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FOOTBALL Travis Watkins, of Kansas football fame, earned an academic award recently. PAGE 6A
SPORTS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2004
www.kansan.com
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Jayhawks need top 2 to keep on running
Emotions will be running high as the Kansas cross country teams line up at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships tomorrow in Peoria, Ill.
BY FRANK TANKARD
ftankard@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
The competition will be stiff in the men's race. Kansas is ranked fourth in the region behind Oklahoma State, Iowa and Minnesota by the U.S. Cross Country Coaches Association.
If the Jlayhawks place in the top two out of the 27 men's and 30 women's teams competing, they will go to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 22. If they don't, an at-large bid will be their only chance of prolonging the season.
For the two seniors competing for the Hawks, Megan Manthe on the women's team and Chris Jones on the men's squad, this could be their last race.
The last time the Jayhawks made it to the NCAA Championships was 1994, when both the men's and women's teams qualified.
"It's going to be incredibly emotional," said Jones, Iowa City, Iowa, native. "The reason I came here was to get to nationals. It's been longer than I thought, but hopefully this will be the year."
At the Big 12 Championships on Oct. 30, Kansas finished just six points and one place behind Oklahoma State, which ranks first in the region and won the regional meet last year.
Kansas lost to both Minnesota and Iowa the only time they faced off this year, at the Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 25.
In addition to the automatic qualifiers, the NCAA will pick 13 teams that have accumulated the most at-large points. Points are earned by beating a team at any point during the season that places in the top two in its region.
The Jawhawks haven't beaten any teams ranked in the top 30 this season, so the chances of getting an at-large bid appear to be slim.
"We need to be thinking about finishing in the top two," Kansas distance coach Doug Clark said. "And if we don't get top two, we've got to cross our fingers."
Clark said a key for the team, which placed fourth at the conference meet, would be running in a tight pack.
At the Big 12 Championships, the time between the top Jayhawk finisher, sophomore Benson Chesang, who won the 8-kilometer race in 24:07.43, and the team's fifth finisher, Chris Jones, was 1 minute, 38 seconds.
"We know we need to run better in a group," Jones said. "Each man needs to step up in his position."
Oklahoma State's gap between its first and fifth finishers at the meet was only 32 seconds.
Clark said the women's team, which is coming off a 10th place finish at the Big 12 Championships, would be looking for one of its highest finishes of the season.
Last year the team also placed 10th at the Big 12 Championships, then came in fifth at the regional meet.
"We did it last year, and I'm looking for us to do it again," she said. "We just need to pull together and run how we're able to."
Manthe said she thought the team could repeat its high regional showing.
At the Big 12 Championships, Manthe and sophomore Laura Major both ran injured. Manthe finished first on the team despite a stress fracture in her left foot, and Major didn't complete the race because of a hip injury.
Manthe said the team's strategy, like the men, would be to run in a pack.
The Jayhawks will face three teams ranked in the top 30 nationally. Missouri ranks ninth, Illinois ranks 16th and Oklahoma State ranks 26th.
Mante will compete tomorrow, but not Major.
SOCCER
The women's 6-kilometer race will start at 11 a.m. followed by the men's 10-kilometer race at noon. Results will be posted at kuathletics.com.
— Edited by Ashley Doyle
Tourney kicks off today
BY KELLIE ROBINETT
krobinett@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWITER
the Kansas women's soccer team begins its quest for a national championship today at 2 p.m. against Creighton.
The Jayhawks hope to repeat the performance they had on Aug. 21, when they wowed fans with a 6-1 exhibition victory over the Blue Jays. Kansas, the eighth seed, plays Creighton in the first round of the tournament.
The team is weary of putting much emphasis on that game, said junior forward Caroline Smith, because two Creighton starters, goalkeeper Valerie Zimmerer and mid-fielder Ivonne Valentin, didn't play in the contest.
"We can't really base anything on that first game," Smith said. "That was three months ago, and both of us have changed so much since."
Zimmerer made her collegiate debut in Creighton's 10th match, and posted a stellar 0.72 goal against
average for the season. Valentin recorded four goals for the year, and earned Missouri Valley Conference first-team honors.
C. SMITH
Overall, Creighton managed only a 9-7-4 record, but the team came on late in the season, defeating Indiana State
and Drake to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, and an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
"Obviously they've gotten better as the season has gone on," said coach Mark Francis. "They'll be prepared to play us and I think it will be a good game."
This is the second consecutive year that the Blue Jays have been sent on the road to play a seeded team in the tournament's first round. Last year Creighton opened up at defending national champion Santa Clara, losing 5-1. Six players that took the field in that game are still on this year' roster, with three of them being starters.
Kansas counters with the experience of reaching last year's Sweet Sixteen. The Jayhawks did all their work on the
road last season, and will find their path back to the tournament's third round a much easier task at home, Francis said.
"Going to Missouri when we were seeded last year was tough," Francis said. "Getting to play here in front of your home fans is a real boost."
Kansas' offense has been on fire lately, scoring at least two goals in its last three games. The last time Kansas played at home the team recorded four goals.
Alpha Gamma Shinpad wins
BY JESSICA FERGEN
ifergen@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIVER
Douthart remains winless at 0-3
Turns out, soccer players can hold their own on the floor hockey court as well.
Alpha Gamma Shinpad, made entirely of former Kansas women's soccer players, beat Douthart 13-2.
You may not have heard of the sorority Alpha Gamma Shinpad, because it isn't a real sorority. Maggie Mason, Elmira, Ontario, senior describes it as a soccer sorority.
"We spent so much time together, we figured we were kind of like a sorority."
said goalie Sarah Gonzalez, Overland Park graduate student.
Douthart, a women's scholarship hall, didn't have the Alpha Gamma Shinpad's cohesiveness. The team was 0-2 before the game.
The players worked well together, but they were no match for the teamwork and athleticism of their opponent
The Douthart is unique because its the only female scholarship hall that plays every intramural sport — both women's and co-rec.
The players "don't-knock it-till you've-tried-it" attitude is the reason
SEE INTRAMURAL ON PAGE 6A
Hilla Rantala,
Heelsinki, Finland,
graduate student,
breaks down the rink
in Tuesday night's
intramural floor
hockey game.
Alex Plassmeyer/KANSAN
Kansan file phot
Aaron M.les, senior guard, passes the ball during last weekend' s exhibition game. The Jayhawks will have another exhibition game against Washburn at 7 p.m. on Sunday in Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas prepares for 'good competition'
BY JESSE NEWELL
jnewell@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWITHER
"It was funny because I was joking around with my teammates and they called my name," Galindo said. "I didn't know what to do. I wasn't nervous or anything, but it caught me by surprise. I didn't know what was going on."
The Jayhawk freshman forward admitted to being less than prepared to enter in the first half of last Sunday's exhibition game against Emporia State, thinking coach Bill Self would only play him a few minutes in the second half.
Galindo and the Jayhawks will have their final opportunity to prepare for the regular season at 7 p.m. Sunday, taking on the Washburn Ichabods in Allen Fieldhouse.
The team will look to continue its momentum after its 115-70 victory against Emporia State.
"We'll see if we can build off what we did," Self said. "We still won't do a ton of stuff. We'll save that for once we start playing regular season games. It will be nice to go against good competition, which Washburn is."
Alex Galindo promises he'll be ready this time.
The Ichabods of Topeka have been ranked preseason No. 5 in Division II by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, returning eight letter-winning players from last year's 27-5 team.
Washburn also gave an impressive performance in its first exhibition game at Purdue, losing 81-72 after trailing by just four points with 2:59 left in the game.
"With the way they played Purdue the other night. I can't imagine them not coming in here and giving us a great game," Self said. "This may be the best exhibition team that Kansas has played in a while because they are well coached, have good players and have experience."
Self said he knew from his previous coaching experience at Illinois that playing at Purdue's Mackey Arena provided a difficult task for any visiting team, much less a Division II school.
"I've been to Purdue and lost by double
figures a couple of times." Self said. "I do know that's not an easy place to go."
Self also knows first-hand how dangerous Washburn can be.
In fact, the Ichabods' last victory against a Division 1 school came against Oklahoma State when Self was a player for the Cowboys. The Ichabods on the regular-season game 67-66 on Nov. 29, 1984.
Self said Kansas would look to improve its post defense, especially focusing on Washburn's 6-foot-6 senior center Travis Robbins.
The criteria for retired jerseys expanded before the 2002-03 season, and now includes consensus first-team All-Americans, two-time first-team All-Americans and Academic All-American of the Year selections.
This year's honorees will bring the total to 24 men's players and two women's players with jerseys retired at the Fieldhouse.
Bridges will be the first recognized at Kansas' Dec. 9 game against Texas Christian.
Robbins, who averaged 13 points off the bench last season, posted 25 points and seven rebounds against Purdue.
The five players — Bill Bridges, Walter Wesley, Dave Robisch, Bud Stallworth and Darnell Valentine — will be recognized as part of the celebration of Allen Fieldhouse's 50th anniversary.
Kansas basketball notes
The University of Kansas will retire the jerseys of five former basketball players during games this season, Athletics Department officials announced yesterday.
Kansas will play Sunday's game with a slightly different set of rules.
The changes include an international threepoint line, located 20 feet, six inches from the rim instead of 19 feet, nine inches, an expanded lane similar to the NBA's and a semicircle in the lane where no player can take a charge.
The Jayhawks practiced this week with white tape on the Allen Fieldhouse court, simulating possible rule changes that could go into effect next season.
SEE 'REPARES ON PAGE 6A
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