Monday, February 7, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
Swimmers end season strong
sy Brandon Krzyszlo
sports @kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas swimming and diving team finished its regular season Saturday in Ames, Iowa, the same way it finished most of the meets throughout the season.
The women's team pulled out a 171-124 victory against Iowa State, improving to 6-4, and 3-1 in the Big 12 Conference.
The men, meanwhile, were outmatched by the No. 25 Cyclones, falling 142.591.51. The men are winless on the year at 0.7-0.4.
The women don't get much time to celebrate because the Big 12 Conference Championships are from Feb. 17 to 19 in College Station, Texas. The men, however, can build on strong performances late in the season before they travel to College Station the weekend of March 2 for the men's conference meet.
Senior captain Kerri Pribyl demonstrated why she was named Big 12 diver of the month Friday, winning both the 1- and 3-meter diving events. The wins were Pribyl's fifth and sixth in the last four meets. Making her accomplishments more impressive is her successful return from arm surgery during the break. She has won at least one event at every meet since returning against Southern Illinois Jan. 15.
"Winning two boards again, she's come out to be a dominant young lady," said Coach Gary Kempf. "She's setting herself up for a good conference and hopefully a trip to the NCAA's. This diving group is a strong team. That's something we're really proud of."
Pribly set the tone for the Jayhawk women, who got two wins from freshman Gwen Haley, and wins from seniors Rebecca Eustice and Sherry West, junior Carolyn Horwitz, sophomore Carolyn Grevers, freshman Beth Schryer and the 200-meter medley relay.
"The meet itself it was a real roller-coaster ride," Kempf said "The girls did things we needed to. I was looking to pick my scoring team and I was able to, Carolyn Horowitz had one of her best meets and so did Sherry West. We're starting to pick up help from some other people as we go."
Sophomore diver Adam Hanhart matched Pribyl by winning both men's diving events. The Jayhawks
Senior Kerr Pribl plunges into the water from the 1-meter dive board Jan. 28 at Robinson Natatorium.
Pribl has won at least one event in every meet since her return from arm surgery Jan. 15. Photo by Aaron Lindhera/KANSAN
picked up wins from senior Brandon Chestnut in the 200-breaststroke and the 400-freestyle relay.
"We're all out there trying our best," Hanhart said. "The teams we've been going against lately have been really good. Coach said it doesn't matter until we get to conference. Hopefully when we get there, guys will have some good swims because that's what it's all about."
The men lost to a ranked opponent for the third week in a row, but Kempf said the team did well overall.
"The guys swam well in places," Kempf said. "Our problem all season is consistency. We got behind early and had a hard time. Physically, I think we're where we need to be, but I'm not sure if we are emotionally and mentally."
But given the amount of time left before the conference championship, Kempf is still optimistic about the men's team.
"I'm still real proud of them, and I think they're going to end the season very well," he said. "But, we still have a way to go."
Women's tennis starts spring 3-0
By Zac Hunter
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
If once is an accident, twice a problem and three times a trend, Kansas women's tennis opponents will be in for a long season.
The team breezed through its first three matches of the spring season, which included sweeping a doubleheader yesterday at Alvamar Racquet Club.
In their final meet of the afternoon, the Jayhawks tore through the Wichita State Shockers without losing a set, winning 8-0.
Junior Monica Sekulov, 3-0 in singles play and 3-0 in doubles, set the pace from the No.4 position. She disposed of Martina Stoijk, 6-1, 6-1, and was the first one off the court for the 'Hawks.
"Everything was going well off the racquet," Sekulov said. "I just felt like I couldn't miss."
Despite the final score, the Jayhawks were tested from time to time. Senior Brooke Chiller was pushed by the Shockers No. 1 player, Annelie Van Den Heever. Chiller admitted not having her best game at the time but won two difficult sets, 6-3, 6-4.
"I was getting frustrated with myself because I was making a lot of easy mistakes," she said.
Seeing Chiller's frustration, coach Jenny Garrity reminded her where she was and whose court she was playing on.
"She is the dictator of her points," she said. "This is her court."
Kansas has two new doubles combinations, one of which pairs sophomore sisters Cheryl and Lisa Mallaiah. The sisters played No. 3 doubles and were 3-0 on the weekend.
The second new tandem is Sekulov and freshman Tiffany Chang, who also went 3-0 but struggled at times. Twice they were behind late in the set but fought back and won.
"I think it says a lot about Monica being a leader and really helping Tiffany get through those matches," Garrity said. "Those two, I wouldn't care if they were down 7-0. I would always think that they could come back."
Domination also was the word applied to the day's first match against the Creighton Bluejays, as the Jayhawks only lost six games to the northern visitors.
Sophomore Christi Wagenaar defeated Sarah Beth Dangos 6-1, 6-3, completing the Kansas sweep.
Senior Julia Sidorova dismantled Jeanne Raynor, Creighton's 5. play
Above: Julia Sidorova, Riga, Latvia,
senior, returns a serve during a doubles match. Sidorova and Brooke
Chiller, Warrnambool, Australia
senior, beat Creighton's first doubles team yesterday at Alvamar Racquet Club.
Left: Chiller blasts a shot to her opponent. Chiller is 8-6 on the season and went 3-0 in singles this weekend.
Photos by Aaron Lindberg/KANSAN
er. Sidorova's play forced Raynor into spraying the ball all across the court including one shot that reached the gallery.
Despite the dominance of the victory, Garrity said the team would learn from the experience gained during the meet.
"They are going to have to adjust to their opponents all year," she said. "Even though there might not have been close scores, they had to focus the whole time. To play a whole doubles match and a whole singles match that way is very challenging."
Lisa Malliaa finished the meet by defeating No. 6 player Megan Green and sealed the 'Hawks' 8-0 victory.
The only two defeats of the weekend came Friday against Eastern Michigan. Cheryl Malliaah lost her first singles match of the year to the Eagles' Rebecca Hawkins, 3-6, 3-6, and the No. 1 doubles team of Chiller and Sidorova fell to Hawkins and Lisa D'Amelio.
But those were Friday's only losses as the 'Hawks won the meet 7-2.
Next up for the Jayhawks is a trip Feb. 11 to Davidson, N.C., where the team will face Ohio State, College of Charleston and host school Davidson College. Kansas' next home match is Saturday, Feb. 26 at the Jayhawk Classic.
Football recruits rank in top half of Big 12 on Internet polls
By Allan Davis
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Although the quality of Kansas 2000 recruiting class will be determined on the football field during the coming seasons, that doesn't stop Internet football analysts from speculating on the quality of recruits.
Four recruiting-analysis Web sites evaluated Kansas' 2000 recruiting class as No.5 or 6 in the Big 12 Conference, and the Jayhawks' ranking compared favorably with Kansas State's recruiting class.
Jon Kirby, of MO-KAN Football (http://mokanfootball.rivals.com/), which specializes in the Missouri-Kansas area, gave the Jayhawks' class a grade of B+, which he said was about 25th in the nation. Kirby ranked the Jayhawks fifth in the Big 12.
"I really believe this is Kansas" best recruiting class in the last 15 years," he said. "The Kansas coaches have an ability to recruit very well. Every phone call I made, it seemed something positive was being said about KU."
Kirby praised the quality of Kansas' recruiting class.
Kirby said recruits told them they chose Kansas because the Jayhawks were turning their program around and were headed in the right direction.
Analyst Robert Allen of Big 12 Recruiting (http:// mokanfootball. rivals.com/) also favorably ranked Kansas' recruiting class as fifth-best in the Big 12. Allen ranked K-State sixth.
He named Kansas' top signees as defensive lineman Ervin Holloman, Garden City Community College; quarterback Mario Kinesey, Waco, Texas; and wide receiver Jonathan J.T.' Thompson, Kilgore, Texas.
Big 12 Blitz (http://big12blitz.rivals.com/) recruiting agent Jeremy Crabtree rated Kansas' 2009 recruiting class as No. 6 in the Big 12 — ahead of K-State's recruiting class, which he ranked seventh. Crabtree gave Kansas' class a B, ranking it 31st in the nation. He also named wide receiver Roger Ross, from Garden City Community College, as Kansas' impact player. Brandon Watkins, a linebacker from Dallas, was Crabtree's most
KU Football 2000 Recruiting Class
KU Football 2000 Recruiting Class
| Player | Height | Weight | High school | Junior College |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Ryan Atkinson | DL | 6-2 | 295 | Damien |
| Demon Benford | DL | 6-4 | 270 | Killeen |
| Jamarei Bryant | DB | 6-0 | 190 | S. Mountain |
| John Culb | DL | 6-6 | 270 | Phoenix |
| Marion Daniell | DL | 6-5 | 300 | Garden City |
| Tony Damiani | OL | 6-4 | 250 | Westchester |
| Marguis Hayes | DE | 6-4 | 275 | Vashon |
| Ervin Hollowman | DE | 6-4 | 285 | Northwest |
| Roger Ross | WR | 5-7 | 170 | Jefferson |
| De Ward Shiffield | LB | 6-4 | 240 | Denison |
| Columbus Wooley | LB | 6-2 | 222 | Lee |
| Blinn |
High school recruits
| Player | Height | Weight | High school | Junior College |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Geo Bookman | DB | 6-2 | 205 | Dickinson |
| Bookman | OL | 6-5 | 295 | Holsington |
| Mario Kinsey | QB | 6-2 | 180 | La Vega |
| Santana Lane | DB | 6-0 | 175 | Westbury |
| Clarence Laws | OL/DL | 6-4 | 255 | Central |
| Kevin Long | QB | 6-5 | 200 | West |
| Guillane Weabuqui | RB | 6-1 | 175 | Episcopal |
| Johnny McCoy | CB | 6-1 | 190 | Killeen |
| David McMillan | DE | 6-5 | 250 | Killeen |
| Richard Pope | OL | 6-6 | 295 | Township |
| Tony Stubbs | ATN | 5-11 | 192 | Lake Warth |
| J.T. Thomason | WR | 5-10 | 175 | Kilgare |
| Greg Tyrne | LB | 6-2 | 210 | Desert Vista |
| Chris Tyrrell | PK/P | 5-11 | 210 | Liberty |
| Brandon Watkins | LB | 6-3 | 215 | Kimball |
| Travis Watkins | DL | 6-4 | 280 | Derby |
Crabtree also analyzed the Big 12 recruits by position, listing the top six classes at each position.
Kansas' Kevin Long and Kinsey were ranked as the second-best quarterback class. The seven defen-
underrated player.
Mindv Berns / KANSAN
Despite the signing of junior college All-American Columbus Wooley from Blinn Junior College, Kansas' linebackers did
sive line recruits ranked third in the Big 12, and Kansas' five offensive line recruits were ranked fifth.
BIG 12 RECRUITING Big 12 Blitz
(http://www.big12blitz.com)
by Jeremy Crabtree
(Big 12 ranking, in letter, followed
by national ranking)
1) Texas A+, 5th
2) Nebraska A+, 9th
3) Oklahoma A, 13th
4) Colorado A, 21st
5) Texas A&M B, 21st
6) Kansas B, 31st
7) Kansas State B, 38th
8) Oklahoma State C, 43rd
9) Missouri C, 45th
10) Iowa State C, 57th
11) Baylor C, 59th
12) Tech College C, 68th
Bia 12 Recruiting
Big 12 Recruiting
by Robert Allen
Big 12 rankings
1. Texas
2. Nebraska
not make Crabtree's top six in the Big 12. Neither did the Jayhawks' incoming running backs, receivers, linebackers or defensive backs.
Rivals.com
(http://
www.rivals.com/) ranked Kansas'
3. Colorado
4. Oklahoma
5. Kansas
6. Kansas State
7. Oklahoma State
8. Texas &M
9. Iowa State
10. Texas Tech
11. Missouri
12. Baylor
Rivals.com national rankings
114 schools rated
6. Texas
10. Nebraska
14. Oklahoma
21. Colorado
26. Texas A&M
36. Kansas
37. Oklahoma State
43. Kansas State
50. Missouri
57. Iowa State
59. Baylor
69. Texas Tech
recruiting class as 36th in the nation and sixth in the Big 12, again ahead of K-State's group, which was rated 43rd in the nation and eighth in the conference.
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