SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1994
Cross country teams head to championship
For first time, both teams will seek national crowns
By Kent Hohlfeld Kansan sportswriter
Though college football may never decide its champion on the field this year, cross country will decide its top team and the 21 teams that follow by racing in head-to-head competition.
both the No. 14 women's team and the No. 19 Kansas men's team will be part of the race for the national crown Monday in Fayetteville, Ark. It will be the first time both teams will compete in the National Championships in the same year.
The 14th-ranked women's team will make its second- straight appearance in the championship meet. Last season marked the team's first-ever appearance in the race, where it fin
SECTION E
ished last.
"We're looking at the meet as just part of the season," said senior loccaptain Melissa Swartz. "We are preparing for it just like any other race."
The women's team qualified last weekend when Kansas won its district meet for the second year in a row. The top two teams in each district meet automatically qualify for the national meet. The victory gave the Jayhawks their highest ranking this season at No.14.
Swartz said she hoped to see the team continue the success that she has seen in her four years at Kansas. She said that scheduling had built a winning attitude at Kansas.
"We want to go up against the best teams." Swartz said. "We want to show that we can compete with those teams."
That attitude had helped the women's team qualify for the meet last year and has driven them to place higher in this year's mee
Sept. 10 Jayhawk Invitational. 1st
Results of Kansas Cross Country meets this season
Men's results
Sept. 10 Southern Illinois,
1st*
Sept. 24 Kansas State Invitational 2nd
Oct.1 NCAA Pre-meet, 3rd Oct.15 Penn State Open, 6th
Oct.. 29 Big Eight Championships. 4th
Nov.12 District V Championships. 3rd
Women's results
Sept. 10 Jayhawk Invitational, 2nd
Sept. 10 Southern Illinois,
1st*
Sept. 24 Kansas State Invitational. 2nd
Oct. 1.NCAA Pre-meet, 8th Oct. 15Penn State Open,
4th
Oct. 29 Big Eight Championships. 6th
Nov. 12 District V Championships,1st
- Dual meet run during the Jayhawk Invitational.
"The fact that we went last year gave us some extra drive this season." Swartz said.
She said that experience would help them deal with the pressures associated a championship meet.
"This year we ran at the NCAA Pre-meet in Arkansas, which had many of the same teams that we'll face," Swartz said. "We know the teams and the course, which will help."
Though the women's team gained an automatic birth, the men's team had to wait until Monday to receive one of three at-large bids to the tournament. The No. 19 Jawahars finished third in their district meet, one point behind Oldahoma State.
Schwartz credited part of both teams' progress to the strength of the teams' respective schedules during the season. Kansas at-large bid was based, in part, on the strength of the teams Kansas had beaten.
"This is what we've been working toward for two years," said senior David Johnston. "Mike and I have been there twice so its great to go back."
"You only get better by running against the best," Schwartz said. "The men's team had three wins against teams that had qualified and one against a bubble team, which helped us a lot."
Mason thinking of ways to beat rival
By Matt Irwin
Glen Mason has been doing a lot of thinking lately.
Kansan sportswriter
With a 5-1 record, the Kansas football coach's team has no chance of going to a bowl game, and Mason says the team has underachieved.
But if he has found them, he won't share them with the media.
to find answers.
"I know what I want to do. I don't know if it'll work or not, but at least I've got the belief that I can make this thing better. I've got a renewed excitement."
but what answers did Mason find?
"I'm not going to tell you that," he said
"I'm excited about this final game of '94 because it's an absolute. Once that game is over, I'm starting on '95."
Even if Mason is ready for a clean slate, there won't be a lack of emotion in the final game of the season.
"If it is a true rivalry game, it doesn't matter what lays in the balance," Mason said. "You play those games with great intensity because they are what they are."
Missouri leads the all-time series with a 45-48-9 record. The teams will be playing for the Indian War Drum in a series that began in 1891 — the second longest series in Division I A football.
Avictory would give Kansas its third winning season in four years — one of the few accomplishments the Jayhawks still can strive for.
Kansas will be trying to beat a Missouri team that seems to be peaking.
The Tigers beat Iowa State 34-20 and barely lost Saturday to No.11 Kansas State 21-18.
The Tigers lost to the Wildcats after they failed on fourth-and-goal from the K-State three-yard line with 41 seconds left in the game.
Missouri coach Larry Smith no longer is making many changes in the Tigers' starting lineup, and his team almost has won two of its last three games.
'Hawks blow past Marathon AAU
Sean Crosier / KANSAN
Kansas senior guard Greg Gurley drives for a layup against a Marathon AAU defender. The Jayhawks won the game 114-57 last night at Allen Field House.
Offense leads Kansas to 114-57 exhibition win
By Chesie Dohl
Kansan sportswriter
Taketwo.
In their second dress rehearsal of the season, the Jayhawks' performed like a completely different cast of characters by defeating Marathon AU1141.57.
Kansas sophomore point guard Jacpe Vaughn starred as himselflast night, taking charge on the court, dishing out nine assists and scoring five points.
"We played much better tonight." Kansas Coach Roy Williams said. "We were much more alert defensively. We were aggressive defensively. Jacque Vaughn played like Jacque Vaughn and not that alien who was here last week in his uniform."
Kansas came out playing a high-pressure defense that was in mid-season form. On offense, the Jayhawks were led by Vaughn and freshman guard Billy Thomas, who scored 19 points and had 3 assists.
we all ran the floor tonight," said senior center Greg Ostertag. "All the big guys ran the floor. We were running the lanes wide, and the guards were looking and hitting with some good passes. We focused on defense, and the rest of the game came along."
More than 13,000 fans in Allen Field House caught a glimpse of the Sean Pearson who came on strong late last season. Pearson scored 10 points in the first six minutes of the game, connecting on all three shots from behind the three-point line and a free throw.
when I was out there I ran the plays we had, and I kept on shooting," Pearson said. "Tonight I was more relaxed and ready to play. I could feel the confidence coming back."
For about three minutes in the second half, Williams experimented with
Kansas 114, Marathon AAU 57
Player fgm/fga ftm/fta tp
Thomas 7-10 2-2 19
LaFrentz 8-12 1-1 17
Pearson 5-6 3-6 16
Haase 5-8 3-3 14
Oostertag 6-8 1-2 13
Pollard 5-7 1-4 11
Gurley 4-8 1-2 9
Williams 3-7 1-4 7
Vaughn 1-2 3-4 5
McGrath 1-1 0-0 2
Branstrom 0-1 1-2 1
Novosel 0-1 0-2 0
Totals 45-71 17-32 114
MARKATHON AGG
Howard 1-4 3-4 13
Lynch 6-16 0-0 12
Reese 3-12 6-6 12
Boudreaux 3-9 2-2 9
All 2-5 1-3 5
Stroman 2-5 0-1 4
Trimming. 1-3 0-0 2
Rucker 0-6 0-0 0
**Totals** **22-64** **12-16** **57**
Halftime Kansas 51, Marathon 24 3-point goals Kansas 71-64 (Pearson 3-Thomas 3, Hasea 4-, Gurley 0-3, LaFrentz 0-1, Novosel O(1), Marathon 1-11 (Boudreaux 1-3, Lucker 0-3, Lynch 0-2, Stroman 0-2, All-O 1-4 (Williams 9-1))
1) Rebounds Kansas 14, TwilightShift 13,
2) Marchens 33 (Howard 7), Anthem 8,
3) Tigers 10, Fresno 13 (Trimmingham)
4) Total fouls Kansas 14, Marathon 13
Attendance 13,100
his offensive plays, using all three of Kansas' big men: Ostertag and LaFrentz playing in the forward position, and Pollard at off-guard.
During a time out with 7:15 left in the game, the three big men discussed the game.
"We were all huddled up looking at each other, talking about the game," Pollard said. "It was fun to be out there on the court together — all the big guys. We all were looking at each other saying, 'Jeez, you look tall.'"
AUU center Carroll Boudreaux said that he had to give Kansas credit.
"They're the best team in the Big Eight," Boudreaux said. "They were by far better than any team we've played so far. They have the big guys, and they are deep."
Basketball team prepares for the real thing
By Jenni Carlson
Kansan sportswriter
The glorified practices are over.
After wrapping up its exhibition play last night with a 114-57 pounding of Marathon AAU in Allen Field House, the Kansas men's basketball team will start playing regular season games Nov. 26 when they face San Diego.
kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams said the team improved over last week's two-point, overtime
thriller against the Victorian All-Stars. The team also has made progress in the practices since its first exhibition game. But Williams said that he still was not satisfied.
"I'm never going to be satisfied," he said. "We still haven't been tested the way we need to be tested."
On Nov. 26, it's time for the real thing, Williams said
In anticipation of the San Diego game, sophomore guard Jerd Haase said the team will spend practices working on the basics — offense and defense.
"I think if we can make the same type of progress we've
made in this past week, we will be ready," Haase said.
The Jayhawks faced an eight-member Marathon AAU team that was playing its third game in as many nights.
One area of play in which the Jayhawks improved significantly from last week was aggressiveness.
Kansas hauled down 44 rebounds and blocked eight shots. Add to that 14 steals, and the Jayhawks' intensity was impressive.
Sean Crosier / KANSAN
"I think the bright spot was that everybody ran the floor, and that was because we had great defense," Ilase said.
Kansas sophomore Guard Erinn Reed dribbles the ball while looking for an open teammate.
Transfer player waits for her turn in the spotlight
By Jenni Carlson
Kansan sportswriter
Erin Reed has no chance of playing a single second this year for the Kansas women's basketball team.
She is not injured or in coach Marian Washington's doghouse. Reed, a sophomore transfer from Iowa, can practice but not compete for the Jayhawks under NCAA rules governing transfers. The choice to come and sit out a year at
As a basketball coach, Reed's father, Cecel, became acquainted with the women's basketball coach at Iowa. After attending Iowa's basketball camps for several years, Reed said it was understood by other college coaches that she would attend Iowa.
"I felt like I would rather be in this situation than last year's," she said.
Even with the likelihood that Reed would
attend Iowa, Washington pursued her. Reed said Kansas had discovered her at the beginning of her junior year in high school. She averaged 30.7 points a game as a senior and was named to the Parade, Street & Smith and USA Today All-American teams. With Reed's aggressiveness and up-tempo style, Washington said that she felt the guard might fit in best at Kansas.
"I thought our style of play would be better suited to her," Washington said. "I felt that we would be a very good place for Erinn."
Reed found out Washington was right. Iowa's slow-it-up style seemed to cramp her ability, she said.
The Hawkeyes graduated their point guard the year before Reed was a freshmen. With a sophomore and a junior on the roster at point guard, she expected more playing time than she got.
"I really don't feel like it was fair," Reed said. "It didn't seem to get any better."
But Reed said she would make the most of her wear away from competition.
transferring. She said Washington and the Jayhawks' aggressive, fast-breaking style of olay drewher to Kansas.
"sine is the truest point guard I will have had here in a long time," Washington said. "Erinn is going to be a big, big boost to us."
Last February. Reed began thinking about
Now at Kansas, Reed can only practice with the team and sit on the bench during games. She cannot travel with her teammates to away games.
"This gives me a time to kind of regroup," Reed said. "This year's going to fly."
Reed said she had played fall and winter basketball, followed by AAU competition during the spring and summer. She also played in summer leagues in Michigan.
Besides concentrating on academics, Reed said she will get a much-needed break from the game of basketball. In her home state of Michigan, basketball is played almost the entire year.
A player who experienced a situation similar to Reed's was sophomore guard Jerod Haase. He transferred to the Kansas men's basketball team last year from California. Haase that his year out of competition was not all bad.
"It wasn't as long as I thought it was going to be," he said. "There were times when I thought it was never going to end, too."
Like Reed, Haase decided to make the most of his first year at Kansas.
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In addition to practicing with the team, he spent extra time in the weight room and practiced his shooting.
"In the long run, the right decision was to transfer." Haase said.
The long term benefits of becoming a Jayhawk influenced Reed as well. She said she wanted to be in a situation where she could work toward and earn a position that she deserved.
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"If I have to sacrifice this year to get that, that's what I'll do." Reed said.
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