Sports
Strike, spare, bowl
The Kansas bowling teams are gearing up for an Oct. 25 season- opener. There's still room on the team for men and women, and tryouts are Saturday and Sunday. PAGE 7A
12A
The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, October 2, 2003
snorts commentary
Kevin Flaherty kflaherty@kansan.com
Linebacker new legend for Kansas
legend of Globe Today. The Kansas linebacker is a Paul Bunyan of sorts, with no task too big for him to accomplish. That includes lending a hand in the rehabilitation of one of the Big 12 Conference's worst defenses from a year ago. And that endears him to KU fans.
Gather 'round and let me tell you the legend of Gabe Toomey.
My roommate once tried to explain to a friend the difference between John Randle and Toomey, the two players who both wear jerseys with the number one for the Jayhawks.
"One is really fast, the other likes to kill people." he said.
Toomey's play sometimes seems to border on reckless and insane, a contrast to that of previous Jayhawk defenses.
He never seems to show up on a play until the very end, when a blur flashes into the picture and blasts the ball-carrier to the turf amid ooh's and ahh's. As the PA announcer says "tackle by Toomey," he steps over his victim, glaring at him, almost daring the player to get back up.
get back up.
"A lot of people notice Gabe because he climbs out of a lot of piles," coach Mark Mangino said.
More likely, they notice him because he creates many piles.
Toomey's take-no-prisoners attitude on the field leads him to average 12 tackles per game. He also returned an interception for a touchdown against UNLV.
But it is more than just the tackles and big plays that make Toomey noticeable.
It is his attitude. It's the arms waving, eyes wide open, nose that seems to bleed every game sort of craziness that sets Toomey apart from other great line-backers.
On a big third down, it seems like Toomey is trying to eke every last scream out of the Memorial Stadium crowd.
"If Ditka and Toomey got in a fight, would Toomey show Ditka mercy," asked a Phon net message board posting.
asked a Progmt message to people. The answer every Saturday is no, and the fans love him for it.
Toomey said he experienced that admiration after the Missouri game.
"Coming off the field, there were a lot of people smacking me on the back, smacking me on the shoulder pads," Toomey said. "I think some of them hit me harder than the Missouri players did. They're pretty crazy."
Success as a linebacker is nothing new to the West Des Moines, Iowa, native. The 6-foot-4-inch, 235-pound Toomey was rated as one of the top four outside linebackers in the nation in high school by USA Today. He posted 140 tackles during his senior season and was a Prep Star All-American.
After signing with Oklahoma, Toomey took a redshirt his first year. But Toomey transferred to Iowa Central Community College without playing a down for the Sooners. Toomey was an NJCAA All-American at Iowa Central, and the conference defensive player of the year.
player on the team. He entered Kansas this season as a sophomore, joining Banks Floodman and Nick Reid as a tandem that could be one of the best linebacking groups in the Big 12.
12. On Saturday, the trio showed its potential, putting the brakes on a potent quarterback on national television, holding the heralded Brad Smith to 95 vards of total offense.
Smith came into the game hyped for his run-pass abilities, but could never get on track as Toomey closed running gaps and looked even faster than his listed 4.5 second 40-yard-dash speed.
If Toomey can lead this defense to more performances like last Saturday and Kansas goes to a bowl, he could be the most popular floppy-haired Iowa in Lawrence since, well, last year.
Flaherty is a Lanexa senior in journalism.
'Hawks fall short to Tigers
Megan True/Kansan
Junior Ashley Michaels missed a spiked from Missouri's Nicole Wilson during the second match. The Jayhawks lost three of their five games against the Tigers last night in Columbia.
By Mike Norris
mnorris@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
The Kansas volleyball team played its second consecutive five-game match last night, but ended up on the losing end this time.
It fell to Missouri in Columbia, 16-30,
33-31, 28-30, 30-26, 10-15.
The Jayhawks, 10-5 overall, 2-2 Big 12 Conference, came from behind twice to tie the match at four games a piece, before falling to the Tucers.
"As the game progressed, after we got game one out of our system, we felt like we had a great chance," said Kansas coach Ray Bechard.
Freshman Janaina Correa, who had a team high 23 kills in the match, said her team could learn from the loss.
National team coaches to meet
"I think we are going to go to Texas Tech and do an even better job because of this match." she said.
The Tigers, 11-3, 4-1, defeated the Jayhawks in game one without committing one error.
By Nikki Nugent
nnugent@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas soccer coach Mark Francis and Texas coach Chris Petrucelli went from foe to friend during the summer. Now they can be called friendly foes.
The two coached the Under-21 Women's National Soccer Team to its fifth straight Nordic Cup Championship this past summer. The two will be standing opposite each other as Kansas and Texas meet tomorrow.
After being named coach of the national team, Petrucelli called Francis to ask him to be his assistant. The two got to know each other after coaching in the Big 12 Conference for the past five years.
Petrucelli said he had a lot of respect for what Francis had done at Kansas.
"He's done a real good job with the teams there," Petrucelli said. "Kansas is always difficult to play against."
Francis said he was surprised when he got the call from Petrucelli, but was honored by the selection. He said he used the job as a learning experience. Petrucelli taught him about different ways of scouting opponents, handling players and running practices as well as making tactical adjustments during games. The Kansas coaches have put some of those things into place at practice this year, Francis said.
The way Petrucelli worked with players may have been the most important thing he picked up during the summer, Francis said.
"He's very good at managing his players, giving feedback and keeping a pulse
Petrucelli had plenty of knowledge to share. Before arriving at Texas in 1998, he served as an assistant coach for Notre Dame's men's soccer team. Less than two years later, Petrucelli took over coaching for the Notre Dame women's soccer team.
on the team as far as what's going on with players," he said. "He has a positive approach to coaching, which is very similar to how I do it."
Petrucelli helped move the Notre Dame women's team into the soccer elite. Notre Dame soccer is regularly mentioned in the same sentence as soccer powerhouse North Carolina. Petrucelli coached the Irish to an NCAA Championship in 1995.
Petrucelli is in his fifth year as coach of the Texas' women's soccer program. In his time there, he coached the Longhorns to their first ever Big 12 title in 2001, as well as the school's highest ever national ranking, No.3 in 2001.
In his years as a coach, Petrucelli has coached numerous All-Conference and All-American athletes, six Olympic/World Cup Team athletes and 12 former WUSA players. The WUSA was the professional women's soccer league that was recently dismantled.
Francis was not the only one learning during the summer. Petrucelli said he learned some things from Francis, too. He said Francis' knowledge of the game made him an important asset to the team.
"He's played at high level." Petrucelli said, "and he brings energy and enthusiasm to the game."
SEE COACH ON PAGE 8A
Abbv Tillerv/Kansan
Soccer Coach Mark Francis talked to the soccer team during half-time. Francis's peers recognize his accomplishments with coaching soccer. Francis said the game this Friday against the Texas Longhorns will be an exciting game.
Top recruit commits to Jayhawks
Alexander "Sasha" Kaun, top recruit, verbally committed to the University of Kansas yesterday.
Contributed Photo
By Chris Wintering
cvintering@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
"I was very impressed with the quality of their academics and as well as their basketball program," Kaun said. "I can't wait to get to the University. This has been a learning process, and I have met lots of wonderful people, but I am relieved it is over."
Top basketball recruit Alexander "Sasha" Kaun has verbally committed to attend the University of Kansas.
In a press release from his high school, Florida Air Academy, Kaun said he was excited to come to Kansas and he was glad to be done with the recruiting process.
Kaun is a 6-foot-11-inch, 245-pound center originally from Tomsk, Russia, and is rated as one of the Top-25 high school players in the country by both the Rivals and Insiders recruiting services. He helped lead his team to an undefeated season and a state title last season.
Top programs such as Florida, Stanford and Connecticut were among the over one-hundred schools that recruited Kaun. He named Kansas, Duke and Michigan State as finalists earlier in the year.
"All of them have tremendous academic and athletic programs," Kaun said in a press release. "Kansas just felt like a better fit for me."
Academics are important to Kaun, who is a straight-A student at the Academy.
He plans to major in computer science and has aspirations of becoming an Academic All-American.
His coach at the Academy, Aubin Goporo, said Kaun had a tremendous work ethic and would continue to develop his skills as both a player and a student.
"Sasha will be a strong member of their team and community," Goporo said. "We have seen great things from him and I know there is a lot more to come."
This past year has been non-stop for
Among the coaches to visit the Academy were Mike Krzyzewski from Duke, Rick Pitino from Louisville, Tom Izzo from Michigan State, Billy Donovan from Florida and Leonard Hamilton from Florida State. But it was Self that Kaun wanted to play for.
"I really like the coaching staff," Kaun said. "I know I can learn a lot from Coach Self and his staff."
"This past summer, Sasha dominated many highly ranked big men in several tournaments," Goporo said. "And from that point on, the press, coaches, and fans across the country all started calling."
Kaun will join Russell Robinson, a guard from New York, and Darnell Jackson, a forward from Oklahoma, as the Jayhawks' 2004 recruiting class. All three are expected to sign during the early signing period, which runs from Nov. 12 to Nov.19.
Kaun since he showed up on the recruiting scene, his coach said.
Edited by Nikki Overfelt
TALK TC SPORTS; Contact JJ Hensley and Shane Mettlin at SPORTS@KANSAN.COM
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