Pro Basketball
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Greg Ostertag signed a sixyear contract yesterday worth $30 million. The Utah Jazz center played for Kansas from 1992-95.
Broadcasting
NBC announced that Marv Albert had been fired hours after the sports caster pled guilty to an assault-and-battery charge.
Friday
September 26,1997
Section:
B
Pro Football
Page 1
The Kansas City Chiefs (3-1) play host to the Seattle Seahawks (2-2) at noon Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. The game will be broadcast by NBC.
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Team's rebound hinges on focus
Two Kansas women's soccer players battle for possession during practice. The team plays the University of Tulsa at 5 p.m. today and Colorado at 1 p.m. Sunday. Both games will be at SuperTarget Field. Photo by Steve Puppe/KANSAN
Recovering from close road losses key to success
By Harley V. Ratliff
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
The Kansas women's soccer team is hoping that a weekend at home is the jump start it needs to ignite the team's offense.
The Jayhawks (2-6, 0-4) will be looking to rebound from road losses against Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth last weekend.
In only their second homestand of the season, the Jayhawks will play at 5 tonight against Tulsa at SuperTarget Field. They will conclude the weekend with a critical Big 12 Conference game against Colorado on Sunday at 1 p.m.
After losing six consecutive games, including four in which they were shut out, the Jayhawks showed signs of life last Sunday, recording two goals and putting constant offensive pressure on the VCU goalkeeper.
Kansas soccer coach Dan Magner said he wanted to see more offensive pressure carry over into this weekend.
"Certainly we've been reviewing the game films this week," he said. "We must improve on our finishing. In several games we've had more chances than our opponent but we haven't been able to put the ball
away. We've got to score goals to build confidence."
The Kansas offense will receive a boost this weekend from the return of freshman forward Katie Lents. Lents, who made her first collegiate appearance last weekend, should provide Magner with an extra weapon.
Lents said that to win this weekend, the team must change its mindset.
"We've got to have a more positive attitude," she said. "I think when we came out against Virginia we were scared. We need to be positive, get good touches and play smart."
Junior forward Jen Silvers, who came off the bench last week against VCU and recorded two assists, said that this week's practices have been the Jayhawks' most focused this season.
"The last three days of practice have been really intense," Silvers said. "Everybody has been really sharp in practice. I think that everybody is hungry for a win. We're ready to get a W."
Despite the losses, Magner believes that his squad is on the cusp of success. In three of their losses, the Jayhawks have been a break or two away from victory, a fact that Magner thinks his players know.
"We're disappointed, but not down," Magner said. "The women know that they are knocking on the door. We're almost there, and they know that. But it is going to take continued hard work, determination and making the most of our opportunities."
Freshman center fractures hand in pick-up game, may play at 'Late Night'
Carey joins one other on list of wounded players
Kansan staff report
Center Jeff Carey, a 6-foot-11 freshman on the Kansas men's basketball team, broke a bone in his right hand during a pick-up basketball game Tuesday.
Carey fractured the fifth metacarpal of his hand and is wearing a splint. He is expected to play when Kansas starts practice on Oct. 18 at "Late Night With Roy Williams."
This injury is not the first to happen to a Kansas newcomer this semester. Junior college transfer Jelani Janisse, a point guard, tore ligaments in his left ankle Aug. 31 and underwent surgery on Sept. 2.
Carey averaged 19.3 points and 12.7 rebounds per game last season at Camdenton High School in Camdenton, Mo. Carey, whose father was an All-Big Eight basketball player at Missouri during the 1960s, had a 4.039 GPA in high school.
The dates of the Kansas women's basketball team tryouts have been changed. Walk-on hopefuls should report at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29 and at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 30 in Allen Field House. Tryout participants are encouraged to attend both workouts.
For more information, call the women's basketball office at 864-4939.
Cross country teams make jump to meet at Stanford tomorrow
By Alex E. Runner
Kansan sportswriter
Out of the frying pan, into the fire.
Stanford is the defending national champion and top-ranked team this year in both men's and women's cross country.
Out of the rying pal, into the fire.
After struggling at their home invitational two weeks ago, the Kansas men's and women's cross country teams will be in Palo Alto, Calif., tomorrow for the Stanford Cross Country Invitational.
Along with more than 4,000 collegiate and high school runners from around the nation, No. 2 Brigham Young and No. 8 Georgetown women's teams will participate. Georgetown, featuring freshman Kristen Gordon, dominated the Jayhawk Invitational at Rim Rock Farm on Sept. 13.
"This will be our first opportunity to compete against really stiff competition across the board," said Head Coach Gary Schwartz. "I am interested to see how our people fair against this type of competition."
A bright spot for Kansas is the much anticipated debut of freshman Ricardo Amezcua, who was a 1996 Mexican national champion. Amezcua, a native of Acambaro, Mexico, also placed 14th in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at 30:26.89.
Senior Jerry Pullins, who led the Jay hawks at Rim Rock Farm with an 11th-place finish, said that having Ricardo running meant a lot to the team.
Coach Schwartz said he would be looking to the senior-freshman combination of Pullins and Amezca for leadership and production this year. The Stanford Invitational will be a time to gauge the two outstanding runners and to push one another. The women's race begins at 6:25 p.m. tomorrow, and the men will follow at 6:55 p.m.
Jayhawk softball
Kansas playing times in the Jayhawk Classic at Lyon Street Park in north Lawrence Saturday — Field No. 1
Noon Kansas vs. Central Missouri State
2 Kansas vs. Warburg
Broom Kansas vs. Washburn State
2 p.m. Kansas vs. Washburn
6 p.m. Kansas vs. Northwest Missouri State
Sunday — Field No.1
Noon Kansas vs. Johnson County Community College
2 p.m. Kansas vs. Missouri
The round-robin tournament begins play at 10 a.m. on both days on both fields. The last game on Saturday is scheduled for 6 p.m. The final games of the tournament are set for 2 p.m. Sunday.
Softball to have a busy weekend as five teams play in Jayhawk Classic
The Kansas softball team will play host to five teams tomorrow and Sunday for the annual Jayhawk Classic at Lyon Street Park in north Lawrence.
The round-robin tournament will feature the host Jayhawks, fellow Big 12 Conference team Missouri, Central Missouri State, Johnson County Community College, Northwest Missouri State and Washburn.
Kansan staff report
Two fields at the Lyon Street Park will be used for the competition. The fields are on Lyon Street. To get to the fields, travel east on Sixth Street to the Kansas River bridge. Turn left and cross the bridge. The street that crosses the bridge is Second Street. Lyon Street intersects Second Street at the second stop light. Turn right onto Lyon Street. The park is at the corner of Lyon and Seventh streets.
The tournament opens at noon tomorrow.
Saturday's Big 12 football
Maggie Mohrfield, middle blocker, practices her kills against Stephanie Blackwell. The Jayhawks are tuning up for Bia 12 conference action this weekend. Photo by Eric B. Howell/KANSAN
No. 16 Colorado vs. Wyoming, 2:37
p.m. Fox
No. 18 Kansas State vs. Bowling Green,
1:10 p.m.
Missouri vs. No. 7 Ohio State 11 a.m.
ABC
- Oklahoma vs. Louisville 6 p.m. Fox Sports
- Oklahoma State vs. Northeast Louisiana 6 p.m.
Texas at Rice 11 a.m. ABC
Two students will have the opportunity to win free if they sink a putt or serve a volleyball through a target.
No. 22 Texas A&M vs. North Texas,
2:35 a.m.
The Kansas promotions department, the organization that supports all Kansas athletic events, will have an entry booth at the southeast entrance at the field house before the first game begins.
The Kansas women's volleyball team will open its Big 12 Conference schedule against No. 5 Nebraska at 7 tonight in Allen Field House.
The Jayhawks enter the match with a 7-6 record after finishing 3-1 and 2-1 the last two weekends. Kansas' only loss in the Jayhawk Classic was to No. 24 Colorado State.
Between games of the Kansas-Nebraska match, students in attendance will get a chance to compete for free tuition for a semester.
Two names will be randomly drawn during the intermission between games two and three — one for the putt and one for the serve.
Volleyball team opens Big 12 play; students get chance at free tuition
Kansas squad to face No. 5 Nebraska tonight
Kansan staff report
One student will have to make a putt across the field house floor and the other will have to serve a volleyball into a target about 60 feet away to win the grand prizes.
"We feel this is a nice opportunity for students to have a chance to win free tuition and also promote a positive image of KU volleyball at the same time," said Brandon Parker, promotions director for the event.
Tonight's match against Nebraska will be recorded by Fox Sports for
broadcast at a time and date to be announced. The volleyball team's other performance on national television was last season against Texas on Fox.
Another ranked opponent will face Kansas in its second conference match. The Jayhawks will play No.20 Colorado at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in Allen Field House.
The Cornhuskers were picked to
repeat as Big 12 champions in the preseason coaches' poll. Colorado was forecast as the fourth-best team. Kansas was selected ninth.
The Nebraska and Colorado matches are the first two of a three-match homestead of Big 12 teams. Kansas State will visit the field house Wednesday before the Jayhawks take a Big 12 road trip Oct. 1 to Oklahoma.