SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday, April 26, 1993
7
First team controls spring game
Stephen Pingry / KANSAN
Sophomore wide receiver Ashaundai Smith makes a catch and then drags four players a few yards before being brought down. Smith led all receivers with six catches for 137 yards and one touchdown in Saturday's scrimmage. The first team defeated the second team 52-0, as the first team quarterbacks threw for a combined 414 yards.
Quarterbacks impressive in scrimmage
Kansan sportswriter
Bv Matt Dovle
"Most people who came today left thinking that the quarterbacks we got are a little better than they thought." Mason said.
The most often asked question to Kansas football coach Glen Mason during the off-season was who would replace Chip Hilleary at quarterback.
After Saturday's 52-0 victory by the first team Jayhawks against the second team Jayhawks, Mason had answers about the quarterback position.
Juniors Fred Thomas and Asheki Preston shared time at quarterback for the first team, and both looked impressive.
Thomas completed nine of 17 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown, and ran for 26 yards.
In his duty with the first team, Preston was six for eight passing for 228 yards and three touchdowns.
Three plays after completing a 42-yard pass to sophomore Ashaundai Smith, Thomas had an 18-yard touchdown run on the first possession for the first team offense.
"I think things really run smoothly, but there are some things I can improve on," Thomas said. "I'd give myself a passing grade, but only because I had great protection from the line and the backs supporting me by running the ball."
Early in the quarter Preston connected with Smith on a 42-yard touchdown pass. Late in the quarter, sophomore running back LT. Levine turned a Preston screen pass into a 57-yard touchdown reception.
Preston, after quarterbacking the second team offense in the first quarter, led the first team offense to three touchdowns in the second quarter.
Although Mason has indicated that Thomas still is the No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart, Preston said that he still would compete for the starting quarterback position based on his performance Saturday.
The competition is still there, and I like the competition. Preston said, "I can only
control what I can do on the field. The coaches control who they pick as the starting quarterback."
Smith had six receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown Saturday, and emerged as a receiver the Jayhawks might rely on this season.
Smith had only one reception for 19 yards last season.
The Jayhawk coaching staff recruited Smith, who is 5-foot-6 and 155 pounds, as a running back, but later switched him to
receiver.
"We didn't think he would be big enough to play running back, but we thought we could find some place for him to play," Mason said. "He is greatly improved, and will play for us this year."
In his two years at Kansas, Smith has made the adjustments from switching positions.
Mason said that the Jayhawks had a good spring practice but still had some things to work out before the 1993 season opener. Kansas will play Florida State on Aug. 28 in the Kirkoff Classic.
"When we get settled in on what we want to do in the '93 season, then we'll be OK," he said.
"They threw the ball to me in high school, but it was usually dump off passes, so I really never ran any routes," he said.
Mason said he made some mistakes in his approach to spring practice that hindered the performance of the players.
Stubblefield goes to 49ers in first round of draft
By Jay Williams
Kansan sportswriter
Two Jadehawks were among the selections in yesterday's portion of the 1993 National Football League draft.
Dana Stubblefield, a 6-3, 285-pound defensive tackle, became the first Kansas football player in more than a decade to be selected in the first round of the NFL, draft.
Brown was in Detroit with his family watching the draft and was not available for comment
The San Francisco 49ers selected Stubblefield yesterday with the 26th pick overall in the draft. Minnesota took Gilbert Brown, another former Kansas defensive tackle, in the third round, the 79th pick overall.
Stubblebird watched the draft on television in Aurora, Ind., with a group of about 50 friends and relatives. While the group celebrated the lineman's Stubblebird's initial reaction was slightly different.
"I had to sit in a different room to get my thoughts together," he said.
Stubblefield was projected by many draft experts as a late first-round or early second-round pick.
Philadelphia had shown interest in Stubblebell, but the Eagles used the 24th pick to take Leonard Renfoil, a defensive end from Colorado. Colorado defensive back Deon Figures, drafted 23rd by Pittsburgh, was the only other player from the Big Eight Conference selected during the first round.
"When Philadelphia took Leonard Renfro, I thought I wouldn't be taken until the second round," Stubblefield said.
But the 49ers ended Stubblefield's wait before the end of the first round.
Stubblefield will face the Bay Arealmedia at a news conference today and will return to Lawrence tomorrow.
After the 49ers made their selections, ESPN analysis Mel Kiper praised Stubblefield and Brown as two of the key reasons for the improvement in the Kansas football program. Stubblefield was the MVP in the Jayhawks' 23-20 victory against Brigham Young University if the Aloha Bowl. Stubblefield also earned first team Big-Eight and second team All-America honors.
The 6-3, 305-pound Brown earned second team all-
conference honors last season.
The Aloha Bowl was the first bowl game for Kansas since 1981 — and 1981 was the last time a Jayhawk had been selected in the first round. The Cincinnati Bengals picked wide receiver David Verser that year.
"It's the 1990s," Stubblefield said. "Kansas is a winning program again. You can look for better things to come."
BRIEFS
Track teams compete at 86th Drake Relays
Kansan staff report
Kansas junior Teresa Shera
Reichert hirth her second-best throw of the year, 168-11,
in the discus and placed fourth.
Kansas track coach Gary Schwartz said the women's team had a good showing last weekend at the 86th Annual Drake Rales in Des Moines, Iowa, but the men's team struggled.
Sophomore Dawn Steele continued to run well in the 400 hurdles, reaching the finals. She finished 82 and finished in fourth place.
Schwartz said it was difficult even to make the finals at Drake because of the intense competition.
The women's 400-meter relay team made the finals for the first time in Kansas history, Schwartz said. The team finished sixth with a time of 46.26.
The men's best performance came in the four-mile relay, where the Jahayhs placed third in 16:48.55.
Kansas triathlete takes second place
The next triathlon for Kansas is the Menorah Medical Center Triathlon in Olathe on May 23.
The Kansas Triathlon and Swim Club traveled to Manhattan yesterday to participate in the Taxi Triathlon at Kansas State.
The Taxi Triathlon was the final competition of the school year.
The race featured a 700-yard swim followed by a 14%-mile bike race. It ended with a five-kilometer run.
On the women's side, senior Barb Pranger finished second overall, and graduate student Sara Coleman came in third.
Kansan staff report
Women's tennis team wins Big Eight title
By Blake Spurney
Kansas dominates weekend contests does not lose a match
Kansan sportswriter
PRAIRIE VILLE — Like a steamroller, the No. 17 Kansas women's tennis team flattened all three of its opponents this weekend at the Women's Second Round and its second consecutive Bieft Championship.
The Jayhawks assaulted Missouri 6-0 in the first round on Friday, then pasted Colorado 5-0 in the semifinals Saturday. In yesterday's finals, the Kansas machine rolled over Oklahoma State with a 5-0 victory, completing a perfect 16-0 tournament.
Even though the Jayhawks had dominated the other Big Eight teams during the regular season, Kansas coach Chuck Mierzbach had said before the tournament that it would be highly unlikely for the Jayhawks to go through the tournament undefeated.
Kansas junior Kim Rogers smashes a return against Oklahoma State's Nadia Vitals. Rogers, one of five Jayhawks to win singles matches yesterday, defeated Vitals 6-2, 6-2. Kansas defeated Oklahoma State 5-0 for its second consecutive Big Eight Championship.
Kansas this year.
For Merzbacher, it was his third conference title, but he said this one meant the most. He won two Mid-Continental titles as the men's coach of Northern Illinois before coming to
After his team pulled off the feat, he said he felt like he was in a dream.
"This is a major conference," he said about the Big Eight. "Anytime you win a conference tournament, it is a good feeling."
"I wonder if it's ever been done before," he said.
The conference title virtually assures the Jayhawks an invitation to NCAA Championships, May 12-20, in Gainesville, Fla. Twenty teams are invited, and Kansas probably will receive an at-large bid.
"Hopefully we sent a message that we should be there," Merzbacher said. "See you in Gainesville."
Sophomore Rebecca Jensen said it was one of the team's goals to win the conference title without having to play doubles. The Jayhawks clinched the best-of-nine matches without having to rely on doubles, which are played last.
"I think it's a lot tougher to win all your singles," she said.
Kansas' strong point during the season has been its doubles play. The Jayhawks compiled a 20-1 record in Big Eight doubles.
So if Kansas had that to rely on, why was Jensen so nervous in the trials against Oklahoma State's Cristina Siriani?
Jensen, ranked No. 15 in the nation, has played some of the best players in the nation, but said she still becomes nervous in big matches.
In the first set of her match against Sirianni, play had to be stopped when Jensen became sick to her stomach, something she said had not happened since February.
"I wanted to win more than anything," she said about her anxiety. "I put a lot of pressure on myself."
However, Jensen came back with extra intensity.
She lost the first set 1-6, then rebounded to take the second 7-5. In the third set, Jensen was leading 2-1, before it was suspended because Kansas had already clinched the match 5-0.
"I came in a lot more," she said. "In the first set
(Sirianni) was the aggressor."
NOTE:
Men's tennis team places third
Junior Abby Woods had a perfect set Friday against Missouri's Sherif Heftel. Woods won the match 6-0, 6-0. In the second set she did not lose a single point.
'Hawks down Sooners one day after losing 4-3 to Cornhuskers
By Blake Spurney
Kansan sportswriter
LEAWOOD — The Kansas men's team tennis fell 4-3 to Nebraska in the semifinals of the Big Eight Championships on Saturday, keeping the Jayhawks out of the finals for the first time in four years.
14. In Friday's first round, Kansas
skinned Missouri 9-0.
The Jayhawks rebounded yesterday to beat Oklahoma 4-1 for third place. Colorado claimed the conference
Even though Kansas was seeded higher, at No. 2, than the No. 3 Corn-
huskers, Kansas coach Michael Center said it was not an unset.
"They're a good team." Center said. "I can't爪 our effort at all."
However, the Kansas players and coach could not hide their disappointment.
Senior Carlos Fleming said it was one of the most disappointing feelings he has ever had, especially since the Big Eight in any of his five seasons.
"It's something we prepare for every year," he said. "It's not like we don't have the physical talent."
The Jayhawks had a 1-0 advantage against Nebraska after the grueling
In men's tennis, the three doubles matches are played first, and the team that wins two of them receives one point.
The deciding point was won by
Kansas' No. 3 doubles pair, junior Kevin Hirsch and freshman J. P Visepo-9, in an intensely battled tiebreaker. The Kansas pair won the tiebreaker 7-5, and after each each point the players screamed encouragement to each other.
When it came to the singles matches, Kansas' top four players were defeated by the Cornhuskers.
"The only joy of the whole match was watching Herke and J.P. pull it out," Fleming said.
"I'm happy it came down on my shoulders," Fleming said. "I could have been the hero, or I could have lost it."
The pivotal and final match came between Fleming and Mattias Mueller in No. 1 singles. Mueller won 6-7, 6-3, 6-4.
California guard may fill Kansas' fifth scholarship
Kansan staff report
Jordi Hasek, a 6-foot-2 freshman guard at California, could become the fifth newcomer to the Karsans men's basketball team next season.
Hase asked for his release from the Golden Bears, and Kansas reportedly topped his list of possibilities.
Under NCAA rules, Kansas coach Roy Williams cannot comment about Haase until the paperwork is complete. If Haase transfers, he will be able to practice but not play in games next season. He will then have three years of eligibility remaining.
The shooting guard started 23 games alongside high-tighted point guard Jason Kidd. He became a reserve after Coach Lou Campanelli was fired and Todd Bozeman was promoted to head coach in early February. Haase averaged 7.2 points a game.
in the NCAA tournament, he made three of four three-pointers against Duke. Against Kansas, he scored three pointers in the losing effort.
Hasew would fill the only remaining scholarship the Jahayhaws have to offer. The other four belong to the Vaupin brothers, Jacque Vaughn and J.B. Williams.