Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
After weekend action on the gridiron, Big 12 Conference coaches had a few things to say in their weekly teleconference. See Page 4B.
Commentary
Tuesday
October 6,1998
Section:
B
Page 1
Tony has shares his views about the Kansas football bandwagon.
SEE PAGE 3B
World News
The investigation and questions continue into the bombings in Sudan and the Unites States' actions.
SEE PAGE 6B
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Outside hitter Moira Donovan spikes the ball in a game against Nebraska. The Jayhawks play at 7 p.m. on row at UMKC. Photo by Dan Elsavage/KANSAN
UMKC to test mettle of Kansas volleyball
By Laura Bokenkroger
Kansan sportswriter
Halfway through the regular season, the 10-5 Kansas volleyball team wants to measure its progress.
Middle blocker Amanda Reves said the Jayhawks would use their match at 7 p.m. tomorrow at UMKC to see how far they have come since the start of the season.
"You can't get where you want to go overnight, but it'll be a chance for us to see what we need to work on," Reves said.
The Jayhawks are in the midst of a three-match losing streak — No. 25 Kansas State, No. 3 Nebraska and No. 12 Colorado have all defeated Kansas during the last week and a half.
It is their first losing streak of the season, and it doesn't get any easier.
The Big 12 Conference part of the schedule has presented the biggest challenge for the Jayhawks. They are 1-3 against league opponents, with their only win coming in the conference opener at Oklahoma.
But the Jayhawks, who finished 2-18 in
the conference last year, remain optimistic. They want to finish in the middle of the Big 12 pack — a goal that is still attainable.
The Jayhawks have been disappointed in their own performance and could identify instances where the games could have gone either way.
Despite the faster tempo of their dominating opponents, the Jayhawks have discovered they have the potential to hang with nationally-ranked teams.
After the loss to Kansas State, setter Laura Rohde said they were able to stay with the Wildcats despite an off-night from the Kansas starters.
Rohde said their own lapses hurt them and fixing those mistakes could result in the realization of their goals.
Coach Ray Bechard said the match at UMKC would provide an opportunity to work on some of those things.
Beachard said UMKC was a competitive team that would challenge the Jayhawks.
"They are getting us at their place, and I'm sure it's one of the biggest matches on their schedule." Bechard said.
Kansas, who defeated UMKC last season three games to one, was led by Reves and outside hitter Moira Donovan, who each posted 17 kills during the match.
Kristi Elliott / KANSAN
Pick the winners and send them to the Kansan with your name, year in school and hometown.
Pick 'em games Week 6, Oct.10
We'll print the top pickers next week and list everyone else in our online edition You can drop them by the newsroom in 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall or e-mail them to the sports editor at matt@ukans.edu by 5 p.m. Friday.
Score Teams Score
Kansas at Baylor
Kansas State at Colorado
Missouri at Iowa State
Nebraska at Texas A&M
Oklahoma at Texas (in Dallas)
Oklahoma State at Texas
Florida State at Miami (Fla.)
LSU at Florida
Notre Dame at Arizona State
UCLA at Arizona
Tennessee at Georgia
Navy at Air Force
Looking back
Record setting runners honored
Track champion Santee set 11 Big7 conference titles
By Cal Butcher
Special to the Kansan
Editors note: This is the first in a series of stories about Kansas all-time running greats, leading up to the NCAA Cross Country Championships Nov. 23 at Rim Rock Farm North of Lawrence.
Cal Butcher, Pueblo, Colo., graduate student and track announcer, has written the following account of Wes Santee's accomplishments.
Wes Santee never won an Olympic medal. He is not a member of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. He never even broke the four-minute mile barrier.
But in the six weeks following Roger Bannister's historic achievement, it was Kansas'Santee from Ashland who captured the attention of the American track and field scene.
On May 6,1954, England's Bannis-
became the first man ever to run a mile in less than four minutes. During a two week stretch from May 29-June 12, Santee, fresh out of school, ran the next three fastest miles ever recorded.
Santee is being honored as one of Kansas' most outstanding distance runners of all-time. Former Kansas coach Bob Timmons has adorned Rim Rock Farm, Kansas' home cross country course and the site of the 1998 NCAA Division I and II Cross Country Championships, with life-sized silhouettes depicting seven of the most successful runners in Kansas history. Glenn Cunningham, Al Frame, John Lawson, Billy Mills, Jim Ryun, Wes Santee and Herb Semper.
Only 23 days after Bannister's world record time of 3:59.4 in Oxford, England, Santee ran 4:01.3 in Kansas City to set an American record in the mile.
One week later, he completed his remarkable fortnight with a 4:00.7 in Los Angeles. At that point, Wes Santee had run three of the four fastest times ever recorded in the mile.
The following week in Compton, Calif., he lowered his best to 4:00.6. In this race, his 3:42.8 time at the 1,500 meter mark was recognized as a world record.
While running for Kansas, Santee was an individual Big 7 Conference Champion 11 times. NCAA Champion three times and a member of the 1953 National Championship Cross Country team.
From 1952-1954, Santee won six consecutive conference mile championships, three indoor and three outdoor. In 1952, he was the NCAA Champion in the 5,000 Meter Run. In 1953, he captured the NCAA Championship in the Mile Run. He was named the KU Relays Most Outstanding Performer in 1952 and 1954.
Wes Santee ran track and cross country for Kansas in the 1950s. Santee was a three-time national champion and member of the 1953 national championship team. Photo contributed by the University of Kansas Archives.
In 1953, his first place individual finish led the Jayhawks to the NCAA Cross Country team title. He is a member of the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame.
In addition to his silhouette, runners at the Rim Rock Farm will recognize the Wes Santee Switchback, located just past the one-mile mark.
During his career, Santee held three world records — two in the indoor mile and one, his 3:42.8 as he passed the 1,500 meter mark on his way to the second-fastest mile ever, in the outdoor 1,500.
The next year, he broke his own record with a time of 4.03 s
In 1954, his final season as a Jayhawk, he clocked a 4:04.9, the fastest time ever for an indoor mile.
The next year, he broke his own record with a time of 4.063. Santee will be attending the Kansas track and cross country reunion held in conjunction with the 1998 NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Commentary
Fan salutes the marching band
Music, majesty add magic to KU football
Let's talk about bands — specifically marching bands.
The KU Marching Jayhawks and Bob Foster, director of KU bands, have a tradition that is hard to beat.
The band marches down the Hill prior to games, and I know of few experiences that compare to picnicking near the Campanile with my family as white-shosed band members flatten the grass on their way to the stadium.
The band's pregame assault on the field from the north bowl also is inspiring. Students in red and blue, carrying their instruments, stream down the stairs and onto the field.
And the gold-plated Sousaphones — how can anyone top them?
I've always found the band tradition mysterious but fun.
In high school, I watched the Marysville High School marching band when I was a freshman. But for the final three years, I played varsity football and was not able to watch the band.
Several of my friends were band members, and they endured the warm, muggy Friday nights of early September and the bitterly cold evening of late October.
However, having never participated in band, having never worn a decorative band uniform complete with feathers emerging from an unusually shaped hat and having no musical ability. I can comment on bands only from a football fan's standpoint.
So, this is not a music critique.
I appreciate the time and effort shown by the KU band. The Star Spangled Banner and the school anthem would be difficult to sing without the band. And fans would have a terrible time knowing when to wave the wheat if it weren't for the KU band.
But, I think we also can improve the game
day experience and everyone's appreciation of the band.
Matt Friedrichs mattf@ukans.edu
I sit in the student section and have for the last eight years.
Unfortunately, when the band plays on the east side of Memorial Stadium. I can hear only the pounding drums, not the song.
Meanwhile, the sounds of the opposing team's band,
Why not move the band to the bleachers in the south end zone or to a spot in the north bowl!
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In the south end zone, the band could be heard by all KU fans in the stadium. And every time Kansas scored or television cameras swung that direction to get a shot of beautiful Mount Oread, national TV audiences would see the Marching Jayhawks.
which sits in the North bowl, assault my ears.
"We sit where the Athletics Department lets us sit." Foster said.
With the new video screen in place next fall, wands would have to check out the band once in a while as they watched a Zac Wegner touchdown pass replayed.
So, what are the chances of the band moving?
I asked Foster, professor of music and
He said the band had experts from the speech and hearing clinic at the University measure the sound while the band played from different spots in the stadium.
dance and director of KU bands, why the band sits where it does.
The south bleachers would be a bad place because nothing behind them would reflect the sound into the stadium.
The optimal place for the band, according to the study, would be at the 50 yard line with the back of the band against the walkway that separates the upper and lower seating.
Unfortunately, that is prime seating for alumni, and the current band seating is a compromise of the best available seating and sound quality.
One last comment before I march away from the subject.
My compliments to all the Jayhawk fans who showed class Saturday.
instead of pelting the Texas A&M band as Missouri fans did to us a few weeks ago, many in the stadium honored the precision marching of the Fightin' Texas Aggle Band with a standing ovation or at least apollause.
You responded well to a great show.
Friedrichs is a Bremen graduate student in journalism.