Section B · Page 4
The University Daily Kansan
Monday, August 17, 1998
Track members blossom at spring championship
By Melinda Weaver Kansan Sports Reporter
Long after the rest of the student body left town, members of the Kansas track team continued to practice, striving to reach the NCAA Outdoor Championship June 3-6 in Buffalo, N.Y.
Four competitors reached this goal. Candy Mason, Nevada, Mo., junior heptathlete and pole vaulter; Lester Smith, St. Louis junior triple jumper; Scott Russell, Windson, Ontario, freshman javelin thrower; and Marlea Woodman, Belleville junior discus thrower qualified for the championship meet.
Despite a foot injury that had plagued her all season, Mason earned a spot at nationals in the heptathlon and pole vault.
On her way to becoming the Big 12 Outdoor Performer of the Year, the two-time All-American claimed the heptathlon and pole vault titles in the Big 12 Conference Championships May 15-17. Her 5,571 heptathlon points broke the conference-meet record.
Mason was ranked sixth nationally in the heptathlon and second nationally in the pole vault before the NCAA Championships.
At the championships, Mason scored 5,637 points in the heptathlon, a personal best, and placed third, becoming an All-
American for the third time.
"What made the difference was her attitude and competitiveness," said track coach Gary Schwartz. "She's older and stronger. She's definitely a person on a mission to do the best she can do."
Mason finished ninth in the pole vault.
Smith qualified in the triple
Smith quail jump with his national ranking of 13th.
At the Big
12 Outdoor
Champion
onship
Smith placed
second with his
52-foot,
$ \frac{3}{4} $ inch jump.
A threetime juniorcollege AllAmerican, Smith provisionally
Mason: Has earned All-American honors for the third time.
qualified for the nationals at the Washington State Triangular May 2 with a jump of 52 feet, $ 8^{3/4} $ inches — the fourth-best jump ever by a Kansas jumper.
In Buffalo, he earned All-American honors once again, placing eighth with a jump of 52-foot, 2 $ \frac{1}{2} $ - inch jump.
"Lester has been a tough competitor all year and showed his maturity and competitiveness in earning his first trip to the NCAA championship," Schwartz said. "He had a very solid performance."
In his first season on the Kansas track team, Russell captured the Big 12 Conference javelin crown with his NCAA automatic qualifying throw of 247 feet, 7 inches. The throw ranked fifth nationally and second in university history.
Russell did not place at the June championship meet.
"Russell had a great year," Schwartz said. "At (at nationals) he just had one of those days where things weren't going right for him."
During the summer, Russell represented Canada in Annecy, France, at the Junior World Championships, a competition for athletes younger than 20. He placed fifth in the javelin competition, which contained some of the best young athletes in the world.
Marlea Woodman, Belleville junior, also earned her first shot at the nationals in the discus.
Her NCAA provisional toss of 176 feet, 4 inches at the Kansas, Kansas State and Wichita State Triangular on April 11 ranked her 17 nationally and broke the university discus record.
Kansas Relays tripped up by stadium work
LAWRENCE — The Kansas Relays will be suspended until the University of Kansas constructs a new track and field stadium, the school's athletics director said.
The Associated Press
location to be determined," Bob Frederick said. "We think it would be appropriate to mark the debut of a new track facility and reinstitute the relays in the same year."
The meet, which began in 1923, was not held this year because of renovations at Memorial Stadium. Track coach Gary Schwartz said
the track was not in competition condition and would be expensive to refurbish.
"Unfortunately, it seems that the most realistic choice is to resume the Kansas Relays once the new facility is built." Schwartz said.
The only other time the meet was not held was because of World War II between 1943 and 1945.
Greg Ostertag, Utah Jazz center, holds his son, Cody, and a check for $50,000 that he donated to the American Lung Association of Kansas. Ostertag held the Greg Ostertag Golf Classic on Friday at the Alvamar Golf Club. Photo by Augustus Anthony Picza/KANSAN
Ostertag tees off to raise money
By Erin Thompson
Kansan sportswriter
With the NBA holding a lockout, former University of Kansas basketball player Greg Ostertag has plenty of spare time. He has enough time to give back to the community of Lawrence.
Kansas, Greg Ostertag was diagnosed with asthma. He said he wanted to help educate parents about the diagnosis and treatment of asthma.
Ostertag held his third annual golf classic on Friday at Alvamar Golf Club. The proceeds will benefit the American Lung Association.
Ostertag also gave a $50,000 donation to the American Lung Association, which will be used to start an asthma camp in northeast Kansas.
"There are a few athletes who do get in trouble and do give us a bad name," Ostertag said. "I like to do this to make up for the guys who don't get in trouble."
Several former Kansas basketball players participated in the event, including Rex Walters, Kevin Pritchard and Mike Maddox.
While a basketball player at
"I'm proud to be a part of this as a former Kansas basketball player." Maddox said. "It's great to see former players making significant commitments and contributions to
our community."
The event began with a celebrity putting contest and ended with a tournament.
Ostertag recently completed his third season in the NBA with the Utah Jazz. In his first three years, Ostertag has played in the Western Conference Finals three times and the NBA Finals twice. The Jazz lost to the Bulls both times in the NBA Finals.
Ostertag said he was optimistic the NBA lockout would be resolved by the start of the season.
"I'm sure they'll get it resolved before too long," he said. "They'll start holding meetings daily to resolve it."
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