MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2002
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3B
Cross country misses nationals
By Justin Schmidt
jschmidt@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas men's and women's cross country teams finished seventh and sixth at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in Normal, Ill. on Saturday.
The teams needed a top-two finish to get an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 25. Iowa and Minnesota took the honors for the men. Big 12 conference rival Missouri won the women's race and Northwestern finished second.
Although neither team will likely receive an at-large bid to the National Championships, the teams are pleased with the progress they have made over the last few seasons.
"I know everyone is proud of what we were able to do as a team this year," junior Paige Higgins said. "This was the best team we've had with the new coaches."
The sixth place finish by the women was the best since 1994 when Kansas won the regional title. The men's seventh place finish is the best since 1996.
"We are definitely excited about our placing in the meet," coach Stanley Redwine said."We are constantly getting better and better each meet and each year."
Senior Mark Menefee, finished eighth overall and may gr a bid to the NCAA meet. The top four finishers from non-qualifying teams will be running at the National Tournament. Menefee will find out today if his season will continue.
"I'll be disappointed if that was my last race," Menefee said. "Going into the race I was running with the intention to win. I went out too fast and I should have waited in the pack, but I thought everyone went out too slow."
Menefee led the race for the first four miles of the race but fell off the pace after that.
Sophomore Chris Jones and freshman Cameron Schwehr finished second and third for Kansas. They crossed the line 15th and 26th overall. Juniors Brian Raggett and Joshy Madathil finished out Kansas'scoring five.
Higgins finished first for Kansas in the women's race. This was the first time she led the team this year. Sophomore Megan Manthe and freshman Angela Pichardo finished second and third for Kansas, 38th and 42nd overall. Juniors Laura Laviole and Lauren Brownrigg rounded out the team's top five finishers.
Edited by Chris Wintering
Strange, Azinger lead U.S. to win golf's Warburg Cup
The Associated Press
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga.
— Ryder Cup memories came to life yesterday, as Paul Azinger held another bunker shot and Curtis Strange got a small measure of revenge against fellow captain Sam Torrance.
The difference at the UBS Warburg Cup was the outcome: the United States won.
The final score was 141/2 91/2 in matches between the United States and the Rest of the World.
Strange displayed a brilliant short game in a 4-and-3 victory over Torrance.
Has he ever lost to Torrance?
"Yeah, two months ago," Strange said. "The only time it mattered."
That would be the Ryder Cup, where Torrance guided the Europeans to a 151/2-121/2 victory over Strange's U.S. team.
Azinger kept alive American hopes at The Belfry by holing a dramatic bunker shot on the 18th hole.
Basketball CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
Burras' backcourt partner, junior Leila Mengiç, was the Jayhawks' second leading scorer. She hit 4-of-5 shots for 12 points. Burras and Megiç were two of four Jayhawk starters to tally ten or more points.
Forwards Blair Waltz, a sophomore, scored 11 points, and Crystal Kemp, a freshman, scored 10 points.
"To see four players in double figures is good," she said. "I mean, we've got to find ways to score."
The balanced production was encouraging. Washington said.
Kansas should have even more help in that area in the near future. Freshman point guard Erica Hallman is expected play in the season opener Sunday against the University of Texas-El Paso, Hallman, the 2002 Miss Kentucky Basketball award winner, has been sidelined with a partial tear in her anterior cruciate ligament.
Hallman warmed up with the team yesterday, but did not play.
"To see four players in double figures is good. I mean, we've got to find ways to score." Marian Washington Kansas women's basketball coach
"She told me I was a tease," Washington said. "I had her dress and I had her warm up with the team, but we decided that she would not play."
Note:
Kansas received its second recruit of the early signing period. Sharita Smith, a 5-foot-8-inch guard, signed a national letter of intent Friday morning. Smith averaged 16 points, six assists and four rebounds as a junior for Dallas Lincoln High School in Dallas.
Smith joins Lauren Ervin from Inglewood High School in Inglewood, Calif., as the first members of the Jayhawks' 2003 recruiting class.
Edited by Christina Neff
Courtnev Kuhlen/Kansan
Tamara Ransburg, freshman forward/center, fighters for control against Fort Hays State. Ransburg led the team with 10 rebounds during Sunday's home game.
K-State, Nebraska switching roles
The Associated Press
MANHATTAN — Kansas State now knows it won't be playing for the Big 12 title. Other than that, what's to gripe about?
The Wildcats could be having the kind of season Nebraska's having, which is almost the same season K-State had a year ago.
K-State — 6-6 in 2001 — is 9-2 overall and 5-2 in the Big 12 Conference after pounding the Cornhuskers 49-13 on Saturday. Victories in their regular-season
in defeat Missouri this week and in their inevitable bowl game would give the Wildteats their fifth 11-win season in six years.
On Sunday, they moved up a spot to No.10 in The Associated Press poll, their highest ranking of the year.
"I wish things would have been a little different for us starting off, but we're playing some really good football right now," linebacker Josh Buhl said.
Only seven points — a 4-point loss to Colorado and a 3-point
overtime loss to No. 11 Texas — keep K-State from a perfect record.
"I think it's human instinct to have some regrets," defensive end Andrew Shull said, "but if we get caught up in looking back, it's not going to do us any good."
Nebraska, on the other hand,
continues to suffer through its
worst season in more than 30 years
— just one year after playing in the national championship game.
in the Big Eight in 1968. Nebraska's five regular-season losses are the most since the 1961 team went 3-6-1, and Saturday's loss dropped the Huskers' road record against ranked teams to 1-7 under coach Frank Solich.
The Cornhuskers (7-5, 5-2)
earned their first non-winning conference record since going 3-1
"If you would have told me we were going to be like this at the beginning of the season, I would have asked you if you had run into a wall or were on drugs, because this is not what's supposed to happen," said kicker Josh Brown.
Royals to slash payroll after 100-loss year
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals will see some changes in payroll next season.
"We had the highest payroll in the history of the Royals last year, and we lost 100 games. So obviously, we need to do something
different," he said.
Owner David Glass said the payroll for the roster would be trimmed $10 million to $37 million for 2003.
Glass said the figure included money to re-sign their pitcher-of-the-year, Paul Byrd after going 17-11 with a 3.90 ERA.
rosters bv March.
Based on 2002 major league baseball salaries, the Royals' $37 million payroll would have placed the team next to last among the league's 30 teams. Where the 2003 payroll will put Royals on that list will not be known until all teams set their
The Royals have not expected several high-priced players to resign, including shortstop Neifi Perez, who was paid $4.1 million last year.
Mike Seneca, who signed a five-year contract extension last spring, will see his salary rise to $11 million next year.
Carlos Beltran, who made $3.5 million last year, will go to salary arbitration and will probably
command about $6 million.
Other expensive players under contract include third baseman Joe Randa at $4.5 million, catcher Brent Mayne and outfielder Michael Tucker, $2.75 million, and reliever Jason Grimsley, $2 million.
Also eligible for arbitration is first baseman/outfielder Raul Ibanez, who made $800,000 last year while having a breakthrough season.