Section A · Page 11
Sports
Tuesday, September 26, 2000
Letters to the Editor Kansan should entice with wit as columnist did
I just wanted to take the time to let Shawn Hutchinson know that his column on dodge ball was very intriguing. I think a little more humor in columns is needed to make the UDK a more readable paper. Sure, news and sports are all serious matters to people. But have we still forgotten that every moment, every fiber of our lives is filled with humor?
Humor is what makes our interaction together all that more controversial, communicable and filled with excitement. The UDK I know would argue tremendously with me, saying "humor and news don't mix, it's seriousness that gets the real readers." That may be so, but without downgrading the paper I feel humor or more creative writing in
the Kansan is needed. It's not all about seriousness, it's about how you deliver it!
Shawn deserves credit; he is not willing to step aside for the "feelings" of the paper. He lends to it. It is also about good journalism and writing. Someone as good as Shawn is in his ability to bring to life "real-life" situations is only found in a handful of good writers. How many times do you sit down for a good read to find editing errors or sentences that don't make sense?
Remarkably, I do have several friends on the paper, and with this letter I hope to beg their pardon, but what is more exciting and powerful about our language is the ability to paint a picture that has not been taken. It should be like a good book, reading it cover to cover, with every word spurring you to read the next.
With all due respect, the UDK should respond by writing more picturesque tales of "real news" and not be entirely limited by shortsidedness. The paper should be fun and intriguing to read, not something that would only act as a good table-leg stabilizer.
Brendan Hamtil Leawood senior
K-State took importanr leap with equestrian team
I am writing this in response to the article "Equestrian team not the solution for K-State" that was in the Kansan Friday, Sept. 15. As an equestrian, I was offended by the article.
I have been competing for the past 10 years, and it would be a privilege to ride for my school in competition. I think that the decision to have an equestrian team at K-State was an excellent one. There are not enough people or colleges that actually take riding and competing horses seriously, and I applaud K-State
for going against the norm and adding an "unpopular" sport.
Maybe now people will begin to realize that riding horses is more than just a hobby. There are not many colleges that equestrians can attend where they can represent their colleges in competition. I do not feel bad for the women that wanted to play softball or soccer at K-state, because just about every school in the country offers those sports. This is exactly what my sport needs in order to become a "popular" sport.
Maybe one day KU will follow the example that K-state has set. Sure it was a risk, but with risk comes success, and I think that is exactly what the equestrian team is headed for.
By the way, my horse trainer of 10 years, Becky Douglas, is representing the United States as the first alternate on the three-day eventing team at the Olympics at this moment.
Diana Stewart
Lansing freshman
Bad grass leaves soccer team without home
Continued from page 14A
a surface that does poorly in heat and is less resistant to weather elements but maintains its color. Bermuda grass is more durable and does well in heat but loses its color in the fall.
Kansas saved $60,000 by going with cheaper grass, but Cook said it would cost about $400,000 or $500,000 to fix the problem now because, in addition to adding Bermuda grass, a new rock base would have to be added to the field to assist drainage.
A team without a home
The Kansas soccer team's alltime record on SuperTarget Field is 15-18-2, including a 5-2-1 record last year on the home turf. Home games have been
"When we're playing on a different field each time, we don't have an advantage because we're not playing on the same field that we're familiar with," said Kansas coach Mark Francis.
The relocation has caused frustration for the team.
"The players are the ones really getting the brunt of it," Francis said. "We have a lot of road games with the way the schedule worked out, so it's
really hard on the players, and I feel bad for them."
The Jayhawks play 11 road games and seven home games this season. The first three home games have been played in the Kansas City area, and this weekend's games against Iowa State and Nebraska will be played at a location yet to be determined. Francis said the loss of a home field had hindered game preparation as well.
"That's the problem that has been the most frustrating," he said. "We've been using the football practice field, but it is too narrow so it's not realistic. It's hurting us in our preparation for games because the width of the field is far too narrow. Last week, we wanted to try to work on our crosses and have our players move out wide, but we
had to change our plan because we could not do that."
Looking to the future
The grass looks greener down the road for future Kansas soccer players, but those on the current roster will just have to just make due.
After spending more than $30 million on upgrades to Memorial Stadium, a soccer/track complex is in the planning stages. Cook said that a lack of funding was causing the delay, but he expected ground to be broken in three to five years.
Until that time comes, Cook said the field would be resded with bluegrass, but that would probably have to tide the team over until the new complex was built.
"Next year, we don't want a
"When we're playing on a different field each time, we don't have an advantage because we're not playing on the same field that we're familiar with."
Mark Francis
Kansas soccer coach
— Edited by Shawn Hutchinson
repeat of this," Francis said. "I know something is going to happen to the field. That depends on money, but something will have to be done to make sure this doesn't happen again."
Sports Calendar
Men's Golf plays host to the Kansas Invitational
Volleyball at Baylor at 7:30 p.m.
Softball vs. Pittsburg State at 3 p.m.
Women's tennis at San Diego State Invitational Soccer vs. Iowa St. at 4 p.m.
Football at Oklahoma at 2 p.m.
Volleyball vs. Texas Tech at 7 p.m.
Softball vs. Washburn at 2 p.m.
Softball vs. Dodge City Community College at 4 p.m.
Women's Tennis at San Diego State Invitational Cross Country at
Rowing at Head of the Des Moines
Oklahoma St. Cowboy Jamboree
Soccer vs. Nebraska Women's tennis at San Diego State Invitational Softball vs. Johnson County Community College at 12 p.m.
Johnson wins second 400-meter; Romanian tests positive for drugs
The Associated Press
For Michael Johnson, after making history with consecutive Olympic 400-meter golds, it was time for sweet goodbyes. Pole vault winner Stacy Dragila said hello with a gold in her event's first time at the Olympics. And the United States softball team needs to win one more time for its gold.
SYDNEY, Australia — it's all in the timing — good and bad.
And for women's gymnastics all-around champion Andreea Raducan of Romania, good times
turned to bad times with news that she had tested positive for drugs — Romanian officials said it was cold medication — and may lose at least one of her three medals.
In a day dominated by drug stories, Johnson — sporting a pair of gold track shoes — needed just 43.84 seconds to turn all eyes to Australia's Olympic Stadium.
He became the first man ever to win the 400 in consecutive Olympics and took a leisurely victory lap following his Olympic farewell. The 33-year-old Johnson has won four Olympic
and nine world championship medals — all gold.
Teammate Alvin Harrison took the silver.
Just 15 minutes earlier, Australian Cathy Freeman captured the women's 400 — a victory that brought the crowd of 110,000 to its feet and left the Aborigine runner in near-shock, kneeling silently on the track.
Drained and overwhelmed with the excitement of victory and the relief of expectations fulfilled, Freeman removed her shoes and took a victory lap in bare feet. Ten days earlier, she had lit the
Olympic flame during the opening ceremony.
Her gold helped boost Australia's medal count to 43—12 gold, 20 silver, 11 bronze — its highest Olympic haul ever.
In the men's 10,000 run, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia repeated as gold medalist with a late kick.
In the Olympic debut of the women's pole vault, Dragila sailed 15 feet, 1 inch to claim the first gold. She failed at three attempts to break her own world record. Tatiana Grigorieva of Australia won the silver and Vala Flofadottir of Iceland the bronze.
The Americans remained atop the medal table with 58 (23-14-21), ahead of China's 48 (21-14-13) and Russia's 47 (14-14-19).
SOFTBALL: It took twice as much effort for the U.S. team to make the gold medal game, as the American women swept a daynight doubleheader against two teams that had defeated them earlier in Sydney.
To make the gold medal game against Japan, Lisa Fernandez struck out 13 in shutting out Australia 1-0. Dot Richardson's fifth-inning single scored the only run of the game as the
Atlanta gold medalists took a huge stride toward defending the title.
Beating Japan would be sweet revenge, giving the Americans victories against all three teams that beat them in the preliminary round. In the first game yesterday, the U.S. team beat China 3-0.
MEN'S VOLLEYBALL: The U.S. team heads home from Sydney with a perfect record — of inepititude. The volleyballers ended their Olympic experience with five losses in five games, the last one yesterday to Italy by scores of 21-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-18.
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Williams will also host a company presentation that evening.
Time: 6pm Location: Learned Hall, School of Engineering
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