8A the university daily kansan
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wednesday, september 17, 2003
sports
Tennisswings through Missouri
By Rahul Sharma
correspondent@kansan.com
Kansan correspondent
After last season's struggles, the Kansas tennis team was eager to start a new season.
Coach Amy Hall said the team was pleased with its season opener last weekend at the Missouri Invitational in Columbia, Mo.
The team posted a strong showing as senior Emily Haylock advanced to the semifinals in singles competition. The Jayhawks faced off against Murray State, Illinois State and Missouri.
On the first day of the tournament, Haylock advanced with an opening match win of 3-6, 6-4, (10-7).
The following day, Haylock registered a straight set win to advance to the semifinals where she eventually fell her No. 1-ranked opponent, 4-6, 1-6.
The native of Evansville, Ind., lost her opening match, but managed to record back-to-back victories on the second day of competition to advance to the championship match, where she fell in a three-set match, 6-4, 5-7, (10-7).
"I felt really good," Brown said.
"I was relaxed and just pumped
Highly touted freshman Brittany Brown got her first taste of collegiate action.
"The girls were really excited about playing this weekend. To see the new players and upperclassmen enjoy playing was what this weekend was
for."
Amy Hall
Women's tennis coach
to be there."
Brown said she considered her movement on the court and baseline ability to be the strengths of her game. Overall, Brown said that a positive mindset was the most important element of her game.
Brown, who was a four-time all-state selection in high school, said that the atmosphere at the University resembled where she played back home.
The doubles team of Emily Haylock and Kristen Steinbock performed well as the seniors made it to the semifinals.
"The girls were really excited about playing this weekend," Hall said. "To see the new players and upperclassmen enjoy playing was what this weekend was for."
Next for the Jayhawks will be a trip to Tulsa, Okla., from Sept. 26 through Sept. 28 for the Tulsa Invitational.
Freshman Brittany Brown sharpened her skills during a women's tennis practice. The Jayhawks participated in the Missouri invitational last weekend.
—Edited by Ehren Meditz
Jeff Jacobsen/KUAC
MU chancellor urges athletics reform
By Mike Ekey
The Maneater via U-wire
University of Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. — In a nationwide struggle for a balance between collegiate faculty versus athletics, Chancellor Richard Wallace thrust the University of Missouri into the point-man position Friday.
Surprising both the athletics department and the faculty council, Wallace sent a resolution recently passed by the council to universities across the nation, urging a change in the role athletics play in universities.
"The resolution addresses many issues that have been of continuing concern to us on our individual campuses and in our regular meetings," Wallace said in the letter.
Gordon Christensen, faculty council chairman, said he was a little surprised by Wallace's
action but was glad the chancellor took such a supportive position.
"I am very pleased," Christensen said. "I have no problem with the chancellor doing this. If he wanted to take some leadership on this, I think it is great. I perceive this as continuing teamwork that all groups are recognizing the importance of this."
The resolution, which has already been passed by other sport conferences in the nation, calls for an end to the "arms race" between other institutions to produce richer and more expensive athletics programs.
"The purpose is to get the entire university athletic community to reconsider its values," Christensen said. "Specifically, to tone down this competition of salaries, facilities and the stress that is placed on our athletes to perform."
Christensen also said there
were some suggestions to reorganize the athletics department
"I would be in favor of a reorganization," Christensen said. "There was a time when coaches taught classes, and we have talked about beginning to get that back."
One of the ideas Christensen said was being discussed within the faculty was the possibility of making the athletics department its own school — much like the School of Medicine or School of Journalism.
"I perceive the department should not be its own entity," Christensen said. "We could reorganize it so the director would act like a dean and the coaches would be faculty. All of it would help emphasize the idea of students before athletics."
The idea of the resolution has come from a nationwide push to scale down intercollegiate athletics.
"We really want to stress the
idea that student-athletes are students first," Christensen said.
Although Christensen said the athletics department has been supportive of the council and its efforts, Associate Athletics Director Sarah Reesman said she was surprised by Wallace's actions but still supported them.
Reesman warned that Missouri cannot act on this issue without the support of other universities. Reesman said not allowing freshmen to play — one of the suggestions in the resolution — would be detrimental to the athletics department.
"These are things the University of Missouri cannot take and still have a viable intercollegiate athletics program." Reesman said.
Reesman said she thought the resolution was idealistic, while Christensen said it was a way to hold the department responsible.
Cross-conference soccer matches to begin
By Adam Fink Minnesota Daily via U-wire University of Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The dream was simple: A weekend that would capture the imagination of soccer fans across the Midwest.
Implementation was the hard part.
For years at an annual soccer coaches' conference in mid- December, Big Ten women's coaches would debate creating a rivalry with another strong conference.
Starting in 2005, the Big Ten and Big 12 Conferences will team up to form a Big Ten-Big 12 Challenge.
Well, the wait is almost over.
Minnesota will play at Texas Tech and Baylor in the 2005 season. In 2006, Iowa State and Missouri will visit the Twin Cities.
The contests are scheduled to take place in early September.
"We wanted a weekend that would grab the spotlight," said Purdue soccer coach Robert Klatte, who spearheaded the efforts to start the competition. "It was hard getting everyone to commit, but the general response I have heard is positive."
Not all the Big Ten or Big 12 schools will be participating in the tournament. Klatte said Ohio State and Colorado previously committed to other tournaments and would not play.
In addition, Kansas State does
not field a soccer team.
The hope for this challenge is to create more than just a rivalry.
"It is a chance to play some teams you don't normally see," Klatte said. "It also gives all the teams the opportunity to create a strength of schedule with out-of-conference opponents."
Gophers coach Barbara Wickstrand said she wanted the challenge to succeed and relished the opportunity to play some of the top teams in the Big 12 Conference.
For example, Nebraska and Texas A&M have finished no lower than third since the Big 12 soccer conference was established in 1996. They have combined for 15 NCAA tournament
appearances.
"We want to play top-10-caliber teams," Wickstrand said. "I think the tournament will turn out very well."
Wickstrand's sentiment is similar to the general reaction of the other coaches involved.
Klatte, whose team travels to Minneapolis, Minn., to face the Gophers on Friday at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium in the Big Ten opener, has also heard nothing but positive remarks. He said he expected the tournament to continue after the trial period ends in 2006.
"It was a great idea and we have finally put it into place," the Boilermakers fifth-year coach said. "It is going to be fantastic."
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