Friday, February 26, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
Johnson's small presence has big affect on opponents
Continued from page 1B
"It's a different role I'm playing," she said. "This year Lynn (Pride) has stepped up and is playing great. Brooke (Reves) and Nakia (Sanford) are playing good. I don't need to shoot. I'll do the small stuff."
She has been anything but small this season for the Jayhawks, using her anticipation and quickness to grab 6.3 rebounds per game, a tough task for a player only 6-foot-1.
Her selfless play comes as no surprise to James Couch, Johnson's coach at Bellerline/Jefferson High School in Burbank, California.
"She was definitely unselfish," Couch said. "She was our best scorer, but she distributed the ball like crazy."
Plaver of the Year.
Johnson averaged more than 20 points a game her senior year and still managed to lead the team in assists on her way to being named California's
Couch said Johnson brought something else to his team that couldn't be measured using statistics — a relaxed atmosphere.
Kansas guard Casey Pruitt and Kansas forward Heather Fletcher end up on the hard-wood floor at Allen Fieldhouse during Saturday's game against the Oklahoma Sooners. The Jayhawks will play the Kansas State Wildcats tomorrow night in Manhattan. Photo by Augustus Anthony Piazza KANSAN
"You could always count on her for a laugh," he said. "She gave the team character."
Anyone who is familiar with
the Jayhawks knows she hasn't changed in the last two years.
"Everyone's upright before the game, and you'd think the game was the last thing on my mind," she said. "I joke around a lot. That's just my personality."
Johnson brings a strong bas-
The Starting Lineup
KANSAS
JAYHAWKS
11-4 Big 12, 21-7
overall
overall
JENNIFFER JACKSON 5-10 So.
LYNN PRIDE 6-2 Jr.
JACLYN JOHNSON 6-1 So.
BROOKE REVES 6-0 So.
NARIA SANFORD 6-3 Sr.
KANSAS STATE WILDCATS 6-9 Big 12, 13-12 overall
G ESSENCE PERRY 5-6 FR.
G KRISTIN RETHMAN 5-9 FR.
F NICKY RAMAGE 6-1 JR.
F BRANDY HARRIS 5-11 SO.
C ANGE FINKES 6-1 Jr.
Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan
Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan 3 p.m.
ketball bloodline to Kansas
Her father, Ronald Johnson,
played college basketball at
UCLA, and her uncle Jermone
Johnson played at Oklahoma
behind Wayn Tisdale.
— Edited by Steph Brewer
Winning has become a familiar experience for two tennis sisters
By Amanda Kaschube
Kansan sportswriter
Cheryl and Lisa Mallaiah have adjusted quickly to collegiate tennis in a winning fashion.
The two freshmen from North Longwood, Fla., have winning records in singles this season. Cheryl, 13-11, and Lisa, 11-7, have faced top-ranked opponents from Brigham Young, Mississippi and Miami.
The two sisters, 14 months apart in age, have played tennis for almost 10 years.
"We practiced with each other every day," Lisa said. "We compliment each other's games very well."
Lisa said the transition from high school to college was easier because her sister was there, too.
"I really like the campus and the team," Cheryl said. "We always thought we would go to college together. It would be weird not having her here."
They decided to attend college together because they had been together their whole lives. After being recruited by Roland Thornqvist, former Kansas head coach, the sisters decided to attend Kansas.
"It was awkward at first," Cheryl said.
"But now we get along really well."
I am armed.
"Florida is so far away, and it was nice coming here with her," she said. "It was nice having someone to talk to."
While the transition to college was easy, the sisters didn't know what to expect from the team.
"We just all clicked even though we are all different," she said.
In high school, the girls played doubles together. However, in their other tournaments, they each had separate partners.
"We thought it was better to not play together," Lisa said. "We knew each other too well."
In high school, the pair showed its potential and caught Thornqvist's eye. "They were top ranked players in
"They were top-ranked players in
Cheryl, right, and Lisa Malliach: having singles records this season and have faced top-ranked opponents from Mississippi, Miami and Brigham Young.
Florida and had a strong level of play," said Amy Hall, Kansas assistant coach. "Roland offered them scholarships."
The sisters said they were not competitive against each other, and Hall agreed.
"Both of them have great team spirit, and they are supportive and enthusiastic as sisters." Hall said.
The biggest win for Cheryl came last September against Maren Haus of Wake Forest. She beat Haus 6-4, 6-3.
"We want each other to do well and we encourage each other during the matches," she said. "We are each other's biggest fans."
Lisa recently defeated Alesya Ignatieva of Mississippi, 6-1, 6-3.
With their drive and determination, Cheryl and Lisa are eager to play and win the big matches.
"We have been training for this all our lives," Cheryl said.
Both said they want to end the season with a winning record and improve the quality of their overall game.
The pair, along with the rest of the team, will face New Mexico at 9 a.m. Sunday at the Robinson tennis courts.
— Edited by Duane Wagler
Men's Tennis
Uribe may serve 100th singles win
Senior Luis Uribe could win his 100th singles victory in front of a home crowd Sunday as the Kansas men's tennis team faces the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Alvamar Country Club.
By Melinda Weaver Kansan sportswriter
By accomplishing this, Uribe would be one of five Jayhawks to reach this milestone. However, Uribe has not let the pressure bother him. In fact, he said he's barely has thought about it at all.
"It'll come sooner or later," Uribe said. "If I play my game well, I know I can win."
Uribe's opponent will be sophomore Tyler Cleveland, who holds an 8-1 record this spring.
"Their No. 1 player is really good," Uribe said.
"He is a big guy, and he has a big serve. I have been trying to practice my return of serve so I can do well against him."
Iowa returns eight of 12 letter winners from last season's 10-11 team and holds a 4-1 record this season, which is the same as the Javihawks.
Kansas is 3-0 overall against the Hawkeyes and have outscored them 17-4 in those three meetings. The two teams last met in 1995 in Lawrence when the Jayhawks soundly defeated the Hawkeyes 5-0.
However, Kansas knows better than to count anyone out.
"All teams at this level are pretty hard to beat," sophomore Ed Dus said. "We will have to play hard to win."
The team is coming off a 16-day layoff after facing Wichita State and Ohio State in a three-day stretch. Kansas came away with two strong victories, defeating both teams 6-1.
The team's three starting freshman Alex Barragan, Quentin Blakeyen and Rodrigo Echagaray compiled a 6-0 record in those two matches.
Uribe could move up in the record books in doubles as well. A victory could move him to a fifth-place tie in overall doubles wins with Chris Walkers' 89.
Uribe teams with Dus in No.1 doubles. The duo recently competed in the Rolex Intercollegiate Indoors in Dallas. By defeating the first and seventh ranked teams, their ranking moved up in the polls from No.15 to No.12.
Dus said he hoped the layoff would help them recover from injuries and claim a victory over Iowa.
"Coach let us have the weekend off." Dus said. "We all needed that. We all had little injuries that needed rest, and now we are fresh and ready to play."
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