6A THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 2004
kansan.com
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LAWRENCE
PARKS &
RECREATION
Young golfer Docking continues maturity
BY Eric SORrentino
esorrentino@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWINTER
Tyler Docking, Olathe sophomore, will finish tournament play in the 2004 Amateur Championship from Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., this Sunday. Roy Edwards, Kansas men's assistant golf coach, said Docking's hard work and dedication were the reasons for his recent success.
The promising future of the Kansas men's golf program became evident on Monday during the 2004 Amateur Championship at the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
Olathe sophomore Tyler Docking had an impressive round of 73 in rainy conditions. Docking went on to beat Brendan Hester, Sutton, Mass., by three holes.
The tournament continues through Sunday.
"He's just maturing," Ross Randall, Kansas men's golf head coach, said. "He used to be pretty excitable, but he's calmer now. He's used to playing in some pretty important events, and he's certainly more self-confident."
Docking displayed the self-confidence Randall alluded to by firing a four-under 68 on the last day of the regional qualifier. That score earned him the opportunity to compete at the national level in the U.S. Amateur Tournament.
Randall said he spoke with Docking before he took off for Mamaroneck.
"I told him that he should work on a couple things, like higher bunker shots," Randall said. "The course is known for its deep bunkers, and the greens are really elevated. I also told him to hit it straight and keep it out of the rough, because it's very deep."
Randall added that keeping the ball out of the rough was the strength of Docking's game.
"He's got a great swing and is really accurate off the tee," Randall said. "He's fundamentally sound and strong for his size — he used to be a cross-country athlete."
Kansas men's assistant golf coach Roy Edwards credits Docking hard work and dedica-
don't think he could have played golf and
been in engineering unless he took a year to get some classes out of the way."
Ross Randall Kansas men's golf coach
tion to the game as the reason for his recent success, noting his diligence, passion, and desire to be where he is right now — at the U.S. Amateur.
"This is going to be the best tournament he's ever played in by far," Edwards said. "It keeps showing that he's progressing."
Edwards said Docking grasped the enjoyment of golf and athletics. He also said Docking's parents had encouraged a competitive spirit in him from a young age, contributing to his success.
Docking was a redshirt athlete for the Jawhaws two years ago, not participating in events but practicing with the team every day. Randall said many redshirts often admitted that using that first year to prepare was the best choice they could have made for the team. Those athletes receive a year's worth of preparation for collegiate athletics and are still eligible to play four years after this period.
decision.
"He's got a really difficult major with engineering, and he's really a bright young man," Randall said. "I don't think he could have played golf and been in engineering unless he took a year to get some classes out of the way."
Randall said Docking's difficult academic schedule made redshirting an especially good decision.
Last spring, as a freshman,
Docking was one of the five starters for the University during tour
nament play.
He was part of a lineup that included players such as Tyler Hall, Kevin Ward, Andrew Price and Gary Woodland, another freshman who started for the Jayhawks.
runner Intercollegiate from Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio, Texas.
He tied for third place individually, where he shot a 69 on the last day of the tournament.
ment and builds from each experience," Edwards said. "He had a tremendous year for a freshman, and this is a great capper for that. I think that he's fired up and ready to go for the season."
"I think every golfer and every athlete takes each accomplish-
Edited by Neil Mulka
GRUBER: Runner overcomes many obstacles on way to 'A' standard
So five days after the trials, Gruber boarded a plane and flew to Europe to face some of the world's fastest middle distance runners.
Gruber had to act fast. Within 22 days of his race at the trials he needed to run more than a second faster than he had ever run before.
He entered the four races that he figured would give him the best chance of reaching the A standard: Stockholm, Sweden; Huesden-Zolder, Belgium; Liege, Belgium; and Munich, Germany.
"The single goal and plan was to get into the best races to get the A," he said.
Just two days after landing in Europe, on July 27, Gruber raced in Stockholm. Going into the race, he thought he was ready.
But after the start gun was shot and the pre-race adrenaline wore off, Gruber said he felt the jet lag from the long flight across the Atlantic pulling on his legs.
He clocked in at 3:38.02, slightly faster than his time at the trials, but more than two full seconds above the A standard.
said. "I really felt I was going to hit it in the first race."
With one race up in flames, Gruber was left with just three chances to break 3:36.20. Next up: Huesed-Zolder, Belgium.
This time he would see faster competition. In Stockholm, he had run against a pair of very fast Kenyans and Mulugeta Wendimu, an Ethiopian who has run 3:31.13 this year.
"I was very disappointed," he
But one runner wore toe the line in Huesden-Zolder who stands above the rest: Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, the fastest 1500 meter runner in recorded history, with a time of 3:26.00 that he set in 1998.
While some runners might have felt intimidated, Gruber's temperament matched the mild Belgian weather.
Before the race Gruber had formulated a plan with Doug Clark, the Kansas assistant cross country and track and field coach, who has been coaching Gruber in his quest for the
"It was an honor to race with the current world record holder," he said. "But I made it a point not to be star-gazing or in awe of anyone I compete against."
Olympics. He would run a relatively slow split of 1:54 or 1:55 for the first 800 meters, then turn on the speed and pass as many runners as possible in the last 700 meters.
The start gun fired, and Gruber hung back. After 800 meters, he was in dead last.
But Gruber stayed cool. In the last 700 meters he surged past six runners and placed 10th.
His official time was posted:
3:34.71. He made it.
"I was happy," he said, "but I knew I was going to do it for such a long time I was not in shock."
When he got the opportunity, Gruber said he used his agent's cell phone to call his girlfriend, Courtney Deutsch, to tell her the news.
He was going to Athens.
Today, Gruber is back in action, 12 days after running the 1500 meters in Munich as one final tune-up.
The top five from each of today's three heats plus the next nine fastest times will advance to the semifinals, Sunday at 1:50 p.m. The finals will be at 3:40 p.m. Tuesday.
from the stands, as will Deutsch and Gruber's parents, brother, uncle and three friends.
After earning his master's degree in business last spring. Gruber will not be returning to Kansas as a student this year.
"Seven straight years of KU is enough for me." Gruber said.
Coach Clark will be watching
Healso will no longer be a volunteer assistant for the cross country and track and field teams, as he did last year. But Clark expects that he will sometimes continue to train with the distance squad, as he has for the past seven years.
While Kansas probably will not be at the top of Gruber's mind as he runs today, it will not be far off.
"I want to represent myself, KU, Lawrence, and the USA to the best of my ability," he said. "For a more concrete goal, I want to make the finals."
Gruber said he has one other thing going for him: a pair of beaded safety pins hooked to his spikes.
"My girlfriend made them for me," he said.
- Edited by Janette Crawford
GYMNASTICS
Dazzling Patterson wins All-Around gold medal
ATHENS, Greece — Carly Patterson, the 16-year-old American who has drawn comparisons to Mary Lou Retton, delivered a dazzling floor routine to win the all-around gold medal last night.
She spoiled Russian superstar Svetlana Khorkina's final opportunity at the Olympic title in gymnastics' premier event.
Patterson became the first American woman to win the allaround since Redton in 1984.
"I don't even know what to say right now," Patterson said. "I'm so happy and excited. You dream about this your whole life. Then you win the gold medal, and it's just amazing."
Like Khorkina, Patterson closed the night on the floor. On all four tumbling passes, she jumped higher than any of the other 23 women in the meet. Just as importantly, she pulled off perfect landings.
Patterson scored a 9,712 on floor to finish with 38.387 points and defeat Khorkina by, 176. Zhang Nan of China won bronze.
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