SPORTS
November 14,1984
Sandberg is writers' pick for NL MVP
The University Daily KANSAN
By United Press International
NEW YORK — Ryan Sandberg,
whose all-around skills helped bring
the Chicago Cubs a division title and
their first pennant of any kind in 39
years, yesterday was named the
National League's Most Valuable
Player by the Baseball-Writers
Association of America.
The 25-year-old second baseman was a runaway winner in a balloting conducted among 24 members of the BBWAA — two from each NL city. He received 21 first-place votes and 326 points, becoming the first Cub player to win MVP honors since Ernie Banks in 1959.
Men's head track coach Bob Timmons works with Scott Seigul on his discus technique. Timmons is concerned about how the large number of foreign athletes on U.S. collegiate track and field teams take away from opportunities for Americans to compete in some instances.
First baseman Keith Hernandez of the New York Mets finished second in the voting, receiving one first place vote and 195 points. Outfielder Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres, the second pick, received one first place vote and 184 points.
Rounding out the top 10 vote getters were pitcher Rick Sutcliffe of Chicago, the NL Cy Young Award winner, outfielder Gary Matthews of Chicago; relief pitcher Bruce Sutter of St. Louis; third baseman Mike Johnson of垫脚base; outfielder Jose Clemente of Milwaukee; pitcher Murphy of Atlanta, winner of the award the previous two seasons, and catcher Jody Davis of Chicago.
Each writer was asked to vote for 10 players. Points were distributed on a 14,9,8,7,etc basis.
Sandberg and Hernandez were the only players named on all 24 ballots. Sandberg also received two second place votes while Hernandez got 12 votes for second place, two for third, three for fifth and one for seventh.
Sandberg, in only his third big league season, finished among the top five players in the league in six offensive categories. He led the league in runs scored with 114 and tied for first with Philadelphia's Juan Samuel in triples with 19. In addition, he was second in hits with 200, third in runs and fourth in a slugging percentage with 320 and fourth in batting average at 314.
He also hit 19 home runs, drove in
84 runs and stole 32 bases in 39
attempts.
Foreign athletes draw concern
By CHRIS LAZZARINO
Sports Editor
With the force that nearly equals an invading army, foreign athletes have begun to dominate U.S. collegiate track and field.
In a cover letter to a survey on the subject distributed by Brigham Young University, a statistic was obtained of the good indication of the situation.
The letter said that approximately 55 percent of the first 40 finishers at the 1983 National Cross Country Championships were foreign student athletes.
Men's head track coach Bob Timmons said that figures such as that prove that a problem has been solved, the recruitment of foreign student athletes.
"IT IS ALMOST impossible to win a national championship without foreign athletes." Timmons said. "We top ten teams had foreign athletes."
Timmons does not recruit foreign athletes for the men's track team.
As more foreign athletes are being brought into the collegiate ranks, fewer American athletes are given the chance to compete in their own championships, or even at all, Timmons said.
"WE HAD A RUNNER here at KU several years ago who was the number five American two-miler and he couldn't even get into his own national championships." Timmons said.
"It seems to me that the United States National Collegiate Track and
Field Championships are really the NCAA World Championships," Timmons said.
Timmons is particularly aware of the problem because it hit home for him several years ago.
There are currently four foreign women competing for the KU women's track team. Sophomore Anne Ghemele Bonares and seniors Emma Lerhidt and Lerhidt are from Norway and junior Angela Knights is from Bermuda.
Head women's track coach Carla Coffey said that she would not refrain from signing a foreign athlete just because she is foreign.
"My first priority is American athletes, but we also need to build a strong team," Coffey said.
"THEY ARE GOOD people," Coffey said. "I have enjoyed the experience of having them on the team."
Coffey said she had not any problems with the foreign athletes and they have been strong members of the team.
"I SUSPECT MOST of the coaches with foreign athletes will not even answer it," Timmons said.
Baeraaas finished second nationally in the javelin last year and Lerdahl was sixth in the shot put.
together a survey to investigate the situation because he did not know what other coaches thought about it.
Senior cross country runner Brent Steiner will be competing against many foreign runners at the national championships Nov. 19 at University Park, Pa.
Steiner said there were good and bad aspects to competing against foreign athletes. He said American runners are at a disadvantage when they have to compete against foreign athletes because foreign athletes are often older and more experienced than American athletes.
Timmons said that some events in the national track championships were almost void of American athletes.
"WHEN I WAS 18, I was competing against runners who were 27, 28 or 29 years old," Steiner said. "It is not fair for American athletes to have to compete with 27-year-old foreign athletes."
Timmons said he was putting
"In some events, there is hardly an American competing," Timmons said. "I don't see how it helps American athletes develop. I know the better competition makes the Americans work harder to improve, but for the life of me, I don't see how non-participation could help."
Assistant AD is hired for academic support
By BRENDA STOCKMAN Staff Reporter
Athletic Director Monte Johnson yesterday announced the hiring of an assistant athletic director to coordinate a new and expanded academic support program for athletes.
Richard Lee, currently director of supportive educational services for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will assume his new responsibilities immediately. Johnson said Lee will continue to serve as director of SES, a position he has held for about eight years.
Nancy Horarter, an assistant professor of history at Benedictine College in Atchison, will be hired as Lee's assistant and serve as coordinator of the academic support program. Johnson said Horarter who is a co-director toocate in higher education administration at the University of Kansas.
DETAILS OF THE new support program will be worked out by Lee and Horvartier as soon as possible, Johnson said
Harvartier and Lee could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Lonnie Rose, an assistant athletic director, said Lee's hiring would help bridge the gap between the athletic department and the rest of the University.
The new position will keep Lee busy, Rose said. But he thought the work in both positions was similar. He had suggested no problem combining the two roles.
"MY HAVING TWO jobs is somewhat different because they are very distinct," said Rose, who is also a professor of law. "Richard can effectively take care of SES and the athletic department because, in essence, he is doing the same thing, just in different places."
Lee will maintain his office at SES and will have another office in the athletic department. Rose said
Rose said the new support program for athletes would be better than program used prior to this year. Under the old system, one academic leader was used for the athletic department and tutors were hired by the department.
Johnson said, "We believe that with this program we will move to the forefront of academic support for athletes and have one of the finest
programs of any university in the country."
THE NEW PROGRAM HAS been developing for a long time, Johnson said.
"We had some problems of ineligible athletes earlier this fall," he said, "but the need to increase the sophistication of the academic support system was addressed in the long-range plan, which was developed during the past year and a half."
The University of Kansas Athletic Corporation Board adopted the long-range plan in August that called for changes and improvements in the athletic department's academic support system.
At the start of the semester, 10 football players were declared academically ineligible for the season.
ROSE SAID THE NEW program had been evolving since last spring when the plan was being drafted.
Mike Fisher, former academic counselor, will not be part of the new program. Earlier this month, Rose said, he fired Fisher, whose title was changed to personal counselor for athletes when his duties were cut in half in August. Tomorrow is supposed to be Fisher's last day.
Fisher declined to comment about the new program or his leaving the athletic department.
Rose said, "At this point I can't comment on Mike's feelings. Mike and I had basically philosophical views, but now the program should devise."
Paul Buskirk, special assistant for athletic advising to the vice chancellor for academic affairs, has served as academic adviser since 1987 and in half. Buskirk will continue as the special assistant, Johnson said.
Johnson said Horvater's position with the athletic department would be similar to Baskirk's position in the office of academic affairs. Horvater also parallels the position of assistant director of SES, Johnson said.
Johnson said he was excited about Horvarter and Lee's appointment and the new program.
"He might have as good a feel as anyone for students who have unusual time demands and those who have come to the University with some deficiencies," he said. "And that's a comfort to me."