4B
SPORTS
THE UNVERSITY DAILY KANSAN FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2008
>> SWIMMING AND DIVING
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
The Kansas swimming and diving team returned recently from a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Traveling brings success home
Winter training trip to Puerto Rico brings athletes together; Victory against Illinois State prepares swimmers for Nebraska
BY TAYLOR MICHEL NYE
tnye@kansan.com
The Kansas swimming team cruises into Saturday's meet against N.C.
Nebraska on a high note after scoring a victory against Illinois State in Puertorico. Rico.
to swim in a long course, Olympi- size pool, which we don't have at KU, and the trip was good for team bonding."
Campbell said the long course training would help the team in the
It was the third straight victory for the Jay team at 4-2.
The Jayhawks' 59-33 victory came in a shortened match in the middle of the team's winter training trip to San Juan.
"We were able to swim in a long course, Olympic-size pool which we don't have at KU, and the trip was good for team bonding."
victory for the layhawks, moving the team to 4-2.
Victory aside, coach Clark Campbell said a successful week of training was the focus of the trip.
CLARK CAMPBELL Coach
"The meet was kind of the sideshow," Campbell said. "We were able
short course conference meets. Though the training was the focus of the trip, Campbell was pleased with the team's victory.
"Across the board, I was pleased with everyone," Campbell said. "With our whok
training camp period and the trip, we've had a good month."
The Jayhawks took the top three spots in both the 50-meter butterfly and in the 50-meter backstroke. Junior Danielle Herrmann captured first in the 50-meter breaststroke
and junior Maria Mayrovirch won the 50-meter freestyle. Freshman Joy Bunting's victory in the 200-meter individual medley completed the domination as the jayhawks swept
every event in the meet.
Now, the team returns to Lawrence to begin conference competition and the second half of the season.
"I'm very happy with the fall." Campbell said. "We're hoping to improve
our times from the fall in the dual meets, giving us confidence going into the championship season."
"Nebraska is a team that is young, fast, and well coached," Campbell said. "We're expecting a real barn-burner on Saturday."
The Jayhawks
"We're hoping to improve our times from the fall in the dual meets, giving us confidence going into the championship season."
The team is back in action on Saturday, when they take on Nebraska at 2 p.m. Campbell is ready to see the team back in the pool and said he wanted to see them perform well in their first full meet in a month.
CLARK CAMPBELL Coach
have won two straight meetings with Nebraska, after being defeated in Lincoln in 2005.
Before the match there will be a senior day ceremony honoring co-captain Lauren Bonfe and fellow seniors Nikki
Maples, Jenny Roberts, Allie Rubino and Terri Schramka.
"We'll get a chance to recognize our five seniors before the meet for all their hard work and the contributions they made to the program." Campbell said.
— Edited by Mandy Earles
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TRACK AND FIELD
Athletes hope to leave competition in the dust
BY DANNY NORDSTROM
dnordstrom@kansan.com
Junior sprinter and long jumper Crystal Manning doesn't believe in pain. This is how she gets through her grueling races and events for the KU track and field team, she said.
Manning's strategy seems to be working well, as she, along with three other KU athletes, provisionally qualified for the indoor NCAA Championships last weekend at the Arkansas Invitational.
"I think a lot of people stepped up," Manning said. "A lot of people are surprising themselves when they step out of their comfort zone."
Senior distance runner, Paul Hefferon, is excited about this year's team as well. "We have a really well-rounded team this year," he said. "We'll get points from every category."
The 11th ranked men and 27th ranked women will need points from every category Saturday as they host four premier teams in the Kansas Invitational. The Jayhawks will face stiff competition, including Missouri, UMKC, Tulsa and Wichita State. The event will be held at the Anschutz Pavilion and is one of two indoor home meets for the jayhawks this season.
Coach Stanley Redwine said he
was excited about the team's strong start, but added that there was plenty of room for improvement at this Saturday's meet.
"We need to continue to compete harder," he said. "I think a lot of them really competed well [in Arkansas]. We made some mistakes and we need to correct them."
Those mistakes should be corrected this Saturday as the Jayhawks compete on their home turf.
Other athletes to watch include senior Jordan Scott, junior Zlata Tarasova and sophomore Kelsey Erb, who all won their respective events at the Arkansas invitational.
"It's going to be a great meet for us. This is where we train every day. It's a great opportunity for our friends, families and track supporters to watch," Nickesha Anderson, Hanover, Jamaica, junior said. At the Arkansas Invitational, Anderson set a new school record in the women's 200-meter dash with a time of 23.77 seconds. Saturday she hopes to better her time, she said.
"It's always really good to compete at home." Redwine said. "There's something special about competing in your area and doing well. We have very few meets in which the fans can come and support us."
Track and field events begin
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
KU's track team, including senior thrower Egor Agafonov, above, will have home field advantage at Anschutz Pavilion Saturday. Four athletes provisionally qualified for the indoor NCAA Championships last weekend at the Arkansas Invitation.
Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Anschutz Pavilion and will last most of the day.
—Edited by Matt Hirschfeld
>> NFL
Hunt realistic, patient with Chiefs' future
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In his first public comments since the Kansas City Chiefs lost their last nine games and finished 4-12, owner Clark Hunt seemed to be putting his embattled front office on notice.
"The 2008 season is going to be a very important year for our football team," Hunt said Thursday in an
interview with the Associated Press. "I expect you to at least compete for a playoff spot."
At the same time, Hunt conceded that third-year coach Herm Edwards faces a major retooled of a team that finished near the bottom in many offensive statistics while struggling through a losing streak that set a record for the franchise his father founded more than 40 years ago.
THEY'RE BACK!
BASKETBALL.
LOOK FOR THEM IN BIG XII HOME GAMES AGAINST...
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Iowa State Jan. 23
Nebraska Jan. 26
Missouri Feb. 4
Colorado Feb. 16
K-State Mar. 1
Texas Tech Mar. 3
Sitting in the large, tastefully appointed office in Arrowhead Stadium that his father had long occupied, Hunting discussed his plans while drinking sweet-smelling imported coffee out of a plastic foam cup.
"I'm realistic and patient to some degree. But I also know that in the NFL you can quickly turn things around," he said. "I think you can look at a franchise like Green Bay who three years ago was in the same spot we're in. They were 4-12.
"I'm not saying this football team's got to win 10 or 11 games next year. But I expect us to be competitive for a playoff spot," he said. "Certainly, if we're 4-12 again that would be a failure, or anywhere close to 4-12. It is not unrealistic for us to have a team that's in the mix fighting for a playoff spot late in the year next year."
The 43-year-old Hunt became the youngest owner in the NFL when Lamar Hunt died 14 months ago and willed most of his vast estate to his four children. Clark Hunt also has been one of the least visible and least involved owners, until now devoting most of his time to the family's other interests.
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