up for this one." The senior from Arnold, Md., regularly sent punts 65 yards or farther in the team's one practice at the dome; one went 75 yards.