Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OFFSEASON ISN'T TIME FOR PLAYERS TO RELAX
Workouts, recruiting and injuries keep team busy. MORNING BREW I 2B
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2009
WWW.KANSAN.COM
FRESHMAN JAYHAWK PREDICTED TO EXCEL
During Saturday's spring game, Rell Lewis surprises Kansas. FOOTBALL 13 B
COMMENTARY
HURDLING HAWKS
Traditions go beyond football and basketball
PAGE 1B
I arrived on campus several years ago a starry-eyed, self-proclaimed kansas sports expert. Being from Baldwin City (about the closest thing Lawrence has to a suburb) and raised in a family where KU sports came second to nothing. I thought I had a pretty good grasp on layhawk sports.
Who was only player in KU history to make every three-pointer he ever attempted? Scot Pollard — one-for-one. How many Kansas football games have finished in a tie? 57 — an NCAA record.
Of course, my ego has been severely thrashed since then, but never more so than this week — the week of the Kansas Relays.
You see, I sat down a couple of days ago with the intention of writing a preview column for the event. Shouldn't be hard, I thought. After an hour of staring at a blank Google Documents screen, my ignorance in glaring evidence, I decided it was time to do some research.
Good thing, too, because, as it turns out, there's a lot of tradition packed into the Kansas Relays that I simply didn't know about.
The meet also served as an opportunity for the best in Midwest high school track to face off.
The first meet was in 1923. Its fathers were the famous duo of John Ouland (for whom the trophy awarded to college football's best interior lineman is named) and Phog Allen. Through the decades, the event grew into a certificable Event, drawing Olympians and future reality television stars such as Bruce Jenner and local legends such as distance runner extraordinaire Jim Ryun.
Olympians and world-record holders competing right here in Lawrence? Sounds pretty cool. Maybe like the sort of thing you'd like to go watch if it were still happening. But the Relays couldn't bring together that sort of lineup nowadays, could it? What with all the hubbub surrounding a Kansas basketball team that's months away from tipping off and the speculation about the conspicuous absences of two Kansas football players, there's just not enough interest in track and field to create an Event...right?
SEE BEECHER ON PAGE 5B
Freshman hurdlers Keyen Porter of Blue Springs, Mo., Lawson Mongomery of Bennington and Keith Hayes of Wichita will be competing in the Kansas Relays, which begin today at Memorial Stadium. All three raced against each other at last year's Kansas Relays, when they were in high school, with Porter winning the 110-meter hurdles final.
Old foes to run as teammates
Kansas Relays have a different feel for freshmen hurdlers
BY JASON BAKER
jbaker@kansan.com
One year ago, as high school seniors, Keith Hayes, Keyen Porter and Lawson Montgomery competed against each other in the 110-meter hurdles at the Kansas Relays. Now, the freshmen will be competing together as teammates for Kansas.
All three qualified for the finals of the boys' 110-meter hurdles last year and none of them knew each other at the time.
Montgomery and Hayes, however, had run against each other
before. Hayes beat Montgomery in the finals of the same event at the 2007 Relays.
Montgomery said he knew that he and Hayes were both interested in competing for the KU Track and Field team and had some words for Hayes right before the race.
"Lawson came up to me before the race and said, 'Hey, teammate,' Hayes said. "And I was like, 'Hey, teammate?' and then he said he was going to KU too, and I was like, 'Oh, nice to meet you.'"
For Montgomery, who took fourth place in the 2007 finals.
coming to the 2008 Relays was the motivation to snatch from Hayes the opportunity to get back-toback victories.
"There was definitely motivation to beat him," Montgomery said, "but I knew I was going against some great athletes."
But one of those athletes, Porter, would beat both Montgomery and Hayes in the finals.
"I didn't know anybody out there," Porter said. "I just showed up and ran."
SEE TRACK ON PAGE 5B
TODAY
Kansas Relays Memorial Stadium Admission is free for students with KUID.
10 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
10:45 a.m. (approx.)
11:15 a.m. (approx.)
12:35 a.m. (approx.)
1:45 p.m. (approx.)
2:25 p.m. (approx.)
3:15 p.m. (approx.)
4:30 p.m. (approx.)
Decathlon 100-meter dash
Heptathlon 100-meter hurdles
Decathlon long jump
Heptathlon high jump
Decathlon shot put
Heptathlon shot put
Decathlon high jump
Heptathlon 200-meter dash
Decathlon 400-meter dash
See full schedule at www.kansasrelays.com.
BASEBALL
Kansas wins in extra innings after blowing early 5-0 lead
BY JOSH BOWE
jbowe@kansan.com
OMAHA, Neb. — Jimmy Waters grew up only 15 minutes from Omaha and Rosenblatt Stadium. The sophomore outfielder's childhood daydreams consisted of playing at the annual home of the College World Series.
Even though it wasn't the World Series, Waters still lived a dream he'd had for years.
Adding to the fun was that No. 24 Kansas defended its new ranking — the Jayhawks battled to a been able to follow his progress 7-6 extra-inning victory against only on the Internet and through the Creighton Blue.
"It's one of the reasons I play college baseball — because I want to play here in the College World Series," Waters said. "It's an awesome park."
"It was nice to come here and have at least one hit and an RBI in a key situation."
Waters grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River. Waters' family has
JIMMY WATERS
Sophomore outfielder
the newspapers so far, but they made it to the game this time. Waters didn't disappoint, finishing 1-for-5 with one RBI.
hit and an RBI in a key situation." Waters said. "I would have loved
"It was nice to come here and have at least one
to have done it in the ninth, but I'm sure I'll have another chance somewhere down the road"
It was an easy decision for coach Ritch Price to put Waters in the lineup, even though Waters had only two hits in his past 11 games and had dropped his spot as the regular designated hitter, especially against opposing left-handed starters.
"There were no doubts," Price said. "I mean, we're coming back to his hometown. He was going to play tonight regardless if they
started a left-hander."
Although Waters enjoyed the homecoming, Kansas as a team worked out of some tough situations late.
Kansas had a lot of energy early, but the momentum swung rapidly in the later innings, before the Jayhawks put away a tough Bluejay club that was 11-2 in its past 13 games.
It appeared early on that Kansas wouldn't have to worry about a
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 6B
SOFTBALL
Jayhawks sweep UMKC Kangaroos in doubleheader
Matt Bristow/KANSAN
BY BEN WARD
bward@kansan.com
hward@kansan.com
As the grounds crew swept on the infield on Tuesday, the Kansas softball team was all smiles. After the Jayhawks did some sweeping of their own against UMKC, there wasn't much else to do.
"It felt really good to go out and win two" junior pitcher Sarah
The Jayhaws celebrate after junior Amanda Jobe's walk-off home run. The Jayhawks run-ruled UMKC 8-0 in game one of a doubleheader and won game 7-2.
Vertelka said.
Having split their last four series, the Jayhawks (16-23) took care of business at home with 8-0 and 7-2 victories over the Kangaroos (14-29). The two victories were solid all-around efforts from Kansas, who came out swinging hot bats against UMKC.
Senior outfielder Dougie McCaulley had a stellar day, notching four hits with one RBI while scoring five runs from her leadoff spot.
GAME 1
Kansas 8, UMKC 0
Kansas B, UMKC 0
WP — Welter (3-6) (7), LP — Hurst (5—14)
SV — none, HR — Jobe (2)
"That's my job as a lead-off hitter, to get things going. We just wanted to come out and take advantage of
GAME 2
Kansas 7, UMKC2
their pitchers," McCaulley said, referencing UMKC's less-than-stellar 4.19 team ERA.
Kansas 7, UMKC 2
WP — Blair (1—3), LP —
Nicho (5—7)
SV — none, HR — none
The layhawks did just that. In game one, the layhawks jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, capitalizing on a UMKC error. Kansas then exploded for five more runs
in the fifth, earning the run-rue when junior first baseman Amanda Jobe blasted a two run homerun. Sophomore outfieldier Allie Clark also had a big game, smashing a pair of two RBI doubles, giving her
SEE SOFTBALL ON PAGE 6B