Thursday, October 22, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
There's no place like home
Midfielder one of few in-staters on soccer team
Midfielder Katie Lents is one of only three players on the Kansas soccer team from a Kansas high school. The soccer team is hoping to add more in-state players to its roster. Photo by Dan Elavsky/ KANSAN
By Brad Hallier
Kansan sportswriter
When the decision to choose a college came around for Katie Lents, she had two things in mind: a big university and something close to home.
That made the University of Kansas an easy decision for Lents, who is now a sophomore midfielder on the Kansas soccer team.
"Ihad looked at Rockhurst, Baker and some East Coast schools, but I put those aside because I was content to stay near Kansas City," she said. "It's a new program here, and I wanted to play somewhere that I felt I could make an impact."
Lents graduated in 1997 from St. Thomas Aquinas, a nationallyacclaimed power in boys' and girls' soccer. She was a four-year letter winner and a three-time state champion. Her senior season, she helped lead her team to 19-2 record.
Last year, however, Lents had to adjust to a team that isn't known as a national or even regional soccer power. The Jayhawks finished 7-12 in 1997, a difference of 12 wins for Lents.
"I wasn't like, 'this team is bad,' but it was tough going from 19-2 to 7-12-1," she said. "It's been real depressing at times, but this year there has been a lot more unity than last year. We all have respect for each other as players, and we know that whoever is out there can get the job done."
Lents joins midfielder Dani DeGuerre and defender Kylie Watts as the only players on the roster that graduated from a Kansas high school. Kansas coach Dan Magner said that it was important to try to get in-state players to come to Kansas.
"We are certainly checking out and actively pursuing Kansas players now," he said. "It's our hope each year to attract the top players in the state. As the level of play in the state rises, you'll see the addition of more and more Kansas players to our roster."
Magnier also said that Lents brought plenty of good things to his young team.
and serve some excellent long balls Her sense of humor isn't bad either."
"Katie brings lots of enthusiasm and an excellent work rate," he said. "She has the ability to win the ball in the air
Lents attributes her soccer talent to her family, particularly her older brothers, Rick and Josh, Josh Lents, another soccer standout from St. Thomas Aquinas, plays soccer at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Katie Lents said that she never felt the pressure of following in her brothers' footsteps or playing in their shadows.
"Josh always brought me up when I was down in high school, and playing after Rick and Josh did have that big of an effect," she said. "I know that I wouldn't be playing soccer had it not been for my family. We used to play some intense soccer games in the backyard."
Although her family was a big influence on her playing soccer, Lents credits two club coaches, Ramon Tau and Dave Morrow, with fine-tuning her skills.
"Ramon coached me from fourth grade to my sophomore year in high school, and he had the best practices," she said. "He taught me everything skills-wise and how much fun soccer could be. The best thing about Ramon was that he would practice with us.
"Dave coached me my junior and senior years, and he did more tactical stuff with us, like showing us where to make runs on the field. We never had the same practice with Dave."
Another thing Lents has had to adjust to is the grueling schedule of being a student-athlete at the NCAA division-I level.
"It's easier to do everything in the season," she said. "I have to budget my time during the season. It gets tough with all the homework and missing classes for games, plus trying to have a social life. Missing class is tough, though. If you show an interest in classes and have a good attitude with the teachers, they are understanding."
Women's team works to create a new offense
By Sam Mellinger
Kansan sportswriter
The season is just four practices old, but the Kansas women's basketball team already has started implementing a new offense.
The motion-style offense is something coach Marian Washington has looked at for a few years and has decided will fit well with her team this year.
Center Nakia Sanford said, "It gives us a little more freedom. It's going to be a lot harder to guard."
If that proves to be true, it could be because of the team's much-improved depth and quickness this season.
Guard Jennifer Jackson said, "We have the players to do it with this year. We have all five starters back, and we'll have more players off the bench, so we can do more."
Last year, just eight players averaged double-figure minutes. This year, five newcomers join a roster that returns entirely intact, with the exception of Koya Scott, who averaged 1 point and 13 minutes per game last season.
The team will add some size with 6-6 center Kristin Geoffroy and 6-0 forward Brooke Reves, and quickness in guards Selena Scott, Dameyia Stepney and Katie Hannon.
Sanford: Says new offense will be harder to guard.
The new offense is designed to tap into the deeper roster and quicker perimeter players.
"It should enable us to get more contribution from more players," said assistant coach Maggie Mahood. "We need to get more production from our post players, and this will enable us to do that."
Post players will have the opportunity to take advantage of match-up problems that the offense creates.
"What they do is the post players set a screen, and then they find the closest defender and post that person up," Mahood said.
The coaches are looking for Sanford to score more this season.
"Nakia's a great defensive player, but she's never really looked to score," Mahood said. "We need her to be a presence in the post, offensively and defensively."
Sanford said that she concentrated on offense during the off-season and that she was confident she would be able to take on the additional scoring load.
Plus, she has her favorite post-coach back this season. Pam De Costa. De Costa, an assistant coach at Kansas during Sanford's freshman year, spent the past two seasons as an assistant at Oklahoma.
Kansas will continue preseason practices until playing its second exhibition game Nov. 11. Then the team will begin preparing for its season-opener against nationally-ranked North Carolina Nov. 15. The game is part of the State Farm Tip-Off Classic in West Lafayette, Ind.
VIDEO GAMES
• Sony Playstation
• Nintendo 64
• PC CD ROM
• Super Nintendo
• Game Boy
• Nintendo
BUY•SELL•TRADE
7 East Seventh
331-0080
GAME GUY
MALL'S BARBER SHOP
23rd & Louisiana (next to Godfather's) 842-1547
au Marché
the European market
A small taste of Europe
20% off the Cheese of the week
freshly baked Madeleines
au Marcheh has a wide selection of foreign foods and drinks including: cheeses, mustards, jellies, pastas, chocolates, cookies, oils, vinegar, mineral waters and much more.
19 West 9th (785)865-0876