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Better with age
The University Daily Kansan
Jazz forward Karl Malone scored 50 points, a careerplayoff high, in Utah's win Saturday. At 36, the Mailman keeps delivering.
Sports
Inside: The 'Hawks continued their downward spiral, losing two to Texas Tech this weekend.
SEE PAGE 3B
MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2000
Inside: Kansas Relays results and NBA playoff scores.
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
RELAYS' TRIUMPHANT RETURN
Maurice Greene elates 10,220 fans
By Sarah Werren sports@kansan.com Kansan writerswriter
The show that is Maurice Greene lasted only 10 seconds, but the circus that is Maurice Greene was a two-day affair.
On Saturday, Greene, dressed in a bright red Nike sweat suit, stretched, warmed up and gabbed with fellow athletes as cameras focused just inches from his fluorescent grin.
From the second he arrived on the track at Memorial Stadium Friday, Greene was the main attraction. And he did not shun the attention.
And in the minutes just before his under-10-second sprint in the 400 meter relay, Green elated the crowd — baring his chest and kneeling down on the straightaway in front of 10,220 roaring fans.
They came to see him, and he just wanted them to experience the Kansas Relays.
"I'm in this sport because I love it and I want to help it as much as possible," Greene said. "It's always important to me to come home."
Greene, a native of Kansas City, Kan., spent the early part of the week visiting friends and family, as well as speaking at his alma mater, Schlagle High School.
"I want to be different than all of the other people," he said. "We never had any elite athletes visit when I was in
high school, and that's why I want to go back to the schools."
And although Greene never attended the University of Kansas, he thought it was part of his duty as a "Kansas boy" to help give a boost to a meet in which he competed before becoming The World's Fastest Man.
Kansas coach Gary Schwartz said Greene is just the type of athlete to not only bring meets like the Kansas Relays back to life, but also to bring the sport of track and field back to the level of prestige it once held.
"We need good ambassadors, and he's great," Schwartz said. "It's very important that the athletes that can give back to the sport do so and not just take, take, take."
And Greene, as well as his his relay teammates Ato Bolden, Curtis Johnson and Brian Howard, promised to return for the 2001 Relays.
"I really don't know what I'm going to run next." Greene told the crowd after his team set a Kansas Relay record with a 38.45-second 400 meters. "But fast things are sure to come."
The crowd at the Kansas Relays watches the women's 100-meter hurdles. Photo by Brad Dreier/KANSAN
Maurice Greene
Track program comes up big in weekend events
By Sarah Warren
sports@kansan.com
Kansas writerwriter
Maurice Greene was awesome. The high school kids were impressive.
Stationed on a raised runway in the center of the football field, the junior had all eyes focused on her Saturday as she bolted toward the pole vault pit for her third and final attempt at 13-feet, 10 inches. Planting her 14-foot pole, she flew above the bar with to spare, causing the crowd of 10,220 to erupt in applause as she bounced off the mat to the AstroTurf.
In clearing that mark, Branson did
But if you're talking collegiate athletes, Kansas pole vaulter Andrea Branson gave the best performance at the Kansas Relays.
Andrea Branson, Overland Park junior, prepares to place her pole for a vault. Brandon had the second highest NCAA vault of the year at the Kansas Relays this weekend.
Photo by Drew Ryan/KANSAN
more than win her competition. She set a meet record and a stadium record, added six inches to her personal best and vaulted herself to No. 2 in the nation in the women's pole vault.
See PAST on page 8B
“This is one of the few meets I will remember the entirety of,” Branson said. “It was very special. Today was perfect.”
Associate Sports Editor
Matt James
sports@kansan.com
sports@kansan.com
Catching rays, watching Relays make a good time
A sassy young lady once told me that there were only two ways guys should get a tan: working and sports.
It's just not cool, I guess, for men to lie out. Really, I think men are just too impatient to just sit there absorbing ultraviolet rays. We need something going on.
So what a great weekend opportunity to get the perfect tan — the return of the Kansas Relays at Memorial Stadium.
But there is a place beyond golden brown, beyond a healthy glow, beyond Ricky Martin's hue — a place where aloe is powerless. I have been to this place, my friends — and it is bad.
The journey to Burnsville began on Friday in the east stands, 50-yard line, 20th row. The shorts are rolled up, the sandals are off and the tank-top is on. The shirt is staying on, though, because I'm not lying out. Remember that.
See RELAYS on page 2B
Softball quenches scoring dry spell, sweeps Iowa State on Senior Day
By Shawn Hutchinson sports@kansan.com Kanson sportswriter
Kansas hadn't scored since the bottom of the third inning against Southwest Missouri State Wednesday afternoon. The Jayhawks were shut out for the remainder of that game and scored no runs in a 1-0 second-game loss to SMSU the same afternoon. Saturday at Jayhawk Field, the Jayhawks were being blanked by a feisty Iowa State team through five and 2/3 innings for a total span of 17 scoreless innings.
The drought had lasted for three days. Granted, the Kansas softball team hadn't played a game since last Wednesday, but it still entered Saturday's double-header against Iowa State in desperate search of a run.
So with Kansas down 2-0, second baseman Amy Hulse stepped up to the plate. With Amy Hulse in the bottom of the sixth inning, she was trying to do anything to provide a spark. However, she quickly
DOUBLEHEADER
Game 1: Kansas 4, Iowa State 2
Game 2: Kansas 3, Iowa State 0
tapped a slow roller to Iowa State shortstop Jessica Polo, and Kansas seemed destined to go another inning without scoring.
But while Hulse was running down the line to first base, Polo displayed the grounder, picked up the ball and wildly threw it past first base. Hulse was safe on an error. Kansas designated player Courtney Wright followed that up with a single and third baseman Megan Urquhart drew a walk. Finally, Kansas shortstop Christy McPhail took a 1-2 pitch and drilled it to the warning track in left field for a double. McPhail drove in three runs with the hit and just like that, the drought had ended.
"You could see a weight had been lifted off their shoulders," said Kansas coach Tracy Bunge, after watching her players
clear the dugout and celebrate at home plate as the three runs came in.
The weight became even less burdensome when the Jayhawks went on to win that game, 4-2, then turned around and won the second game, 3-0. That was the first time all season that the Jayhawks had swept a Big 12 Conference opponent. The two wins helped them improve to 28-27 overall and 5-9 in the Big 12 Conference.
With the wins, the Jayhawks still have an outside shot at earning a first-round bye in the Big 12 Tournament next month in Oklahoma City, Okla.
But after the game Bunge was more excited to talk about the play of her six seniors rather than Kansas' post-season scenarios.
The Kansas seniors were all honored during Senior Day ceremonies between the first and second games. And all six of the seniors played roles in Kansas' two wins.
"That was really neat to see." Bunge said. "All of the seniors had really good days."
"You could see a weight had been lifted off their shoulders."
Tracy Bunge
Kansas softball coach
Sarah Clopton pitched seven innings and got the win in the first game. Catcher Heather Sims had a double and a stolen base. Pitcher Shannon Stanwix recorded a single and scored a run. Outfielder Katie Malone had a two-run triple and Melanie DeWinter pitched a complete game shutout in the second game. Then there was McPhail, who blasted the three-run double that turned around Kansas' fortunes on Senior Day.
"I probably will never forget it," McPhail said. "All of the seniors got hits today, and I thought that was pretty cool."
The Jayhawks will next be in action Wednesday when they'll play a double-header against Wichita State at Jayhawk Field. Games times are 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Christi Musser bats during this Saturday's doubleheader against Iowa State. The Jayhawks won both games. Photo by Brad Dreier/KANSAN
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