NEXT. PLEASE
In an almost three-hour match, MICHAEL CHANG, the men's No.2 seed, defeated Spain's Javier Sanchez 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (7-2), 6-3 yesterday and advanced to the U.S. Open semifinals. Andre Agassi also won his match against Thomas Muster 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2. Chang, the French Open champion in 1992, is in search of his second career Grand Slam title. Advancing to the women's semifinals was No.1 seed Steffi Graf, who defeated Judith Wiesner 7-5, 6-3. She will next face 15-year old and 16th seed Martina Hingis.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
Michael Chang
RUGBY UPDATE
BONNER SPRINGS — In its first outing of the season, the KANSAS RUBGY COLLEGIATE TEAM lost to the Kansas City Rugby Football club 29-15 last night at Wyandotte州
Park, Kansas back Erik Sutton, Littleton, Colo., senior, scored on a try (rugby) equivalent of a touchdown, worth five points), which was Kansas' only try of the evening.
NFL UPDATE
BRETT FAVRE, last year's NFL MVP, picked up where he left off by being selected the NFC's offensive player of the season. He is 2D of.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1996
week yesterday. He was 20 of
Karim Abdullah saddall nushed for 115 vards against
21 for 248 yards against Tampa Bay on Sunday. Minnesota's Jeff Brady, who had two receptions against Detroit, was named NFC defensive player of the week. Miami's Karim Abdul-Jabba
New England and was named AFC offensive player of the week. Ray Lewis of Baltimore was named defensive player for his seven-tackle, one interception performance against Oakland.
SECTION B
Softball tryouts difficult for walk-ons, returning players
Kansan staff report
Players needed to perform at an intense level or go home on the first day of Kansas softball trouts.
Since most softball teams are small, tryouts are difficult for both the walk-ons and returning players, Coach Tracy Bunge said.
"Usually the first day of tryouts you have people that don't have any idea of what they are getting themselves into," she said.
The Kansas softball team held tryouts on Tuesday to add to the squad of 13 players, consisting of 10 returners and three recruits.
"My ideal quad size is 16, but I am not the type of coach that keeps bodies around for the sake of keeping bodies," Bunge said. "I am going to keep people who can help us in the long run."
Thirteen people tried out on Tuesday. Six players returned yesterday and tried to avoid cuts again. Today, the last day of tryouts, Bunge and her staff will make the final cuts for the team.
Returning players need to play hard to keep their positions on the team, assistant coach Marla Looper said.
"It is always nice to have good numbers come out, and there are some kids in these walk-on tryouts with talent," Looper said. "They will give the position players a push to try and maintain their position."
Baseball council to discuss state of labor negotiations
cill will meet next week to discuss the state of the sport's labor talks. The council also postponed next week's owners meetings in Seattle.
NEW YORK — Baseball's executive council decided yesterday that the coun
That was decided during
That was decided during a telephone conference yesterday, a source told The Associated Press on the condition he not be identified.
The council's acting commissioner, Bud Seilh and management
negotiator Randy Levine had hoped to have an agreement with the players' association before the meetings, which were set for Sept. 11 and 12.
However, a bloc of owners has prevented Levine from offering all players service time for the 75 regular-season days wiped out by the 1994-95 strike.
The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, MO. — Norm Stewart will be coaching basketball at the University of Missouri through 2001 if he and school officials reach an agreement in extension talks.
Stewart may continue coaching Tigers until 2001
extension talks.
Both Stewart and athletic director Joe Castiglia confirmed that they were discussing to the current contract, which has Stewart coaching the Tigers the next two seasons.
"It'll all get done." Stewart
Norm Stewart
said. "It's just a matter of putting it together and really getting it signed."
Stewart joked about the amount of time the discussions were taking.
"I figure we've got two years on this contract," he said, " Hopefully, we'll have it done before then."
No agreement had been reached yesterday, assistant sports information director Chad Moller said.
"The dialogue is continuing. He has responded. But it is not signed," Castiglione said.
Player's dream comes true
— The Associated Press
Freshman outside hitter impresses volleyball coach
By Adam Herschman Kansan sports writer
When Kansas freshman outside hitter Mary Beth Albrecht went with the Kansas volleyball team to pick up its equipment and uniforms, she was in awe.
I think my face hurt after that from smiling the whole time." Albrecht said.
The adjustment from high school volleyball to Division I has been a pleasant experience for the 5-foot-11 player from St. Charles, Mo.
"It's like my birthday every day," Albrecht said.
Albrecht's mother, Becky, said her daughter had dreamed of playing college volleyball since grade school
"I think it's finally hitting her now that she's playing college volleyball," Becky Albrecht said. "She's very low key about herself."
Albrecht was a first-team all-state selection her senior year, and she was a two-time all-regional selection. A four-year letter winner in volleyball and a two-time state medal winner in the hurdles, she also was a member of the National Honor Society.
Kapsas and Miami of Ohio were Albrecht's two college choices.
She visited Kansas twice. She went to a football game one weekend and then returned to attend "Late Night with Roy Williams."
When I first came here on my recruiting visit, I'm
Steve Puppe / KANSAN
After her visit to Lawrence, Albrecht went on a recruiting visit to Miami of Ohio, which she also liked.
like, "I'm definitely going here." Albrecht said.
"When I thought about choosing Kansas, I was excited," she said.
Albrecht said her teammates had made a good impression when she met them on her trip.
"I feel like I fit in, and I get along with them," Albrecht said. "I love it here. I'm really happy."
Albrecht has stepped into the Jayhawks' starting lineup at outside hitter in place of junior Leslie Purkeypile, who is out for the season with an injured right knee.
"Mary Beth is doing a very good job of coming in and playing." Purkeypile said.
Kansas volleyball coach Karen Schonewise said Albrecht had a lot of energy and was fun to watch.
"She's much more efficient as a hitter than some of the freshmen we've had," Schonewise said. "All around, she's doing a really nice job so far."
At the Oregon State Tournament last weekend, Albrecht led the Jayhawks with five kills in the match against Ball State and recorded 16 in the Jayhawks' win against Weber State.
The Jayhawks will participate in the St. Louis Tournament this weekend against Alabama, St. Louis, Butler and Southeast Missouri State.
"When I look on my jersey and it says Kansas, that's pretty intimidating," Albrecht said. "That's enough to make you work hard."
Albrecht will have incentive to play as hard as she can this weekend because her family will be at the match.
Mary Beth Albrecht, St. Charles, Mo., freshman, stretches before practice at Robinson Center yesterday afternoon. Albrecht visited both Kansas and Miami of Ohio before choosing to join the Jayhawk volleyball team. She came to campus twice, once to attend a KU football game and also to attend "Late Night with Roy Williams."
Brian Flink / KANSAN
Thad Rawls, Kansas freshman running back, and Todd Williams, Kansas manager, take a break while John Ridlon, Kansas wide receiver, stretches. The team practiced yesterday at Allen Field House.
Jayhawks use time off to trouble-shoot
To prepare for TCU they spend practices correcting past errors
"We've been working on correcting the mistakes we made last week," said Kansas coach Glen Mason. "We can't really get a feel for TCU because they haven't played yet. We played them last year, but they've changed from last year."
The Jayhawks have taken advantage of the extra days off, but it has been harder because Texas Christian has yet to play a game.
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
Although it may appear Kansas has too much time on its hands, that is far from the truth.
Kansas junior safety Charles Davis' career is finished.
After just three years and 14 games, injury has ended his career.
also redshirted for medical reasons in 1993 after two games.
Davis' season was cut short after three games last season when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament. Davis
Lost in all the fuss about who would start at quarterback for Kansas was who would be the thirdstring quarterback.
Freshman quarterback Zac Wegner was No. 3 on the preseason depth chart but was beat out by sophomore Hamilton Hill.
His best year was 1994, when he played in nine games, starting none, and had nine tackles.
Hill was 0 for 1 with the Jayhawks' one interception in the 35-10 victory against Ball State last Thursday.
Mason said Hill had surpassed Wegner with an impressive fall practice.
■ Mason said he wasn't as surprised as most people by the performance of quarterbacks Matt Johner and Ben Rutz last Thursday.
"We did some good things, but we need a lot of improvement," he said. "The perception was that we didn't have any quarterbacks, but people came away thinking we're better than they thought."
Kansas gives MVP game balls
"We can't really get a feel for TCU because they haven't played yet."
Glen Mason Kansas football coach
after every game. Although senior running back June Henley rushed for 187 yards, senior wide receiver Andre Carter got the offensive nod. He caught five passes for 66 yards and one touchdown.
Senior linebacker Ronnie Ward, playing in his first game in nearly two years, was the defensive MVP with 14 tackles.
On special teams, sophomore Michael Allen and freshman Chad Coellner received the honors.
Pierce spends golden summer in Puerto Rico
By Evan Blackwell
It may not have been from the Olympics, but Kansas sophomore basketball player Paul Pierce still brought home gold this summer.
Kansan sportswriter
Pierce played for the USA men's 22-and-under national team that won the gold medal at the 22-and-under World
Pierce said winning the gold by defeating the host team in front of a packed house made the victory even sweeter.
Tournament in Cagus,
Puerto Rico. Pierce returned to
Lawrence last week after the team
defeated Puerto Rico 114-83 in the
final game on Aug. 26.
"It was pretty hostile," Pierce said. "They have a different type of crowd. They have their chants that they would sing in Spanish."
Paul Pierce
The boisterous crowd had been a
The builducer crowd took a look at much bigger factor when the two teams played earlier in the tournament. That time, USA squeaked by with an 80-78 victory.
"We didn't know what to expect, and they were a better team than we thought," Pierce said. "We were used to the crowd and the atmosphere by the second game."
Pierce averaged 9.4 points and 4.4 rebounds a game for Team USA, which also included Tim Duncan of Wake Forest, Brevin Knight of Stanford and Shea Seals of Tulsa.
Earlier in the summer, the 22-and-under team also played an exhibition game against the USA Dream Team before the Olympics. The younger college players stunned many by leading the Dream Team by 15 points at halftime before eventually f.lling. Even Pierce said he was somewhat surprised by his team's showing.
"I thought they would come out and try to put it on us," he said. "But the guys came out fired up and played off their emotions."
After spending virtually the entire summer together, Pierce said the team grey close.
By winning the gold medal, Team USA automatically qualified for the 22-and-under World Championships next summer in Melbourne, Australia. Even though it was through the sweat of Pierce and his teammates that USA qualified, the teammates must go through tryouts again next year to make the team.
"Off the court, everybody lunged out together," Pierce said. "When we went out, we didn't have one group of guys going here and another going there. We always went out together."
At 18, the youngest player on this summer's team, Pierce still will be eligible for the team next year.
Dayton basketball coach Oliver Purnell, who was an assistant coach for Team USA, said the improvements Pierce showed during the summer were substantial.
"Paul is obviously a very talented player," Purnell said. "The thing that struck me about his talent and savvy was how young a player he still is."
A young player who had quite an interesting summer.
Young player who quite likes "Not a lot of people are able to win a gold medal for their country," Pierce said. "This is probably the most thrilling summer of my career."