Sports
University Daily Kansan / Monday, August 25, 1986
21
Kansas outfielder Jill Williams slides into base. The Jayhawk softball team in the spring will try to improve on Kansas' second place finish last year in the Big Eight Conference tournament. The journey began last week with the start of fall practice.
Timmons wants team effort
By RIC ANDERSON Sports writer
Although two of his lettermen won't be returning, and he admittedly doesn't have any front-runners, Bob Timmons, men's cross country head coach, is planning to have a better season than last year.
The key to this year's success, Timmons said last week, is teamwork. not individual standouts.
"At this time, there's no runner that dominates the team," Timmons said. "It's going to be a team effort. And from what I've seen, the attitude is very good."
Gordon Way, Shawnee senior, agreed with Timmons and said the team's attitude might even help the Jayhawks attain their goal of placing in the top four in the Big Eight Conference.
"This year we have a bigger group who are right at the same level." Way said. "Everybody on the team is motivated. They'll do the extra
work. With that attitude anything is possible."
Way said not having a front-runner could even inspire the entire team to run faster and place higher.
Mike Tribolet, freshman, said he was surprised at the camaraderie he and his teammates had developed.
“It’s great,” Tribolet said. “I thought everybody would look down on me because I was just a freshman, but it wasn't that way at all. Now we go out and do things together.”
Tribolet said he was glad that everyone was running at about the same pace because they could encourage each other.
Seven of last year's nine lettermeter returned. In addition to Way, the lone senior letterman, there is one junior, Gerald Harder, and five sophomores: Matt Bell, Matt Mellor, Clint Pevril, Mike Spielman and Craig Watke.
Lawrence Thomas, who lettered as a freshman last year, bowed out this
year because of asthma
"We're just sick about him," Timmons said. "He's in engineering and making straight A's. He really was a good athlete."
Ben Welch used up his eligibility and is the other letterman the team lost.
However, Timmons said, four strong freshmen were added this year: Triblet, Steve Heffernan, who won two high school cross country titles in Nebraska; Tracy Gilmore, who won the two-mile run and the cross country title in West Virginia; and Mike Thomas, a transfer student from Michigan State.
"He was probably the closest thing we had to a front-runner," Way said.
The Jayhawks are preparing for an intrasquat meet Sept. 5 at Timmons' Rim Rock Farm. The top seven runners will represent the team at the Kansas Invitational on Sept. 12 at Rim Rock Farm.
Jayhawks have experience
By ANNE LUSCOMBE
The era without Bunge and Brent has begun.
12 returners should offset the loss of Bunge and Brent
However, the Kansas softball team does not lack experienced players.
The Jayhawks lost All-Big Eight selections Tracy Bunge, pitcher, and Ann Brent, outfielder. The two graduated last spring. Although their absence will have repercussions for the team, head coach Bob Stancliff isn't worried about filling the gap.
"The two were tough losses," he said last week, "but 12 returning players are a definite plus. It's hard to replace the type of experience Tracy and Ann had, but we have six seniors to pull up the slack."
Stanclift is looking for freshmen Virginia Honea of Oklahoma City and Roanna Brazier of Mora, III., to round out the pitching staff. Last season, Kansas relied on Bunge, who also was named first team All-America as a designated hitter, and Sherri Mach to handle the pitching
Laura Cramer, senior first baseman, said that with so many players returning, the team couldn't do anything but get better.
This season, however, Kansas has four strong pitchers that Stancilf
can use. In addition to the two rookies, the starting pitchers will include Mach, senior, and Reenie Powell, sophomore.
Mach, who won 22 games last year,
said she thought the pitching would
Softball
be stronger this year than in the past.
“With four of us, if one can't handle it, we can jerk her out and put in another one,” Mach said.
The fall season games aren't figured in the team's record, but they do count toward the 60-game limit set by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. However, the fall games are more than just an opportunity to warm-up and practice.
The team gets a chance to gauge how tough the competition is, Stancliff said, and the battle against the weather is less intense in the fall
"I feel it's a great opportunity to determine the squad and give the players the opportunity to win positions," Stancliff said. "Without the fall season, we would have to do all that on paper. Then we can't see it happening like we can with fall play."
joyed by Stanclift.
"Last year we had a lot of depth with people playing more than one position," he said. "Players could come off the bench and contribute greatly. We had a strong offensive team and steady performances on the mound."
Versatility is an added bonus en-
Sheila Connolly, a second team All America choice, and Mach agreed the offense still needed work.
"I think we've always been strong defensive,y." Connally said. "If we could have our offense equal our defense we'd be great. We need strong hitting up and down the line-up, like Nebraska has."
Last fall, Kansas was ranked as high as sixth in the nation and Stanclift said the team had its toughest schedule ever — until this season.
"We have the opportunity to play against some of the best teams in the nation," Stanclift said. "I feel really optimistic that we have the talent to be competitive with them."
The Jayhawks took on Top 20 ranked teams in 25 of their games. This year, the schedule looks much the same, with an additional tournament in California.
Stenerud coaches KU kickers
By HEATHER FRITZ
BY HEATHER PRITZ
Associate sports editor
Several Kansas football players had the chance to practice with an NFL legend last week in Memorial Stadium.
Placekicker Jan Stenerud, a 19-year veteran of the National Football League, came quietly onto campus Tuesday for a short practice with the Javahawk kickers.
Stenerud played 14 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, three with the Green Bay Packers and two with the Minnesota Vikings. He retired at the end of last season. Along the way, he kicked the most field goals in NFL history.
Stenerud, 43, watched the KU players kick and gave them tips on technique.
He came, he said after practice,
"Because Bona Valesente is a very nice man, and he asked me."
Head coach Valesente said, "Just his presence is an uplifting and positive experience because he's been such a great performer. It's a thrill for the players to be around him."
Stenerud retired after last season because of a hurt back, but before he was injured he set an NFL career record of 373 field goals. He scored 1,699 points in his career, second only to George Blanda, who had 2,002. This summer was his first away from football, but he said he missed only a few aspects of the sport.
"I disliked training camp the most," Stenuerd said. "It's constant pressure, constant competition. It's almost like boot camp."
But he does miss the game. The first time he realized that was two weeks ago when he went to the Vikings training camp to help the coaches select a new kicker.
"I miss the excitement of the game," Stenerud said. "You experience such high emotions playing. I miss the satisfaction of the team winning, the satisfaction of a job well done.
"But I won't go back. My back was very bad last year. If you don't feel you can be a positive contributor, you don't want to play."
Stenerud has a long list of records and honors, but the one he treasures
most is not the Super Bowl victory with the Chiefs, but his sixth trip to the Pro Bowl, which came after his 18th season.
"I was the oldest player to make the Pro Bowl," he said proudly. "And to make it after being traded to a third team — that was something."
Stenuerd, who was a soccer star in Fetsud, Norway, went to Montana State University on a skiing scholarship in 1962. His football career started three years later when he passed a field where some of the team's kickers were practicing field goals. He tried one from 50 yards out — wearing tennis shoes — and made it.
Stenerud was one of the first kickers to kick the ball soccer-style. He was around in the days when kicking half the field goals attempted was enough to make the team.
"It it used to be if you kicked 50 percent you were OK," he said. "Now you have to kick two of three. They're more accurate now because more teams have artificial turf and domed stadiums. Also, now teams have special teams coaches."
FREE!! Bahamas Escape
Buy a 1 year Family, Regular or Student membership at Junkyard's Jym and receive 5 days and 4 nights accommodations in the Bahamas, FREE. Trip good through August 29, 1987. Offer good through Sept. 15, 1986.
STUDENT School-year Rates
MALE STUDENT RATES
1 Semester...$100
2 Semesters...$185
1 year...$225
1 month...$ 30
Non prime-time...$ 75
FEMALE STUDENT RATES
1 Semester...$ 75
2 Semesters...$125
1 year...$225
1 month...$30
Non prime-time...$ 50
SUN TAN RATES
SUN TAN RATES
Members 30 min. $2.50
Non-members 30 min. $4.00
($5 deposit required)
JUNKYARD'S JYM
535 Gateway (off of West 6th St.) Lawrence, Kansas
Group rates available contact Junkyard
KU STUDENTS THE KANSAS CITY STAR/ Times
NEWSPAPER has a Special Student Discount Rate
HALF PRICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FALL SEMESTER - 86 Aug. 21 to Dec. 19, 1986
$20.80 morning evening Sunday
This price includes consideration for non-delivery when classes are suspended for holidays, breaks and other periods when service is not requested. The offer becomes effective Aug. 21 and expires Dec. 19, 1986 DELIVERY TO BEGIN WITHIN 3 WORKING DAYS OF PAYMENT which can be made in person at the local office at
932 Mass. St., Lawrence, KS, 843-1611.
NAME: ___
DATE: ___
ADDRESS: ___
PHONE: ___
STUDENT ID: ___
SIGNED: ___