Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Monday
August 17, 1998
Section:
B
Page 1
Summer is about recuperation, practice and golf for current and former Jayhawk basketball stars. See Pages 4B, 5B and 8B.
Page 1
Big 12 Football
Powerhouse or pretender? Big 12 Conference football teams blitz into the 1998 season.
SEE PAGES 10B-14B
KU Track and Field
Find out how Kansas fared at the NCAA Track and Field championships and the latest on the KU Relays.
SEE PAGE 4B
Contact the Kansan
Sports Desk:
Sports Fax:
Sports Editor:
Associate Editor
(785) 864-4810
(785) 864-0391
Matthew Friedrichs
Kevin Wilson
Photo by Jay Shepard
Try to block this penalty kick! Coach Dan Magner and a veteran Kansas soccer team have a goal of scoring a spot in the postseason tournament. Tackle the women's soccer preview on Page 6B.
New coach Ray Beachard and the Jayhawks hope to spike the competition after a disappointing 1997 season. Dig into the 1998 Kansas volleyball preview on Page 78.
Photo by Lizz Webber
The cross country team will be running down a dream, trying to qualify for the NCAA Championship to be held Nov. 23 at Rim Rock Farm north of Lawrence. Keep pace with Coach Gary Schwartz and the team on Page 6B.
AP TOP 25
The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press preseason college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 1997 records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and ranking in 1997 final poll. $ ^{8} $
rank team rec pts pvs
1. Ohio St. (30) 10-3 1,668 12
2. Florida St. (22) 9-0 1,663 3
3. Florida (5) 10-2 1,547 4
4. Nebraska (4) 13-0 1,534 2
5. Michigan (4) 12-0 1,475 1
6. Kansas St. (2) 11-1 1,335 8
7. UCLA (1) 10-2 1,331 5
8. Arizona St. (2) 9-3 1,256 4
9. LSU 9-3 1,237 13
10. Tennessee 11-2 1,094 7
11. West Virginia 7-5 985 - 1
12. North Carolina 11-1 864 6 13.
13. Penn St. 9-3 804 16
14. Texas A&M 9-4 760 20
15. Colorado St. 11-2 631 17
16. Virginia 7-4 620 -
17. Syracuse 9-4 608 21
18. Washington 8-4 494 18
19. Georgia 10-2 480 10
20. Wisconsin 8-5 444 -
21. Southern Miss. 9-3 341 19
22. Notre Dame 7-6 291 -
23. Michigan St. 7-5 211 -
24. Arizona 7-5 208 -
25. Auburn 10-3 201 11
Others receiving voter, Texas 145, Southern Cal 121, Georgia Tech 86,
Missouri 72, Colorado 60, Oklahoma St. 31, Purdue 30, Missouri 24,
Mississippi St. 21, Utah 17, Brigham Young 10, Miami 10, Wake Forest 9,
Oregon 8, Arkansas 7, Kentucky 4, Washington St. 4, Tulane 3, Marshall 2,
South Carolina 2, Louisiana Tech 1, Tolela 1.
Hanson Caston, Kansas linebacker, holds five-year-old Hanson Caston Jr. The older Caston is expected to replace Ron Warner, a linebacker drafted by the New Orleans Saints last spring. Photo by Augustus Anthony Piazza/KANSAN
Jayhawks aim high
Allen, team look to build on 1997
by Jodi M. Smith
Kansan sportswriter
With Terry Allen's inaugural season under his belt, expectations are high that the Jayhawks can return to the success that they reached three years ago.
During the 1995 season, the Jayhawks culminated 10-2 season with a top-10 poll finish and a 51-30 Aloha Bowl win against UCLA.
Two season later, Allen replaced
former coach Glen Mason and fans have expected the team to get better and better. better
"I think we be a better football team than we'll be a year ago, but there's a chance our record might not reflect that." Allen said.
After finishing last year's season with a 5-6 record and winning all but one home game, Allen's first season proved that the Kansas football team could contend.
Although the offense has improved since last year, the size and depth the team lost on the defensive side could hinder its output this season.
"Athletically, I think they're (the defense) as good, if not better, than
the group before, but they lack experience," Allen said.
Defense is not its only problem, and the offense if far from perfect.
I wouldn't say our offense is looking really great; it's looking better, and there's a big difference," Allen said. "We're getting better offensively, and we're still striving to be as effective defensively."
Quarterback Zac Wegner is not worried about the defense or the team as a whole.
"We lost a lot on defense, but everything on offense is back." Wegner said. "But I think on defense they replaced the guys that
See HOPES on page 9B
Falkenstein receives award from Football Hall of Fame
By Chris Hopkins
Kansan sports writer
Falkenstein, the Kansas football and men's basketball broadcaster, became the third person to receive the award, which is given to a broadcaster who has had a long and distinguished career of broadcasting college football games.
The College Football Hall of Fame presented Max Falkenstein with the Chris Schenkel Award during last week's annual Enshrinement Ceremonies.
"That voice was synonymous with football and basketball broadcasts," Beard said. "As you turned the radio dial, when you heard that voice, you knew it was a KU broadcast."
Ray Bechard, Kansas women's volleyball coach, grew up listening to Falkenstein and KU sports west of Hays.
The 1998 season will be Falkenstein's 53rd year broadcasting Kansas athletic events. He has been on the air for more than half of all of Kansas's football and men's basketball games and has covered track events.
Terry Allen, Kansas football coach, said he respected Falkenstein's coverage of the Jayhawks.
"He's very deserving," Allen said. "He's really a legend in his own time."
Falkenstein is a member of the University of Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame, received the Hod Humiston award from the Kansas Broadcaster's Association and received the Ellsworth Medalion, the
Falkenstein; begins 53rd year as the voice of the 'Hawks.
University of Kansas Alumni Association's highest honor.
Bob Davis will begin his 15th season broadcasting games with Falkenstein this fall.
"I don't know anyone who has a greater zest for life or for the University of Kansas than he does," Davis said. "I think it's a great recognition for him and for the University as well."
By forming alliances with stations in Topeka, Wichita and elsewhere, he raised awareness of Kansas' football program throughout the state.
In 1940, Falkenstein founded the KU Sports network, which broadcasts Kansas games across the state.
KANU, the campus radio station, took over the network in 1952, and ESPN has run the network since 1984
Falkenstein is head of the Kansas All-Sports Hall of Fame Board of Trustees.
The award honors radio or television broadcasters who have close ties to a single university or college.
The Schenkel award first was given in 1996 to Chris Schenkel, one of the pioneers in the field of televised sports broadcasting and a foundation board member of Haskell Indian Nations University.
Jack Cristil, with 45 years of broadcast experience at Mississippi State, received the award in 1997.
Commentary Fall battles to determine Kansas kings
It was fall, and the first frost was not far off on the Mount of Oread.
Most of the citizens were quiet, intellectual types. From time to time, they would lean from the windows of their ivory tower to drop water balloons on unsuspecting strangers, but for the most part, they scurried between their study cubicles at the library and their desks in their rooms.
the citizens of the Mount, which is in the Kingdom of Lawrence, located in the eastern part of the Land of Kansas, were known as Jayhawks.
Many of the Jayhawks had returned only days before and already were beginning to nibble at
Matthew Friedrichs
the gingerbread walls of their monastic dormitories.
As the sun set each evening, they ventured forth to revel in their freedom, quaffing secret potions and potent brews in often vain attempts to meet fair maidens or charming gentlemen.
Given the lack of academic assignment — instruction by wise elders on the Mount was not scheduled to begin for several days — the citizens were enjoying Mass. Street, the fabled center of entertainment, minstrels and magicians.
Although the Kingdom was
ful and quite festive, all was not well.
peaceful and quite festive, all was not
To the north were the blood-thirsty Cornhuskers,
ready to roll over the Jayhawks with their massive
infantry and leave only crimson stains on the turf.
But perhaps the greatest menace lay in Manhattan to the west. The "Little Apple" was rotten to the core. A marauding army led by the stoic Bill Snyder had owned the field of battle since 1992, winning the previous five conflicts.
To the east were the villains in black and gold. Sporting the crest of the Tiger, they stood poised to attack at any moment led by Commanding Officer Larry Smith and Field General Corby Jones.
It was true that the Jayhawks excelled in the smaller five-on-five battles between kingdoms in the winter and spring. Generals Roy Williams and Marian Washington had led their armies far and wide, defeating armies across the continent.
But it was fall, and the field of battle belonged to the 11-man squads who fought between white lines for ground, points and pride. Their battle gear was heavy and their training hard.
Although he was unused to defeat, his young, inexperienced troops had lost more battles than they won, ending the battle season with a record of 5.6.
The Jayhawks' head military tactician had arrived only the year before, but Terry Allen was experienced as a field general and a commanding officer.
To his credit, his men fought hard and won some contests although they gave up more ground than they were able to take. Costly blunders by opposing soldiers quickly were turned to the Jayhawks' advantage, and they defeated the malfaestant Tigers.
Unfortunately, Allen's tactics and training were not enough to stop the continuing onslaught from the west, and once again, the Wildcats, carrying banners of purple, won the day and bragging rights in the Land of Kansas.
But 1997 is history.
Once again, with the frosts around the corner, and the trees begging to turn glorious shades of red and gold, Allen readies his army.
The young citizens of the Kingdom will give no thought to stopping the flood of crimson from the north — to survive 'til winter as other kingdoms do will be enough.
But hope springs eternal. Maybe Allen has prepared his troops well enough. Maybe a well-timed blitz attack or a surprise offensive thrust will provide the needed break.
The memories are recent - last year the Jayhawks vanquished the Tigers. Six years ago, they obliterated the Wildcats.
Perhaps the aerial attack with speedy soldiers will open the field for the runners and backs.
It might be too much to hope for, but even the most intellectual and well-trained prognosticators on the Mount can predict the weather for only a few days in advance.
So enjoy your potions and brews. Chase your dream companion across town and try not to chew too many holes in the walls of your room.
Soon enough, young Jayhawks, your army will take the field. Allen will ride his white charger down the hill into Memorial Stadium with his troops in tow.
It could be a long fall, full of bitter defeats and close losses. But the Jayhawks could surprise some people — even the Wildcats — and leave the field awash in crimson and blue.
Friedrichs is a Bremen graduate student in journalism.
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