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Wednesday, August 23, 1978
University Daily Kansan
Staff photo by RANDY OLSON
Endurance
Bruce Coldsmith grimaces during a workout in the 1977 cross country season. Coldsmith enters his senior year with the Jayhawks and will be the team's most experienced runner. He led the team in four cross country meets in 1977 and also set three personal bests in distance races on the track. Coldsmith and his teammates will work to improve on KU's seven place finish last season in the Big 8. All but one letterman will return for the Jayhawks.
Cross country team seeks to improve its conference standing
By BILL BUZBEE Sports Writer
All but one of KU's cross country lettermen will be back this season to try to improve last year's disappointing seventh place Big Eight finish.
Returning will be Bruce Coldsmith, Paul Schultz, Kendall Swall, Brent Swanson and
Three recruits will be helping the squad in its come-back bid.
"Last year's Big Eight finish was a big disappointment," head cross country coach Bob Timmons said. "I have a good feeling about this, though. I think we will come
Jeff Campbell, the Kansas 5A state high school cross country champion for the last two years, will join the squad. He also took part in the state and two-mile run in the state outdoor meet.
The winner of the 880 in the Golden West championship with a time of 1:51.8, Rink Willekhoo, will be wining for a position on the squad. He finished second in the Missouri high school cross country championships last year.
William Heinhus, a 2:41.20 marathoner,
is KU's other recruit.
"Some of these new folks will help us," Timmons said. "But I don't know how they are going to react from going to a two to three mile high school run to the 10,000 meter, which is something like six miles. Only time will tell."
Also vying for positions on the team will be Jeff Hayes, Rick Ensz, twins Tim and T Jontsch, Tim Schmidt, Rich Woodall and David Bauer.
Timmons said defending Big Eight champion Colorado is the league favorite.
"Ensz and Hays are contenders for a position," Timmons said. "I also expect to have some walk-ons."
"last year they set a record low of 21 points," he said, "and with the people they have come in, some of the people who had been in this year seven last year won't make it this year."
"Iowa State, Missouri and Kansas State are going to be tough also."
The team will open its season Sept. 5 at the OklahomaInvitational. Next will be the OklahomaWildcats.
KU will take on Southern Illinois, Oct. 7, at Carbondale, followed by a dual meet Oct. 13 at Oklahoma, and a dual with Oklahoma, Oct. 20 at KU.
The Big Eight Championships will be held Nov. 4 at Oklahoma. The NCAA Regional will be Nov. 11 at Wichita, and the national championship is set for Nov. 20 at Madison, Wis.
Optimistic outlook lifts women's cross country
Coach Teri Anderson says she is ex-couched about this year's cross country triathlon.
Not only are the top five runners from last year returning, but this year's recruits include three high school state champions.
"We had a good team last year," Anderson said, "but with the quality of some of our recruits, our returning coaches have had hard time making the team."
Michelle Brown, who placed 39th in the national meet last year, heads the list of returning lettermen.
ALSO RETURNING ARE Deb Hertzog, Karen Fitz, Robin Mathewson and Bridget Bennett.
"Brown is an excellent performer," Anderson said. "I think she will make All-American. I am looking for Hertzg to be a lot stronger this year also."
secutive Kansas 2A state one-mile title and the state cross country championship in high school. Her best time in the one-mile run is 5:58.0.
ALSO A FRESHMAN, Warner was last year's Kansas $A state cross country champion.
Anderson said Fitz, Brown and Hertz should form the nucleus of the team.
"I am looking for a lot of strength in our recruits, also," she added, "especially Louise Murphy and Wendy Warner."
Murphy will be joining the squad as a reshman, after winning four con-
"We have a lot of potential in our other recruits, Vicki Simpson and Maurien McCowen," Anderson said.
Simpson was one of Wisconsin's top high school 880 and mile runners. Her best time in the 880 is 2:16.0.
The team will open the season Sept. 15 at the Wichita Gold Classic.
"McCowen specialized in the 440 and the 800 in high school," Anderson said, "but she has since been running a lot of road races. She can do us at a lot of good."
"There will be good competition at all of our meets. Our early meets, though, are really just warmups for the last
"THEER WILL BE some good competition at the meet," she said. "K-State will be there, and although we have never been them in the past, this year I think we will. I am looking forward to the meet.
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