University Daily Kansan / Monday, May 4, 1987
SportsMonday
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Bicyclist on road to Olympics
By CHRISTOPHER RALSTON Special to the Kansan
For the more than 500 people who rode in yesterday's Octaginta '87, the 80-mile bicycle tour provided a hearty challenge.
But for former KU student Nathan Sheafer, riding 80 miles a day and averaging over 500 miles a week is nothing new.
Sheafer, 2s, is a member of the U.S. national cycling team and competes as an amateur for the Unipro-Breck-enridge racing squad.
"School seems easy compared to cycling because all you have to do is show up, go to class and study." Sheafer said from his parent's home in Topeka. "Cycling is a lot harder than people think."
Sheafer should know what he is talking about. Sheafer rode strongly in several races in Europe last summer before running out of steam in mid-summer. This caused him to drop out of the Coors Classic, the largest U.S. tour, one day before the finish.
Sheafer, who grew up in Topeka and attended Topeka High School, became interested in cycling after meeting his abilities as a distance runner.
"At the Coors, I was really tired from riding so many races. I just didn't have enough time to recover," Sheafer said. "It was a really hard Coors."
"I had trouble with a torn tendon that always caused shin splints, so I started riding, and I liked it," he said.
While at KU from 1980-83, Sheafer decided to pursue bicycle racing as a career. Though he only had to complete a junior cycle championship on an English degree, he opted to leave.
Sheafer's goal now is to compete in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. First he must perform well at the U.S. Olympic trials this spring if he can be selected for the States in Seoul. But he is optimistic about his chances in the trials.
"The trials are in Spokane, Wash., this year and I know the courses really well, so that may help," he said. "We'll see."
But the toughest part of bicycling for Sheafer is the traveling.
"I've always been pretty competitive and the thought that one day I might hit the jackpot is an incentive."
"The travel aspect is hard," he said. "There's always driving and flying. Then driving and more long drives. Then driving and more long trips to recover from day to day.
According to Sheafer's mother, Bo,
the idea was difficult at first. "Of course
I wanted him to stay in school," she said.
They didn't like it at all at fifteen.
Susan had much more pleasure much on my own for a while.
Having support from his family has also helped. The idea of racing bicycles for a living was not very popular in the Sheafer house at first.
"We help out by paying his phone bills so that he'll keep in touch. We also bought him transportation because the junk heap he had wasn't safe on the road," his mother said. "Basically, it was his decision, and we support it. It's his life."
as a consequence, Sheafer is racing more often. He rode over 100 races this year, 30 more than he rode last year.
Cold weather greets cycling enthusiasts
By ELAINE SUNG Special to the Kansan
Over 500 bicyclists took to the road yesterday in 40 degree weather in the 19th annual Octoginta 87.
Special to the Kansar
The event, which was sponsored this year by the Lawrence Bicycle Club, is considered the wind-up event of the bicycling season in Kansas. We drew riders from all over the state and from as far as New York and Georgia.
The 80-mile route started and ended at Haskell Indian Junior College, running through Douglass, Counlies and circling Clinton Lake.
Charles Gebe, coordinator of Octogitau '87, said he had expected a much higher turnout, but the prediction of rain for the weekend had kept many people from participating. Last year's tour drew 635 riders.
"What we have here is the hardcore group. They would ride if it was raining, cold or cloudy," said Geboe, dean of instruction at Haskell Indian Junior College.
Participants said this year's tour was well-run and well organized. And to help those who encountered mechanical problems, volunteers from area bicycle shops accompanied the riders.
Seven rest stops were set up about every 12 miles along the route. Volunteers provided bananas, oranges and beverages for tiring riders.
The only serious problem in the tour occurred near the first rest stop, about 11 miles into the route. A Wichita teenager was seriously injured when the front wheel of his bicycle nicked the back biker's bike. He broke his carbone and was sent to Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
Geboe said this was the first major accident in the 19-year history of the tour. No cars were involved in the accident and he said that such accidents usually cannot be avoided.
"When you travel this close and nick the tire in front, there's nothing you can do to keep from tripping." said. "It's like the domo effect."
Several other riders were also involved in the accident but no other injuries were reported.
Geboe said the bicycle club had full cooperation from the Douglas County Sheriff's Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol. Officers were stationed at major intersections to direct traffic and drove alongside the
bicyclists on the route
The first riders finished the route around 1 in the afternoon, but the majority of participants came in around 3.
missers:
Melnick said it was advisable to get in shape for the tour, even for leisure riders.
Cal Melnick, a librarian at Washburn University, said Octoginta was considered primarily a tour, but the leading group of riders coming in usually considered the route more of a race or a fast training ride than later finishers.
"I say you should be able to ride 30 miles comfortably and then you can probably stand the Octoginta," he said. Melnick said many of the riders were in the tour for love of sport, or for the challenge of riding 80 miles.
"Octoginta is famous for being a challenging ride," he said."
Other riders such as Don Jackson and Bill Quincy, both of Wichita, consider bicycling a hobby and something to keep them in shape.
Geboe, who has been riding long distance tours for the past three years, said he thought that the fun of the ride and the sense of accomplishment were what kept riders interested in the sport.
thing to do Jackson said. "You do it for love of sport, for the love of staying in condition. It's a matter of a quality of life along with prevention of degenerative diseases."
"Once you do it, you just keep doing it," he said. "Once you finish it, you say to yourself, 'Gee, I've finished 80 miles all by myself.' And you see a whole cross section of people, with retired people, young people, professors and blue-collar people."
Scott and Susan Neumann, who rode on a bicycle built-for-two, said some of their friends thought they were crazy to ride in the tour.
"You gotta be a little crazy," he said. "But we feel we're a little special."
Other riders were using the tour as part of their training for other events.
Woody Browne, a KU graduate from Kansas City, Kan., said he had participated in Octoginta last year as a member of the KU crew team.
"A lot of people from crew do it every year," Browne said. "I'm not a huge biker, but it sounded like fun and it has a relaxed atmosphere. Besides, it's a free lunch."
Photos by Dave Niebergall
Greeks take Hill Championship
By DARRIN STINEMAN
Staff writer
Clockwise from top: Brian Koenigsdorf, a 1983 KU graduate from Austin, Texas, pushes up the last hill on 31st Street on the way to completing the 80-mile Octoginta drive. Koenigsdorf scheduled a visit in Kansas City so he would be here in time for the biking event. Some bikers grab a quick snack at the first rest stop on the way to Clinton Lake. Jon Neff, Topea, pumps up a new tire for the afternoon ride during lunch break at Clinton Lake Jerry Finely, Hutchinson, mounts a bike on top of his van after the days ride. Don Baxter, Wichita, takes a water break at the last rest stop inside Lawrence city limits.
The King of the Hill was crowned for a one-year reign yesterday afternoon at the softball diamonds south of Watkins Hospital.
After defeating Johnny Scum, 14-4, in the finals of the Independent Drophy League bracket yesterday, the Infinity players, many of whom had played together on a summer team, were looking forward to a clash with the best of the Greeks.
There's not much political power for the winners of the intramural softball championship game called the Hill Championship, but the pride of winning is reward enough.
The Hill Championship is the final game of the single-elimination tournament played at the end of the Recreational Season. The game mural softball season. The game Trophy League and the Independent Trophy League for both the men's and women's divisions.
The Phi Delta Theta fraternity ascended to the throne of the men's division with a 6-3 win over Infinity, the Independent Trophy League champion.
"I want 'em bad," said Infinity's pitcher John Wolfmeyer, Cuba, Mo., freshman, before the Hill
immunity's left-center fielder, David Graham, Wichita sophomore, said he wanted to win the championship "about as bad as anything I've wanted this year. Nothing against the greek system, but it would just feel good to win."
Championship. "There seems to be this edge between fraternity members and non-fraternity people, and I'm a part of it."
One reason the fraternity was so interested in winning the Greek title is because of an inter-fraternity athletic competition. All the fraternities compete in five sports: softball, football, basketball, soccer and volleyball, Jones said. He said the winner of each event received 200 points, and the fraternity with the most points at the end of the competition won a trophy.
"It's a bigger deal to win the greek tournament," said Jeff Jones, Prairie Village sophomore and Phi Delta Theta third baseman. "If we win (the Hill Championship) it's great. If we don't, we don't."
The Phi-Delts, fresh off a 12-11 Greek Trophy League championship victory over Alpha Kappa Lambda, seemed content with being the greek champs.
ionship and the 200 points, the Hill Championship may not have seemed so important to Phi Delta Theta.
After winning the greek champ-
Burke Beeler, Lawrence graduate, the left fielder and team captain for Infinity, has played intramural softball in each of the six years he has attended Kansas. A win over the Hawks would have been the fourth Hill Championship team he had been a part of.
"It was a leldown for both clubs," said John Sinovic, Phi Delta first base coach and Prairie Village junior. "We had just won a real emotional game over A.K.L. It took about five innings for both teams to get into the game."
The women's Hill Championship was also won by the greek champion, Alpha Delta Pi, who defeated the Wild Watkins Women, 14-8.
"That was my last chance," he said.
Amy Cunningham, Bartlesville, Okla., junior, who pitched for Alpha Delta Pi during the tournai. She will lead the team to beat the Wild Watkins Women.
"It's nice to win the hill," she said. "It's not really a grudge match, but the Watkins Women are good at every sport so it was really nice to beat them."
Cross country team takes second despite injury to top runner
Rv MIKE CONSIDINE
Staff writer
With each team missing one of its top runners, the Kansas men's cross country team tied for second place, and the women's team placed fifth in Saturday's Sooner Invitational.
The men totaled 60 points to tie cross-state rival Kansas State. Coach Bob Timmons' squad ran without No. 3 runner Sean Sheridan, who was out with bruised ribs.
with brushed fists.
"We're going to have to run closer together," Timmons said. "Of course, missing Sean made a lot of difference. I'm not overly concerned with getting second this time."
women's coach Cliff Rovelo was disappointed with his team's performance without lead runner Susan MacLean, who has a quadricpe injury. The women scored 140 points.
"I'm very pleased with the effort we're putting into practice, but I'm not pleased with how we're competing." Rovello said. "We've got to get some people running more aggressively from the outset. Too many people are running in a comfort zone."
one:
Colorado won the men's championship with 39 points. Host Oklahoma was fourth with 103 and Oklahoma State had 131 for fifth.
"I thought Colorado ran a very smart race and Kansas State did too," Timmons said. "We went out quite a little bit too fast, but if you're going to make a mistake, this is the one to make it in."
"Craig didn't have the light, free stride he had last week, but Heffernan ran a lot better." Timmons said.
Freshman Andy Pritchard (15th,
26:19:35), junior Matt Bell (19th),
26:26:31) and freshman Sam Proese
(2184, 26:31:73) rounded out KU's top
Kansas State topped Colorado. 34-35 for the women's title. Oklahoma State placed third with 85 and host Oklahoma came in fourth with 127.
The 1-2 punch of junior Craig Watchee (fourth place, 25.15:87) and sophomore Steve Fefferan (fifth place) returned after a one-metre absence.
"In retrospect, we should have beaten Oklahoma even without Susan," Rovetto said, "if we had run the way we're capable of running."
Scoreboard
Baseball
AL Playoffs
Minnesota 5, Detroit 3
NL Playoffs
San Francisco 6, St. Louis 3
Chicago 27, Minnesota 17
Indianapolis 6, New York Jets 0
Miami 42, Kansas City 0
Houston 15, Cleveland 10
Dallas 41, Philadelphia 22
San Diego 17, Tampa Bay 13
St. Louis 24, New Orleans 19
Detroit 19, Green Bay 16
Washington 38, New York Giants 17
Pro Football
San Francisco 25, Atlanta 17
Cincinnati 17, Seattle 10
Los Angeles Rams 31, Pittsburgh 21
New England 14, Buffalo 7
Big Eight Football
Nebraska 54, Kansas 2
Missouri 34, Kansas State 10
Oklahoma State 46, Colorado 17
Iowa State 39, Northern Iowa 38
Oklahoma 44, Texas 9