WEDNESDAY. IANUARY 26. 2005
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
3B
Big 12 tennis teams improve
BY RAHUL SHARMA
rsharma@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWINTER
Editor's note: With the spring tennis season underway, Kansas sportswriter Rahul Sharma will preview every team in the Big 12 Conference this week. This is part one of the four-part series.
Bavlor
Coming off a fourth-place Big 12 Conference finish in the 2004 season, the Baylor Bears continue to make strides.
Third-year coach Joey Scrivano led Baylor to its first ever Big 12 regular season championship in 2003. The team's goals remain the same.
"Our goals have been the same since day one," Scrivano says. "And that's to be the best program in the country."
WALTER
Baylor sophomore Carolin Walter is an all-conference performer in both the singles and doubles competitions. She is coming off an exceptional fall
a 6-2 record in singles.
"Last season, Carolin was the best player we had in our program," Scrivano said. "Her game is built around the serve."
Scrivano said he intended to expand Walter's versatility.
Sophomore Zuzana Cerna
reached the quarterfinals of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Southwest Regionals and won the doubles bracket alongside junior Daniela Covello.
"Cerna is one of the more talented players," Scrivano said. "She has improved a lot and could emerge as the top player for us."
One name to look out for is freshman Zuzana Zemenova. Scrivano said Zemenova was the most athletic player he had ever coached.
Because of a lack of seniors, Scrivano said he believed the Bears' success would depend on his players' mental maturity.
"I feel we have the athletes in place, but our attitude is going to determine how far we go," he said.
The Bears will be strong contenders for the Big 12 title come April.
Colorado
The Colorado Buffalooes have established themselves as a consistent program. Since coach Nicole Kenneally's arrival in 2001, the Buffaloes have progressively improved, finishing fifth in the conference last year.
Sophomore Lynzee Kever enters her second season, having posted a successful freshman stint in 2004. The O k l a h o m a native competed at the top of the Buffalo's
KEVER
lineup and captured first team all Big 12 honors. She also was named the 2004 ITA Central Region Rookie of the Year. Kever registered 12 victories in the singles competition as a freshman and also contributed in the doubles.
With 54 career singles victories at Colorado, senior Kendra Strandemo posted a 9-3 mark in singles in 2004 conference play. Strandemo, alongside her doubles partner, junior Jessica Vanderdys, began the 2005 campaign ranked 52nd in the latest ITA Division I rankings.
Sophomore Martina Sedivec hopes to build off last season's momentum. The Canada native won five of her last six matches to close out the 2004 campaign.
Junior Jenny Hanson continues to show signs of improvement.
Three freshmen — Allison Quinn, Veera Nurmi and Brooke Stern — will be competing for extended playtime for Colorado. The lineup has a lot of balance to challenge the top programs in the conference.
Missouri
Once at the depths of the Big 12, the Missouri
Tigers have become a stead mid-level force.
Under coach Blake Starkey, the Tigers have gained the status of a respectable program over the last two seasons. In 2004, Missouri finished sixth in the conference with a 14-9 regular season record. Starkey, who began his tenure in 1997, is a simple coach who understands the process in the development
of his players. As a husband and father of two young children, Starkey possesses many perspectives on life and attributed his success to his family.
"I see things differently." Starkey said. "I want my players feeling comfortable. I want to be a coach that my own daughter feels comfortable with."
Senior
Kat k a
Sevcikova, a
two-time all-
conference
player, is a
solid competitor who is
coming off a productive fall season,
Starkey said.
SEVCIKOVA
Sevicikova has the all-court game and is at her best when she attacks the net.
"She is a very gifted athlete,' he said.
Senior Mary Barry really developed her game last year If healthy, Barry is projected to be at the number three slot in singles.
Senior Carolyn Kramer, a Virginia Tech transfer, is another athletic talent who should contribute in 2005.
Junior Hana Kraftova is trying to overcome a poor Fall season. She is a solid baseliner and her toughest critic. Starkey said.
For Starkey, getting beaten is acceptable; losing is not.
"I don't expect my team to lose," he said. "If we focus on putting ourselves in position to win, then the wins will take care of themselves."
Edited by Ross Fitch
BASKETBALL
place in the Big 12
The Wildcats out rebounded Iowa State 60-37, including 26-11 on the offensive glass, and had a 23-4 edge in secondchance points.
Katie Robinette had 23 points and eight rebounds to lead the Cyclones (15-2, 5-1), who had their 12-game winning streak stopped.
victory against No. 18 Iowa State last night.
Anne O'Neil, Iowa State's leading scorer, was held to nine points on 3-for-13 shooting.
Iowa State had its worst shooting performance from beyond the 3-point line, going 3-for-25.
The Associated Press
Claire Coggins and Laurie Koehn each added 13 points for the Wildcats (15-3, 6-1 Big 12), who were coming off a 55-3 victory against then-No. 10 Texas Tech on Saturday. Kansas State moved into first
Steven Bartkoski/KANSAN
Rhino Page, junior bowler, practices at the Jaybowl in the Kansas Union. Page won the National Amateur Bowling Championship and qualified for Team USA. The USA team will be traveling to Germany and Costa Rica, and because of Page's victory, they will be competing in the World Cup this year.
K-State at top of Big 12 after beating Iowa State
Page, bowling team roll in tournament
BY JASON ELMQUIST
jelmquist@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWEEK
MANHATTAN — Kendra Wecker scored 26 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead No. 16 Kansas State to a 74-52
Fresh off a U.S. Amateur Championship, junior Rhino Page returned to the collegiate stage with a bang.
Page finished first overall and propelled the University of Kansas men's bowling team to victory. The men's bowling team has not won any tournaments since the first two of the season.
Page has participated in only three tournaments this season and the team took first in all three. While Page was with the Team USA bowling team, the KU men's team played in several tournaments. Most notable was a fourteenth place and an eleventh place finish during semester break.
Teammate Dan Ahl said the team needed to bowl well to make up for Page's absence. "It has made us a little more versatile," Ahl said.
Page was named the Most Outstanding Player on last year's championship team. He said finishing first at the Blue and Gold
Coach Mike Fine said he and his players joked after their latest victory that the team is now a "fully operational death star" with Page's return.
"I've overcome so many obstacles," Page said. "My confidence just keeps building. Right now it's the highest my confidence has ever been."
Invitational was special.
"We are a complete team again, which we've not had since the second tournament of the season." Ahl said.
Several players feel that the team has unlimited potential because of Page.
"The three victories feel really good," Page said. "But we want to go undefeated the rest of the season."
While the team aims to defend its title, the players expressed that they know they have to keep working on their game.
"We've got to practice hard, work hard and get better," Ahl said.
"There is no letting up because we can be beaten by anyone on any day."
Edited by Jennifer Voldness