SHE'S A FINALIST
The NCAA announced yesterday that former Kansas track standout KRISTI KLOSTER has been chosen from 51 state winners as one of ten finalists for its 1996 NCAA Woman of the Year award. This honor recognizes outstanding
female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership. The award will be announced Oct. 6, 1996, in Kansas City, Mo.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
KANSAS BASEBALL TRYOUTS UPDATE
THE KANSAS BASEBALL TEAM will be holding its first tryout meeting this at 5 p.m. today. The meeting will take place at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium (south of Allen Fieldhouse). Partic-
pants will need complete a tryout form and bring a copy of their personal insurance information.
TUESDAY AUGUST 27 1996
GREEN GETS THE AX
DALLAS GREEN was fired yesterday as manager of the New York Mets. Although New York began this season with the hopes of contending for a playoff spot, the Mets, plagued by injuries, were unable to live up to their expectations.
"Since spring training, we haven't done as well as we anticipated," Mets general
manager Joe Mcllvaine
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Green will be replaced by former Texas skipper Bobby Valentine.
Ex-cheerleader jumps at new job opportunity Coaching job lets Heidi Hein stay active with KU's spirit squad, see her ideas for the squad in motion
By Kerry Hillard
Kansan sports writer
Moving from center stage to sideline has not stiffed HeidiHein.
A former KU cheerleader, Hein no longer leads the crowd in chants or dances to the fight song. Instead, she coaches the squad.
Just nung up my pompons and that was it," Hein said. After cheering for three years at two different schools, Hein, Dallas senior, said she was ready for a change. Her opportunity came when cheerleading coach Dave Barnum left the University during the summer to pursue his doctorate.
Hein has worked for this opportunity for many year$ ^{a}$
She began her cheering career at her Dallas junior high school. Her junior high coach Scott Lamontagne would lead her to cheering for Division I schools.
He took her to watch the Kansas squad perform at the National Cheerleading Association competition and to a basketball game against Kansas State, Hein decided to come to Kansas.
After being a KU cheerleader for two years, Hein transferred to the University of Louisville. One year in Kentucky was enough and it was back to Kansas.
Back in the land of the Jayhawks, Hein took a break from cheering.
However, she could not squelch her passion for long. And passion is how the spirit squad advisor Elaine Brady described Hein's cheering.
"When your eyes would center in on one cheerleader, your eyes would center in on Heidi," Brady said. "It's not just because she's darling, it's because you could just see that extra energy and charisma."
Brady said that Hein's passion and experience with the Kansas squad landed her the coaching position that she will share with Janie Kobett.
"My best coaches have been kids that have come out of the program," Brady said. "They know the program and they know what our priorities are."
Hein is happy to continue with the KU spirit squad, she said.
"I love the sport and cheering and the whole shabang. Hein said." "I love the whole effect."
though hein is no longer cheering, she still is a part of the effect. Hein said that as a coach, she could see her ideas put into motion.
Coaching is also another step in the right direction for Hein and her future. After graduation, Hein hopes to pursue a career in special events management.
Although Hein is taking some big steps, she said that her transition from cheerleader to coach had been smooth. Laurie Holmes, Memphis, Tenn., junior and Kansas cheerleader, agrees.
Holmes said even though Hein now is on the sideline, Hein had not lost her passion for the sport.
"She takes all the enthusiasm that she would have cheering and put it on the sideline," Holmes said.
Ostertagtees off for charity
The Big O comes home to sponsor golf tourney for lung association
y Evan Blackwell Kansan sportswriter
Greg Ostertag doesn't view himself as a hero, but the man known as the "Big O" got a hero's welcome yesterday.
The former Kansas center, who plays for the NBA's Utah Jazz, was host of the Greg Ostertag Invitational Golf tournament at Alvamar Country Club, 1809 Crossgate. Tournament proceeds will benefit the American Lung Association.
"They called me up and asked me to do it, because I have asthma," Ostertag said. "This will go to kids in Northeast Kansas."
About 120 golfers turned out to play in the event, including Kansas coach Roy Williams and senior Jayhawk guard Jacque Vaughn. Former Kansas player Mike Maddox and Kansas assistant basketball coaches Matt Doherty, Joe Hollday and Neil Dougherty also played in the Invitational.
Maddox, who was a member of the 1988 Jayhawk national championship team, also was part of the organizing committee.
"It's a chance to raise some money for a good cause." Maddox said.
Maddox is one of several former Jayhawks who makes his home in the Lawrence area and stays active in the community.
"Guys come here to play and they enjoy the town and the University," Maddox said. "We all enjoy going to the KU football and basketball games and supporting them."
While he was thrilled with the large turnout, Ostertag said he didn't view the crowd's reaction to him as a hero's welcome.
Golf became a serious hobby for Ostertag about five or six years ago. He even had clubs made to suit his seven-foot plus frame.
"I just thought this would be a neat thing to do for a good cause," Ostertag said. "There are about 28 four-somes and one or two fivesomes."
Ostertag may have been busy on the golf course yesterday, but will be back to business with the Jazz before long.
Ostertag and his family recently returned from an Alaskan vacation, and Ostertag was scheduled to return to Utah this week.
Earlier this summer, Utah traded starting center Felton Spencer to the Orlando Magic. Ostertag knows that he may be called on to take a starting role. With his better form, he has taken over.
"It's definitely better for me. It helps me out in the long run." Ostertag said.
Right: Former KU basketball players Mike Maddox and Greg Ostertag and head coach Roy Williams talk before teeing off at the Greg Ostertag Invitational Golf Tournament, which was a benefit for the American Lung Association and many of Ostertag's friends came out to join him.
Steve Puppe / KANSAN
Volleyball team sets realistic goals for 1996 season Coach will be happy with top-six finish in stronger Big 12
By Adam Herschman
Kansan sportswriter
With the amount of scrutiny the sports media can provide, coaches usually try to say the right thing. Consequently, preseason outlooks sometime seem more optimistic than realistic.
Kansas volleyball coach Karen Schonewise, however,
chose to give the latter.
"The team goal is to finish in the top half of the conference, and I think we're going to have to stay completely healthy in order to do that." Schonewise said.
"I think it's possible, but we're going to have to continue to get better with each practice in order to be able to do that." Schonewise said. "I think it's a little bit of a high goal, but I think it is possible for them to achieve."
After finishing 1-11 in a Big Eight Conference that featured NCAA volleyball champion Nebraska, the Jayhawks will have even tougher competition with the addition of four Texas schools forming the Big 12.
A top-half finish for the Kansas volleyball team in the inaugural season of the Big 12 Conference would be a tremendous accomplishment for the Jayhawks.
Pam Dishman / KANSAN
Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, and Texas Tech combined for a 79-54 mark in volleyball during the 1995 season. Exclude Baylor's 7-28 record and they combine for a 72-
Kansas volleyball coach Karen Schonewise instructs a player on ways to improve her game.
Kansas football coach Glen Mason speaks at a news conference on Monday. Mason and the Jayhawks will open their season against Ball State on Thursday at Memorial Stadium.
26 record. The Longhorns took their 28-7 record into the NCAA championship game where they lost to the Cornhuskers. Four Big 12 teams finished the season ranked in the top 25 last season.
"In order for us to become better we have to play the best," Schonewise said.
Mason's stability yields success
Coach planned on coaching four years but stayed for nine
By Dan Geiston
Kansan sportswriter
Glen Mason remembers thinking he wouldn't be the Jayhawk coach in 1990.
But nine years later he is on the verge of having coached more games than any coach in Kansas football history.
When the No. 25 Jayhawks open their season against Ball State on Thursday, it will be Mason's 92nd game, surpassing Jack Mitchell's mark. Mason tied Mitchell for the longest tenure at Kansas with nine years.
"Back in '88, I was just worried about making it four years," he said. "I didn't think I'd be here in 1996."
When Mason came to Kansas in 1988 from Kent State, he took control of a team that finished 1-9-1 in 1987. He didn't do much better in his first year with Kansas at 1-10.
While he didn't accomplish a whole lot in records his first year, Mason said he was proud of that team.
"I did a good coaching job that year," he said. "They didn't win a lot, well they only won once, but they
kept at it."
Frederick said Mason's stability
"It represents a level of success that was hard to come by before Mason came along." he said.
As the years passed, that one win turned into four, then six and eventually an 8-4 record in 1992 and Kansas' first bowl appearance in 11 years at the Aloha Bowl. Kansas returned to Hawaii last year after a 10-win season. Kansas athletics director Bob Frederick said the bowls were Mason's greatest achievement.
made the program successful. "The fact that he's been here for nine years has been very important to our program," he said. "We haven't had a great deal of turnover in the nine years he's been here with the assistant coaches as well. Anytime you have change, it takes a couple of years to get accustomed to it, especially in football. So that stability has been very important."
Kansas coaches Vic Adamle, Reggie Mitchell, Mitch Browning, Golden Pat Ruel and Dave Warner join Mason as ninth-year coaches.