More of the same The University Daily Kansan Sports The U.S. women's soccer team whipped Canada 4-0 yesterday, picking up where is left off from last summer's World Cup. Inside: The Jonesey's were handed out. See who the best and worst performers of the year were. SEE PAGE 11A Inside: The Kansas softball team wrapped up its regular season in Lincoln, Neb. last Friday MONDAY, MAY 8, 2000 SEE PAGE 10A 'Hawks slide past Wildcats WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS Team claims state bragging rights with wins By Amanda Kaschubi sports@kansan.com Kansas sportswriter MANHATTAN — After the fifth inning yesterday, the Kansas baseball team's matchup against Kansas State looked as though it would be smooth sailing. Kansas had scored 11 runs, thanks to an eight-run fifth inning, and junior Pete Smart was throwing a hitless game, allowing the Wildcats only two walks. So coach Bobby Randall wasn't planning on the outcome of the next few innings. "We had a no hitter and 11 runs — that's a big lead," he said. "I never would have imagined something would happen with Pete on the mound. Good thing we had a lot of runs scored." Good thing. The Wildcats scored 13 runs in the next five innings, but the 'Hawks' run cushion propelled them to a 16-13 win. Kansas won the series 2-1, after taking "Winning Kansas is a fun title. Do we win a red slipper?" Bobby Randall baseball coach Friday's game 7-5 in extra innings but losing 6-4 Saturday. Despite not qualifying for the Big 12 Conference tournament, the 'Hawks won bragging rights for best team in Kansas, because they beat both Wichita State and Kansas State this season. And that title is good enough for second baseman Casev Spanish. "It's a big deal for all of us," said Spanish, who went four for six yesterday. "For us to win the state is a big step up for us. We got some runs on the board that helped out Pete. He's such a fiery competitor that we know we'll be in every game if he's on the mound. And it's just another day on the mound for him." However, Smart (7-9) didn't have his best day — he allowed six runs in fewer than two innings after his shutout came to an end in the fifth. After throwing flawless pitches in the first four innings, he lost his mental concentration. "I had my fastball and my splitter, but then I mentally lost it," he said. "They hit a couple good pitches, but I just lost my focus." Randall placed blame not on Smart's pitch selections but on overextending his lefty starter. All that offense earned Kansas a win in its final conference series of the season. And although the 'Hawks didn't earn a tourney berth, they did win a big privilege Fortunately the Kansas batters supported Smart and reliever Jeff Davis in yesterday's win. First baseman Shane Wedd and designated hitter Brandon Smith combined for six RBI, five hits and four runs. Third baseman Ryan Klocksien laced two doubles, while shortstop Nelson Johnson stole four bases, boosting his total to 39 this season. "He's never pitched this much in one season," Randall said. "It's been a long week for him—he pitched three innings against (University of Texas) Arlington on Tuesday and another two-thirds innings this Friday. He's just tired." "Winning Kansas is a fun title," Randall said. "Do we win a red slipper? I wish we got something better." Baseball notes Rusty Philbrick tied Kansas' all-time strikeout record Saturday. His seven strikeouts on the day tied him with Chris Corn for the school career record of 238. - Kansas continues play when it plays host to UT-Arlington Saturday and Sunday. The 'Hawks will honor their five seniors: Brett Kappelmann, Ryan Schmidt, Duane Thompson, Wedd and Philbrick. STATISTICS Kansas 220 000 100 027 11 5 Kansas State 000 030 011 00 59 3 Kansas IP H R ER BB SO Brandon O'Neal 6/2 3 6 3 0 4 4 Jeff Davis 1/2 3 2 2 2 1 Pete Smart 2/3 0 0 0 1 0 Sam Gish 2 0 0 0 1 2 Game Two — Saturday Sports Columnist Game Two — Saturday Kansas 002 000 002 4 8 0 Kansas State 100 000 05x 6 8 2 Kansas 1 H H R ER BB SO Rusty Philibrick 7/1/3 6 3 3 5 0 Sam Gish 1/3 2 3 3 1 1 Ryan Schmidt 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 Game Three — Sunday Kansas 120 080 014 16 18 0 Kansas State 000 012 325 13 17 3 Kansas State University Kansas IP H R ER BB SO Pete Smart 6 2/3 9 6 6 2 3 Jeff Davis 2 1/3 8 7 7 1 2 Outstanding senior class recognized at rowing team's sentimental banquet By Shawn Linenberger sports@kansan.com Kansas sportswriter Catloth's prediction was accurate, as awards and speeches were mixed with hugging, tears and laughter at the Lawrence Holiday Inn Holldome Friday evening. When Kansas rowing coach Rob Catloth welcomed guests and rowers to the fifth annual Kansas Rowing Awards Banquet, he warned that the event could turn into a "love fest." Rower Keesha Cravens smiles as the other seniors clap and coach Rob Cat洛 talks about Craven's time on the Kansas rowing team. The team's banquet Friday at the Holiday Inn Hololdome honored all of the rowing team. Photo by Carolyn Mallett/KANSAN Awards were presented in various categories, including the recognition of 11 seniors. During the senior recognition, Catloth spoke about attributes each senior brought to the team. Senior awards put lasting marks on the rowing team academically and athletically. Student support advisor Laura Rudicil presented team academic awards and announced that the Team Academic Awards would become the Class of 2000 Team Academic Awards because of the high academic achievements the seniors had reached. Seniors Risa Petty, Laura Hubert, Abby Rosdahl, Lette Ebbs and Ellen Remsigned academic awards. Senior coxswain (COX-son) Nikia Rosenberger was named outstanding coxswain for this year and beyond — Catloth announced that the plaque would be presented as the Nikia Rosenberger Outstanding Coxswain Award in the future. Rosenberger has been the Jayhawks' varsity coxswain, the quarterback of rowing, for four years. "She's been a very hard competitor in her four years," Catloth said of Rosenberger during the awards ceremony. "She's the cornerstone of our team. She's a second coach." Rosenberger was amazed at having her name as part of the award in the future. "I'm still in shock," Rosenberger said. "Being a coxswain has been my life. It's the biggest honor you could possibly get." Senior Risa Petty presented Tara Lynn with a Most Inspirational Award, trying to fight back tears as she gave Lynn the award. See CLASS on page 10A Derek Prater sports@kansan.com Media guides dish the dirt on celebrities How could we not laugh? now how we can work at the Admissions Office thought it was funny enough to call the newsroom and give us the scoop. Apparently, Eric Chenowith took it upon himself to get to the bottom of this whole Brittney Spears thing. On hearing a rumor of a limo spotted on campus Friday, Chenowith stormed the Admissions Office demanding to know. "Where's Britney?" It's true, the thought of our own Eric Chenowith, a Britney Spears groupie — it's just priceless. I immediately began formulating a column based on a scene involving Chenowith and a horde of 12- and 13-year-old girls hopping up and down and screaming to have Britney sign their copies of 'Tiger Beat.' But then two thoughts stopped me cold. First, I wouldn't want Chenowith to go Manny Dies on me. On me, and second, who am I to talk? Sportswriters are, after all, just a bunch of athlete groupies. We base our existence on following the lives of these celebrities, and some of us like to try and hang with them. Media guides dish the coolest inside 411 on all those hunky basketball playing studs and sassy soccer kickin' gals. Learn all about the hippest, hottest jocks and jockeytees in their media guide personality profiles. Media guides allow sportswriters like me to get to know what my fave athletes are really like. Check this out: Ever wonder who Jeff Boschee's fave cartoon character is? (Gargamel from the *Smurfs*). How about Jennifer Jackson's method to get psyched up for a game? (Eating five orange Tic-Tacs). Everything you need to know about Lester Earl can be summed up by his favorite "other" sports — wrestling (I'm not sure if that's WCW or WWF) and NASCAR. Melissa Downing, a midfielder on the soccer team, lists her hobbies as poodle grooming and flossing her teeth. (She also has webbed feet!) In Lindsay Horner, a forward on the team who goes by Tap, lost all her possessions but one, she would keep her lucky leopard thong. (Strangely enough, Katie Garrity, a goalkeeper, also listed Tap's lucky leopard thong as the one thing she would save). Bob Schmidt, offensive lineman, wishes he were better at talking to girls (which shouldn't be a problem in the movie of his life, because he would be played by Brad Pitt). But without a doubt, the coolest athlete at the University another offensive lineman, John Oddonetto, as evidenced by his choice to play him in the movie of his life — porn legend Ron Jeremy (who I'm sure the people at Sports Info must never have heard of). Media guides are packed with cool stuff like this to keep us sportswriters up to date on the hottest athletes at Kansas. It may seem sometimes like all we do is criticize athletes to try and make names for ourselves, but the truth is that we're just a bunch of groundies. How else would I know that the one person in history that Chenowith would most like to meet isn't Britnev Spears... it's Jesus Christ? Prater is a Lawrence graduate student in journalism. Track team readies for Big 12 meet By Sarah Warren Kansan sportswriter Two weeks from now, the Jayhawks will conclude their two-season rollercoaster year with a trip to Columbia, Mo., at the Big 12 Outdoor Conference Championships May 19 through 21. There, the team hopes to pull off a showing it deserves after a season of ultra-highs and ultra-lows. The Kansas track and field team goes into its final meet of the season with motion sickness like none other. The season saw poor team indoor conference performance — the men finished 10th and the women finished 12th — and the non-renewal of coach Gary Schwartz's contract, but also saw junior All-Americans Scott Russell and Andrea Branson ranked one and two, respectively, in the javelin and pole vault, and the triumphant return of the Kansas Relays. And you won't catch Schwartz judging his final season as track coach by the points accrued in Columbia. If the Jayhawks' final meet before conference — the Life University Series meet, held this past weekend in Atlanta — is any indication, the 'Hawks best chance to earn points comes from the field, as that's what carried the crimson and blue to a second place men's finish and a third place women's showing. "I'm not one of those people who sits around for hours thinking about where we're going to score," he said. "The kids are going to determine that." In Atlanta, Kansas swept the men's throwing events as Russell and sophomore Ryan Speers each won two throwing events. Russell won the javelin and the hammer, while Speers out-threw his competitors in the shot put and the discus. "I was just two inches away from qualifying provisionally for the NCAAs in the shot put," Speers said of his 58-foot-10 throw. "The spector (the throwing area) was an incline. Had the field been flat, my throw would have been over 60." Meanwhile, for the women, sophomore Andrea Bulat won the women's javelin. And Branson, competing at nearby Georgia Tech because of a lack in pole-vault facilities, won the pole-vault competition. No mention of increasing student ticket prices was made. The University of Kansas Athletics Cooperation board voted to increase men's basketball ticket prices by $5 last Friday, making the highest tickert price in the Big 12 row $30. Ticket prices to jump Dissenters worried that the increase would have a negative effect on sales, but the board saw no other way to get around The board approved the increase 12-5. The increased price is expected to generate $781,000 to cover a shortfall in next year's budget. Salary and tuition increases and housing costs were cited as the main reasons for the ticket increase. the budget shortfall. Athletics director Bob Frederick also announced St. Louis based Astro-Play as the provider of the new turf at Memorial Stadium. The turf, which is supposed to arrive by July 4, will cost $345,000. A hybrid of the surface at Memorial now, the new turf is longer and softer than normal turf, resembling grass instead of carpet. The board also rejected a motion to issue a resolution opposing a proposed 12th game for the 2002 and 2003 football seasons, saying that a 12th game would not be student-athlete friendly. Kansas had already scheduled a 12th game of the '02 season against Northwestern. Kansan staff report