THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2012
PAGE 7
TRACK AND FIELD
Kansas scores eleven victories in Emporia
TYLER BIERWIRTH/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Sophonore James Wilson is calm during the men's 3,000 meter run during January's Javhawk Classic. Wilson placed second with a time of 8:37.09.
MAX GOODWIN
mgoodwin@kansan.com
EMPORIA — Saturday began with pouring rain, but the sun eventually dried the track at Welch Stadium, allowing the Kansas track and field team to shine at the Emporia State Relays.
The Kansas distance runners traveled to Stanford to compete with the top runners of those events.
With many of the team's best athletes not competing like Mason Finley, Demi Payne, Heather Bergman and Alena Krechyk, it was still a meet that indicated this team is going in the right direction early in the outdoor track and field season. Kansas finished the day with victories in 11 events.
"We wanted some areas to do really well and they did," coach Redwine said. "I was really impressed with Paris Daniels 100 and 200 surprisingly well. Other than that everyone just competed hard today and I was very pleased to see that."
Junior Paris Daniels was impressive in the 200-meter dash and even more so in the 100-meter, setting a meet record. Sophomore Alex English and freshman Greg Lupton each jumped to a personal record in the pole vault. Senior Tessa Turcotte won her first collegiate race in the 5,000-meter race, and junior Josh Baden was the winner of the men's 5,000-meter. Sophomore Diamond Dixon just edged senior Shayla Wilson at the finish line of the 800-meter race, after Wilson led the whole race.
"I think Diamond should be going up to Shayla and giving her a big hug and tell her thank you." Redwine said "Diamond did a good job in passing Shayla at the end, that's just preperation work for her 400."
Still, it was the first and second meet for some of the athletes competing. Junior Danesha Morris wanted a better time than the 55.01 seconds she ran going into the 400-meter dash. It was her first race of the outdoor season, a winning
race that came just .12 of a second from an Emporia State Relay record.
The day ended with the men's 4x400-meter relay and freshman Michael Stigler running the final leg. His Kansas team fell behind the leading Johnson County team. By the time it was his turn, he avoided the loss by running a very fast 400-meter.
"We were in shooting range for first I just knew I had to get out, just stayed relaxed and did everything coach Brewer told me to do and it
paid off right here tonight." Michael Stigler said after the race about what he was thinking when the baton was passed to him.
Even coach Redwine was impressed by the final leg of the freshman sprinter.
"I itch it it was awesome. He ran 46.5 seconds, that's probably his first time running 46.5, he did a phenomenal job and competed exceptionally well."
Edited by Pat Strathman
MEN'S GOLF
Putting will be key at Talking Stick Golf Club in Arizona
TREVOR GRAFF
tgraff@kansan.com
The Kansas men's golf team begins play today in the Cowboy Classic at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The 24-team field includes conference foes Texas Tech and Kansas State. The par-70 course raises the importance of the short game.
Senior Doug Quinones takes a chip shot just off the green Monday morning during the Kansas Invitational. During junior college, Quinones played every meet in the number one position.
"The depth is pretty good, there are typically some pretty good teams here," said coach Kit Grove. "It's a good golf course. It's very playable and the weather looks like it's going to be perfect as usual out here."
CHRIS NEAL/KANSAN
The Jayhawks continue to work on consistency on the course, with players poised to break the top ten at any time, Grove grove said it is a matter of putting it together as a team.
"It's been a strange year. The perfect example is Doug last week," Grove said of senior Doug Quinones. "He plays well the first day and is just outside the top 10, Five days before he playing off for his spot in the lineup. That's just been how we are this year. Our consistency just isn't there."
Six Jajahwks have finished 21st or better this season, but the team hasn't finished better than eighth in any tournament this season. Grove can't put a finger on what is causing the inconsistency, but said the team hasn't done a great job of finishing off rounds.
"It's the biggest cliche in golf, but it's one shot at a time on the course," said Grove. "The young kids get in there, and you hate to say it, but they're still kids, and they start thinking about the tough tee shot they have to hit in two holes versus the easy wedge shot they have right in front of them. For us, it's all about staying in the moment."
Grove focuses on keeping players loose on the course and focusing on the shot at hand. He also helps players pick good targets to aim at off the tee and for approaching the green.
"We need two guys to put it together in the same week, and two more to play decent," Grove said. "We have two guys play poorly everyday, and even in the tournaments where our scores were typically better, we were still counting four, five and six-over for one man. That takes away from the work, hopefully your first three have done."
This approach is especially important with two freshman, Dylan McClure and David Auer, in the lineup.
Gutesha works with a mental coach once a week to help prepare for the mental element of golf.
"You can't let shots affect you," Gutesha said. "Whatever happens, happens. You can't control it. You don't focus at all on outcome goals like your score or what place you want to get. While your playing, you just focus on that shot, and hitting the best shot possible."
Junior Alex Gutesha is familiar with Talking Stick Golf Club. He played there last season and a few times on his own over the summer. Gutesha said he is working on his consistency on the course. He said he is focusing on putting and improving
his scoring over the past week of practice.
The Jayhawks will play two rounds Monday and the Final round Tuesday. After the Cowboy Classic, the Jayhawks head to the Western Intercollegiate April 14-15.
Edited by Max Lush
SOFTBALL FROM PAGE 12
out the first game, Pille made one mistake, a three-run homer, in the bottom of the sixth inning.
"I think it was just a lack of focus." Pille said. "We didn't come in intense and focused and that hurt us."
Smith said the key for Kansas was securing at least one victory against a top-25 team for their ultimate goal of making the NCAA Regionals in May.
Saturday's victory becomes all the more important as Kansas heads back to Lawrence for a 13-game home stand. The victory marks the third conference win for Kansas, the most in a season since Smith took over before the 2010 season.
"It definitely gives us momentum to come win every game we can at home," Naudin said. "We just need to come out like we did the last game every single game. We can't come out like we did the first two games."
Edited by Max Lush
MLB
Naudin just hopes that the team brings the same intensity to every home game that it displayed on Saturday.
Royals begin year with series victory
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler homered and drove in three runs apiece, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 Sunday, taking two of three in their season-opening series.
Vernon Wells homered in the eighth, but Los Angeles again struggled defensively and on the mound. Ervin Santana (0-1) yielded seven hits and six runs while failing to get out of the sixth inning.
Howie Kendrick and Puijos reached base to open the ninth, but
Jonathan Sanchez (1-0) survived through five innings to win his first start with the Royals, who dampened the revamped Angels' much-hyped home debut with two victories after getting shut out on opening day.
Albert Pujols went 2 for 3 with a double and two walks, driving in his first run for the Angels with a first-inning groundout. Los Angeles' new $240 million slugger went 3 for 10 with two doubles in his first three games at Angel Stadium.
Jonathan Broxton relieved Aaron Crow and struck out Tori Hunter, Wells and Kendrys Morales for an impressive finish to his first save for the Rovals.
Butler hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and Hosmer added a two-run shot in the fifth before scoring his third run of the day on Butler's double in the seventh.
Hosmer, the Royals' prized 22-year-old first baseman, also homered Saturday for the majors' youngest team, getting off to a dynamic start to his first full major league season.
After ace Jered Weaver blanked the Royals for eight innings on opening day, the next two pitchers in the Angels' vaunted rotation haven't lived up to their billing.
Sanchez allowed four hits and three walks, but was resilient in his debut for the Royals, who acquired him last November in a trade with San Francisco for Melky Cabrera. Sanchez won 38 games and a World Series ring over six seasons with the Giants, but had a winning record just once in four years as a regular starter.
WOMEN'S GOLF
After two-week break, team ready for next tournament
TREVOR GRAFF
tgraff@kansan.com
The Kansas Women's golf team competes in the Knights and Pirates Invitational at Suntree Country Club in Melbourne, Fla., today.
The tournament marks the last tournament of the regular season. The Jayhawks are looking to improve on a 14th place finish at the Mountain View Collegiate after a two-week break.
"We've stayed focused on our short game and we played quite a bit," said coach Erin N.Neil. "The more we can find ways to put them in pressure situations and the more they can practice, we'll start to see that carry over to the course and competition."
The Jayhawks have never played the course at Suntree Country Club. The course features several doglegs, holes that feature a sharp bend in the middle, and water hazards. These obstacles are
leading coach O'neil to focus on course management and keeping the ball in the fairway in practice.
This week's lineup includes senior Katy Nugent, junior Audrey Yowell, sophomores Meghan Poete and Thanuttra Boonrasakas and freshman Michelle Woods.
The two-week break allowed the team's freshmen, Gabriella DiMarco and Woods, to make improvements in their short games and ball striking.
The tournament's 15-team field includes Texas Tech, Illinois Michigan, Wisconsin, Boston College and No. 32 Purdue, alongside tournament hosts Central Florida and East Carolina.
"It's a good mix of teams" O'neil said. "If we could finish well here, it would definitely help in the rankings and be a good confidence boost going into the conference tournament."
O'neil said the keys for Kansas' success this week are keeping the
ball in the fairway off the tee, managing the course well and putting the ball well. These three points have been a consistent theme this season for the Jayhawks.
The Jayhawks have developed a sense of team in an individual game.
"Golf is such an individual sport, we've been trying to find ways to promote a sense of team," O'neil said.
One example of this was a worst shot scramble the team played in practice last week. Instead of picking the best ball off the tee shot like in a normal scramble, the three-player groups chose the worst ball, allowing them to practice pressure shots and getting out of trouble.
The Jayhawks move to postseason play after this week's event. They will host the Big 12 tournament in Lawrence April 27-29.
— Edited by Max Lush