THE UNIVERSITY'S DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2009
SPORTS
13B
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Young team looks to build strength in coming season
BY ANDREW TAYLOR ataylor@kansan.com
"When you bring in freshmen, you get a tremendous amount of energy," head coach Clark Campbell said.
The 2009-2010 Kansas swimming and diving team faces what many would call a rebuilding year. After losing nine seniors, including NCAA swimming championship qualifier Maria Mayrovich and College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-Americans Danielle Herrmann and Anne Linggett, the Jayhawks have their work cut out if they wish to match last season's success. Also among the losses is 2009-2010 All-American Diver Erin Mertz, who chose to end her Kansas career and transfer to Purdue.
"We're trying to keep our expectations in line with the youth of the team," said Campbell.
Campbell said he hoped that this energy will translate into success over the course of the season, but that it will not provide the only spark to triumph this year.
Junior swimmer Juliia Kuzhil returns among those veterans as the sole remaining NCAA competitor from the Jayhawks' 2008-2009 season. She received the 2008-2009 Jayhawk Newcomer of the Year Award and holds school records in the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke.
Campbell said he knew that leadership, as well as talent, is needed if the team wishes to match its past success. He also said he looked to his seniors and upperclassmen to
provide this sought-after leadership.
"You're only as good as your senior class," Campbell said.
The three team captains, junior swimmer Joy Bunting, senior swimmer Carrabah Haley, and senior diver Meghan Proehl, provide this young team with guidance through their experience.
"Meghan has been coming along and getting better every year," diving coach Eric Elliott said. "She's going to be a team leader."
going to be a team leader. Campbell said he not only expected his seniors and captains to lead by example in the pool, but also in healthy lifestyle habits. That leadership has already made a mark on freshman diver Erin Savas, an 11 time junior national champion and Olympic trials finalist.
"I've definitely felt a different energy," Savas said. "It's unlike anything I've ever seen before, very positive, very supportive."
As the Big 12 (Conference) Relays quickly approach on Oct. 16 in Columbia, Mo., Campbell, assistant coach Jen Fox and dive coach Eric Elliott stress the process of preparation to the team. At several points throughout the season, the coaches will have ample opportunity to gauge their swimmers' and divers' progress as the team will compete in several challenging meets.
"We're going to see some of the best teams in the country this season," Campbell said.
Some of the top competition the Jayhawks will go up against includes UCLA, the University of Virginia, the University of Arkansas and the Big 12 schools. Campbell said he hoped to use these events to measure his team's evolvement toward their ultimate goal of the Big 12 Championships in Feb.
The 2009-2010 Jayhawk swimming and diving season will soon be under way. Whether it's the massive amount of underclassmen, the returning veterans or a combination of both that provide the means, Kansas strives to achieve success again this season.
SWIM TEAM GIVEN
ACADEMIC HONORS
— Andrew Taylor
After putting the cap on a 36th-place finish at last year's NCAA Championships, the Kansas swimming and diving team was selected as a Scholar All-American team by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCA). Senior Emily Lanteigne and former Kansas swimmers Anne Liggett and Danielle Herrmann were also honored as individual Honorable Mention Scholar All Americans by the CSCA. To earn consideration as a Scholar All-American, swimmers must have an NCAA consideration time along with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Coach Clark Campbell said the awards were not surprising, as he and his fellow coaches heavily emphasize academics in their training."The No.1 team goal beyond athletic performance is academic performance,"Campbell said.
Edited by Amanda Thompson
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Cadilac Escalade belonging to Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps and a Honda Accord sit on a tow truck near where they collided on Thursday in Baltimore. Baltimore police said Phelps, who was driving his vehicle, was not injured in the accident.
CELEBRITY
Phelps not blamed for crash
The swimmer was not injured when another car ran a red light
BY BEN NUCKOLS
Associated Press
BALTIMORE — A crash involving Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps was blamed on the other driver, who ran a red light, Baltimore police said Friday.
Phelps, 24, was not injured, and two passengers in his Cadillac Escalade sport utility vehicle were also unhurt. The unidentified female driver of the car that caused the crash was taken to a hospital as a precaution after saying she had neck and arm pain, authorities said. It was not immediately clear if police had ticketed her.
Phelps' Escalade had a crumpled front hood after the collision, which happened shortly before 9 p.m. on Thursday. The
other car, a Honda Accord, had considerable damage to the front driver's side.
The crash occurred at an intersection of two one-way streets north of downtown. The woman was heading north when she went through the stoplight and collided with Phelps' vehicle, which was eastbound, police spokesman Anthony Guglelmi said.
Onlookers quickly gathered and snapped photos of Phelps and his vehicle.
Guglielmi said alcohol did not play a role in the crash.
Phelps has had brushes with the law in the past. He pleaded guilty to drunken driving in 2004, shortly after he won six gold medals at the Athens Olympics, and was sentenced to 18 months' probation.
Earlier this year, USA Swimming suspended Phelps
after a British tabloid published a photo of him using a marijuana pipe. The Richland County, S.C., sheriff's office investigated the photo but found there wasn't enough evidence to charge Phelps, who apologized for his behavior.
Phelps won a record eight gold medals at last year's Beijing Olympics.
He lives and trains in Baltimore and recently returned from the world swimming championships in Rome, where he won five golds and a silver.
John Cadigan, a senior coach with the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, which is based at the swim center operated by Phelps and his coach, said Friday he hadn't talked to Phelps about the crash.
MONTEMAYOR (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Cadigan said Phelps was not scheduled to be back at practice until next week.
great college football players with considerable professional upside.
Linebacker is still a question but the personnel and opportunities are there.
And we shouldn't sleep on the defense, either. Up front, junior end Jake Laptad (10.5 2008 sacks) is the truth. And it's a question of when, not if, juco transfer Quintin Woods starts stopping opponents' plays prematurely.
Recall that the same questions about the position were asked when the recently departed Joe Mortensen, James Holt and Mike Rivera assumed roles that Johnathan Lamb, Banks Floodman and Nick Reid once held.
The Jayhawks seemed to have settled into a consistent secondary depth chart. The team couldn't have a better leader at one of the areas most crucial to success this season than senior safety Darrell Stuckev.
Hell, who wouldn't want a quartet of senior captains the likes of Reesing, Sharp, Stuckey and Meier?
At last week's media day, Mangino and much of his team said all the right things. There was ample "we're going to take it one week (or game) at a time" to go around.
Mangino, on hand as an assis tant during Kansas State's resur
gence in the 90s, Oklahoma's national championship at the beginning of this century and his current team's Orange Bowl victory, found a common thread between what he sensed before each season: Nothing. Just thought they had a chance to be good.
And so I went to Stuckey, one of the program's foremost leaders, players and men. Last season, he led by example with games like his three-turnover performance against Missouri. This year, he's become vocal enough to merit suggestions from his coach that he enter the political arena one day.
"Let me ask you something," I prefaced. "Knowing everything you know and seeing everything you've seen over the years leading up to this moment, can this team win the Big 12 Championship?"
"Yes," was the reply delivered without hesitation and with utmost conviction.
For Kansas, it will be 9-3 and then history.
That was all I needed.
And how sweet it would be to do it in the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium — the posh digs that Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe fawned over last week and mentioned could become the conference title game's permanent locale.
-Edited by Sarah Kelly
said he didn't think he would be as statistically dominant as he was at the FIBA U19 World Championship in New Zealand. Still, his role remains as important to Kansas as ever.
In his freshman campaign, Taylor was third on the team in points per game, second in steals and assists, and fourth in three points made and blocks per game.
Individually, Taylor made great strides in the U19 tournament when he showed his multidimensional skill set.
TAYLOR (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
"Playing on the USA team prepared me for the upcoming season, playing with great players and being unselfish and learning how to make that extra pass," Taylor said. "Once Coach Self sees my decision making got a little better
Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and coach Urban Meyer talk during the team's first practice in Gainesville, Fla., on Aug. 6.
He led Team USA in points per game, steals and assists.
"I went up there with the mentality, 'I'm not going to come up here and just play around. I'm going to really work.'" Taylor said. "I feel like I did some good things out there. I got my name out there a little bit."
"I'm not exactly sure how hard it's going to be from freshman to sophomore year," Taylor said, "but I think I did everything in order to prepare myself for this tough transition."
than last season...I think my role will change"
Besides improving his game, Taylor also worked on improving his name.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
This summer may have given Taylor the boost he needs to help Kansas to the next level.
— Edited by Samantha Foster
Gators hope to win third title in four years
BY MARK LONG Associated Press
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida quarterback Tim Tebow has a Heisman Trophy, four championship rings and more accolades than most college football players could ever imagine.
He wants more.
Tebow and the defending national champions opened fall practice Aug. 6 with hopes of winning a third title in four years, and they want this one to be special.
"It's something that we want," Tebow said, sporting a full beard for the first practice. "That's not our goal. We're not writing that anywhere. We're not posting that. But obviously when we step on the field, we're going to want to win. That would be special, being the first time in Florida history for that. Obviously that is a goal and it's something that I hope comes true."
The Gators are embracing skyhigh expectations that come with returning nearly every starter and are openly talking about wanting to become the first team in school history to go undefeated.
The Gators realize they're an overwhelming favorite to repeat, maybe even more so than the 2005 Southern California team that featured Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. The Trojans stormed through the regular season, extending their winning streak to 34 games, then lost in the title game to Vince Young and Texas.
Although Florida doesn't want to look too far ahead, especially with LSU, Georgia and Florida State on the schedule, players are bracing for each opponent's best shot every week.
The Gators opened practice a 5:45 a.m., with about 200 fans eagerly awaiting their arrival. The early start was no surprise after coach Urban Meyer promised to make summer workouts and two-a-day practices the toughest in his five years.
"We know the target's on our back and we're ready," linebacker Brandon Spikes said. "Everybody's been looking forward to this day. ... It's just like Christmas."
His rationale? For the most
part, Florida has the same team that beat Oklahoma 24-14 in the Bowl Championship Series title game in Miami, and Meyer wants his players to avoid complacency.
Tebow and Spikes vowed not to let that happen. The team captains led offseason workouts and never shied away from talk of going unbeaten
"It's a big goal," Spikes said. "It's something I think about every day. Our whole summer we've been stressing this. My job is to make sure the guys don't get satisfied. We've got to keep striving and push that rock back to the top of the hill."
The Gators won their second national title in 2006, when Tebow and Spikes were freshmen, then bounced back from a rebuilding year to earn a second ring this past January.
Both of them considered turning pro, but they decided to come back and try to make history.
"It's pressure, but it's nothing that we can't live up to," corner-back Joe Haden said.
And they don't want to leave anything to chance. Last season, Florida had to rebound from an early season loss to Mississippi and win 10 in a row to reach the title game.
Defensively, Florida returns 21 of 22 players on the two-deep depth chart. Defensive tackle Torrey Davis transferred in March.
"That's one of the reasons I decided to come back my senior year," Spikes said. "I just wanted to rewrite history. We've got a good chance. We've got Tebow and (many) starters coming back and a lot of young guys. It's going to be great."
Tebow has plenty of help, too.
Although replacing receivers Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy will be one of the main objectives during fall practice, the Gators have running backs Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey and Emmanuel Moody back as well as tight end Aaron Hernandez, receiver Deonte Thompson and the Pouncey twins.
Tebow even got his roommate back.
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