FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2004
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
7A
Cross country looks to avenge second-place finish
BY FRANK TANKARD
ftankard@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWATER
The Kansas cross country teams will get a sneak preview of the Big 12 Championships course tomorrow when they race in the Wildcat Invitational in Topeka.
The men and women will run the same eight and six-kilometer courses they will see at the Championships on Oct. 30. Most seasons the men run only 6.4 kilometers and the women run only four kilometers at the meet.
"In past years, this meet has been a tune-up," Megan Manthe, senior, said. "This year it's more important because the conference meet is on the same course."
Senior Chris Jones, who won the Bob Timmons Invitational last Saturday, said he expected the newcomers to profit the most from racing the course because they have not seen it before. He said the upperclassmen would benefit too because they had
only run the shorter course.
"I'm sure we'll be taking mental notes," he said. "It'll be a good thing to guide the season on."
Jones said the men's team would show up expecting to win the meet, which they have the past two seasons.
"We'll be upset at ourselves if we don't win," he said, "but at the same time we don't want to put too much focus on that."
Instead, Jones said the men would work on team strategy as they tried to improve upon their victory at the Bob Timmons Invitational.
"We'll be working on our pack," he said. "Last week we had four guys within 25 seconds of each other. We think we can run seven, eight or nine guys in that time."
Coach Stanley Redwine said he was more concerned with improvement than where the teams place.
"You always want to do the best you can," he said. "If you win, that is good. But the point is
"You always want to do the best you
can. If you win, that's good. But the point is that we need to see exactly where the athletes are in their training."
Stanley Redwine Kansas cross country coach
that we need to see exactly where the athletes are in their training."
However, Redwine said that the women looked to avenge their second place finish to rival Kansas State at the Bob Timmons Invitational.
Manthe said that while she was not overly concerned about where the team places, she wanted to beat Kansas State.
"We were definitely capable of beating them last weekend," she said. "This week one of our No. 1 goal is to beat K-State."
He said the teams' top goal is to qualify for the NCAA Championships, and the NCAA does not consider where teams place in meets this early in the season when determining atlarge bids.
"Our training program is geared toward doing the best at the end of the season," he said. "They're still developing their base right now."
Sophomore Benson Chesang, Kansas' only NCAA qualifier last season, said he would "probably" enter the race after not competing at the Bob Timmons Invitational. Senior Dan Ferguson, who sat out last week after he suffered a mild injury in practice, is set to return.
For the Kansas women, all the top runners are expected to compete.
The women will race at 8:15 a.m. followed by the men at 9 a.m. The meet will be held at the Stateland Cross Country Fairgrounds in Topeka.
Edited by Neil Mulka
Kansas junior Joshy Madathil strides down a short decline in the middle of the men's 8-kilometer race. Madathil finished ninth at the Bob Timmons Invitational at Rim Rock Farm on Saturday. The men's and women's cross country teams compete tomorrow in the Wildcat Invitational in Topeka.
Andrew Vaupel/KANSAN
GOLF: Players learn from summer tournaments
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12A
Randall prepared the team by encouraging the players to get in as many tournaments as possible this summer.
There were also the seven rounds of qualifying play that he oversaw. The team hopes its preparation and work ethic during the summer will come now.
off this weekend at the Ridges Tournament.
"It's a really beautiful golf course," Randall said. "The fairways are ample as far as width goes, and we've emphasized in practice to keep the ball in play. We have long drivers, so we don't have to hit driver every time."
According to golfweek.com, Kansas begins the season ranked 24th in the nation.
Players to watch:
players to watch
Senior Kevin Ward, Leawood
Ward simply dominated tournaments this summer.
He won the Missouri and Kansas state amateur championships 6 and 5, and 9 and 7 respectively, which means he was up six holes with five to go and nine with seven to go.
He also won the Kansas Golf Association Fourball Championship, and just recently he won the High Plains Amateur Tournament in Garden City on Aug. 29.
Last spring, Ward took individual honors at the Louisiana Classics Invitational.
He also posted a 29 on the back-nine at Oak Hills Country Club at the Roadrunner Intercollegiate in San Antonio, an tournament the Jayhawks won. According to thegolfchannel.com, Ward is ranked 100th in the NCAA Division I Player Rankings with a 75.05 scoring average.
"I've learned a lot from this summer," Ward said. "I've got a lot of confidence and experience, just about as much as any one else in the country."
Senior Andrew Price, Lake Forest, III.: Price went home to Chicago during the summer, but he didn't stop working.
he competed in the Western Amateur, the Southwestern Amateur and the North-South Amateur tournaments.
According to thegolfchannel.com, Price is ranked 69 in the NCAA Division 1 Player Rankings with a 72.77 scoring average.
"I think my putting is the strength of my game right now," Price said. "I have high expectations for my team and myself. I definitely think we have the best team since I've been here."
Breakthrough player:
Sophomore Tyler Docking.
Olathe: Randall played it safe with Docking by giving him a redshirt two years ago.
Last spring, Docking was a starter for the entire year as a freshman.
He fired a final round 69 from the Roadrunner Intercollegiate to help Kansas win the tournament.
His outing this summer at the U.S. Amateur Championship at Winged Foot Country Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., was even more eye-opening.
Docking made the Sweet Sixteen of the tournament, which featured 312 amateur golfers.
It took four-time Winged Foot club champion Andy Svoboda of Stamford, Conn., to eliminate Docking on Aug. 22.
"It's all about a confidence of your game," Docking said. "When I'm playing well, I feel like I'm hitting at every pin and I have the confidence to do that.
- Edited by Ashley Doyle
Volleyball: Jayhawks face physical opponents at match-ups
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12A
joined Lima on the all-tournament team in Tulsa, said her sets needed to be more accurate despite her honors.
She said playing in Horejsi would help.
"The hometown always makes us more comfortable," she said.
Beachard wasn't sure the friendly confines would be an immediate help.
"I think initially, the kids will be a little nervous," he said. "Once they work out some of the anxiety of playing in front of family and friends."
Bechard and his team hope to still be undefeated Saturday night, but Bechard said these games were not an indicator of the team's eventual success.
"We're a little better defensively. We're stopping more balls at the net than we did last year," he said.
early in the season. We have a long way to go to be where we want to be," he said.
"A lot of teams play well
The 2004 Jayhawks so far have played a different game than their 2003 counterparts, who made Kansas' first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.
"I thought they'd be a little more physical, and they have been," Bechard said of his players.
That change could help them this weekend in the lavhawk Invitational.
That attitude matches those of this weekend's opponents, Bechard said.
Booksigning
Curtis McClinton & Emmett Edwards,
TWO FORMER KU FOOTBALL PLAYERS
featured in Tales from the Jayhawks
Gridiron, will be appearing
at the Tailgate with author
you?"
Mark Stallard.
Saturday September 11th 3:30-5:30 AT THE KANSAS UNION TAILGATE in the Hawks Nest, Level 1 Everyone Welcome Sponsored by Oread Books Kansas Union
— Edited by Neil Mulka
ART SUPPLIES EVERY FRIDAY!
kansan.com Front Page • News • Sports Arts • Opinion • Extra the student perspective
Jayhawk Bookstore
...at the top of Natsmith Hill
Your source for Art Supplies 1420 Crescent
and much,
much,
more.
MIDWEST SURPLUS
THE BANFF CENTRE
A Place where Culture thrives
1235 N. 3rd
842 3374
NW side 170, North Lawrence
www.banffmountainfestivals.ca
September 10-11 @ 7:00PM
Hosted By
SUNFLOWER
OUTDOOR
Paint, Hardware,
Tools. Housewares.
Military Surplus.
Camouflage clothes.
Duffel bags, Canvas
shoulder bags.
Camping gear.
Mr. Beer kits.