FRIDAY, APRIL 1. 2005
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
9A
▼ ROWING
out on h- con- ent
Home regatta to honor seniors
BY KRISTEN JARBOE
kjarboe@kansan.com
KANKSAN SPORTSWITHER
Fitch
The Kansas women's rowing team will host its first and last regatta for the season tomorrow.
A barbeque celebrating Senior Day will follow the races against Tulsa and Drake at 2 p.m. on the Kansas River.
This year's seniors are Rachel Chapman, Kristy Hainer, Erin Hennessey, LeAnna Kemp, Ashlea Kramer and Crystal Reed.
For Hennessey, this meet brings more than a senior celebration.
"My dad is coming down from Wyoming just to see me race," she said. "This will be the first race my dad has ever seen."
Besides her parents, nine other members of Hennessee's family will
attend the regatta.
This is a day that she has waited for since she started competing more than three years ago, she said.
"It's a happy and sad event all at the same time," she said. "It will be our last home race, so that's pretty sad."
Hennessev
Having friends and family attend would also provide support for the team, Hennessey said.
With any sport, it's always nice to have the "home court" advantage, coach Rob Catloth said.
"You always do well on your home course," he said. "The women know the course pretty well now."
The Jayhawks matched up against Tulaa and Drake last year in Lawrence. All three teams started their season at about the same time, which was different compared to the last regatta with No. 15 Texas, which began racing well before spring break.
"They have raced as much as we have," assistant coach Jennifer Myers said. "This makes it an even playing field."
Hennessey said she was focused on the Jayhawks' race, regardless of the other teams positions on the water and the thrill of racing at home.
"We need to focus on rowing our race," she said. "That's one of the things our coach tells us. We keep racing hard regardless of where the other boats are."
Catloth said he wanted to see progress.
"We're looking forward to continue our improvement," he said. "Our race against Texas wasn't bad, but it wasn't perfect. We need to race down this course, taking good, clean strokes."
After the race, Hennessey and the other seniors will be eager to celebrate, but she wants the team to celebrate its victories as well.
"I hope everyone can say they gave 100 percent," she said. "The team should be able to say that they paid attention to technique and what we've learned in practices. We need to remember all the things that we've been taught in previous weeks."
The races tomorrow will include the Varsity Eight, Novice Eight, two Varsity Four races, and two Novice Four races.
- Edited by Lori Bettes
Kansas 'starting to peak at right time'
TENNIS
BY RAHUL SHARMA
rsharma@kansas.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
The Kansas women's tennis team (4-9, 3-2 Big 12) has won its last two matches over conference opponents, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Kansas will get an opportunity for a third Big 12 victory tomorrow against Baylor (14-4, 5-0 Big 12).
Kansas is undefeated on the road in the Big 12.
"The confidence level and the competitiveness are there," coach Amy Hall-Holt said.
said.
The improvement of junior Christine Skoda, who ranks second in the conference with a 4-1 singles mark, has been one of the reasons for Kansas' success.
"I'm feeling more confident in my shots," Skoda said.
Skoda began the spring season 0-5 and now is considered the Jayhawks top all-around threat.
Hall-Holt said Skoda, one of two upperclassmen on the squad, had started to fill a leadership role.
"She's going to keep on taking her game to a higher level." Hall-Holt
The other junior, Luiza Loureiro, who has battled back pain this season, has assisted Skoda with team leadership.
"I like to cheer for my teammates." Lourieiro said. "I can be really loud."
Loureiro, who has solely performed as a doubles player, said she expected to play this weekend.
"I think I can go." Loureiro says.
"It's painful, but I'm going."
Freshman Stephanie Smith has reeled off two straight singles victories. She has been praised by coaches for her baseline game and aggressive competitiveness.
Baylor earned its highest-ever ranking in the program history earlier this week under the leadership of third-year coach Joev Scrivano.
"Our team has improved a lot with their attitude," Scrivano said. "We want to be excellent out on the court no matter who our opponent is."
Scrivano, who led Baylor to the
Big 12 Conference championship in his first season in 2003,has a talented player in freshman Zuzana Zemenova.
Zemenova, the only Big 12 player ranked in the top 25 nationally, has won 12 of her last 13 singles matches.
"We knew it would be just a matter of time before she made an impact before the national scene," Scrivano said.
Standout talent Klara Zrustova, a sophomore from the Czech Republic, has seen action at both the number three and four singles position for Baylor.
"She puts a lot of pressure on her opponents to beat her," Scrivano said. "I don't see anything changing with her."
Zrustova has won 14 straight singles matches, 13 of which were straight-set victories.
Sophomore Carolin Walter, who began the season ranked No. 31 in the country, saw her ranking slip as the NCAA slapped the German native with a 13-match suspension for competing at the collegiate level with club tennis experience overseas
Scrivano said his team wouldn't underestimate Kansas.
Since her return. Walter is 2-2.
as professional, which is not allowed in the collegiate ranks
The NCAA recognizes club tennis
"They are one of the up and coming teams in the Big 12." Scrivano said. "They are starting to peak at the right time."
The match also will reunite a coach and his former player. Kansas Assistant coach Frank Polito, while at Eastern Michigan, recruited and coached Scrivano in 1993.
"I have a lot of respect for him. I wish him all the best." Serviano said.
Polito said he remembered Scrivano as a serve and volley player who worked hard.
The coaches faced off while Polito served as an interim head coach at Ohio State, and Scrivano was in his first season at Baylor.
"I am 1-0 against him right now," Polito said. "Hopefully, I can keep that streak alive."
Kansas will face Baylor at 1 p.m. in Waco, followed by a Sunday matchup against Texas Tech in Lubbock.
Edited by Lisa Coble-Krings
ATHLETICS CALENDAR
+ Baseball vs. Texas A&M, 7 p.m., College Station,
Texas
- Baseball vs. Texas A&M, 7 p.m., College Station,
Texas
- SATURDAY
- Rowing vs. Drake, Tulsa, all day, Lawrence
- Soccer vs. Minnesota, 11 a.m., Jayhawk Soccer Complex
*Softball* vs. Texas A&M, 2 p.m., Arroza Ballpark
*Tennis* vs. Bavior, 1 p.m., Waco Texas
SUNDAY
◆ Baseball vs. Texas A&M, 1 p.m., College Station,
Texas
TUESDAY
- Softball vs. UMKC, 3 p.m., Arrocha Ballpark
- *Softball vs. Texas A&M 1, p.1m., Arroche Ballpark*
*Tennis vs. Texas Tech 11 a.m., Lubbock, Texas*
- Swimming at world championship trials, all day, Indianapolis
INTRAMURAL SCOREBOARD
WEDNESDAY
SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL
♦ Men
Delta Chi 1 def. Hardwood Sluggers 15-0
Team Priest def. Los Fulancs 14-1
Cajuns def. DU 2 18-4
Lime Green Machine def. Turd Sandwiches
20-7
♦ CoRec
Billy's Bombers def. Poles and Holes 11-9
Apt. M def. GP-Maggie 13-2
Men
3-ON-3 SOCCER
Kappa Sig 2 def. Triangle 3-2
UnKnown def. Rehab 4-3
Local firms win stadium bid
WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals' new stadium will be built by a joint venture that includes a company that designed 15 of the last 23 major league parks.
The team of HOK Sport + Venue +
Entertainment Inc., of Kansas City, Mo., and
Devrouax & Purnell Architects-Planners, of
Washington, was chosen yesterday by the D.C.
Sports and Entertainment Commission.
Washington's ballpark will be built along the Anacostia River waterfront, with the Nationals expected to move in for the 2008 season.
The Associated Press
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WHERE I STAND
Voters deserve to know where those running for office stand.
- I will support roundabouts only where they provide safer and more efficient pedestrian and auto travel.
- I will insist on long-term planning policies that ensure equitable treatment and benefits for all citizens.
- I will work to provide long-term tax rebates on improvements to owner-occupied homes in our older neighborhoods.
- I will work for an employment center in southeast Lawrence that creates good-paying jobs, not traffic problems for neighbors there.
- I will promote discussions with state officials about building a bridge across the Kansas River to connect to K-10 in order to relieve 23rd Street traffic.
- I will support building a 21st century library downtown.