4B = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
MONDAY,APRIL14,2003
Tracksters qualify for Regionals Softball loses twice Aggie throws no-hitter
The Kansas track and field team should feel confident at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark.
At the Tyson Foods Invitational on Feb. 14 and 15, the team had eight athletes set personal best times or marks in Fayetteville.
The season's biggest highlight for the team also took place at Arkansas when junior Leo Bookman won the indoor 200-meter dash national title on March 15. Kansas coach Stanley Redwine is a former Razorback runner and coach, and he is a member of the Arkansas Hall of Honor.
These accomplishments helped the team once again have a strong performance Saturday at the John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville.The team had four women, three men and the women's 4x400-meter relay team qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Regional Championships, which is the most qualifiers the team has produced in any meet this year.
Regional qualifiers for the women's team included sophomore Kim Clark in the 800-meter run, junior Laura Lavoie and sophomore Megan Mante in the 1,500-meter run, and freshman Abby Emsick in the shot put.
The men's team qualifiers were junior T.J. Hackler and freshman Brett Terp in the high jump and senior Benaud Shirley in the triple jump. Hackler won the triple jump with a leap of 6-feet-11 1/2 and was the men's team only event winner. The women's
event winners included Lavioie in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4 minutes,27.67 seconds and Emsick in both the discus (157-5) and the shot put (46-9 1/2).
At a recent press conference, Redwine said that he was happy with his team so far this season,but he continued to have bigger goals.
"I wish we were better, and we'll say that until we're national champions," Redwine said. "But compared to where we were this time last year, I think we're doing much better, and so we're going to continue to work hard."
Kansas will host the 76th annual Kansas Relays this week, April16 to 19, at Memorial Stadium.
Edited by Christy Dendurent
Avalanche, Wild prepare for Game 3
Minnesota hosts playoff after 11-season absence
The Associated Press
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The playoffs return to Minnesota for the first time in 11 seasons today, and the Wild brought back a little bonus.
One of the league's biggest surprises has the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series even at 1 with the powerful Colorado Avalanche.
After splitting two with the Avalanche in Denver, the Wild stole home-ice advantage and now get three of the final five — if the series lasts that long — at a sold-out, sure-to-be loud Xcel Energy Center.
Game 5 is tonight, and Game 4 is in St. Paul on Wednesday. Great goaltending, pesky defense, sound fundamentals and excellent coaching have gotten them to this point in just three seasons.
"It's going to be exciting or our fans," center Wes Walz said. "They've waited a long time for a playoff game. The first couple of years weren't always the greatest. We lost quite a few games, and they've always stuck behind us."
The last time the state of Minnesota
The Avs are prepared for a not-so-friendly welcome.
"I think we probably are going to face a different team," center Joe Sakic said. "They will have more energy and try to come out hard and forecheck a little bit more. That's the way they usually play there."
The Wild were able to win Game 1 with a strong showing by Dwayne Roloson in the net (39 saves) and a 10-minute lapse by Colorado goalie Patrick Roy that put Minnesota up 3-0 in the second period.
The Wild stayed out of the penalty box in that one, too, something they didn't do in Saturday's 3-2 loss, aided by a rebound from Roy (24 saves) and some recharged Avalanche special teams.
Colorado was 0-for-3 on the power play and killed just two of three penalties Thursday. But in Game 2, Milan Hejduk scored in the first period with the man advantage and the Avalanche killed four of five penalties.
Minnesota took six penalties in the first period alone.
"That's not our game," center Darby Hendrickson said. "That's not going to help us in a series like this, or really help any team.
"To their credit, they were able to capitalize. We didn't come back and get what we wanted. I think the penalties made it more challenging."
Another hurdle the Wild will have to clear in Game 3 is their own adrenaline. Some players are concerned about coming out too aggressively.
"We might," coach Jacques Lemaire said. "I just hope that it won't be too much of a factor. When everyone wants to go offense, you can have some problems.
That's also the reason Lemaire doesn't announce which goalie he'll play ahead of time. Roloson has been sharp so far, but Lemaire has promised to give Manny Fernandez at least one start, too.
Count on seeing both clubs fighting hard to score the first goal. The Wild scored first in Game 1, and the Avs did it in Game 2.
"It's going to be important to get a good start." Colorado coach Tony Granato said. "If you can get the first goal, you generally have a pretty good chance of winning the game."
U.S. Olympic Committee restructures
The Associated Press
FORT WORTH, Texas — A day after an in-house task force proposed the most sweeping changes in the history of the U.S. Olympic Committee, its members began jockeying for position in the new leadership structure.
The task force recommended trimming 114 spots off the 123-member board of directors and eliminating the 21-member governing executive committee.
Responses were positive after the presentation Saturday, but the tone was decidedly different a day later as members began to realize the chair had been pulled from beneath them.
"I think you've been pushed and shoved and scared by the politicians in Washington," board member George Killian said yesterday. "No matter how hard you've worked, you really haven't
thought it out. I'm convinced you haven't satisfied anybody at all. You've left out too many people."
It's exactly the response Colorado Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell expected from a group known for its finger-pointing and political maneuvering.
"I think they've moved in the right direction, but they still have to get it passed," said Campbell, part of a Senate committee investigating the USOC. "That might not be easy."
The scandal-ridden organization got into its latest mess in part because the volunteers and paid staff couldn't get along.
The board unanimously approved a motion in support of the initial restructuring proposal, but then the political posturing started up again.
Board member Anita DeFrantz was the first to take the microphone during an open forum, voicing her displeasure
that only one of the four U.S. IOC members would be allowed on the new board.
The IOC's charter calls for all of its U.S. members to be on the USOC's board of directors, but the task force was more interested in keeping the board's size under 10 members.
Representatives from the Olympic Alumni Association, USA Deaf Sports Federation, military organizations and community-based sports programs followed DeFrantz, each arguing their case to have more of a voice in the new structure.
"We had an IOC member before there was a USOC. The structure is for a purpose," said DeFrantz, the senior U.S. IOC member. "It is not to be considered frivolous or unimportant for the USOC to be the same as every other national Olympic committee in the world. Nor, I suggest, is it debatable."
There was a time when the Kansas softball team had no problem getting hits, scoring runs and, most importantly, winning.
By Steve Schmidt
sschmidt@kansan
Kansan swriterwriter
Now those things have become a challenge.
Kansas was swept by Texas A&M over the weekend,losing 5-1 on Saturday and 6-0 yesterday,as the Jayhawks lost their fourth consecutive Big 12 conference game.
"We came in here thinking we needed to get a sweep to keep us in the running for a conference title," Texas A&M coach Jo Evans said. "It's a big boost because we haven't always been great on the road."
The two losses sank Kansas closer to the bottom of the Big 12 standings. Kansas gave up six runs on 12 hits in the first contest as the Aggies methodically put the Jayhawks away, getting two hits in each of the last five innings.
Aggie senior catcher Selena Collins showed why she was an All-American last year and would probably be a strong candidate this year, going 2-for-3 with a double and leadoff home run in the first inning. The home run, her 11th of the year, gave her the lead for home runs in the Big 12 conference. Kansas freshman second baseman is in second place with 10.
"She had a great game," Evans said of Collins. "She really set the tone for us. She's our leader."
It wasn't just Collins producing for the Aggie offense. Six other players had at least one hit in the contest.
Junior pitcher Kara Pierce took the loss for Kansas.
The only Kansas highlight was a solo home run by freshman shortstop Destiny Frankenstein in the third inning, creating the team's only run.
SATURDAY
KANSAS 1 - TEXAS A&M 6
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 - R H E
Texas A&M 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 - 6 12 1
Kansas 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 5 1
Pitchers:
Kansas-Kara Pierce(7)
Texas A&M-Jessica Slater(7)
Win-Slater(10-10)
Loss-Pierce(14-9)
VESTERDAY
KANSAS 0 - TEXAS A&M 5
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 - R H E
Texas A&M 0 0 1 0 2 2 0 - 5 7 0
Kansas 0 0 2 4 1 1 X - 0 0 1
Pitchers:
Kansas-Kara Pierce (5), Kirsten Milhoan (2)
Texas A&M-Lindsay Wilhelmson (7)
Win-Wilhelmson (14-4)
Loss-Pierce (14-10)
Run production got worse for Kansas yesterday, as Aggie pitcher Lindsay Wilhelmson didn't allow a Kansas hit in seven innings. It was the first no-hitter of her career. The junior was able to effectively pitch inside and limit Kansas to ground outs and pop-ups.
"She did a very nice job on the mound," Kansas coach Tracy Bunge said. "She didn't make anything easy for us."
The Aggies, sparked by a home run in the third inning by sophomore second baseman Adrian Gregory, rang up five runs on seven hits. Pierce again got the loss, dropping her to 14-10 overall.
Despite the losses, Bunge said she was pleased with her team's effort.
"We just need to get our feet under us," Bunge said. "We aren't playing well. We're just in a bad funk. I got the kinds of kids that are fighters. It's not that they're quitting. It's just that they're trying too hard."
Kansas will host Arkansas for a doubleheader at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Edited by Brandon Gay
The Associated Press
St. Louis Cardinals blown away by Astros
HOUSTON — Edgar Renteria home-red twice and matched a career high with five RBI as the St. Louis Cardinals roughed up Roy Oswalt and beat the Houston Astros 11-8 yesterday.
Renteria hit a three-run shot in a 6-run seventh inning against Oswalt (1-1), who gave up 10 runs in the worst start of his career.
The Cardinals took two of three in a series between teams that have combined for the last seven NL Central titles. The Astros won both meetings last weekend in St. Louis.
Jeff Bagwell homered twice and drove in 3 runs for Houston. Lance Berkman and Craig Biggio added solo shots.
Berkman, who led the NL with 128 RBI last season, knocked in his first run of the year with a single in the first inning.
Rentera hit a 2-run homer in the fourth and capped the seventh-inning outburst with his third of the season. He has four multi-homer games.
Renteria also had five RBI on Sept. 4 last year against Cincinnati.
Oswalt had control problems from the start. Cairo's sacrifice fly in the second gave St. Louis its first run. Renteria homered in the fourth after Albert Pujols walked. Scott Rolen's RBI double in the fifth came after Oswalt walked Orlando Palmeiro. Oswalt has not beaten the Cardinals in six lifetime starts. He is 0-2 with a 4.72 ERA. He gave up 7 earned runs, the most of his career, against the Cardinals on July 18, 2001.
Bagwell and Berkman hit consecutive homers in the third.
Jason Simontacchi had another rough start for St. Louis. He walked two batters in the first and Berkman followed with a single to left field. Jeff Kent hit a 2-run double to the right-field corner.
Astros shortstop Jose Vizcaino made a big throwing error in the seventh, and Cardinal Tino Martinez had an RBI double.
Oswalt allowed 10 runs — 5 earned — and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings. He walked three and struck out eight.
Kiko Calero (1-0) pitched two hitless innings for his first big league victory. Miguel Cairo homered and drove in 2 runs.