HOOPS IN THE HEAT
Self uses the summer to fill out his roster PAGE 9B
PAGE 2B
10
SOCCER KICKING AWAY LOSING WAYS
Coverage won't play favorites
If it wasn't for the pink uniforms and wristbands, the game and its meaning might have escaped documented history.
Maggie and Rosie Hull and the rest of the Jayhawk softball team hosted Baylor on April 17. It was the Pink in the Park game, an annual tradition for breast cancer awareness.
With an acute eye and journalistic instincts, former sports editor Corey Thibodeaux sat watching from the bleachers of Arrocha Ballpark.
Corey thought he was writing a typical game story, something that would be buried behind columns and baseball news. Hierarchy rules, after all.
But then Corey noticed something different. The Hulls wore pink wristbands that read "Mom."
A few questions later, he discovered that Marilyn Hill, Maggie and Rosie's mother, was diagnosed with breast cancer when the twins were sophomores in high school.
Marilyn has been cancer-free for more than three years and serves as a monument of strength for her children.
The next day, Corey's story sat on the front page, displayed prominently at the top of the page.
The point is, chess or cycling, golf or rowing, track or fencing. The Kansan does not discriminate. This is the fall 2011 sports section, and there will be no picking favorites, just reporting the news.
Sure, we know that you want to hear about football and basketball, and we'll have those, too (and in fine fashion). But our section's ultimate goal is to find the best stories, no matter the sport, and tell them in the clearest and most effective way possible.
We might tell a story with a timeline, such as our men's basketball summer recap on page four. We will continue more traditional formatting, such as Mike Vernon's football story you see on this page. Other creative styles will appear as the semester progresses.
When you visit Kansan.com, you will find weekly blogs, mailbags, podcasts and live chats.
And on Fridays before home football games, this publication will have a new sports-centric look.
- Have a new idea you'd like to share
It'll showcase a football article and all necessary information to prepare you for the next day's game, but will also have feature stories covering varying subjects and perspectives.
... please don't hesitate to email me your thoughts. Journalists like to communicate not just with fellow journalists, but with readers.
And when we put these stories together, we always consider you, the readers. So if you:
Every story calls for its own style of writing and presentation; its own photos and graphics.
- Dislike something you read or see
- Think of ways to improve our section
Meanwhile, we'll do our job, keeping an eye out for wristbands and the sort.
— Edited by Joel Petterson
Sophomore running back James Sims will be expected to create much of Kansas' offensive production on the ground this year.
MIKE GUNNOE/KANSAN
und this year
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Entering fall camp last season, coach Turner Gill and his new staff at Kansas had their hands full trying to implement new schemes, ideals and values in a team almost entirely recruited by former coach Mark Mangino.
Now, with far better knowledge of how their players perform in actual game situations, the coaching staff is able to tailor its games plan to the teams strengths, which start and end in one place — running the ball.
"Last year it was more 60-40 pass-o-run, offensive coordinator Chuck Long said. "It's probably going to be the reverse of that this year. Maybe even a little bit more than that with the run game."
With 742 yards rushing last season, sophomore running back James Sims makes it easy to see why the coaching staff is changing it up. After averaging 4.4 yards per carry last year, Sims said a goal of his has been to reach 1,000 rushing yards — a goal that seems to be within reach with the coaches' new focus on the running game.
With the added carries, Sims will need some backup. Fortunately for him, there's a lot of young talent at running back behind him. In particular, freshman Darrin Miller and redshirt freshman Brandon Bourbon should see action on the field this season.
While there is plenty of depth behind Sims, Gill made it clear that he should have no concern about where he stands among the others.
"He is our best guy at this point in time. He has a good approach every day, coming to work, getting better, talking to coach Mitchell, and talking to myself." Gill said, referring to running back coach Rebecca Mitchell.
An offensive line that returns nearly all of its core players from last year will also be key in Stos pursuit of the 1,000-yard mark.
Without the oleaveful line, wed be nothing. Sims said. They been opening up some big holes for us this fall and we just hope carry that on through the season.
Senior Jeremiah Hatch will be critical in improving the defensive line, which allowed 37 sacks last year and was struggling to consistently clear running lanes last season. After dropping more than 30 pounds during the summer, Hatch has been a leader for a group that expects to be much more effective this year.
A major change on the line includes a switch from left to right tackle for junior Tanner Hawkinson. He hopes the change will help break bad habits he developed in his first two years.
"I knew in my mind what I was supposed to do, but I think the muscle memory was there where habits were tough to break." Hawkinson said. "When I moved to the right side I knew what I had to do, changed my footwork, and now can get it in my muscle memory."
With a year for Gill and the team to develop cohesiveness and a game plan more finely tuned to the team's running strengths, the tone at Kansas' Media Day on Aug. 9 was a positive one — not necessarily because of the usual "Everyone is getting better" talk but because the coaches now know what they have and how that is going to execute this season.
"For us," Long said, "it's who do we have, and how do we get the ball in his hand."
Edited by Joel Petterson
SOCCER
Pair arrives fresh from the World Cup
RYAN MCCARTHY
rmccarthy@kansan.com
Picture walking onto a perfectly manicured soccer field, not a blade of grass out of place. The stadium is packed full of screaming people, frantically waving their countries' flags, hoping to be shown on the gigantic electronic screen for a split second.
The participants stand parallel to their respective benches as their national anthems blare out of the high-quality sound system. Game time is only moments away.
This is the pinnacle of soccer. The World Cup.
Freshman forward Ingrid Vidal, from Palmira, Colombia, and freshman midfielder Liana Salazar, from Bogota, Colombia, competed for their home country in the Women's World Cup in Germany earlier this summer.
Vidal has 18 appearances on the national team and five goals, including the gamewinning strike to propel Colombia into the World Cup.
Two players on Kansas's squad experienced this spectacle this year.
Salazar's international tally is slightly lower with 13 appearances. However, she has represented Colombia in the under-17 and under-20 World Cups alongside Vidal.
"That was the best goal of my career so far." Vidal said through a translator.
Salazar admits the opportunity had a different feeling than her other two world adventures.
"This is different because it was the
"It was a little difficult coming from the under-17 and going into the regular World Cup," Vidal said. "It was hard to play with the older women, but regardless I had to represent my country and prove that Colombia was a contender to play with these experienced teams"
whole World Cup," she said through a translator. "It's crazy. For me it was very hard because the U.S. team is very big and very strong."
For the two players, competing against a physical team was a tremendous challenge. They lost the game 3-0. After missing the first game of the tournament, Salazar was substituted in the 55th minute and played the remainder of the game with Vidal.
The Colombians faced off against a demanding and familiar opponent in the United States women's team in Sinsheim, Germany, on July 2.
Vidal was thrilled to be playing for her home country.
"For me it was just amazing to be on the team," Vidal said. "But more than anything to demonstrate to the world that there's a lot of talent in Colombia and to be on that level was a big accomplishment."
In their first game of the tournament, the Colombians played Sweden in Leverkusen, Germany, and fell to the Swedes 1-0 on June 28.
After losing to the United States in their second game, the Colombians battled the North Koreans to a 0-0 draw in their closing game on July 7.
LIANA SALAZAR, midfielder, Bogotá Colombia
Salazar settled into to Lawrence last spring and is now eligible for full time action. She has impressive ball skills and dictates pace well when she's needed to feed her forwards. Salazar made her first appearance in the Women's World Cup against the United States on July 2. She entered the game in the 55th minute and played the remainder of the match. In the exhibition opener against Butler, Salazar received the team's woman of the match, which is awarded by coach Mark Francis after every game.
High School: Instituto Pedagogico Nacional
INGRID VIDAL, forward, Palmira Colombia
High School: Instituto Pedagogico Nacional
Vidal definitely has the South American flash. She shows impressive awareness when the ball is near her feet along with the ability to finish close to the net. Vidal scored her first goal as a Jawhawk against Butler last Sunday in the 68th minute. In her 18
international appearances she's put home five goals,
that appearances sites put home five goals, including the game-wining goal against Argentina to make the World Cup Final. Although Vidal is a freshman, she will be called upon to be one of the more important strikers this season for the Jayhawks.
Following the tournament, Vidal and Salazar returned to Colombia to visit their families and do some promotional touring.
The tournament wasn't as successful as the two girls hoped, but those experiences can help them in their years at Kansas.
"I think, for them, it will help with
the experience they've had playing in big stadiums in front of big crowds for their country", coach Mark Francis said.
Edited by Alexandra Esposito
MORNING BREW 12B
WOMEN'S BASEKTBALL 16B