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University Daily Kansan / Friday, April 10, 1992
SPORTS
Kansas crew to compete against England's Oxford
Daron J Bennett / KANSAN
Coxsain Molly Phillips, Omaha freshman, yells commands to Jason Hatfield, Salina, freshman, and the rest of an eight-man scull.
Regatta in Topeka attracts 30 teams
Kansan sportswriter
By Cody Holt
Kansas sportswriter
Kansas crew is the best in the state
After finishing in the top three in 10 of 12 races and capturing the Governor's Cup at the Sunflower State Championship in Manhattan, Kansas crew has proven that.
However, this weekend at the Great Plains Rowing Championships on Lake Shawnee in Topeka, Kansas will be rowing against teams from beyond state borders. In fact, one scull will be rowing against a team from beyond national borders.
The Oxford Blues recently defeated Cambridge in the British showdown simply called, "The Race." Oxford will be racing a boat in the men's varsity four.
Ulf Becker, president of the crew and a member of KU's varsity four, said the crew had rowed against Canadian teams in the past, but was now on an international team with Oxford's reputation.
But regardless of Oxford's presence, this regatta is important for the crew because it is one of the two biggest regattas of the year, Becker said.
Rob Catloth, coach of both men's and women's varsity crews, said he looked forward to the competition because Oxford was sending its best crew.
"We focus heavily on Topeka because it's a huge regatta and we're able to see competition from all over the Midwest." Becker said.
"They'll be great," he said. "If you beat them, you've got some good bragging rights. But it's going to be a good experience just to say you've rowed against Oxford."
Catloth said more than 30 Midwest crews from Minnesota to Texas would be competing in 64 races Saturday. The regatta will be a gauge for which crew teams Kansas will take to the Midwest Championships in Madison, Wis., at the end of this month.
This weekend's regatta is not a qualifying
tournament for the championship regatta. CatLloid said that because of insufficient funds, only the teams with a chance to do well in the championships would make the trip to Madison. He also said that the women's varsity four and eight-person sculls were seeded 1. This weekend and had the potential to do very well.
Julie Lawier, Chicago senior on the women's varsity, agreed that the women's sculls should do well this weekend.
"We have a really strong team this year," she said. "Strength-wise we're compatible with Wisconsin."
Wisconsin competes with East Coast schools and is one of the most powerful schools in the Midwest, Lawler said. Kansas may race against Wisconsin in the Midwest regatta depending on Saturday's results.
Teamwork is the key to performing well at the regatta, said Becker, president of the crew.
"Crew is probably the team in team sports, he said. "If you decide to be an individual, you'll need to work."
but by spring the count usually drops to between 60 and 80. Becker said. Although the sport is open to everyone, many people quit because it is so physically demanding.
About 100 students go out for crew each fall.
many as 250 times in a race and synchronize each stroke with the other rowers.
"It itkes so fluid and smooth from far away." Becker said. "But what you can't see is the look on the rowers' faces. By the end of the race they're slumped over the oars ready to pass out."
Lawler, the coxswain for both women's crews, agreed that her position played an importantrole.
The rowers depend on the coxswain for their success because they have no contact with other rowers, he said. The coxswain is the person in charge of steering the boat, coaching and motivating the rowers.
"They rely on me a lot to let them know how they are doing and where the other boat is and to simply steer them in a straight line. It's a team sport that takes everyone working together."
Jayhawks to play against Colorado
By Lyle Niedens
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas men's tennis team wants to take control of the Big Eight Conference race.
With a victory at Colorado tomorrow, Coach Perelman said the No. 22-ranked Javahawks could do just that.
Perelman said the conference was basically a four-team race between Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Colorado and Kansas.
Because the Jayhawks defeated the Sooners and Cowboys last weekend, Perelman said he thought a victory against the Buffalooes would put the Jayhawks in good shape for a No. 1 seed in the conference tournament in two weeks.
"I if we can beat Colorado, I think we have control over the conference," Perelman said, "from the standpoint that Colorado has beaten Nebraska and Iowa State solidly and Missouri really isn't in contention."
"They're extremely talented," he said. "But they have trouble putting it together on a day-in, day-out basis."
The Jayhawks have faced Colorado once already this season, at the Roles Qualifier in Des Moines, Iowa, in the fall. Kansas won the match 5-3.
"That's positive from a confidence standpoint." Perelman said.
Perelman said he would try to minimize the effects of the high altitude on the Jayhawks.
"We're going to go in Friday, practice, get up Saturday morning, play and come home," he said. "My experience has been that the longer you're there, in the short run, the tougher it is."
Two of Kansas' three remaining matches will be at home. A victory would move the Jayhawks, 15-8, closer to a conference
title, but Perelman said the team already had exceeded his expectations.
most importantly, to me, they've been an extremely enjoyable group to work with," he said. "The strength of our program right now is the camaraderie of the group."
Women's tennis
The Kansas women's team also will win Colorado tomorrow, but it won't be with the lineup that Coach Michael Center has used most of the season.
Center said he would split up the No. 1 doubles team of senior Eveline Hammers and freshman Rebecca Jensen, which is ranked No. 20 in the nation.
Center said that instead of Jensen, freshman Nora Koves, who has been playing at No. 2 or No. 3 doubles all season, would team with Hamers at No. 1 and that Jensen would play at No. 2 with sophomore Buffy McLeine. The No. 3 team will consist of sophomores Abby Woods and Casey Cooley.
"I'm trying to find the combination that will give us the best opportunity to win all three doubles matches," Center said. "I don't think we'll lose much at No. 1 at all. Nora is as good a player as we have."
Koves said she would like to play No. 1.
doubles all the time and that Hamers' exe-
rcuse "had been a little too much."
*Eveline knows all the players and knows what to do and what not to do in certain situations.* she said.
Tomorrow's match begins a stretch in which the Jayhawks, ranked N. 19 in the country, will play five matches in 11 days play in the conference tournament April 24-28.
Kansas back home after tough stretch
Center said fatigue from the grueling schedule was a concern for the Jahwaks.
"We're trying to build momentum," he said. "We want to be playing our best tennis heading into the Big Eight tournament."
By Jerry Schmidt
Kansan sportswriter
The Jayhawks will play 17 of their next 22 games in Lawrence.
After playing 12 of its last 13 games on the road and losing nine, the Kansas baseball team is glad to be back home.
"It was a difficult fit for us," Kansas coach Dave Bingham said of the roadswing "Offensively welost our sting. It took its toll."
Kansas will start the home stand when it plays host to Northwest Missouri State at 7p.m. tonight at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium.
The Bearcats, an NCAA Division II team from Maryville, Mo., are 15-18. Northwest Missouri State plays in the north division of the 12-tteam Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association and is 5-1 in the conference.
Bingham said that playing the Bearcats should be a test.
"We anticipate a good team," he said. It won't be a walk in the park, especially when you are sick.
The Jayhawks have scored 18 runs in their last five games and only three runs in their last two games.
Kansas' junior catcher Jeff Niemeier said nonconference games such as tonight's were important for the Jayhawks to gain confidence when they resumed conference play.
"The games are very important when you go into post-season," Niemeyer said.
He said that even though the "Hawks had been on a skid lately, the Big Eight Conference tournament was still within reach. The top four teams in the conference will advance to the post-season tournament in Oklahoma City on May 15-17.
"It isn't time to push the panic button yet," Niemeier said. "The teams we have left to play are the teams in front of us."
Kansas has conference series coming up with Oklahoma, Iowa State and Missouri — three of the teams the Jayhawks are trailing in the conference standings. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State lead the conference with 6-2 records. Kansas is 4-8.
The Bearcats have been led this season by senior infielder Rich Barthol. Barthol is hitting .333 and leads the team with 15 stolen bases. Junior catcher and third baseman Bryan Wandrey also provides power for Northwest Missouri State. He has six home runs and 30 RB. The last time the two teams met was in 1990 with the Bearcats prevailing 10-3 in Lawrence.
Kansas will continue its trek through the MIAA when it plays host to the Pittsburg State Gorillas, 7 p.m. Monday at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium.
Kristen Petty/KANSAN
Bidding farewell
Kansas players Angela Aycock, rear, Caryn Shinn, center, and JoJo Witherspoon bow their heads in respect at a memorial service for former basketball player and volunteer coach Jackie Martin. The service was yesterday afternoon in Allen Field House. Martin, who played for Kansas from 1984-88, died Tuesday after a three-month battle with leukemia.
SPORTS BRIEFS
Softball team starts classic
The Jayhawks sit atop the Big Eight Conference with a 4-0 conference record. Missouri is in second place at 24. Oklahoma and Alabama are tied for third at 2-2.
Kansas will play Oklahoma City, Georgia State and Oklahoma State on Friday and Oklahoma and Iowa State on Saturday.
The Kansas softball team will compete in the Cowboy Classic today and tomorrow in Oklahoma City and will play a game against Oklahoma on Sunday.
The 'Hawks defeated Oklahoma State in a doubleheader on April fourth and fifth. Kansas won both games 1-0.
- Senior shortstop Christy Arterburn leads the Big Eight in stolen bases and runs per game. She is averaging 94 stolen bases and 1.06 run each game.
Camille Spitaleri also leads the conference in two categories. She is first in triples, averaging 16. She also leads the team in backcourt in per game with a 81 average.
The Jahywks also have four players in batting averages that rank in the top 10 of all teams.
Arterburn and Spitaleri are second
and third respectively with averages of
374.4 and 375. Freshman Krissy Carpenter is eight with a .333 average and junior Shanna Cole is 10th, hitting .62
The Kansas men's golf team finished second behind Baylor at the Diet Pepsi Shocker Classic in Wichita. The two teams were joined by the Tuesday was hosted by Wichita State.
Golfers are second in tournev
Kansas finished 10 strokes behind Baylor. Freshman Tom Sims was the Jayhawks top golfer, finishing second, with the championship champion Jason Hill from Baylor.
The Kansas bowling team will compete in the Association of College Unions International Team Championships this weekend in Chicago. Butch Riley, Joe Donnici, Stefan Cox, Mark Geris and Morris Ross will represent Kansas at the tournament.
Kansas finished ahead of all four Big
Eight conferences schools and District
teams.
Bowlers head to Chicago
Mike Fine, a member of the bowling team, said Kansas qualified as one of 20
teams nationally. Kansas qualified as the fifth team in its region. There are 13 regions nationally. Kansas' region consists of teams from Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
Fine said that Southwest Missouri State, Central Missouri State, Indiana State and Moorhead State would be the host of the tournament. Kansas is not ranked.
Kansas will play 12 qualifying games today. The top eight teams will advance to the finals tomorrow.
Volleyball team signs three
Track team prepares for Big Eight
The Kansas volleyball team announced the signing of Lara Izkailas, a 5-foot-11 hitter from St. Joseph, Mich.
Kansas' other two signees, Leslie Steinert and Jennifer Larsen, have active teams to championships in two of their six major junior tournaments.
She was an all-conference selection in volleyball in her final three years of high school and was named captain of the all-conference team her senior year. She also has competed in junior Olympic volleyball for six years.
From staff reports
By Chris Jenson Kansan sportswriter
With the Kansas Relays a week away, the Kansas track team is planning to use the John Jacobs Memorial Track Meet in Norman, Okla., as a stepping stone for the Relays and for the Big Eight Conference championships.
"we're hoping to improve in every meet," said coach Gary Schwartz. "Hopefully one thing leads to another."
Kansas will compete in the meet tomorrow. There will be no team scoring.
Although the Jayhawks will take a full squad to the meet, several of Kansas' top athletes will not make the trin south.
"Some are sick and some are hurt and those who need a break are not going." Schwartz said. "We're taking some younger kids who didn't have the qualifying marks for Texas or didn't make the team for LSU."
Senior All-American Cathy Palacios and junior Julia Saul will take the weekend to rest and recuperate after a long indoor season and a busy beginning to the outdoor season.
"We've been training for a long time so we are ready. I don't think it will be a down weekend at all."
Schwartz said the team was prepar-
Kristi Kloster
Kansas distance runner
"We want to get people ready for the Big Eight meet," he said.
for the Big Eight championships,
Mgv 17-18, which also are in Norman.
Going into the meet, Kansas has four athletes who lead the Big Eight in their respective events, and several who rank second or third in the conference.
Palacios holds the best time in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4 minutes. 23.28 seconds. Senior MaryBeth
"I'm looking for the field-event kids to take the way they have practiced into the meet," he said.
Labosky holds the high jump mark with a jump of $6^{\prime}/4$. Sophomores Katrina Lawrence and Heather Berlin lead the conference in the long jump and javelin respectively. Lawrence has a best jump of 19-5 and Berlin has a throw of 166-1.
Schwartz said he was looking for consistency from the entire team, especially in the field events.
Freshman Kristi Kloster, who is ranked seventh in the conference in the 1,500 run, will take on the 800 run on Saturday. Kloster ran as a member of the two-mile relay at the Texas Relays.
She said she was looking forward to running the event as an individual.
"I'm excited for the meet because I get to do an open event," she said. "It's a good meet to try to get my time down."
Kloster said she hoped to break 2:10 in the event and said the team also was looking forward to the meet.
"Everyone is excited to compete," she said. "We've been training for a long time so we are ready. I don't think it will be a down weekend at all."