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SPORTS
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
1B
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2002
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Ryan Wood
rwood@kansan.com
Women's team loses players
You might not know who Claire Coggins is yet. But if you follow Big 12 Conference women's basketball, you will before long.
Last week, coach Mark Mangino explained junior running back Reggie Duncan's absence with the announcement that he has been suffering from a strained hamstring.
Coggins, a high school senior, is the best basketball player in the Kansas City area. Her passing is sharp. Her ball-handling is smooth. Her shooting touch is simply sweet. In her three years as a prepreter, she's carried her team to state semifinals three times. This past year, she led Lee's Summit North High School to a Class 4A state title, scoring 25 points in the championship game.
Kansan file photo
When colleges were allowed to start contacting Coggins in June, she said the phone never stopped ringing. In a business where first impressions are critical, Coggins received more than 25 calls on the first day. Kansas was not one of them.
Missouri called her. So did Arkansas, Nebraska, and near-national champ Oklahoma. St. Louis University made their sales pitch that first day. As did Southwest Missouri, Vanderbilt, DePaul and Illinois. Many others called on June 21, trying to bring the sensational guard to their campus.
Kansas did not.
Days later, the Kansas staff finally made a call. Coggins claimed they showed interest, with periodic e-mails and what-not. But their pursuit was not nearly as diligent as the school she eventually committed to — Kansas State.
D'oh!
"Kansas seemed interested," Coggins said. "But not heavily, K-State was. They were persistent, ever since my freshman year."
Coggins is beautiful, flamboyant, and tremendously talented just the type of player that can bring fans to the seats. The Jayhawks couldn't get her. The trend is becoming all too familiar.
Sure, some area players are picking KU. Washington was able to land instaters like Blair Waltz and Crystal Kemp. Ebony Haliburton is from Kansas City.Mo.
But K-State and other Big 12 schools are clearly winning the battle of local standouts. The Wildcats rode the shoulders of three Kansas natives when they advanced to the Sweet 16 last spring. Junior college All-American Keasha Cannon, from Kansas City, Kan., was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year last season at Nebraska.
All these women declined offers from Marian Washington, one of women's basketball's pioneers. They passed up tradition, a beautiful college town, and the opportunity to play in Allen Fieldhouse, for what they felt were more appealing offers.
It begs the question: has Washington lost the magic that landed her stars like Tameka Dixon, Lynn Pride, and the great Lynette Woodard in years past?
Claire Coggins received calls from coast to coast until committing in early July. Perennial powerhouse Duke showed interest.
With all that goes into recruiting, it's hard to say. But she certainly missed out on a potential Big 12 superstar in her own backyard.
"I wanted to stay close to home so my parents could come watch, and I could come home if I had any free time," she said.
Wisconsin tried to lure her in. California asked her to be a Golden Bear. Coggins said no.
With several factors clearly in Kansas favor, Washington and the Jayhawks swung and missed yet again. The trend is becoming all too familiar.
Wood is a Lee's Summit, Mo., senior in journalism.
Duncan recovering
Hamstring hampers running back's play
By Doyle Murphy
dmurphy@kansas.com
Kansas sportswriter
After leading the Jayhawks in rushing during the 2001 season, Kansas junior running back Reggie Duncan has been conspicuously absent for much of this season.
Duncan, who rushed 739 yards on 181 carries in 2001, ran the ball nine times for 21 yards against Iowa State and didn't see action again until Saturday's 35-32 loss to Baylor University.
Kansas coach Mark Mangino has a policy against discussing specific injuries; but after weeks of questions from reporters about Duncan's absence, he made an exception last week.
Mangino announced that Duncan was suffering from a strained hamstring but could see action against Baylor University.
"I got out there and did what I could not being 100 percent," he said. "I'm just still working to get it together and make sure it's healthy."
Duncan follows a daily regimen that begins at 8 a.m. with an hour and 15 minutes of rehabilitation. He has another session in the afternoon and football practice.
Duncan knows the routine. He missed the first four games of his senior football season in high school with the same injury. He said the rehab can be frustrating at times, but healing from injuries is a part of football.
Mangino said Duncan just needed time to get his rhythm back.
"He is a little rusty," Mangino said. "He hasn't played much in games here so far. He's got to get that feel again, get in that groove."
Duncan's replacement as the starting
running back also eagerly awaited Duncan's return to the lineup. Freshman Clark Green told reporters earlier this season he preferred the Jayhawk's offensive set that features him and Duncan in the back field.
"I like that look, because they don't know which one of us is going to carry it." Green said.
Both Green and Duncan started against the Bears Saturady.
continue to use both running backs, but each game could give them different amounts of playing time. be different in how much each would play.
Mangino said the Jayhawks would
"We'll give them both reps at the beginning of the game, and if somebody just has a feel for what we're doing and how the defense it playing it, then we'll go with them," he said. "If neither one does, we'll continue to look for it."
Edited by Adam Pracht
Hawks to host Cyclones
Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Michaelis goes up for a spike. Michaelis leads the Big 12 Conference with a 429 hitting percentage. Kansas plays Iowa State at 7 tonight in the HoseiJ family Athletics Center.
Kansan file photo
By Jason Hwang
jhwang@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas will try to avoid allowing Iowa State its first Big 12 Conference win of the season while the Cyclones look to get their first conference victory.
The Kansas volleyball squad (12-2 overall, 3-2 Big 12 Conference) starts a threematch home stand tonight with a match against the Iowa State Cyclones (9-8, 0-6) at 7 p.m. in the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
The Jayhawks have swept the season series from the Cyclones the past two years. In coach Ray Bechard's four
home matches against Iowa State, Kansas has dropped just one game, winning 3-1 last season. The Jayhawks haven't lost at home to the Cyclones since 1995.
"We can't afford to overlook anybody in the conference," Bechard said. "A win against Iowa State would mean just as much as a win against anybody else."
Kansas is near the top of the conference in individual and team statistics. The Jayhawks are second in kills per game with 16.69 and assists per game at 15.04. Kansas is also second in hitting percentage with .292. Hitting
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 3B
Golf
Marshall putts way to victory
Kansas senior golfer Chris Marshall tied for second at the Missouri Bluces Classic yesterday in St. Charles, Mo.
Marshall shot an even-par 71 in the third round and a 6-under-par 207 overall, tying him with three other golfers in second at the Missouri Bluffs Golf Club. His three-round total was a career best, and his second place finish tied his career high.
As a team, the Jayhawks finished sixth out of 14 schools, shooting a 6-over-par 858.
"We didn't have as good a round as we ended with yesterday," coach Ross Randall said. "We did see a bit of improvement in certain areas."
Sophomore Andrew Price shot a 2under-par 69 on Tuesday, tying his career low, and tied for 20th with a total of 215 (2-over-par). His three-round total was a career best.
Junior Tyler Hall and freshman Pete Krsnich both shot 217 (4-over-par) overall, tying for 25th. Freshman Jason Sigler tied for 37th place with a three-round total of 220 (7-over-par), and classmate Ryan Rainer shot 224 (11-over-par) overall, finishing in a tie for 46th.
Illinois won the tournament with a score of 836 (16-under-par), and Iowa State's Drew Dalziel shot an individual low of 205 (8-under-par).
"We don't play for a while now and we can use that time," Randall said. "We are going to get better by working on things that we can improve."
Kansas's next tournament is The Nelson-Stanford Invitational, Oct. 25-27 in Palo Alto, Calif.
The Kansas women's golf team also completed a tournament yesterday, finishing 11th at the Shoot-out at the Legends in Franklin, Ind. The Jayhawks shot a season-best 925 (61-over-par) through the three rounds.
"As a team, we just had our best tournament score this season," senior Tiffany Krugel said. "We just need a tournament that four people have good scores at the same time. If that happens, then we will start beating other teams."
Kruggel tied for 17th with a three-round total of 226 (10-over-par). Her third round score of an even-par 72 was a best on the season, and her three-round total was a a career low.
"I am learning how to put things together," Kruggel said, "even if it is not all working properly. Even if I am not striking the ball well, I am learning to make other things better in my game so that I can score well."
Senior Heather Rose tied for 26th with a 14-over-par score of 230, and freshman Chelsey Pryor shot 236 overall, tying for 51st. Junior Jennifer Bawanan shot a 238 overall, good for a tie for 59th, and senior Kristy Straub tied for 72nd with a three-round total of 244. Freshman Tiffany Woods placed 92nd with a total of 260.
Kent State won the tournament, shooting 888 (24-over-par) overall, and Karen Dennison of Indiana won the tournament with a three-round score of 212 (4-under-par).
The Jayhawks will compete next in the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational on Oct. 14 and 15 in Wichita.
-Kansan staff report
Tae Kwon Do club enters tournament
By Steve Vockrodt
svockrodt@kansan.com
Kansan Sportswriter
The University of Kansas Tae Kwon Do club team will face its first official competition of the semester Saturday in a nationwide open tournament in Kansas City, Kan.
Five members of the team and instructor Jacob Thibodeau will travel to Kansas City Kansas Community College to participate in the 29th annual American Korean Tae Kwon Do Association
Championship Tournament, which starts at 10:30 a.m.
The tournament is open to any interested and experienced participant in Tae Kwon Do. Blue-belt Samantha Nondorf, Hoxie senior, said it was not a college-oriented tournament and she did not know how many other teams would attend.
The tournament begins with demonstrations from selected tournament competitors that include board-breaking maneuvers and self-defense techniques.
"It's interesting because you think people are getting hurt but they aren't," Nondorfsaid.
Those advancing beyond the forms round — in which individuals perform a choreographed set of blocks, kicks and punches — compete in one-on-one sparring, following a single-elimination bracket style within belt classes. The first non-black belt competitor to reach three points in a round wins. Points are scored by connecting blows to the competitor above the waist.
Despite the physical nature of sparring. Nondorf said injuries were rare in the competitions.
"Every once in a great while you see someone gets knocked out," she said.
When sparring, competitors wear protective gear over most of their upper bodies, and punches to the head are forbidden.
"They really try their hardest to keep it safe," Nondorf said.
Among the members from the KU squad participating in the competition is
SEE TAE KWON DO ON PAGE 3B