MONDAY,APRIL 15.2002
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3D
Tennis team wins again still tops in conference
The Kansas women's tennis team defeated Nebraska, 5-2, yesterday in Lincoln, Neb., garnering its 12th straight win, moving to 15-3 on the season and 9-0 in the Big 12 Conference.
Starting out, though, it seemed the Huskers would easily defend their home turf by beating two of three Kansas doubles teams in the opening matches. At No.1, Nebraska's Gitte Ostermann and Katarina Balan defeated the Kansas sophomore duo of Courtney and Kristen Steinbock, 8-5, handling the Steinbocks their second loss in their last 10 matches. At No.2, sophomore Emily Haylock and freshman Paige Brown fought back, winning Kansas' only doubles match over Nebraska's Anna Oehne and Rose Ketmayura, 8-4. The victory was the pair's fourth consecutive win at No.2 doubles.
Amy Frisch defeated the Jayhawks' senior Cheryl Malliaiah and freshman Aurelie Bejar. 8-4, winning the doubles point for Nebraska.
At No. 3, the 'Huskers' Leslie Harvey and
Kansas fought back in singles play, shutting down the Nebraska players one by one for the victory. Courtney Steinbock claimed her 11th straight singles victory. Big 12 Tennis Player of the Week, Bejar, scored her 12th straight singles victory. Haylock was the Jayhawks' only loss in singles play. Omaha, Neb., native, Kim Lorenz, now 10-1 against conference opponents, took advantage of her hometown crowd as she defeated Nebraska's Rebecca Harvey.
"It feels good to play in front of family and friends, I haven't done that since high school," Lorenz said. "I was a little nervous, but all that matters is that we won as a team."
—Kansan staff report
Rowers bounce back with win
Rv Brent Wasko
By Brent Wasko
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas rowing team rebounded from a disappointing home opener two weeks ago with an impressive performance at the Knecht Cup this weekend in Camden, N.J.
Kansas' second varsity eight-boot, third varsity eight-boat and varsity four-bootall finished in first place in their respective races. The Jayhawks' first varsity eight-boot took third, just six seconds behind the top boat.
All four boats lost to Texas two weeks ago in Lawrence.
While Kansas coach Rob Catloth said he was pleased with results, he said he still saw room for improvement.
"We're still not rowing with confidence in our final race, but I think we made a lot of speed improvements." Catloth said.
Rob Catloth
More than 50 schools competed in at least one race during the two-day regatta. There was no overall winner at the Knecht Cup.
Sophomore rower Bett Hickey, who competed on the Jawhacks' varsity four-boat,
said she wasn't surprised the team was able to improve so much during the past few weeks.
I think we were a little unprepared for the Texas race. It was a kind of a wake-up call, we were ready to go this time," Hickey said. "I think the Texas race was kind of a fluke, but we needed to prove to ourselves we could win."
Catloth said he wanted to see better results from the team's best boat — the varsity eightboat. That is where the team gains most of its points in regattas that have overall winners.
"We have to start working together as a team," she said. "The varsity-eight boat reflects on what the entire team is doing, so we have improve."
"We're closer to where we want to be speed-wise," he said. "A lot of our problems have to do with mental focus. We're good in preliminary races, but we're not rowing with confidence in the finals."
Junior rover Jen Van Ruyven, a member of the varsity eight-boat, said the team wouldn't truly have its confidence back until the team's top boat won some races.
Kansas will be back in action April 20 and 21 in Stanford, Calif., for the Stanford Invitational.
■ Contact Wasako at bwasko@kansan.com.
This story was edited by Kristi Henderson.
Tiger Woods wins Masters for second straight year
The Associated Press
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Not the best players in the world, not a toughened up Augusta National could stop Tiger Woods' march to Masters history.
Woods made short work of the tournament's longest course ever yesterday, and had an even easier time against a collection of top-ranked players who scrawled for the sidelines as he became only the third player to win back-to-back titles.
An early burst of birds gave him control, and Woods never let anyone closer than two strokes the rest of the way. He closed with a 2-under 70 to claim a three-stroke victory over U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen.
"After the front nine, I knew it was all over for me. I just tried really hard for second," Goosen said. "It is obviously difficult playing with Tiger."
Despite all the changes to the course, the scene was all too familiar.
Woods walking up the 18th fairway in a victory parade, tugging on the brim of his cap to acknowledge the applause. Give him the lead at Augusta — or just about any major — and just wait for everyone else to back down.
Woods looked to the sky and smiled when his 18-foot birdie putt just missed, but he tapped in for par and walked over to hug his parents.
He finished at 276 and won a green jacket for the third time in six years. He became the first player to repeat as Masters champion since Nick Faldo in 1990. Jack Nicklaus was the only other, in 1965-66, and Woods' victory put him halfway to Nicklaus' mark of six Masters.
Last year, Woods battled Phil Mickelson and David Duval down the stretch to win the Masters and become the first player to sweep the four professional majors.
Another right finish loomed, with six of the top seven players in the world all poised to win the Masters. By the end of the day, they were scratching their heads, trying to figure out what they could do — if anything — to tame Tiger.
thing happen to catch Tiger, because we knew he wasn't going to falter," said Mickelson, who closed with a 71 to finish third, his 39th major and still regarded as the best to never win one.
"We were all trying to make some-
Woods accepted his green jacket from Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson — usually, that's the job of the defending champion.
"I think we're going to wear this jacket out putting it on you before your career is over," Johnson told Woods as he slipped it over his shoulders.
Johnson is the one who ordered the changes at Augusta, adding 285 yards, stretching the bunkers and shifting the tees, all designed to make the Masters a tougher test.
Rain softened the course and allowed for lower scoring. Perhaps it was Woods' presence that turned so many top challengers into mush.
Two-time U.S. Open champion Ernie Els tried to make a charge, and wound up with an 8 by hitting into the trees and into the creek.
former Masters and PGA champion Vijay Singh went into the creek, into the crowd, into the trees and then took a 9 on No.15. Goosen, who started the final round tied with Woods, was already three strokes behind after three holes.
"I was kind of surprised, no doubt about it." Woods said about no one making a run. "But that doesn't deter me from my concentration."
It was similar to Woods' record-breaking season in 2000, when he won the U.S. Open by a record 15 strokes and the British Open by eight strokes.
"Give him a couple of more years, and I think Tiger will be greater than even lack Nicklaus," Goosen said.
He won his seventh professional major, joining a list that includes Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer, who made this Masters his 48th and last.
So dominant is Woods that he became the first player since the Masters began in 1934 to win a major championship four years in a row.
He also reminded people how tough he is in the final round. Woods
now is 23-2 when he has at least a share of the 54-hole lead.
Woods earned $1,008.00 for his 31st career victory, and he became the first two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year.
Goosen didn't make a birdie until the 15th hole, but moved into second when everyone else fell apart. The South African closed with a 74 and finished at 279.
"I was asking one of the officials, do I get the green pants for finishing second?" Goosen said.
Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal started five strokes back and was never in the hunt. He felt no pressure and made no big mistakes, finishing with a 71 to take fourth place at 281.
fourth place in the
it was only the second time this year that Woods failed to break 70 in
the final round, but Augusta National
finally showed some bite. Shigeki
Maruyama of Japan had a 67 and was
the only player to break 70.
Mickelson, playing in the group in front of Woods, made an early statement by hitting a 9-iron out of the fairway bunker into 14 inches on the first hole for birdie, then making another birdie on No.2. Just like that, he was only two strokes behind.
Els also birdied the first two holes, poised to make a charge.
Singh got as close to two strokes to Woods, but when he three-putted for bogey on No. 11 to fall four behind, he slung his ball into the water. Another time, Singh put his hands over his head when his second shot to the par-5 13th bounced off the green and into a creek.
Els had a chance to get within two strokes as he watched his approach descend on the flag at No. 9. It pitched 3 feet from the pin, spun down the slope and off the green, and Els raised his club as if he wanted to pound the soggy turf.
It got much worse. He hit his drive into the trees down the left side of the 13th hole, and instead of pitching out, tried to cut the corner with hopes of still making birdie. Instead, he bounced off more trees and went into the creek, then hit his next shot in the water.