Friday, May 1, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 4
Track team to face Big 12
Final tuneups scheduled to get ready for second conference meet
By Angela Johnson Kansan sportswriter
With the Big 12 Conference meet just two weeks away, the Kansas track team will compete in the Washington State Triangular tomorrow in Pullman, Wash. The Jayhawks will compete against Washington State and
Boise State in a team-scored meet.
Senior Marcus Scheid, who did not compete last week and because of a hip injury, will compete this weekend in the long and triple jump. Senior N a t h a n Prenger, who
schwartz: will ooak
1999 World Outdoor Championships
pulled a hamstring earlier in the season, also is healthier, head coach Gary Schwartz said.
The Jayhawks' final test before the conference meet will be the Emporia State Twilight on May 9, in which only a few people will compete, Schwartz said.
"We'll decide on whether they need competition or to rest more, and in certain events it's more important to keep training and practicing." Schwartz said. "The kids who have finals won't go. That's the rule we have to go under."
Schwartz said the team has had a strong outdoor season so far but the conference meet would be crucial in determining much of the success.
"We've had a very good spring," he said. "The men have won the two collegiate series meets, and the women finished second in
both of those meets. We've had a lot of strong individual performances and a lot of personal bests. But of course, you tend to judge by what happens at the conference meet."
mason: one of the top pole vaulters in the country
The 1998 Big 12 Conference
Outdoor Championships will be on Missouri's campus in Columbia, Mo. Last year at the inaugural Big 12 meet in Waco, Texas, the Kansas women placed eighth and the men finished 12th.
"We have nowhere to go but
up," Schwartz said. "Last year was a frustrating and disappointing performance. Our goal is to finish in the top six. We'll fight and scrap for every point we can get."
The Jayhawks return five of the six
women who scored at last year's conference meet and five of the seven men.
prenger: coach says senior is healthier
Because it is only a three-hour trip to Columbia, Schwartz said he hoped the team would get
"It'll be good to have a short trip," he said. "Hopefully some of the parents of the kids will be there. We're excited to go—as excited as a KU person can be going to Columbia, Mo."
some fan support.
1 In 1989, the Kansas pole vaulting trio of Cedric Fullard, Pat Manson and Cam Miller averaged a combined height of 18-feet-5-inches, to rank as the best collegiate pole vaulting trio ever.
This season, the Jayhawks boast three of the top women's pole vaulters in the country. Junior Candy Mason and freshmen Andrea Branson and Ashley
Feinberg have all surpassed 12 feet. No other school in the country has two women's vaulters higher than 12 feet. The only downfall is that Feinberg is out for the year after undergoing knee surgery. She will
branson: has surpassed 12-feet foot in pale vault
■ Schwartz has been named to the coaching staff for the 1999 World Outdoor Championships in Seville, Spain. Schwartz, a former Big Eight discus champion, has coached the 1985 U.S. women's heptathlon team and the women's team that competed at the 1991 World Cross Country Championships.
return for the 1999 season.
Women athletes play past male domination
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — In the late 1950s, when Nancy Viola was a teen-ager, female athletes gathered on Play Day — an occasional Saturday when girls from local high schools faced off on the sports field.
The Associated Press
"Play Days would be two or three times a season maybe, and that was the extent of it." Viola said. "It never occurred to me that it wasn't fair. I mean, if you've never experienced chocolate milk, you're probably not going to ask for it."
Between graduating from college in 1965 and becoming athletic director in 1981 of the public schools in Batavia, a city of 16,000 in upstate New York, the landscape of women's sports in America had already changed immeasurably.
The catalyst was Title IX, a 1972 federal law barring sex discrimination in high school and college sports. The resulting surge of women into sports will be scrimitized by athletes, coaches and academics during a national conference tomorrow at the University of Rochester.
Keynote speaker Mary Ellen Clark grew up in an athletic family — her father taught diving to all seven children — and had a lifelong ambition to make living in sports.
Conference debates will examine careers for women in sports, the emergence of professional leagues and the changing lifestyle of sportswomen. Viola will join a panel of athletic directors discussing how the style of leadership in sports has been altered by women.
Without Title IX, she believes her path to Olympic success would have been much rougher but not insurmountable. "You never do know because heart and desire and passion do a long way," she said.
Before Title IX, only one in 27 girls competed in high school sports. Today, one in three do. Some 300,000 young women took part in interscholastic athletics nationwide back then; 2.25 million do now. And in college, women now receive about 37 percent of all athletic scholarship money.
Forsaking possible field hockey or lacrosse scholarships, Clark took Penn State University's offer to train as a diver. She later carried off two Olympic
"Play Days would be two or three times a season maybe, and that was the extent of it. It never occurred to me that it wasn't fair. I mean, if you've never experienced chocolate milk, you're probably not going to ask for it."
Nancy Viola Woman athlete before Title IX
bronze medals, the second one at age 33 in 1996 after vertigo had made her too dizzy to dive for the first nine months of 1995.
"Women in sports have always done great things," she said. "What it think is different right now is that it's getting the recognition that it deserves." One spin-off is the new cast of role models
Now girls growing up see that not only can I really enjoy doing this, I can actually get paid for it," Clark said.
Witness the women's U.S. ice hockey team outshining the men's team at the Nagano Olympics.
"To see that on TV was 'Wow, what a neat thing," Clark said. "It gives girls that vision and that hope and a track to run on, the belief that, yes, it can be done."
Viola was among the vast majority who never made it to the professional ranks — and never expected to — but who merely wanted to participate.
("Before Title IX) we accepted life as it was, and there were people who did not," she said. "Thank God for them or we wouldn't be where we are today. Some girls were extremely gifted and it was important to them to play; they created opportunities for the rest of us that we had never even thought about."
Today, roughly equal numbers of boys and girls take part in interscholastic sports in Batavia, she said.
"All of a sudden, people were more aware that girls weren't being given the same opportunities as boys, and so here we are today," Viola said.
Indian Charlie is favorite for Derby
Baffert looking for second straight win on horse racing's grandest Saturday
The Associated Press
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Indian Charlie has trainer Bob Baffert in a Silver Charm mood.
Indian Charlie, unbeaten in four races including the Santa Anita Derby on April 11, was the 2-1 early favorite to win Baffert's second straight Kentucky Derby tomorrow. If it happens, however, it won't be as sweet for Baffert as Silver Charm's win.
"I have the same confidence I had with Silver Charm," Baffert said on a rainy Thursday at Churchill Downs.
noses when he was nipped in the final stride by Grindstone.
The 45-year-old Baffert came to his first Derby in 1996 with Semoran and Cavonnier. Semoran finished 14th, but Cavonnier lost by the shortest of
"When I got beat, I was sick about it," Baffert said. "It was devastating, like a loss in the family. Last year, it was a personal thing. I wanted to win."
Silver Charm, who also won the Preakness last year and the $4 million Dubai World Cup in March, is training at Churchill Downs and is stabled in stall 30 in barn 33. Indian Charlie, owned by his breeder, Ear Hardear, and John Gaines, is in stall 31. In stall 27 is Real Quiet, the one-run horse Bafert calls his Derby insurance.
Real Quiet closed to finish second, a head behind Derby starter Artax, in the San Felipe and 21-4 lengths behind Indian Charlie in the Santa Anita Derby.
One of Real Quiet's races in his 2-year-old season, when he won two of nine starts, was a third-place finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club, won by Derby contender Cape Town Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs.
By that time, Indian Charlie's juvenile campaign had been over for almost four months.
"Indian Charlie is still green, still figuring it out."
Bob Baffert
indian charlie's trainer
The strapping chestnut colt chipped an ankle in winning his debut by 12 lengths on Aug. 3. He returned to the races Feb. 22 with a nine-length win in a seven-furlong allowance race at Santa Anita, then scored by 3 1-2 lengths in a one-mile allowance race March 13 at Santa Anita.
In the Santa Anita Derby, he stalked pace-setting Orville N Wilbur's, took the lead in the upper stretch and won a stakes-record equaling time of 1:47 for the 11-8 miles.
"If someone had told me that he was only going to have two races before the Santa Anita Derby, win it and equal the stakes record, I would have told him he was crazy," jockey Gary Stevens said at the time.
"Indian Charlie is still green, still figuring it out." Baffert said.
One of the most-asked questions of Baffert concerns whether Indian Charlie has enough seasoning for a tough 1-14-mile race like the Derby.
The last horse to win the Derby in his fifth career start was Exterminator eight years ago. The last unbeaten horse to remain that way in the Derby was Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew in 1977.
"He's been training for a year. It's not like he just came out. His brilliance makes up for his lack of seasoning." Baffert said.
"I have two really good horses." Baf
fert said. "Let the games begin."
Stevens will ride Indian Charlie from the No. 8 post, just outside of Favorite Trick and Pat Day. Real Quiet, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, will start from the No. 3 post.
The field in post-position order is Nationalore, Basic Trainee, Real Quiet, Halory Hunter, Chilito, Hanuman Highway, Favorite Trick, Indian Charlie, Rock and Roll, Parade Ground, Cape Town, Artax, Victory Gallop, Old Trieste and Robinwould.
Race horse, jockey expected to finish strong
The Associated Press
Favorite Trick usually is. After winning his first nine races comfortably, the Phone Trick coll got into a speed duel in the Arkansas Derby and finished a close third, behind Victory Gallop and Hanuman Highway.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Pat Day seems to have everything going his way for tomorrow's Kentucky Derbv.
The Hall of Fame jockey will be aboard Horse of the Year Favorite Trick, who loves the Churchill Downs track, already has experienced Derby day madness and appears eager to rebound from the first loss in his 10-race career.
But even in defeat, Day was encour
"He'll be more like the Favorite Trick of old in the Derby," said Day, riding in his 15th consecutive Derby and 16th overall. "I feel he'll break clean, not be nearly as aggressive as he was in the Arkansas Derby, get into a comfortable position and make a run at the quarter nole.
"He had every right to cave in over the final 16th when one horse drew up on the outside and another came charging up inside of him. You never know how a horse is going to respond when he's tested. I was extremely happy that he hung in there and fought, and was coming back at the wire."
Trainer Bill Mott, who was elected to racing's Hall of Fame on Tuesday, criticized Day's effort in the Arkansas Derby, but has since tempered his remarks.
"If he does that, there's no doubt we will be there at the end."
"What we did find out was that when he's challenged, he'll offer some resistance," said Day, Churchill Downs' all-time leader in victories.
aged.
"Pat probably had a little more con-
"I think we will make the minor adjustments that need to be made, and I don't look for that to happen again."
favorite trick's trainer
Bill Mott
fidence in him than what he should have," said Mott, who became Favorite Trick's trainer in January after replacing Patrick Byrne, hired to train privately for Frank Stronach. "But Favorite Trick was coming off a seven-furlong sprint and was only in his second race at 3 and was obviously fresh.
"I think we will make the minor adjustments that need to be made, and I don't look for that to happen again."
Favorite Trick, the 4-1 third choice for the Derby, will leave from the No. 7 post.
During his winning streak, Favorite
Trick won three in a row at Churchill
Downs, starting with the WHAS Stakes on Derby day in '97.
"The WHAS was his toughest race until the Arkansas Derby." Day said. "He broke his maiden nine days earlier, then came back and won when he was tested by Cowboy Dan. He's handled this track very well, and the Derby day experience won't play as heavily on him as it might for some others."
Day also has ridden three other Derby contenders — Cape Town, Halory Hunter and Parade Ground.
And what if the track comes up muddy tomorrow?
"He's raced on a sloppy track here," Day said. "I think he'll handle the track, regardless of the conditions."
Does that give him even more of an advantage?
"It's a help, but not an overwhelming day," Help said. "All these riders are watching these horses and know they can change race to race, drastically on some occasions. Then again, it could be detrimental. You anticipate a horse will be laid back and that doesn't develop, then what?"
Irish athlete's urine sample reeks of booze
The Associated Press
SDYNEY, Australia — A urine sample submitted by Irish swimmer Michelle Smith contained deadly levels of alcohol, the head of the International Olympic Committee medical commission said yesterday.
"The alcohol level was so high that you could not survive with that concentration," said Prince Alexandre de Merode, chairman of the medical commission. "That is strange — that normally indicates manipulation."
Smith, who won three gold medals at the Atlanta Olympics but was dogged by suspicions she had used performance-enhancing drugs, is under investigation by FINA, the world swimming governing body, over the alleged tampering.
At a news conference in Dublin on Wednesday, she vehemently denied allegations that she manipulated the out-of-competition drug test, which was taken at her home in Ireland in January.
She said she was told the sample had "a very strong whiskevodor."
He said alcohol could be used to mask the presence of other drugs in a sample.
De Moré said it was possible either it "is not her urine or that it's manipulated urine."
FINA honorary secretary Gunnar Werner said he had been told the sample had "a heavy odor of alcohol."
He said two drug testers, a man and a woman, were present for Smith's doping control, and "the woman was in the room with her."
Smith told reporters, "There are unequivocal signs of adulteration and that there is a content of alcohol in the sample which is in no way compatible with human consumption."
"I am not certain how many whiskey experts were used by the laboratory and were this not the most serious challenge to my career and my credibility, it would be mildly amusing." Smith said.
The test was analyzed at an IOC-accredited laboratory in Barcelona. De Merode said he had spoken with lab officials about the suspicious sample.
Drug tests are divided into an A sample and a B sample. Smith was given 14 days to request analysis of her B sample, which could exonerate her if nothing is found, to be wrong with it.
FINA said Smith could be punished by a four-year suspension, or even a lifetime ban if found guilty. Werner said FINA's rules also include the possibility of retroactive sanctions.
Werner, however, said it was unlikely that Smith. would be stripped of her Olympic medals.
werner said Smith has been tested regularly by FINA. "We have had no evidence or suspicions about her before," he said. "We have had no reason to suspect her."
Smith's father, Brian, was quoted in yesterday's Dublin Evening Herald as saying "certain individuals" are waging a vendetta against his daughter.
"This seems to be a never-ending series of innuendoes and accusations that have existed now since Atlanta," he said, without identifying anyone by name.
He said his daughter had undergone approximately 18 routine tests a year.
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