2B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
INSIDE SPORTS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2004
CROSS COUNTRY
Joining the 500 club
Seven runners selected to Academic All-Big 12
The Big 12 Conference named seven Kansas runners to the 2004 Men's and Women's Cross Country Academic All-Big 12 teams, the Big 12 announced Tuesday.
athleticness necessary.
Senior Megan Manthe had the top grade point average for the Jayhawks with a 4.0 — one of 10, out of 125, runners who were nominated with a 4.0.
Senior Monika Spinger and sophomores Dena Seibel and Laura Major were also named to the women's first team. Sophomore Jessie Violand was a second-team selection.
Senior D.J. Hiding and sophomore Tyler Kelly were selected to the men's first team.
"It shows that we have quality athletes on our team who are not only good athletically, but academically as well," said coach Stanley Redwine. "I commend them for what they're doing."
The Big 12 chose 125 runners for the honor based on a GPA of 3.0 or higher and participation in at least 60 percent of meets so far this season. Frank Tankard
FOOTBALL
DENVER — Tailback Quentin Griffin's strange season came to an end yesterday, when the Denver Broncos placed him on injured reserve with a torn ligament in his right knee.
"I'll be all right," Griffin said as he left the team's training facility on crutches. "I've just got to do a lot of rehab."
orn ligament puts Bronco tailback on injured reserve
Griffin tore his right anterior cruciate ligament Monday night against Cincinnati during a kickoff return.
The Broncos signed Cecil Sapp off the practice squad to take Griffin's place on the roster.
After the opener, many thought Griffin would be the next great Broncos running back, but he also lost fumbles in Denver's first three games.
place on the roost.
Griffin closed the season with 311 yards rushing, including 156 in the season opener against Kansas City.
When an ankle injury sidelined him Oct. 10 against Carolina, Reuben Droughts took over and shined.
Griffin returned to health, but never got back into the starting lineup and was relegated to the team's top kickoff returner.
Colt Griffin, Overland Park freshman, and Billy Sharpe, Leavenworth freshman, reach for the baseball during a game of "500" outside of Oliver Hall. In 500, a player throws a ball in the air while shouting a number. Other players tussle for the ball, and the player who catches the ball gets the shouted number of points. The first player to 500 points becomes the new thrower.
The Associated Press
Crash could affect Gordon's Cup bid
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ricky Hendrick was like a little brother to Jeff Gordon.
As a 12-year-old boy, Ricky idolized Gordon when he began driving for Hendrick's father in 1992. Later, when he tried to become a racer himself, the four-time NASCAR champion was his mentor.
Their relationship grew, and as a young adult Ricky provided a little guidance of his own, helping Gordon through his very public divorce two years ago and easing him back into the Charlotte social scene.
Now, Ricky's death and those of nine others in the Sunday Hendrick Motorsports plane crash will almost certainly affect Gordon in his bid for
a fifth Cup title.
How so remains to be seen, but fellow drivers believe Gordon will rise to the challenge.
"Jeff Gordon has exhibited over a long period of time to be the utmost professional," Jeff Burton said. "He and Ricky I'm sure did a lot of things together. I know that will be very difficult.
"On the other hand, knowing Jeff Gordon, I wouldn't be surprised to see this springing him into running better than they've been running."
Gordon, second in the championship standings with four races to go, has used adversity as a motivator before
He has driven for no other team since his Cup debut, and now has a lifetime contract and part ownership in the company.
— especially when it concerns Hendrick Motorsports.
It's possible the recent tragedy also could further spark Jimmie Johnson's comeback.
"Jeff is extremely professional," Burton said. "That team is extremely gifted. It wouldn't surprise me for them to use this as motivation much as they did when Rick was dealing with his leukemia."
He won his first series championship in 1995 and wrapped up his second in 1997, one month after Hendrick was diagnosed with leukemia. Gordon added a third title the next season as Hendrick battled the disease that nearly killed him and kept him away from the race track.
season, then slumped when NASCAR's 10-race playoff system began. He dropped to ninth in the standings before consecutive victories the past two weeks vaulted him back into fourth place.
Johnson was the most dominant driver for the first seven months of the
It might take a collapse from leader Kurt Busch, Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for Johnson to win the title, but garage rivals believe the Hendrick teammates will be on a mission over the final month of the season.
sion over the final month of the year. Others killed in the plane crash were company president John Hendrick, general manager Jeff Turner and chief engine builder Randy Dorton, constantly credited for making the power supply in the Hendrick cars durable each and every week.
"This means a lot to those guys — they're going to keep their heads up, I'm sure," driver Greg Biffle said.
Kansas athletics calendar
TOMORROW
Soccer vs. Iowa State, 3 p.m.
Swimming at Southwest Missouri State, 6 p.m., Springfield, Mo.
SATURDAY
Swimming at Missouri, 1 p.m.
Volleyball at Kansas State, 1:30 p.m.
Football at Iowa State, 1 p.m.
Cross Country, Big 12 Championships, 10 a.m. Topeka
Intramural scoreboard
FLOOR HOCKEY
MENU GREEK
Beta Freshman df. Pearson (7-4)
Sigma chi 2 def. LCA 2 (6-4)
Sig Ep 2 def. Sig 2 (1-0)
MEN'S GREEK
Du 1 DF, Phi Pa 1 21-16, 21-9
Theta Chi 1 df. DU 2 21-10, 21-15
Sig Ep 1 df. SAE 2 21-15, 18-21, 15-12
**WOMEN'S GREK**
Kappa Delta temp. Tr Delti 21-18, 18-21, 15-13
Kappa Alpha Theta def. Alpha Chi Omega
21-17, 11-21, 15-11
CoREC
**CoREC**
Kappa Psi def. Salt: 3, 21-13, 21-9
Tell us your news. Contact Danielle Hillis or Joe Bant at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com
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BASEBALL
Bonds' 700th home run ball fetches handsome online bid
SAN FRANCISCO — Giants slugger Barry Bonds' 700th home run ball drew a top bid of $804,129 yesterday after a 10-day online auction.
The baseball
The baseball had received 240 offers by the time Overstock.com closed the bid-ding.
The identity of the new
Holly MacDonald, vice president of auctions at Overstock.com, said the site's policy is to verify that the highest bidder has the means and intention to make the purchase before declaring a winner.
The seller, baseball fan Steve Williams, got the ball after a scramble in the bleachers at SBC Park on Sept. 17. Timothy Murphy has sued Williams, saying he should get the ball because he had it locked behind his knees before Williams swiped it.
owner, a bidder nicknamed "bomasterj," was not immediately made public.
A San Francisco judge refused to hold up the sale, freeing Williams to auction it.
Murphy is pressing ahead with the lawsuit, seeking the proceeds from the ball's sale.
Bonds became the first member of the 700-homer club in 31 years. He now has 703 career home runs, trailing only Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755).
In 2001, Bonds' record-setting 73rd homer of the season sparked litigation that ended when a judge ordered two men who claimed ownership to split the $450,000 the ball fetched.
Comic strip creator Todd McFarlane paid $3.2 million for Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball in 1999.
The Associated Press