SPORTS
PAGE 12A
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
TRACK AND FIELD
Relays boast track stars
Rvlan Howe/KANSAN
Marion Jones, others planning to participate in Kansas Relays
Meet director Tim Weaver and track coach Stanley Redwine announce track star Marion Jones' participation in the Kansas Relays during a press conference yesterday.
BY PATRICK SHEHAN
pshehan@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWER
She won America's heart in Sydney when she wone five medals. She caught America's eye amidst last year's Bay Area Lab Co-Operative steroid scandal. But this April, Marion Jones will bring her celebrity to Lawrence.
Tim Weaver, director of the Kansas Relays, and track coach Stanley Redwine announced that Jones will compete in the relays from 2 to 5 p.m. April 23. The Olympic spinner/jumper will join almost a dozen other Olympic athletes in the "Gold Zone." The Gold Zone will match top athletes against each other in a format never tried before at the
Kansas Relays. Maurice Green, Stacy Draglia and University of Kansas graduate Charlie Gruber plan to compete.
"We made a list of the biggest names in track," Weaver said of himself, Redwine and Kansas athletics Director Lew Perkins. "We were left with the top three: Maurice, Marion and Stacy. They're not just track stars, they're superstars."
Jones said she was really looking forward to being able to compete in the Relays.
"It's one of those historic meets that everyone is talking about again," Jones said.
The Kansas Relays recorded its highest attendance since 1983 in 2000, when Maurice Green, a Kansas City, Kan..
native, competed in the 4x100 meter relay.
"Without exaggeration, this will be the greatest collection of Olympic talent the relays have ever seen. It will the biggest KU
Relays crowd in history." Weayer said.
Jones won three gold and two bronze medals in the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, Australia. In 2004, she finished
first in the Olympic long jump preliminaries, but finished fifth in Athens, dropping out of the 200-meter dash and not qualifying in the 100-meter dash.
Later that year, Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative head Victor Conte accused Jones of using steroids in 2001. She sued Conte on December 16, 2004. Federal investigation has linked BALCO laboratories to several other athletes, including Jones' husband, Tim Montgomery, Montgomery, who owns the world record in the 100-meter dash, 9.78 seconds, admitted to using steroids on June 24, 2004. When asked if Jones participation in the relays would bring bad publicity, Weaver said not at all.
"People are so excited just to see her on the street. They will be more excited just to see her compete." Weaver said.
Jones is currently training for
the World Championships in Helsinki.
"It's a thrill that her path goes through here." Weaver said.
Despite recent controversy, the addition of Jones adds additional publicity to the Kansas Relays, more than other athletes could. Her entry in the relays will mark her second meet since she competed in Athens. She plans to run at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., the week before coming to Lawrence.
"I have no doubt she will be ready to go," Weaver said. "All I have ever seen her do is run fast."
Redwine anticipates Jones' visit to Lawrence will be a tutorial for his team.
"In order to become a champion, you have to see a champion," Redwine said.
— Edited by Jennifer Voldness
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Signees shine in national spotlight
Future Jayhawks put on show in South Bend at all-star game
BY MIRANDA LENNING
mlenning@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
The West team, which included all three Kansas signees, fell to the East team. 115-100.
Kansas fans got their first glimpse of next year's Jayhawks last night when Mario Chalmers, Julian Wright and Micah Downs hooped it up at the McDonald's All-American game, televised on ESPN.
Chalmers, from Bartlett High School in Anchorage, Alaska, shined in the high school allstar game. He led the West team with 20 points last night and won the three-point competition on Tuesday.
All three future Jayhawks lit it up for the West.
Wright, a forward from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Chicago Heights, Ill., was on the dunking end of a first-half highlight.
He received a transition alley-oop pass from Byron Eaton, an Oklahoma State signee, with about a minute left in the first half.
Self has described Wright as the most versatile player of the three.
"He is a basketball player." Self said. "He just goes out there and does a little bit of everything."
Wright showed the ability to take the defense off the dribble.
On one play, he drove past his defender on the baseline and went up and under for a hard-earned lay-in.
Chalmers was the star for the West, though. He proved that he had the potential to be the most offensive-minded point guard in recent Kansas history.
SEE SIGNEES ON PAGE 8A
SOFTBALL
Pitchers rally unsuccessfully
Nebraska's Jamie Waldecker, sophomore catcher, receives a congratulatory high five from her team while being carried into the dugout by Elizabeth Rock, junior outfielder, in the fourth inning after slamming a solo homerun.
Courtney Kuhlen/KANSAN
Courtney Kublen/KANSAN
Jessica Moppin, junior secondbaseman, throws for an out at first base during yesterday's 7-3 loss to Nebraska at Arrocha Ballpark in the Jayhawks' Big 12 conference home opener.
Kansas loss to Nebraska leaves team 0-2 in Big 12; overall standing is 15-11
BY DREW DAVISON
ddavison@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIFFER
The Kansas softball team's home winning streak came to an end yesterday as it fell to Nebraska. 7-3.
Nebraska jumped to an early 2-0 lead after four innings.
The Jayhawks showed some life as Elle Pottorf, freshman catcher, threw out Anne Steffan when she tried to steal second in the third inning.
Nebraska pitcher Ashley DeBuhr held the Jayhawks hitless through four innings. She ended her complete game victory with 11 strikeouts. Kansas coach Tracy Bunge said DeBuhr pitched a good game and her curve ball kept the hitters out in front.
The 'Hawks used three pitchers to get out of the inning, giving up five walks. Kansas allowed eight free passes during the game, with seven bases-on-balls and one hit-pitch.
Nebraska extended the lead to seven with a big fifth innings, scoring five runs.
SEE PITCHERS ON PAGE 8A
EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
Team races from 'embarrassing' to 'progressing'
The Kansas baseball team still has control of the wheel after a violent incident involving at least one player culminated with an indefinite suspension. The players proved that when they defeated the No. 9 Nebraska Cornhuskers, 7-6, in their conference opener on Saturday.
When a team hits a bump in the road, the team can go one of two ways. It either spins out of control and flies off course, or it accelerates toward its goal.
Four weeks before, early in the morning Feb. 27, senior pitcher Scott Sharpe was hanging out with
BILL CROSS
bcross@kansan.com
his teammates and got into some trouble at an after-last-call gathering near the bars on 14th Street.
He was accused of battery and released on bond. He was suspended for two weeks.
coming to Kansas in 2003 has been to have an elite Big 12 Conference program that consistently makes the NCAA tournament, was faced with a setback.
Ritch Price, whose goal since
"It's certainly an embarrassing situation," the Kansas coach said after the incident. "And it's embarrassing for our program."
Who knows what happened next, but the Jayhawks won seven straight.
Sure, each game was against inferior competition — the slate included home games against South Dakota State, Baker and Western Illinois. But it felt good to win again.
"I really think our team is progressing well." Price said after his second victory against Western Illinois, number 302 in his career.
The same leadership skills that helped him to win those games helped the team regain traction. The players proved that by capping their winning streak with a victory against Nebraska.
OK, the Jayhawks dropped their next two games in embarrassing fashion, allowing nine runs in each contest. But that's supposed to happen against teams such as Nebraska, a baseball powerhouse.
"For being the first series Big 12-wise, I think we played pretty well," junior relief pitcher Don Czvy said.
Czyz is right. And one-run victories aren't supposed to happen against the Cornhuskers. Especially when a team, as Kansas was, was held hitless for four innings. And
when that team, as Kansas did,
looked down-and-out just three
weeks earlier.
"We have to make every play when we're playing a team as good as Nebraska." Price said.
And they did, at least for one game. So this weekend, go out to your favorite bar and toast coach Price.
Just make sure to avoid the after parties. I hear they can get rowdy.
A y d n s d c T H C H g f k i t v =
Cross is a Kansas City, Mo,
senior in Journalism. He is
Kansan sports editor.
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