LCC PLAYER TESTS POSITIVE FOR COCAINE AT NATIONALS

Kodiaks can keep gold medal, but player suspended four years

Natasha Arthur's high from winning a national championship came crashing
down to earth Wednesday and the ramifications carry a sobering effect.

Arthur, a first-year guard with the gold medal-winning Lethbridge Community
College Kodiaks women's basketball team, tested positive for cocaine
metabolites, as discovered by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports on
Wednesday.

As a result, Arthur is stripped of her gold medal and suspended from
competition for four years. The Kodiak team, however, will retain its
national championship.

"We were all just really shocked," said Laura Campbell, Kodiak captain. "No
one expected it. There was never any doubt (she would test negative)."

In a prepared statement, Arthur explained she was a victim in the ordeal and
she did not knowingly take any illegal drug.

"I did not knowingly take any substance that would give a positive result in
the test," she said in her statement. "I was in a situation where drugs were
available and for that I am sorry because I believe that something was
placed in my drink that left me feeling ill."

Arthur, a general studies student from Salmon Arm, B.C., met with her
teammates prior to Wednesday's media gathering.

"They were all really shocked and there were quite a few tears," said Kodiak
coach Brad Karren. "They feel for her because she was a part of this team.

"But we get to go back and not have to deal with this where (Arthur) has to
deal with the suspension."

While Karren is sympathetic to Arthur's situation, he said there is no
excuse.

"They all knew they were going to be tested," said Karren. "This is a case
where she made some bad choices and got herself into a bad situation."

Arthur was one of four players tested by the CCES at this year's Canadian
Colleges Athletic Association national tournament, played in Montreal March
18-20. Arthur was the lone Kodiak tested in a random manner. Dope testing in
college athletics started in 1994. Since that time, 562 tests have been
conducted with only four coming back positive, including Arthur's.

"We were all close friends and hung out a lot together, but we also had our
friends outside of the team," Campbell explained. "I don't think anyone was
keeping secrets like this. This is really surprising."

The Kodiaks breezed through the 2003-04 season with a 23-1 record, were
crowned Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference champs and went 3-0 at the
national tournament. While Arthur's positive drug test leaves a black cloud
over LCC's athletic program, Karren said people should look at the situation
from a wider perspective.

"I hope people understand it's not the school or the program being held
responsible for this. This is not something we condone," he said. "But I
guess that's how we'll be portrayed."