College Basketball
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
UCLA Bruins Kris Johnson and Jelani McCoy have been suspended indefinitely from the team for violating athletic department and team rules.
Pro Football
The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Carolina Panthers 34-21 last night. The victory improved San Francisco's record to 4-1.Carolina is 2-3.
Tuesday
September 30,1997
Section:
B
Page 1
College Football
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Texas running back Ricky Williams, Colorado linebacker Ron Merkerson and specialist Ben Kelly are the Big 12 players of the week.
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Major league playoffs bring celebration to peach country
Braves shine while Giants, Orioles flicker
Sunday marked the end of baseball's regular season, and once again fans in Boston and Chicago will have to wait at least another year for a championship. But for eight teams,
the hope of winning the World Series is still alive.
The playoffs start today and provide some very interesting matchups.
First Round:
First Round
Florida vs. San
Francisco: Here
are two teams
that entered the
season on totally
different notes.
Scott Corcoran
sports@kansan.com
The Marlins spent tons of money on free agents in the off-season hoping to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. San Francisco was expected to repeat last year's last place finish.
The Giants shocked the baseball world by becoming only the fourth team this century to go from worst to first in one season. By winning without much talent, the Giants really showed a lot of heart. That heart should carry them past the Marlins. Prediction: Giants in five.
Atlanta vs. Houston: This battle of the best and worst teams in the playoffs should not be much of a challenge for the Braves. Greg Maddux and company will overpower Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. The Braves will be well-rested when they face San Francisco in the second round. Prediction: Atlanta in three.
Cleveland versus New York: The past two American League champions square off in the first round. New York looks for its powerful pitching staff to knock off the big bats in Cleveland. If the Indians don't lose heart after playing the first two games in the Bronx, they should be able to take all three at the Jake. Prediction: Cleveland in five.
Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey Jr. will try to lead the Mariners into the World Series for the first time. That will have to wait another year because the Seattle bullpen will once again disappoint the Mariners faithful. Prediction: Baltimore in four.
Seattle vs. Baltimore: Is this Cal Ripken Jr.'s year to return to the World Series? The Orioles excel in every aspect of the game but face a tough first round matchup against the Mariners.
San Francisco vs. Atlanta: Barry Bonds will have a flashback to the early '90s and perform poorly against the Braves in the playoffs. San Francisco will have to be satisfied with a division crown and its first-round playoff victory against the Marlins. Prediction: Atlanta in five.
Cleveland vs. Baltimore: For the second year in a row, the Indians and the Orioles battle in the playoffs. This year there is no Roberto Alomar controversy to overshadow the games. Cleveland's lack of pitching will show as Ripken and the Orioles return to the World Series. Prediction: Baltimore in six.
Baltimore vs. Atlanta: The best two teams in the league will meet to battle for the crown. The Braves need to win this series to avoid losing four out of the last six World Series. Atlanta will be rocking as Mark Wohlers strikes out Roberto Alomar to give the Braves their second title in three years. Prediction: Atlanta in seven.
Corcoran is a Topeka senior in biology
Second Round:
Off week helps 'Hawks prepare
Quarterback Hamilton Hill hands off to running back David Winbush during practice at Anshutz. The Jayhawks are hoping to get their offense back on track this weekend against Oklahoma. Photo by Geoff Krieger/KANSAN
Defense,home turf keys versus Sooners
By Kelly Cannon kcannon@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
World Series:
The Kansas football team is 3-1 and looking for its fourth win.
it will have its next chance for a victory when the Oklahoma Sooners come to Lawrence on Saturday.
Kansas football coach Terry Allen said the Jayhawks had used their idle week to prepare for the Sooners.
"We went back to the drawing board to get better offensively," Allen said. "It's nice to have a week off to work on fundamentals. An off-week is good for a football program. It gives us an advantage against Oklahoma."
Oklahoma football coach John Blake said he had not studied tapes of Kansas yet, but his coaching staff had.
"They always have good backs," Allen said. "You just have to tackle the one who has the ball."
"Teams line up and do different things," Blake said. "We look at their personnel. Kansas' coach has done a great job." Blake also singled out Kansas' linebackers as strong points.
Allen said Oklahoma halfback De'Mond Parker was impressive.
Kansas is on top of the North Division of the Big 12 Conference because it is 1-0 in conference play. Missouri and Iowa State are 0-1. Colorado, Kansas State and Nebraska have yet to open conference play.
much like the one Allen has worked hard to avoid.
Oklahoma has a quarterback situation
"We have to prepare the same way and do the same stuff," Allen said. "You can't get enamored of who the quarterback is."
Junior Eric Moore and sophomore Justin Fuente both have started for the Sooners. Neither player has a lock on the starting position, and it is unclear who will start on Saturday.
Allen said he didn't think anything had changed because Kansas was the leader.
"It is nice to play at home," Allen said. "It is a comfort zone, and we have developed some confidence on our home turf. It helps us defensively, and we have been playing good defense. We have been getting the crowd into our defense."
"We're on top because we got a victory against Missouri." Allen said.
Kansas has no more nonconference games.
Kansas is 3-0 at home this season. Allen said playing at home was an advantage for the Javhaws.
"We're getting into the meat of the Big 12 schedule, and there is quality across the board," Allen said. "I am impressed with the quality of athletes. People have gotten into it at Kansas. They have welcomed us well."
Cross-country team sparked by freshman
Kansan staff report
Freshman Ricardo Amezcua showed why his debut in the Kansas men's cross country team was such an eagerly anticipated event.
In his first collegiate race Saturday at the Stanford University Cross Country Invitational, Amezcua led the way for the Kansas men with a 17th-place overall finish at 25:36.
Amezcua, a native of Acambaro, Mexico, was Mexican national champion in 1996.
Close behind Amezuca was senior co-captain Jerry Pullins, who placed 22nd overall at 25:36, almost an entire minute faster than his 11th place finish at the Jayhawk Invitational. Aside from Amezcua's performance, the Kansas men's and women's teams had varied results. The men's team finished in the middle of the 16-team field, placing eighth with 217 points.
"Having Ricardo running really makes us better," Pullins said. "Missing Lewis was the biggest difficulty. You always want to go to a meet with your best guys.
"It was nice to go up against some of the best competition. We were looking for a top-five finish, and we
Pullins said Lewis Theobald was sick and did not compete.
Meet results
Men
15. Ricardo Amezuca 25:36
19. Jerry Pullins 25:46
32. Andy Tate 26:04
66. Brian Jenkins 26:43
84. Bryce Spano 27:12
Women
40. Lynn LoPresti 18:40
69. Emily Miles 19:24
104. Stephanie Clark 19:44
120. Christina Selferd 20:14
123. Cynthia Smith 20:22
didn't get that."
Unfortunately, the Kansas women struggled, finishing 19th overall in the 5K. Senior co-captain Lynn LoPresti led the Kansas women for the third-straight race with her best time of the season. She placed 40th with a time of 18:40.
Stanford, the defending NCAA champion, won both the men's and women's meets at their home course in Palo Alto, Calif. University of California-Las Angeles and Brigham Young University also placed in the top five in both races.
The cross country teams' next competition will be on Oct. 18, when they travel to the Iowa State University Invite in Ames, Iowa.
Kansas golf scores fifth in tourney
The Kansas men's golf team continued its solid play as junior Chris Thompson finished in a tie for first yesterday at the Missouri Blucks Intercollegiate in St. Charles, Mo.
Kansan staff report
The team shot a third-round score of 289 to finish fifth at the invitational. The Jayhawks have now placed in the top five at both of their tournaments this season. The Jayhawks won the Kansas Invitational on Sept. 22 and 23.
Thompson completed rounds of 70, 69 and 71 for a total score of 210, which was three under par. He shared the individual title with Derek Gillespie of Arizona.
Kansas placed fifth with a team total of 874. Teams that placed ahead
of the Jayhawks included invitational champion Arizona, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
Sophomore Brad Davis tied for 23rd with a total score of 220 after shooting rounds of 74, 74 and 72. Vermeer finished 31st after rounds of 74, 75 and 73.
While Thompson shared top honors in the individual standings, none of his teammates were able to finish in the top 20.
Senior Brad Barnett, who had a total score of 225, finished in a tie for 38th after rounds of 76, 73 and 76. Also, sophomore Jake Istenkied for 51st after rounds of 79, 77 and 73 yielded a total score 229.
Kansas competes Oct. 6 and 7 at the Legends of Indiana Intercollegiate tournament in Franklin, Ind.
Pardon me, coming through
Blain Packard, Wichita junior, fries to run past Lawrence resident Brandon Sparks, 17, for a touchdown in a flag football game. The two were participating in a 4-on-4 flag football tournament put on by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lawrence on Saturday. The tournament started on Sept. 20 and will continue through Oct. 18, with games being played on Sundays at the field next to the Mormon chapel on 10th Street. Photo by GP/Gordon-Ross / AKSAN
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