12A
Tuesday, January 12, 1993
SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Spirit squads succeed at finals
By Angela Sclara
Kansan staff writer
The Crimson Girls danced their way to their highest finish ever, and the KU cheerleaders and yell leaders placed fifth at the National Cheerleading Association's National Collegiate Championship in Dallas on Jan. 5-6.
The Crimson Girls beat out pom squads from Oklahoma and Oklahoma State for a second-place trophy behind Boise State. More than 100 squads from across the nation competed in both the pompon and cheerleading divisions.
Judges scored the teams on the difficulty of their routines, execution and technique, said Elaine Brady, coordinator of the Spirit Squad.
The Crimson Girls' success comes in a year when only three women returned to the 10-member squad. The 1993 squad lost both 1992 senior captain Sherri Villines and senior choreographer Karin Lawn.
Crimson Girl Shannon Hull, Olathe senior, attributed the squad's success to its preparation and the help it received from a Los Angeles choreographer.
"When we went to Dallas two years ago, we saw how stiff the competition was and we knew what we had to do to come back and win," Hull said. "We practiced constantly, pulled together and the hard work nailed off."
Debbie Adams, Overland Park senior and captain of the Crimson Girls, said the squad needed outside help to develop a routine that caught the judges' eyes.
"We needed someone from the West Coast to add the extra creativity and
novelty to keep the audience's attention. "Adams said,
The Crimson Girls caught everyone's attention by finishing first in the Big Eight Conference, a feat they had not accomplished before.
The finish is an honor for the Crimson Girls and a boost for their continuing effort to find additional funding for the spirit program. Brady said.
Because the Athletic Department does not pay for travel expenses to national competitions, Brady said she is looking for a corporate sponsor to supplement the squad's budget.
"The more visible we can be the better" she said. "This should help."
Both squads will gain some of that visibility when the championship is televised on Prime Sports Network in early February.
The Crimson Girls will perform their trophy-winning routine during halftime of the Feb. 1 basketball game against Missouri. The cheerleading squad will perform its routine during halftime of the Jan. 30 game against Rollins University.
Cheerleader Tawny Hall, Topeka senior, said both squads were supportive of each other during a winter break that was much shorter this year due to the football team's trip to the Aloba Bowl.
"I was only home for two days." Hall said. "It wasn't much of a break."
In 1990 the cheerleading squad won the national championship. Squad captain Sonya Snyer said this year's squad had similar abilities.
"We probably had the best routine down there," she said. "If it wasn't for the one pyramid we missed, we would have finished much higher."
Photo courtesy of the Kansas spirit office
The Crimson girls pose for a group portrait after finishing second at the National Cheerleading Association Championships last week in Dallas.
Pictured from left to right in the front row: Taiwa Waits, Lenexa junior; Tasha Hammond, Lenexa sophomore; Sharon Zambri, Praire Village senior; Candice Franklin, St. Louis sophomore.
Back row: Elaine Brady, Spirit squad coordinator; Kristina Gooding, Manchester, Mo., junior; Julie Hammond, Hays freshman; co-captain Debbie Adams, Overland park senior; co-captain Nikki Lanen, Lenexa senior; Shannon Hull, Olathe senior; Michelle Muscarello, Chicago freshman; Coach Kelli Brahler.
Not pictured: Staci Sill, Jefferson City, Mo., sophomore.
Women's tennis team ranks 20th
Kansan staff report
The Kansas women's tennis program is earning respect as a team to be reckoned with this season.
The NCAA Division I rankings for the end of the fall semester administered by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association ranked the Jahawks No. 20 in the nation.
"The fall poll is more of a speculation of what the teams look like," said women's tennis coach Chuck Merzbacher. "I'm more concerned with the final poll. We want to be ranked higher and we'll get a chance to prove that in the spring."
Sophomore Rebecca Jensen was recognized by the ITA rankings. She was ranked 16th in the country in singles. She and junior teammate Mindy Weiner were tied for 13th in doubles with the tandem of Jackie Moe and Kelly Pace of Texas.
"Rebecca just came together at the end of the fall season," Merzbacher said. "She got some recognition and now she wants to do some damage."
Jensen was the Central Region Newcomer of the Year last season.
Jensen and her teammates return to practice today in preparation for their first match of the semester on January 28 at Brigham Young University.
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