Section A · Page 8
The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, November 16, 2000
Sports
Ankle, back injuries plague center position
By Zac Hunter
sports@kanson.com
Kansas sportwriter
The starting lineup of the Kansas women's basketball team will most likely change from week to week, and the position that is most hotly contested is center.
Juniors Kristin Geoffroy and Nikki White are battling each day in practice for playing time. Junior Dalchon Brown also is in the mix for time, but a back injury has kept her on the sidelines for the first part of the season. Brown played only five minutes in the first exhibition game against the Basketball Travelers.
"She didn't have a chance to show everything she has," said coach Marian Washington.
wrote started against the Travelers, but she played only 13 minutes because of an ankle problem. In those 13 minutes, she grabbed three rebounds and scored only one point, but Washington said she was happy with what she saw.
"We've got to see how she's responding." Washington said. "She ran well and she got off her feet."
The ankle soreness is a result of White's knee problems. Off-season surgery for cartilage under the kneecap caused her to miss the entire 1998-99 season. She has had seven surgeries, but she said the last major operation fixed the knee.
"My knee is doing a lot better than last year," she said.
My knee is doing a lot better than last year. Now, fixing that problem has led to another. White adjusted the way she runs and jumps to accommodate her knee, and that has led to problems with her ankle. However, she said the difficulties with her ankle would not be as bad as the those she had with her knee.
"It won't keep me out of games," White said.
She also said some days her ankle felt better than others. Write.Write it out the story, it gives Geoffrey that stole the
show off the bench. She finished with 16 points in 23 minutes. "If Kristin Geoffroy keeps playing the way she is playing, it will be fun." Washington said.
Despite Geoffroy's 16 points being a far cry from the 2.7 she averaged last season, she and the rest of the frontcourt know it can get better.
"As soon as a couple of us get more consistent, we are going to be dominating the paint," Geoffroy said.
White said that Geoffroy pushed her in practice every day and that the best way to maximize the talent at center was for both players to get minutes.
"We both have different strengths, and Coach is going to combine them," White added.
Kansas center Kristin Geoffroy goes for a layup in the team's last game against the Basketball Travelers. All starting positions on the women's basketball team have been filled except for center. Geoffroy is competing against Niki White for the starting position. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
U.S. soccer team nixes upset, beats Barbados
The Associated Press
WATERFORD, Barbados — Everything was going wrong for the United States. Possible World Cup elimination was just 27 minutes away, and it seemed that the opponents in the yellow uniforms were Brazil, not lowly Barbados.
Joe-Max Moore then created an easy goal for Clint Mathis in the 63rd minute, and the American rout belatedly began.
Earnie Stewart, Cobi Jones and Ante Razov added goals, and the Americans beat Barbados 4-0 yesterday, advancing to next year's regional finals of World Cup qualifying.
"We had to win," Mathis said. "I think the guys did a great job with the pressure."
Now the United States advances to a final group that includes Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and either Costa Rica or Guatemala. The top three will advance to the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea.
It was the first time in 11 years the United States faced an elimination game in World Cup qualifying.
After a first half when Mathis hit a post in the 36th minute and got stopped by goalkeeper Horace Stoute on a point-blank shot in the 39th minute, the Americans had grim, tight faces when they walked off at halftime.
"Today seemed harder," said U.S. goalkeeper Tony Meola. "For a while, it seemed like we couldn't get a goal."
Guatemala was at home against Costa Rica in a game played simultaneously. If the United States failed to win and Guatemala won, the Americans would be eliminated.
Because Guatemala won 2-1, the United States came uncomfortably close to elimination.
"We knew it wasn't going to be easy," Meola said.
Both games were scoreless at halftime. Five minutes into the second half, Barbados nearly went ahead. Llewellyn Riley took a hard shot and Meola just managed to deflect it. The rebound hit the knee of defender Carlos Llamosa, ricocheted off the crossbar and only bounced away.
Punter hears wedding bells
"Maybe the play of the game is Meola's save," Arena said.
Continued from page 7A
It's been a modest season for 4-6 Kansas, which will finish the year at Iowa State Saturday with no chance of going to a bowl game.
That bothers Pelfanio. One of the reasons he came from Sacramento Community College was that he figured two years would be enough to reap the benefits of a major-conference program.
"It's disappointing," Pelfianio said. "It's definitely gone fast this year. I can't believe it's almost over."
But it's not. He will graduate in May from the University with a degree in juvenile justice. In June, the couple will return to California, where he will attend Sherriff's Academy, and they will plan their wedding, which does not have a set date yet.
Pelfanio and Wright met in California in January 1999 through mutual friends. It was almost bad timing because Pelfanio was set to
leave for Lawrence to begin the spring semester. But, gradually, they became better friends.
"We talked all the time on the phone," Wright said. "He just wouldn't stop calling."
Wright moved to Lawrence last summer and is a dental assistant in town. Although she didn't know much about football, she supported him.
"He had to correct me when I would tell people he was the kicker," Wright said, laughing. "But I'm learning."
Every football player has dreams of making it big. Coming to Kansas, Pelfanio hoped to be part of a team that seemed sure it would play in the postseason the past two years. Injuries and mistakes have halted the plan. Sometimes, though, there are rings that are more important.
"We're very happy together," Wright said.
— Filed by Kimberly Thomason
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