SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2005
PAGE 1B
▼ BASEBALL
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Chipping away at rivalry
Kansas strives to become dominant in-state team
BY ALISSA BAUER
abauer@kansan.com
KANKSAN SPORTWRITER
Senior catcher Jake Kauzlarich and junior outfielder Gus Milner run drills inside Anschutz Sports Pavilion during practice yesterday. The team was preparing for its 7:06 game tonight at Wichita State.
Wichita State's domination of the in-state rivalry with Kansas will be challenged again when the two teams meet tonight at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
Although Wichita State (27-10, 4-2 MVC) leads the series 37-19 overall, the Shockers were on the wrong end of a 13-6 beating a week ago. Kansas (24-14, 3-6 Big 12) continues to attempt to become the stronger in-state team.
"I think they'll definitely come to play," coach Ritch Price said. "I think with the amount of publicity it gets in the state, every game is getting bigger."
Kelly Hutsell/KANSAN
Wichita State may have the advantage in tonight's contest as both teams seem to feel the most comfortable at home. The Shockers are 17-4 this season at Eck Stadium. Kansas is 15-4 at Hoglund Ballpark, where the game one victory occurred.
"I think it is probably the greatest testimony to coach (Gene) Stephenson's career at Wichita State — that they've been able to build a stadium as nice as that in a cold-weather
state before the popularity of baseball really boomed," coach Price said of Eck Stadium. "It's one of the best venues we've ever played."
Since the first match-up, Wichita State swept Missouri Valley opponent Illinois State in a three-game series. The Shockers showed no signs of their plate struggles, outscoring the Redbirds 29-4 in the series.
Kansas enters the game coming off of a 2-1 series defeat to Oklahoma. Although the Jayhawks could only manage one victory, they outscored the Sooners 23-21 in the series.
Solid pitching has been the catalyst of Wichita State's success this season, but the last meeting with Kansas was packed with explosive hitting. The teams are separated by only three batting average points heading into tonight's game, with Kansas at .309 and Wichita State hitting .306.
Freshman second baseman Damon Sublett was the driving force behind the Shockers' offense against the Jayhawks last week. Sublett hit a pair of doubles, a triple and had one RBI. After last weekend, Sublett is hitting .310 with 19 RIB.
Sophomore infielder Derek Schermerhorn went 2-5 and scored once against the Jayhawks in their last meeting. Schermerhorn extended his hitting streak to 30 games against
SEE RIVALRY ON PAGE 4B
RECREATIONAL SPORTS
Kelly Hutsell/KANSAN
Jen Dziuvenis, Olathe first-year law student, swims the butterfly stroke as part of her training for the Ironman competition, which includes a 112-mile bike ride, a marathon and a 2.4 mile swim. This June's competition will be the fourth Ironman that len has participated in.
Punishing hobby makes for an addictive high
Jayhawk pushes herself to compete in Ironman
BY CALEB REGAN cregan@kansan.com KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Editor's note: This is a regular series that profiles recreational activities in which students take part. If you hunt, fish, climb rocks, canoe or spelunk, The University Daily Kansan would like to share your story. Please contact Caleb Regan by calling the Kansan sports desk at 864-4858 or by e-mailing him at cregan@kansan.com.
Most people probably wouldn't be interested in a hobby that takes the body and mind to utmost exhaustion. But Jen Dziuvenis, a first-year law student from Olathe, isn't most people.
Dziuvenis participates in Iroman competitions, an event
"It's a crazy kind of enjoyment, both fun and painful," she said. "There would be no motivation for me to train if it weren't so hard."
with three legs; the first is a 2.4- mile swim; the second is a 112- mile passage traveled by bike; lastly, participants run a marathon, 26.2 miles.
Ironman competitions take anywhere from 10 to 15 hours to complete. The training is rigorous but athletes like Dziuvenis still enjoy it.
The swimming portion of the race takes people about one hour, and is considered the warm-up leg. Dziuensis said the first part was the craziest part because 2,000 people jump into the water at the same time, which means kicking, hitting, and nearly drowning — basically getting pummeled while trying to swim.
"The cycling is hard because you're on the bike for what seems like an endless amount of time, just beating yourself up, basically." Djuvenis said.
Cycling 112 miles takes about seven hours.
The running is the worst part, Dziuvenis said, not because of the distance, but because you're so beat up from cycling.
Dziuvenis said athletes got a bag for each leg of the race, and usually it takes a person eight or nine minutes to change clothing and resume the race. Bags also have food, water and spare bike tires in them.
"You get off the bike and it's like, all right, now all I've got to do is run a marathon," she said.
SEE IRONMAN ON PAGE 3B
VIEW FROM PRESS ROW
Coaches should look to Luke
KELLIE ROBINETT
krobinett@kansan.com
Mark Mangino is looking for a starting quarterback in all the wrong places.
The Kansas football coach has sophomore Adam Barmann and junior Jason Swanson slated ahead of junior Brian Luke because they've plaved well in spring practices.
That's nice and all, but practice shouldn't be the deciding factor. What the decision should boil down to is game performance.
If you focus on last season's results, it's easy to see that the job should be Luke's to lose.
When he got his opportunity to play last year, the lavhawks plaved their best ball.
He only saw extended action in two games, but he dominated against quality opponents.
Kansas split two games, winning at Missouri and narrowly losing to No. 6 Texas.
When Barmann and Swanson started, Kansas compiled a record of 3-6.
You can't judge everything by the win-loss record, but Luke simply looked better than the other competitors.
Against Texas he came off the bench and com-
preted 14 of 25 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown. He stayed poised while the heavily favored Longhorns came back, and made a clutch completion to junior Charles Gordon that, if not for a questionable offensive pass interference penalty, would have won the game for the Jayhawks.
He followed up that performance with a monster game at Missouri, where he led Kansas to a decisive victory by throwing for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
He deserves credit for that road victory because no other quarterback on the team has won a game away from Memorial Stadium in his career.
Luke also has the best body of any KU quarterback. The coaching staff says he has the strongest arm, and, at 6-foot-5, he's tall enough to look over linemen and see the entire field.
The only real setback for Luke is that he can't scramble, but that's not too significant. Too often you see college quarterbacks give up on plays and try to run. Because Luke can't rely on his feet, he is patient with his receivers.
Swanson can scramble, and if Luke isn't the starter, Swanson should replace him. He is still a wild card, but he looked good in last year's games against Kansas State and Colorado before suffering a season-ending injury.
With Barmann you already know what you're getting. He's a good athlete and can make some decent plays, but he won't do anything spectacular.
SEE ROBINETT ON PAGE 3B
ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
Rim Rock Farm donated to KU
Former Kansas track coach Bob Timmons and his wife, Pat, contributed Rim Rock Farm, a running course in north Lawrence, to the University of Kansas Endowment Association yesterday.
The association will lease the land to the University. Rim Rock Farm is home to multiple high school and collegiate cross country meets, including home
Tim Weaver, Kansas meet director for track and cross country, said the donation would provide a permanent home for the Kansas cross country team.
meets for the Javhawks.
"This is the most beautiful, as well as most challenging, cross country course in the country," he said.
According to the Endowment
Association, the land is worth more than $500,000.
Bob Timmons graduated from Kansas,coached the Jayhawks from 1965 to 1988 and still resides in Lawrence. He and Pat purchased Rim Rock Farm in the early 1970s and developed it over the past three decades.
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Patrick Shehan