1.2
SPORTS
3B
THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10. 2009
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WILSON (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Koby and Dick Wilson. All four men came to Kansas together, ran together and graduated together.
BEYOND SCHOOL
"The entire team was very close and they enjoyed each other," Wilson's wife, JoAn Wilson said.
"There wasn't any real need to," said Wilson. "It wasn't like today where you have road races and track races."
After college Wilson and his wife, JoAn, moved around the country. Eventually, they landed in Indianapolis. Wilson was so busy with his career with the Traveler's Insurance Co. and his family that running kind of fell to the wayside.
It was a request of a friend that began Wilson's interest in running again.
"A neighbor of mine wanted
to start running to lose weight," Wilson said. "We started running half a mile a day and built it up to five miles a day." It wasn't until they entered a three-mile race on Labor Day in 1978 that he started to believe that he could ever run for success again.
"I think I finished fifth and so I got the bug," Wilson said.
The bug carried him to gain local, statewide and eventually international recognition. He was ranked in the top 10 of his age group, on a national scale, every year from 1985 to 2005, but in 2003 he earned the honor of being the No. 2 runner in the country and the No. 4 four runner in the world in his age group. A 2005 hip injury ended his competitive career.
Wilson was diagnosed with a brain tumor in September 2008.
The doctor was able to remove 95 percent of the tumor, but Wilson still had to endure two six-month sessions of chemotherapy. Still, he exercises at least five times a week.
"He's enthusiastic for the race and the good it does" Stroup said. This is the first year that the 'Head For the Cure 5K' will be held in Lawrence. The original 5K ran in Kansas City in honor of Chris Anthony who died, at age 37 from a brain tumor. All of the proceeds will go to the Chris Anthony Tumor Research Fund at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
"Maybe some day there will be a cure," said Wilson. "And if there is it can hopefully help my children and help my grandchildren."
Edited by Alicia Banister
MLB
ASSOCIATED PRESS
St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols smiles as he looks back at the Cardinals' dugout after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.
Brewers squander home game against Cardinals
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MILWAUKEE — Albert Pujols hit two home runs for a majors-leading 47 and Adam Wainwright picked up his 18th win with seven scoreless innings in the St. Louis Cardinals' 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.
Wainwright struck out six and scattered five hits to become the first pitcher this season to 18 wins and Pujols powered the offense with his homers in the fifth and seventh innings to complete a three-game sweep of the Brewers.
But St. Louis got a scare when Matt Holliday tumbled running out a grounder in the third and left with a bruised left knee,
The Cardinals have won 25 of their last 31 overall, and are well on their way to a fourth NI.
St. Louis is 32-11 since acquiring Holliday on July 24 from Oakland and he's hitting, 360 with 12 homers and 42 RBIs for the Cardinals. He stumbled in the third inning after passing first base on a routine grounder and stayed in the game in left field for two innings before being pulled as precaution.
Central title in six years behind Pujols, Holliday, Wainwright (18- 7) and Chris Carpenter.
St. Louis made sure Wainwright had the lead from the start after Holliday's sacrifice fly in the first when Brewers starter Jeff Suppan (6-9) walked Colby Rasmus and allowed a single to Pujols to put
Wainwright couldn't match Carpenter's one-hit shutout in Monday's opener, but the righthander was sharp after allowing six runs in his previous appearance to snap a streak of 13 straight with two runs or less.
In the fifth, Wainwright doubled and scored on a triple by Rasmus before Pujols' two-run homer made it 4-0. Pujols sprinted around the bases, hardly stopping to greet teammates at the plate, and ran into the dugout to celebrate there.
Hed have more to cheer about in the seventh with a solo shot to left-center field that gave St. Louis a 5-0 lead and increased his RBI total to 124, one behind Milwaukee's Prince Fielder for most in the majors this season.
runners on the corners.
Milwaukee squandered its only chance against Wainwright in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on the corners and two outs, Wainwright struck out pinch hitter Casey McGehee, who broke his bat over his knee in frustration.
THORSON (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
blocking exercise - when, at some point, Moore fell to the ground, injured.
According to an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, it appeared Thorson could have "pulled off the block." The article also claimed that Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema "was visibly angry with the result."
100%
100%
100%
Perhaps the biggest problem, Thorson said, was Wisconsin's desire to cultivate big, bulky linemen. In contrast, Thorson thought he played better at 290 pounds.
Still, the details are murky and Thorson declined to elaborate on the specifics of the situation. But he readily admitted that the incident was the snapping point in a long, conflict-filled stay at Wisconsin.
"It was unfortunate but the wheels were kind of set in place long before that," Thorson said. "I didn't feel like there was the opportunity I wanted."
"It wasn't what they wanted in their offense at that time," Thorson said. "It was difficult at the time, but I look back and it wasn't the situation I really wanted to be in."
Shortly after the situation with Moore unfolded, Thorson left the Wisconsin program. It wasn't an easy decision.
Thorson grew up in Mequon, Wisc., a city two hours east of Wisconsin's campus in Madison. Not surprisingly, he grew up rooting for the home-state Badgers.
As a senior in high school, Thorson garnered interest from Ivy League schools such as Yale and Princeton. He also
After verbally committing to Minnesota early in the recruiting process, Wisconsin offered Thorson a full-ride scholarship. He jumped at the chance.
received a scholarship offer from Minnesota.
"I grew up bleeding red and white and I loved them," Thorson said. "But my journey there, I learned a lot about myself."
So, with three years of eligibility remaining, Thorson started searching for schools. That's when he stumbled upon Kansas.
--offense.
Brad Thorson is smart. Teammates past and present will tell you that. So, too, will coaches.
It's a big reason behind Thorson's success on the football field. And it's a big reason he was allowed to play immediately when he transferred to Kansas last season.
"He's an extremely smart guy," offensive lineman Sal Capra said. "He can pick up things really fast."
In just two years, Thorson left Wisconsin with a business degree in Risk Management Insurance. It paid off immediately.
While most transfers are forced by the NCAA to sit out a year, Thorson successfully petitioned the NCAA to allow him to play immediately last season. His strongest claim? He had already technically graduated from school.
He's now working on a second degree in sports administration. He's also the starting left guard in Kansas' high-powered
"It took a long while before I found something that fit," Thorson said. "But when I finally got in touch with Kansas, they had a need at offensive line so they were looking to add another guy. It worked out pretty perfectly."
But before the season started, Mangino slid sophomore Jeremiah Hatch from offensive tackle to center — a move that once again placed Thorson as a backup.
Throughout spring practices, and even for a portion of fall practices, that's exactly what Thorson was. Then, shortly before the start of the season, Mangino moved Thorson to left guard.
He started against Northern Colorado.
"It was worth doing because he has looked pretty sharp there," Mangino said. "It's a good move for us. We want to put our five best offensive linemen on the field and he was one of our five best."
Thorson can reflect easier now that everything has settled. He's still playing Division I football. He's still playing at 290 pounds. And he's a starter.
MLB
It's taken a few years — and a few changes — but Thorson is finally comfortable with his situation.
"Kansas has been so accepting and so willing to give me every opportunity that I want," Thorson said. "It's just been an awesome transfer for me."
— Edited by Jonathan Hermes
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gonzalez hits career high helping Padres beat Giants
Wade LeBlanc (2-1) pitched a career-best seven innings to win his second straight start.
SAN FRANCISCO — Adrian Gonzalez hit his career-high 37th homer and drove in three runs, helping the San Diego Padres beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2 Wednesday.
Gonzalez connected for a two-run shot in the third. Oscar Salazar also homered for the Padres, who have won 10 of their last 13 series.
Andres Torres hit a two-run homer for the Giants. The NL wild-card contenders have lost three of their last four.
Barry Zito (9-12) gave up three runs on six hits over five innings. He lost his fourth straight decision to the Padres.
Heath Bell pitched the ninth for his 37th save in 40 chances, matching St. Louis closer Ryan Franklin for the NL lead.
Luke Gregerson, who earned his first major league win Tuesday night, came on to get pinch hitter Kevin Frandsen to pop up a bunt attempt, struck out pinch hitter Eugenio Velez and retired Freddy Sanchez on a popup.
LeBlanc allowed two runs on four hits. He retired 11 straight before walking the first two batters of the eighth.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Padres took a 1-0 lead
FOOTBALL Missouri sees a spike in children named Chase
San Diego Padres' Adrian Gonzalez, right, hit a two-run home run during the third inning of a game in San Francisco Wednesday.
The Columbia Missouri says the name "Chase" has seen a surge of recent popularity in Missouri. The Social Security Administration's annual list of top baby names shows it jumped from Number 48 in 2007 to Number 7 one year later. 2007 Missouri graduate Travis Scott and his wife, Kristin, say they chose the name Chase for their son because "the entire roots of our relationship are based at Mizzou."
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Want to see former Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel's legacy? Look in the crib.
Associated Press
Torres' third home run in the third brought the Giants within 3-2 but they never seriously threatened again until the eighth.
in the first when Everth Cabrera beat out an infield single, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a single by Gonzalez.
Schedules and information at www.LawrenceRecycles.org