SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Thursday, September 9, 1993
Injuries abound on Kansas football team
Mason compares squad to'88 team
By Matt Doyle
Kansan sportswriter
Only two games into the 1993 season and Kansas coach Glen Mason is drawing comparisons with the 1988 season, his first year coaching at Kansas.
No, the Jayhawks are not a bad football team this year, but they are slowly seeing a decline in the number of players.
This season Mason was not faced with the dilemma of having only 51 players on scholarship, which was the case in 1988 — 44 less than the NCAA allowed. But the layhawk coach has had many players suffer injuries early this season, with no fewer than 10 regular contributing players missing game action.
"This is the worst injury situation that I have ever been involved with," Mason said. "It's back to 1988 for us, but I'm more prepared for it now. We're really depleted in the number of able bodies that can play right now."
Kansas lost three players for the season in last Sat
urday's 4-3 victory against Western Carolina, and another four players will miss this Saturday's game at Michigan State.
Senior starting tailback George White and freshman reserve comeback Charles Davis will miss the remainder of the season because of knee injuries. Senior starting free safety Kwami Lasster suffered a fractured collarbone and will miss the season as well.
McBurrows said that the injuries would affect the defense as a whole, but that defensive coordinator Bob Fello looked at the defense as a puzzle.
"Kwamie will be a big loss because he was an inspirational and emotional leader," junior cornerback Gerald McBurrows said.
"If everyone contributes their piece of the puzzle the defense will come together." McBurrows said.
Lassiter will be replaced in the startline lineup by senior strong safety Clint Bowen, who started the first two games of the 1992 season when Lassiter was out with an ankle injury.
The Jayhawks defense has probably been affected the worst by the injury situation. Harvey ruptured his Achilles' tendon while jogging across the field during spring practice in April. Wright and Holt both suffered injuries to their knees in the Florida State game and are out for two weeks.
White and Davis will both redshift this season, but Lassiter will not. Lassiter, who transferred to Kansas last season, played at Buler County Community College in 1989 and 1990 and did not play in 1991. NCAA rules state that players have five years to complete their four years of eligibility.
"We're having to service each other now," Mason said. "The one and two offense at times will portray the Michigan State offense in practice, and the one and two defense portrays Michigan State's defense."
Mason did have some good news regarding the Jayhawks' injury situation. Senior center Dan Schmidt, who saw limited action against Florida State and did not play against Western Carolina because of a sprained ankle, will start against Michigan State. Junior outside linebacker Don Davis, out since August with a sprained knee, will also play against the Spartans.
Players who will miss the Michigan State game include junior linebacker Steve Harvey, sophomore linebacker Dick Holt, senior defensive end Sylvester Wright and junior fullback Chris Powell.
Ten Kansas football players have sustained injuries this season. All three players injured during the game were taken off the field.
Banged up
This week Mason moved sophomore guard Chris Banks and junior tight end Brent Willeford to defensive ends to add more depth on the defensive side of the ball.
Player Yr. Pos. Injury Status
George White Sr. RB ligament damage in knee out for season
Kwamie Lassiter Sr. FS broken collabone out for season
Charles Davis Fr. CB ligament damage in knee out for season
Steve Harvey Jr. LB ruptured Achilles tendon out indefinitely
Chris Powell Jr. FB broken foot out 2-3 weeks
Sylvester Wright Jr. DE fractured patella out 2-3 weeks
Dick Holt So. LB sprained knee out 2-3 weeks
Jared Smith Fr. OG sprained ankle probable for Sat.
Don Davis Jr. LB sprained knee probable for Sat.
Dan Schmidt Sr. C sprained ankle will start Sat.
Kansas hopes for good finish in invitational
By Kent Hohlfeld
Kansan sportswriter
It is hard to know what to expect when a new season opens, but Kansas
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golf coach
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WOMEN'S GOLF
said he hoped to see more consistency from a team that had its ups and downs last season.
The team's first opportunity to show that consistency will be at the Roadrunner Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M this weekend.
Waugh said this tournament would give his team a good chance to see nationally strong teams Arizona, New Mexico and New Mexico State. He said the team would also have a chance to evaluate Big Eight opponents Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Kansas State in the 16-team tournament.
Waugh said that he hoped to use the fall season to evaluate players and prepare for the Big Eight and regional competitions.
The Jayhawks return with all but one player from last year's roster and are coming off a fifth place finish in the Big Eight. Waugh said the team would be led by returning senior Holly Reynolds. He said the returning players combined with some promising freshmen should give this team both experience and depth.
"We don't go into the season with too many preconceived ideas but we do expect Holly to do pretty well," Wang said.
Junior Ann Holbrook said that it was important for the team to get off to a good start to help erase last year's disappointing fifth-place competition. She said that the players were ready to get back into competition.
Holbrook said going into the tournament, the team members' practice scores were much closer than in previous years. Tuesday, sophomore Lynn Wiliamson defeated senior Pamela Wineinger in a playoff for the fifth spot on the five-person travel squad.
Holbrook said that the fall season gave the Jayhawks a chance to see teams from different areas of the country.
She said that later in the season the Jayhawks would see teams from the West Coast when it traveled to the Oregon State Women's Invitational. Holbrook said that many of the teams they were competing against now would be competitors in the regionals for a berth in the NCAA tournament. Holbrook said seeing those teams now would show Kansas the level on which those teams were competing.
"These tournaments let you see what you need to work on," she said. "They also let you see what you need to work on as a team."
This weekend we'll see a lot of teams from Texas and New Mexico. Holbrook said. "New Mexico State won last year and they are pretty hard to beat on their home course."
Sophomore teammate Lynn Williamson said the evaluation process would also extend to the Jayhawk team.
Waugh said that he hoped to see his team post a top-six finish in the Roadrunner Invitational. He said that with tough teams like Arizona, a finish in the middle of the pack would be a reasonable expectation for the team.
Holly McQueen/KANSAN
Hit or miss
Corey Benjamin, Highland Park, Ill., junior, prepares to hit the ball during the Zeta Beta Tau and Delta Upsilon intramural softball game yesterday on the field south of Watkins Memorial Health Center. Benjamin and his team were participating in intramural softball sponsored by KU Recreational Services.
The Associated Press
Brewers pitcher stops KC Royals
"I want to see the level of skill and play improve so that the University sees us as a varsity team." Zito said.
Zito said she was not emphasizing winning this year either, she was more interested in building up the program.
Women's soccer may turn varsity
Ricky Bones was in control and the Kansas City Royals were in trouble.
players would be divided into A and B teams.
The loss was the Royals second straight at the hands of the last place Brewers and, coupled with Chicago's victory over Boston, puts the Royals at a deficit that matches their largest of the season.
Bones threw a two-hitter and retired the final 21 batters he faced last night as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Royals 2, dropping Kansas City seven games out of first place in the AL West with 23 games to play.
Kansan sportswriter
"Everybody is welcome." Zito said. "I think everybody should be able to enjoy the sport if they want to."
Bv Anne Felstet
The team does not have a record from last year. Zito said she did not keep one because the team plued more for fun, than to win.
"I just wanted to stay focused, keep ahead of the count," he said. "All I was thinking was three up, three down and I wanted to keep it up, especially after we took the lead."
The possibility of a varsity ranking has motivated the women's soccer club to improve its program.
"This is a day I will never forget," said Bones who reached a career high with his 10th victory. "Hopefully I will keep myself healthy and be able to take this many victories again." He was the first of three men in one of those days where I was able to control everything.
The Brewers took the lead on John Jaha's 15th homer with two outs in the sixth.
According to the gender equity law under TITLE IX of NCAA regulations, universities are required to have equal athletic opportunities for both male and female athletes. Lori Zito, women's soccer coach, said that it was important to increase the chance of becoming an added varsity sport.
Sophomore Carrie Gabbard said that more experienced players had shied away from practice last year because dedication to the sport was lacking. This year, she said that she hoped the new arrangement would keep the experienced players interested.
To help the team's chances, Zito is using a new approach to organize the team. Tryouts, used for the first time, began at Tuesday's practice. Tryouts continue today at 5 p.m. and will end next Tuesday. Zito said that no one would be cut from the team, but that she
Kevin McReynolds homered in the second and Greg Gagne singled in the third and that was it for the Royals as Bones threw 106 pitches and got 16 groundouts.
"We're not swinging the bats." Royals manager Hal McRae said. "It's just a matter of the hitters being able to relax. It's just something that we have to ride out. We're not going to throw in the towel. We need to win seven or eight games in a row. The White Sox need to lose four in a row. It's happened before. It will happen again."
Hipolito Pichardo started for Kansas City and left after five innings with the scored tied 1-1. It was Pichardo's first start after a being on the 15-day disabled list.
The Rovals managed just six hits in the two games.
"I used to eat, sleep and breathe soccer." Gabbard said of her high school days.
Approximately 20 women showed up to practice Tuesday.
Last fall, Gabbard played some on the team, but she did not play at all in the spring. She said she did not show much dedication last year. This year would be different.
Billy Broer (2-2) relieved Pichardo at the start of the sixth and gave up the long homer to Jaha.
Now her passion has returned to help build a strong team.
Any woman interested in joining the team may attend practice Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Zito said she was trying to arrange a Wednesday practice as well, but that the time and space for practice was limited.
The team's schedule is not final, but its first match is set for Oct. 9 at Missouri.
McReynolds hit his 10th homer into the fountains in left field to give Kansas City's a 1-0 lead in the second.
Jose Valentin, who singled for his first major league hit in the third, doubled in the fifth to tie the score after Troy O'Leary singled.
The Associated Press
Woman shatters 10,000-meter world record,42 seconds faster
Wang Junxia of China shattered the women's 10,000-meter world mark by 42 seconds yesterday with a time of 29 minutes, 31.78 seconds.
Juxia's time was more than a minute better than her previous personal best, recorded last month at the World Championships at Stuttgart, Germany, and nearly three minutes better than her best time last year.
The 20-year-old Junxia competing in China's 7th National Games, smashed the record of 30:13.74 set by Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway July 5, 1886.
Kansas crew foursome reunited after year apart
By Anne Felstet
Kansan sportswriter
Jinxia ran the final 100 meters of the race with none of her competitors in sight.
Nancy Herriott, a member of that open four with coxwain shell, said she had to look at the judge to know who won. Kansas took second and third, two seconds behind the shell from Princeton.
It came down to the official result; mere sight could not determine the winner.
Kansas crew coach, Rob Catloth, said the College National Championships' announcer did not even mention Kansas until the last 1000 meters of the race.
That was two years ago. Now, the rowers of that shell are back together to compete for the first time since that memorable race.
Last year, senior McCallie studied abroad in Japan, and senior Tam Odelwat was out
Herrtott said the best thing about rowing with the foursome was the feeling of confidence.
with a back injury. Now McCallie and Odell are back to join their fellow owrsews graduate student Herriot and senior Kendra Luna.
"Psychologically and physically, everything is there," she said. "The only thing I have to worry about is rowing hard. I trust the other people in the boat to work hard. I know I will work hard."
The main crew season is in the spring, but Odell said the women's team was already setting its sights on big competitions. She said the team's usual goal revolved around the Midwest Championships in April. Already this fall, she said the team had discussed its desire to compete in the national championships held in June.
With this summer's flooding, the team has not been able to use the Kansas River as in previous years. It now is practicing at Clinton Lake.
Odell said it was hard to get psyched about the spring season already, but that setting goals helped the team get mentally prepared.
William Alix / KANSAN
McCallie said that she hoped the coming season would be as successful as the season two years ago, but that she wouldn't know until the foursome had spent some time on the water.
Members of the Kansas Crew Team prepare for landing after practice at Clinton Lake Marina.
Luna said that once winter came and forced the team off the lake, the team prepared itself for competition through weight lifting and aerobic conditioning twice a day.
While this preparation may have helped the team qualify for nationals two years ago, it did not prepare them for what they would feel.
Hernott said sitting at the starting line of that race was very intense; so intense that she wanted to get out of the boat. She said the cameras were on them, and everything was official.
Herriott said that once the race started, the rush of competition took over and the race went great.