WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Kansas falls to No. 13 Iowa State. SEE PAGE 6B. Swimming: Team finishes fifth in Big 12 Conference. SEE PAGE 3B.
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SPORTS
1B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2002
COMMENTARY
Brendan Woodbury
bwoodbury@kansan.com
Olympics trip surprising spirited alcohol-free
At midnight last Tuesday, one of my pledge brothers called me, told me he found two tickets to Friday's Olympic ice hockey semifinal, and said he'd buy my ticket if I drove.
Forty hours later, I picked him up in Kansas City, and we set off on 1-29 for the 19-hour drive to Salt Lake City.
It was everything and nothing like what I imagined.
AARON SHOWALTER/KANSAN
On Wednesday night, the United States and Russia won their games, setting up a rematch of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice." Twenty-two years later to the day, the United States would again face the Evil Empire on home ice in an Olympic semifinal. Millions would be watching. I needed to figure out how to get on TV.
I tried to get the flags from Fraser to take to the games. I thought about making posters. As it turned out, it's a good thing I didn't waste my time.
Kansas forward Keith Langford fights for a rebound against Nebraska. Langford had seven points and three rebounds in 17 minutes of play, including a clutch three point shot that put the Jayhawks ahead for good.
Getting on TV is an unofficial Olympic sport in itself and the competition is intense. Let me put it this way: the guys next to me came in pink bunny costumes with USA Hockey jerseys and they were never even in contention. To make the cameras, you need to wear a bobsled uniform, be Cuba Gooding Jr. or Wayne Gretzkv.
When I packed my car Thursday afternoon, I brought along a list of events for the two days we would be in Salt Lake. We only had tickets for hockey, but I figured we could get to a couple other events — hopefully giant slalom or speed skating, but, if nothing else, surely curling.
So the trip didn't match my expectations, but it more than met them. Every person we saw was having a wonderful time. Everybody was friendly. Our boys beat their boys through a brilliant performance. We drove forty hours for thirty hours of Olympic excitement and it was completely worth it.
I'm already making plans for Athens in 2004. But this time I think I'll fly.
Nope. I am neither rich nor powerful, and to do the Olympic experience right, you need to be one or both. Almost everything at the Olympics costs a tremendous amount of money to half of the people and is free to the other half. Our hockey tickets cost $400 each. We bought them from the guys at the International Biathlon Federation, who got them free. My friend, who works for Coca-Cola, found out too late that the piles of free company pins he left at home would fetch $20 each in Salt Lake. For the sports federations, the curling tickets were free, but for us, over $200. No sale.
That didn't happen either. It turns out that Utah is filled with Mormons and Mormons don't drink. Hence, no bars. There are actually billboards for night skiing that say "The most intoxicating thing in Salt Lake." They're not joking. We had a great time Friday night, but with no liquor and, unfortunately, no beautiful Olympians.
Early Friday morning, as we hurtled through the Wyoming Rockies, my thoughts turned to the Olympic night life. I pictured going into a club, having a few drinks and waking up in the arms of a blonde German speed skater who shall remain nameless, except to say that her name rhymes with Bonnie Glysinger
Woodbury is a Prairie Village senior in organismal biology and political science.
'Hawks edge 'Huskers Langford's three-pointer propels Kansas to last-minute victory
By Doug Pacey
Kansan sportswriter
LINCOLN, Neb. — There were no jittery, wide-eyed players in Kansas' huddle near the end of yesterday's down-to-the-wire thriller against Nebraska.
Down 87-85 with 45 seconds left and playing before a Cornhusker crowd making the most noise heard in Lincoln since Nebraska's last home football game was a pressure situation.
Big deal.
The Jayhawks had been in this situation before. They came back in the final two minutes to beat Iowa State a month ago. Kansas also beat an overachieving Texas squad in overtime two weeks ago.
So during the Jayhawks' last possession, who makes the game-winning three-pointer?
Keith Langford, a freshman.
"This is why you play basketball," said Langford, who scored seven points in 19 minutes. "You want to be in that type of situation."
A stone-faced and butterfly-free Langford hit a three-pointer from the top of the key with 32 seconds left, which gave No.1 Kansas (25-2 overall, 14-0 Big 12) an 88-87 lead that held for the rest of the game at the Devaney Sports Center and clinched the Jayhawks' first Big 12 Conference championship since the 1997-98 season.
But the swingman wasn't even supposed to touch the ball on that play. Coach Roy Williams said he called a play for senior guard Jeff Boschee —
the same play where the senior guard hit a three-pointer to beat Iowa State a month ago — but senior guard Brett Ballard took the ball to the wrong side of the court, which made Langford the shooter.
"It was just a freshman stepping up and taking the big shot." Boschee said. "It was definitely a big-time
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 6B
Dynamic duo clinch win against Nebraska
By Brent Wasko
Kansan sportswriter
LINCOLN, Neb. — Kansas freshman guard Keith Langford and senior guard Brett Ballard couldn't stop smiling after the Jayhawks snuck past Nebraska in thrilling fashion at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
On a team with so many starplayers, Langford and Ballard had seemingly been lost in the mix this
season — until yesterday. The duo came through for the Jayhawks in the clutch, hitting huge shots with less than one minute to play and helping to propel the team to an 88-87 victory against the Cornhuskers
"Ah, man, I'm feeling good," Langford said with a huge grin on his face. "It felt good to have the opportunity to make that shot on
The victory gave Kansas the Big 12 Conference regular season championship.
national television, and I'm going to fit my finger for a ring. We didn't play as hard as we could have. We just wanted to get out of here alive."
Langford nailed a three-pointer from the top of the key with 34 seconds remaining in the game. The shot gave the Jayhawks the lead for the first time since the 16:52 mark in the second half and was just enough to provide Kansas with the victory.
SEE LANGFORD ON PAGE 6B
Track team sustains the pace in Lincoln
By Matt Norton Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas track team continued to move up the ladder in the Big 12 Conference at the annual indoor championships Friday and Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.
The women, led by a first-place finish by junior Monique Peters in the long jump, finished sixth with 62 points. Texas won the women's competition with 107
The men left Lincoln with two Big 12 champions, senior Scott Russell in the 35-pound weight throw and sophomore Leo Bookman in the 200-meter dash, and finished in seventh place with 60 points. In the men's division, Nebraska won the championship with 105.5 points.
Last year, both the women and men finished ninth.
Both team races were hotly contested this year, with only six points separating fourth from seventh on the women's side and 12 points between fourth and eighth for the men.
"We didn't get the points exactly the way I thought we'd get them, but it was really exciting," coach Stanley Redwine said. "We had some outstanding performances, and it's really tough to single anyone out, because everyone gave a great effort."
Bookman had an impressive weekend for the Jayhawks, breaking his own school record in the 60 meters during the preliminaries with a time of 6.73 seconds, then snagging third place in the final despite a slow start out of the blocks.
When Bookman came out later for the 200, he rocketed to the front from the gun and held off Terence Newman of Kansas State in a time of 21.03. That time also broke his own school record and should qualify him for the NCAA championships
Not yet finished, Bookman chipped in a 46.7 leg on the 4x400 relay, leading the team to its fastest time of the season, 3.13.93. In one of the most competitive events of the meet, that mark was good only for ninth, but showed how far Bookman's fitness has come since joining the track team after football season.
"Yeah, I'm running good this year," Bookman said. "I credit it to running on the 4x4 because the 400 just makes me stronger for the 200 and the 60."
Russell again easily handled some of the best throwers in the country, winning the weight throw on Friday by nearly eight feet.
Russell said not breaking his personal best left him with added motivation heading into the NCAA meet in two weeks.
SEE TRACK ON PAGE 3B
Strong pitching, hitting lead to victory
By Ryan Wood
Kansan sportswriter
The Jayhawks combined that strong starting-pitching with hot hitting Saturday, winning both games of a Saturday doubleheader, 8-7 and 13-1, and completing the three game sweep of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. They also won 4-1 on Friday.
The Kansas baseball team is pointing its success to one thing.
"Our pitching has come on real strong," junior outfielder Lance Hayes said. "I just think our pitching is what's kept us in it most of the time."
Lance Hayes crosses home plate in the Jayhawks' 8-7 victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee in game one Saturday. The team won the second game 13-1 and is 8-0 on the season.
With the victories, Kansas improved to 8-0, its best start in school history.
"I'm proud of these guys and what they've been doing," coach Bobby Randall said. "At times we've been struggling a little offensively, but we scored a lot of runs today."
Wisconsin-Milwaukee jumped to an early 1-0 lead in Saturday's first game, but Kansas scored one in the second and three in the third to take a 4-1 advantage.
The Jayhawks extended the lead to 7-1 before the Panthers started to rally. Senior pitcher Dan Olson had control problems in the seventh, walking two and hitting two, and Wisconsin-Milwaukee tacked three runs on the board.
"We probably left Danny in a little too long that first game," Randall said, "but it got away from him so quick."
Sophomore outfielder Matt Tribble's RBI single in the eighth proved to be crucial, as the Panthers tacked three
more runs on in the ninth before sophomore pitcher Chris Smart forced Ryan Dolan to ground out, ending the scare.
"I was a little nervous that first game," Randall said. "We didn't know we were going to win."
Hayes' home run to lead off the first inning of the second game seemed to set the tone for the rest of the day. Kansas
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 3B
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