FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2003
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN - 7A
Young track team seeks experience at weekend meet
By Chris Wintering
cwintering@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The men's and women's track and field team know home is where the heart is, but tomorrow is the first time since Jan. 11 that the team will travel to an away meet.
"As much as you don't think traveling affects you, it does," vertical jumps coach Brian
Ferry said. "But traveling is part of the game and the team will continue to step up and do a good job."
The team will participate in the Illini Classic in Champaign, III., today and tomorrow.
Illinois, Iowa State, Southern Illinois and Wisconsin will also compete in the Classic, although Wisconsin is not bringing a women's team to the meet.
Coach Stanley Redwine downplayed the home field advantage and said he wanted his team to focus on the upcoming meet.
"It has been great for the fans to get a chance to see our team, and I know the team enjoyed it," said Redwine. "Now we will be traveling, and we just want to continue to improve."
year: getting better. They believed the team was improving meet-to-meet.
"With the jumpers we are working on them staying consistent," Ferry said. "The more meets they compete in the better they will get."
Redwine agreed with Ferry that the team was improving, and he said he thought more competitions would help his youthful team.
"We have a young team and there will be some problems with inexperience," Redwine said. "We are now deeper into the season, and I just want our team to compete better than last week."
If the team performed better than it did the previous week, then all the athletes would peak at the end of the season, Redwine said.
more meets to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships, which will be held in Fayetteville, Ark., on March 14 and 15.
Last week the team produced eight event winners at the Jayhawk Invitational and finished second overall at the KU/KSU/MU Triangular two weeks ago.
Team members have four — Edited by Todd Rapp
Texas standouts to test Jayhawks
By Shane Mettlen
smeltlen@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
As far as their last games goes, Kansas and Texas women's basketball teams don't have much in common. When the Jayhawks visit the Longhorns tomorrow at 1 p.m., they will look to rebound from a 73-42 defeat at Colorado, Texas, will try to build off a 76-50 victory against Texas A&M
The Longhorns have been getting consistent play from their front court players. Junior forward Stacy Stephens is the team's leading scorer at 13.9 points per game and is second on the team, grabbing 8.5 rebounds a contest.
It was a duo of sophomore forwards, Heather Schreiber and Kala Bowers, that paced Texas in the victory against Texas A&M. Bowers notched a game-high 22 points against the Aggies, and Schreiber added 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.
Texas coach Jody Conradt said that Bowers was essential to the Longhorns' game plan.
"Kala really ran the floor well," Conradt said after Sunday's game. "It's been frustrating for her at times this year, shooting-wise, but she's a big part of what we want to do. What she does for us defensively cannot be measured. She can guard anybody — a post player, or a quick player on the perimeter. That part of her game is sometimes overlooked."
One thing the Longhorns will not want to overlook is Kansas.
The Jayhawks were playing
KANSAS VS. TEXAS
KANSAS (9-11)
P No. Player Ht. Yr. PPG RPG G 23 Erica Hallam 5-8 Fr. 8.5 1.8 G 20 Krystal Kemp 6-2 Fr. 11.3 6.0 G 22 Tamara Ransburg 6-4 Fr. 10.3 7.2 G 21 Leila Menguc 5-6 Jr. 2.8 2.3 F 44 Aquanita Burras 5-9 So. 11.0 Top Reserves F 3.0 Blair Waltz 6-0 So. 7.7 F 33 Nichelle Roberts 6-1 Fr. 4.4 4.7 G 20 Stacey Becker 5-9 So. 4.2 9.0
NO.11TEXAS(14-5)
P No. Player RPG Ht. Yr. PPG
F 04 Kala Bowers 6-2 So. 10.3
5.8
F 21 Heather Schreiber 6-2 so. 16.5
6.6
G 41 Stacy Stephens 6-1 Jr. 13.9
8.5
G 11 Jamie Carey 5-6 Jr. 10.4
1.3
G 12 Tai Dillard 5-9 Sr. 7.5
4.6
Top Reserves
G 22 Nina Norman 5-8 Fr. 5.6
1.9
G 23 Coco Reed 5-11 Fr. 5.0
2.0
F 43 Annissa Hastings 6-2 Jr. 3.1
4.4
some of their best basketball of the season before Saturday's setback at Colorado. Kansas will attempt to record its third Big 12 Conference victory of the season, but Kansas coach Marian Washington knows her team must play better than it did against the Buffaloes.
"We need to stay positive and come out tomorrow and get ready for Texas." Washington said after the defeat.
- Edited by Todd Rapp
Courtney Kuhlen/Kansan
Sophomore guard Blair Waltz loses the ball during Kansas's 67-64 victory over Nebraska. The Jayhawks will try to improve their 2-7 Big 12 record when they play Texas tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Jayhawks dive into final home meet for seniors
By Jason Hwang
jhwang@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas swimming and diving team (7-5 in dual meets) will honor its senior class as it competes in the regular season finale at Robinson Natatorium.
The Jayhawks take on the Iowa State Cyclones (5-3) at 2 p.m. tomorrow in the final home meet before they head to Austin, Texas, for the Big 12 Championships on Feb. 20-22.
Senior co-captain Heidi Landherr said she was excited and sad for the last meet.
"I'm going to have a lot of family come for the first time," Landherr said. "They've never been to a meet. It's going to be a lot of fun and emotional."
This meet will conclude the first full year at Kansas for swimming coach Clark Campbell and diving coach Brad Szurgot.
Campbell said the team was starting to learn more to become a potential Top 25
program.
Landherr said Campbell was the third coach in four years, and the transition would have been more difficult if the seniors hadn't been strong in keeping the team together.
Last Saturday, Kansas lost to Arkansas, 181-119, in Fayetteville, Ark. The Jayhawks finished first in three events. Senior Gwen Haley won two individual races, the 200-yard butterfly and 400-yard individual medley. Sophomore Amy Gruber won the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 57.55 seconds.
Coach Campbell said he wanted to ge out of the meet with little emotion.
"What we have to do is keep our eye on the prize that's the Big 12 Championships."
Last season, the Jayhawks lost to the Cyclones, 153-147, in Ames, Iowa.
Campbell said he appreciated the senior leadership. "They've meant a lot to the program and put it in the right direction."
Edited by Christy Dendurent
Kansas meet director selected by USA track team
By Chris Wintering
cwintering@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas Relays meet director Tim Weaver was selected as head manager for the USA Track and Field Men's National Team.
As head manager, Weaver will be involved in all aspects of the U.S. Men's team.
"Far more than the personal recognition, I think this appointment is a clear indication of the high esteem in which the Kansas Relays are once again held in," Weaver said.
The appointment by USA Track and Field showed its respect for the Kansas Relays, Weaver said.
help the greatest athletes in track and field retain the United States ranking as the world's number one team." Weaver said.
"I am obviously excited to work with the national team and
"It's an honor that's well deserved, and he'll do an excellent job," Kansas track and field coach Stanley Redwine said.
like the World Championships," Weaver said.
Part of Weavers' responsibility is to travel with the U.S. team to the upcoming International Association of Athletics Federation World Indoor Track and Field Championships held in Birmingham, England on March 14 to 16, 2003.
The World Championships were established in 1987 to create an international competition other than the Olympics. The event will be used by the best track and field athletes to prepare for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Weaver has been the Kansas track team meet director for eight years. He is in his fourth year as Events and Alumni Coordinator
for the team. He also has served as an assistant track coach, working with sprinters, hurdlers, throwers and multi-event athletes. Weaver is an Overland Park native and ran track at the University of Tulsa when Redwine was the coach.
His appointment to the U.S. team will not affect his responsibilities as Kansas Relays meet director.
Softball
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10A
— Edited by Todd Rapp
Bethune-Cookman, based in nearby Daytona Beach, Fla., has four starters returning from Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship squad. Purdue, meanwhile, sports seven starters
The Florida tournament makes up just one stop in a busy pre-conference road schedule. The team will play away from Jayhawk Field for the first seven weeks of the season before finally hosting Oklahoma on March 22.
from last year's 33-26 squad
Next for Kansas is a trip to another sunshine-drenched destination, San Diego, for the Campbell/Cartier Tournament from Feb. 14-16, hosted by San Diego State.
Going into this season, coach Tracy Bunge needed 16 more victories to reach 300 wins as a college coach. With eight more victories, she will have 200 at Kansas. Burge's career coaching record
Despite regular season play opening today, Bunge said there wouldn't be a set nine, if at all during the year, as the Jayhawks looked to fill spaces left by graduating seniors with seven freshman and a junior-college transfer.
sits at 284-238, with a 192-171 mark at the helm of the Jayhawks.
The only definite for Kansas is
that the team will rely on the arms of the junior pitcher and team captain Kara Pierce and senior pitcher Kirsten Milhoan, after the season-ending injury to the right wrist of sophomore pitcher Serena Settlemier. Junior Mel Wallach will start in centerfield and sophomore Lindsey Weinstein will start at first base.
Zollars CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10A
Omar Wilkes
Wilkes is the son of former UCLA and NBA legend, Jamal Wilkes, and on the court it shows. This 6-foot-2-inch shooting guard from Los Angeles is explosive off the dribble, handles the ball with skill and has great vision. He also played Amateur Athletic Union ball with David Padgett, which could help the Jayhawks mesh together quicker than most freshmen classes. With the loss of Harry Potter look-alike Kirk Hinrich to the Hogwarts of basketball next season, most expect a severe drop-off at shooting guard next season. But all muggle-born Big 12 players should take note — this recruit is a wizard on the court.
Jeremy Case
"I hope that this weekend, we can take another step forward and improve on what we did not do well in Hawaii," Price said. "It should be another good weekend for us."
As the other highly touted recruit coming out of Oklahoma City, Case brings valuable versatility to the table. Case and Giddens know each other well, having played on the same AAU team, and although the two are complete opposites on and off the court, they should compliment each other nicely.
"He's more quiet. I don't think he has an enemy in the world — unless you are guarding him," Giddens said of Case.
Besides winning, Price said he wanted to take this weekend's trip as an opportunity to carry over the team's momentum that was formed in Hawaii.
Case can play point guard or shooting guard and has been compared to Jeff Boschee in his ability to find openings and bury three-point-shots.
Kansas fans need to leave room for dessert because next year will be flush with new talent as well as the promise of Final Fours to come.
Zollars is a Chicago senior majoring in communication.
Junior outfielder Matt Trible also had a solid series, collecting 12 base hits in 22 at-bats, and senior outfielder and pitcher Kevin Wheeler batted .357 and pitched a complete game, two-hitter against Hawai- Hilo.
Several Jayhawks will try to continue their hot starts to the season. Most notably is junior outfielder Ryan Baty, who was named the NCAA National Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association. In the six games in Hawaii, Baty batted .619 and had three doubles, two home runs and nine RBI.
Baseball
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10A
—Edited by Ryan Wood
All other spots in the lineup will be filled in on game day.
Notes:
For the first time, certain Kansas softball games this season will be broadcast on KLWN radio (1320 AM) with Brian Hanni providing play-by-play.
Steve Schmidt