Thursday, October 14, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 3
Rower does double duty as student teacher, coach
Stacie Frain, Citrus Heights, Calf., grad student, stands in front of South Junior High school where she student teaches. Frain spent the beginning of the semester jugglina rowing and student teaching. Photo by Kate Levenson/KANSAN
By Shawn Linenberger sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
On the water, University of Kansas rower Stacie Craine has learned from Coach Rob Catloth for four years. This semester, though, Frain, Citrus Heights, Calif., graduate student, became the teacher, and students at South Junior High were her pupils
Frain, a member of the second- varsity boat, earned an education degree last May and began her student teaching in August. Her student teaching is part of her studies for a master's degree.
She's rowing in her fifth year because she had a medical redshift her sophomore year. Frain injured her back lifting weight in January 1997.
While Frain must juggle rowing and being in the classroom for the rest of the semester, she said the first six weeks of student teaching were hectic.
"My day usually started at 5:30 in the morning and ended around 8 at night." Frain said.
She lifted weights at 6 a.m., taught at South from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., had rowing practice from either 4 to 7 m., or 5 to 7 p.m. and got home at 8 each night.
Oh, and then there's one other thing: coaching.
Brain taught biology and earth and life sciences for South teacher
"Kathy kept telling them I could benchpress my roommate."
Stacie Frain
rower and graduate student
Kathy Stuntz, who is the sophomore volleyball coach at Free State High School. Frain also is helping coach the sophomore team at Free State, including the Firebirds last varisty home matches against Shawnee Heights and Topeka West on Tuesday night.
"I helped during tryouts in August and have been to all the sophomore matches," Frain said. "I go to varsity and junior varsity matches after rowing practice when I can."
Stuntz said Frain was very involved in practices, including doing pushups with the team when they missed serves. She also said Frain would be a good teacher.
"I've had many student teachers, and Stacie's the best one I ever had," Stuntz said. "She has a command of presence. When she walks in the room, the kids take notice. But at the same time, she shows that she cares. Her humor is important, too."
Stunz even learned some things from Frain, especially on the computer.
"I enjoy having the student teachers here because they open doors for me," Stuntz said. "Stacie used some lessons involving the Internet. All 28 students were huddled around her. You could have heard a pin drop."
Frain said most of the kids were impressed that she was an athlete at Kansas. She laughed when recalling how Stuntz bragged about Frain's strength.
"Kathy kept telling them that I could bench press my roommate," Frain said.
Frain showed the students rowing highlights from last season.
"A lot of the students had never seen rowing before," Frain said. "They had a bunch of questions. I told them about our practice and weightlifting schedules. They were really impressed."
Bryce Wilson, South freshman,
enjoyed having Frain as a teacher.
"She's a pretty cool teacher," Wilson said. "You can relate to her because she's younger and a college student, but she's still a teacher, so you can't get away with too much."
Frain hopes to teach in Kansas initially but said after that it was all up in the air.
She will be student teaching at the high school level next semester.
Edited by Allan Davis
Triple-post offense will give Jayhawks Big 12 advantage
By Melinda Weaver sports@kansan.com Kansan writerswriter
When the Kansas women's basketball team takes the court this season, its offense will look familiar to NBA fans. That is because they will be running the triple-post offense, known by Chicago Bulls fans as The Triangle.
Coach Marian Washington and her staff have been working to develop the offense for several years, and Washington said the team finally was able to employ the system this season.
"Over the past four or five years, we have been playing with the triple-post offense and the sets that come with that philosophy." Washington said. "We finally feel that we have the players and are recruiting the players to fit this offense."
The triple post is an up-tempo offense that builds on versatility. There are several options that come from running the offense that allow the players to work with their strengths and run plays with which they are comfortable.
"It plays to everyone's
strengths," said Jennifer Jackson, senior point guard. "It is impossible to screw up in this offense. When you are open for a shot that you know you can make, you can take it. But if you aren't, there is usually someone who is. You just have to make a good pass."
The offense also helps to take the pressure off Lynn Pride to score big points in every game.
"It ites everyone an opportunity to shoot," Casey Pruitt, sophomore guard, said. "It opens things up for Jaclyn, Jennifer and Suzi, not just Lynn. Everyone has a chance to shoot; it makes the game faster, the way Coach likes it. Then, we also have to step it up on defense."
The unstructured offense is not used often in collegiate ball, giving Kansas an advantage against many other Big 12 Conference schools.
"It is very hard to scout," Suzi Raymant, senior guard, said. "We don't have to run any set plays. When our schools are watching game tapes, they will see a play and think, 'Well, they started in this set and then did this,' but it will not necessarily be the same every
"We all look to each other. This isn't Lynn's team; this is our team."
Jaclyn Johnson
junior forward
time."
While most teams have been able to concentrate their defensive game plays on stopping Lynn Pride, the options provided by the triple post will force teams to focus on all five players, helping the team build a stronger chemistry and rely on each other.
"The defense really has to be on their toes because we can score from any position on the floor, and anyone can have a big game," Jaclyn Johnson, junior forward, said. "It takes the heat off of one person. If they want to focus on Lynn Pride, they can, but they will have to worry about four other people. We all look to each other. This isn't Lynn's team; this is our team."
Edited by Kelly Clasen
Lynn Pride shoots a jump shot against Nebraska. Pride led the Jayhawks last season in scoring, rebounds, steals, blocks and minutes played per game. The Kansas women's basketball team will run a new triple-post offense this season, which should alleviate some of the pressure on Pride. Casey Pruitt, sophomore guard, said: "It gives everyone an opportunity to shoot." KANSAN file photo
Team's attitude key to season
Continued from page 1B
down with season-ending injuries, and the season did not go as well as the team expected.
Raymant and White return this season, adding more depth in the lineup. Raymant's return also adds an outside shooting threat that was missing last season. An outside shooting threat will force defenders to play the outside tighter, preventing them from playing senior Lynn Pride and the post players as tightly.
"I'm out to score," Raymant said. "I will provide the outside shot as well as help run the offense."
Even though White missed last season, Washington said that White was the top candidate to replace Nakia Sanford, last season's starting center.
"She has the body and the attitude that you need in that position," Washington said. "The only difference is that Nakia could play most of the minutes in a game, and we haven't seen if Nikki can put in 20 plus minutes. She is recovering very well. I would say she is at 85 percent."
The return of key starters combined with the team's new attitude provides plenty of reason for the team to be optimistic.
"I am excited about the team this season," said Heather Fletcher, senior center. "We have such focus this season and know what it takes to reach our set goals. We are focused on working together, and we are growing together because we are learning to communicate. We know what everyone of us are going through, and it helps us work toward our goals."
Edited by Allan Davis
Wednesday, October 27, 1999 8:00 p.m.
Presented by the University of Kansas School of Fine Arts
Lied Center Broadway & Beyond Series
Tickets on sale at the Lied Center Box Office (785) 864-ARTS or call
Ticketmaster at (785) 234-4545 or (816) 931-3330.
All tickets half price for students.
SENATE STUDENT 2D for students.
www.ukans.edu/~lied
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