Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Wednesday
October 6,1999
Section:
B
Page 1
The Kansas volleyball team travels south to Norman, Okla. tonight to battle the Sooners.
Baseball
SEE PAGE 8B
The New York Yankees and the Houston Astros take victories of the first day of Major League Baseball's playoffs.
Page 1
SEE PAGE 5B
College Football
Texas Tech's coach, Spike Dykes has a little more job security following the Red Raiders' shocking win against Texas A&M.
SEE PAGE 4B
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Fullback fights crime, opponents
Houston native eager to seek career in FBI
By Mike Miller
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportswriter
He was once an enforcer on defense, but now Tyrus Fontenot patrols the offensive backfield, serving and protecting the Kansas running backs.
He's a real force on special teams, where Fontenot has established himself as a player who can catch passes and make big hits.
But the biggest thrill for Fontenot will be after the season when he goes back home to Houston to begin his career in law enforcement.
And not just any law enforcement. He wants to be in the FBI.
"That's where I want to end up eventually," Fontenot said. "Somewhere more advanced than state agencies. You got the U.S. Marshalls, customs and the Secret Service. It's the same. But that's the goal."
It's been his goal since high school. Fontenot grew up in Houston, the fourthlargest city in the United States.
"I was an inner-city kid and the area I grew up in wasn't the greatest," he said.
He moved out of that neighborhood, but the desire stuck with him.
Besides becoming a federal agent, Fontein not also wanted to attend college. He's accomplished half of the goal thanks to football. The other half is soon to follow
Fonteen completed graduation requirements last spring, but
wanted to play his final year of football. After all, it's the one thing that he's been doing longer than preparing for law enforcement. He has an internship with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, where he is an assistant investigator.
It's not a conventional career choice, but Fontenot isn't conventional either.
"Tyrus might be a little crazy," said safety Chad Coellner.
One of the key special-teams players with Fontenot, Coelner can be seen streaking down the field with Fontenot trying to make tackles on punt and kickoff returns. It's a job that involves blind side hits and sacrificing a person's body to make plays — something that suits Fontenot.
They take turns laying the big hits on opponents, and it shows. The Kansas coaches have awarded Fontenot with the big hit of the week and special teams player of the week awards, while Coellner has been special teams player of the week once. But that's to be expected given the defensive background of both players.
Fontenot used to be a terror on defense in high school and his first two years at Kansas. He was the Associated Press 5A player of the year in Texas and The Houston Chronicle's defensive player of the year as a linebacker.
"He was a really great linebacker in college," Coellner said. "I don't know how we got him here." Coellner said.
The biggest problem in college has been Fontenot's size. He's 5-foot-8, but a solid 230 pounds. He's strong — he can lift 325 pounds above his head and smart — he's had at least a 3.0 GPA three times — but his size
See FONTENOT on page 2B
Fullback Tyrus Fontenot carries the ball on a passing drill during Tuesday's practice. Photo by Jay Sheperd/KANSAN
Softball team ready to swing into spring season
By Joel Francis
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas softball team is heading into the weight room to train for the spring season, following its 5-0 defeat of Northwest Missouri State last Friday in the team's final game of the fall season.
Coach Tracy Bunge was impressed with DeWinter's accomplishment.
Senior Melanie DeWinter pitched a nohitter for Friday's win, giving the Javahawk an 8-2 fall record.
"I was surprised because my screwball was working, and that isn't my best pitch," said DeWinter, Bullhead, Ariz., senior. "I had some good sequences and good defense behind me."
"Friday's game was the most consistent seven innings I've seen her throw," Bunge said.
The team did not lose a game since its first tournament in Iowa City, Iowa on Sept. 18 but B
"I feel we have a positive fall," Bunge said. "We learned a lot from the two losses. Sometimes losing a game can mean a lot toward getting better in the future.
Sept. 18, but Bunge said the team learned as much from its losses as its wins
"We are by no means ready for the World Series yet," she added.
The team has its work cut out in the off season.
"Offensively we've got to get better at hitting people in," Bunge said. "This is something we struggled with last year. It's part physical, part mental and requires hitters having a plan when they approach the plate. Defensively we need to keep getting better at routine plays and our consistency."
The spring season opens on Feb. 13 with games against Fresno State and Arizona State in the Arizona State Invitational Tournament in Tempe, Ariz.
Bunge said. "To beat the best, you've go to play the best. Both schools had good teams last year and are expected to be good again this year. It will be an early test of our ability."
DeWinter said she had high expectations for the team.
"It will be a good challenge for us,"
"I feel better about this fall than last year," she said. "There's room for improvement, but this is my senior year, and I'm going to make the most of it. The team looks awesome, and the new girls have fit in so well. We just need to pick up where we left off last spring."
Edited by Jamie Knodel
Kansas seeks inspiration from U.S. World Cup champs
Natalie Hoogveld prepares to kick the ball against Nikki Wahle in yesterday's practice. The soccer team is attending the women's World Cup game tomorrow in Kansas City, Mo. Photo by Jay Sheperd/KANSAN
The United States women's World Cup championship team arrived in Kansas City, Mo., on Monday afternoon and is having open practice sessions through today. Tomorrow, the team will play Finland in an exhibition game at 7 p.m. at Arrowhead Stadium, following a game between Brazil and South Korea.
This may be the most important week for women's soccer ever in Kansas, and the Kansas soccer team has some big plans.
By Chris Wristen sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas women's soccer team will be there.
"We all watched it on TV and some of us went to the World Cup games in the summer, but just to be there in person and see the pros do it, and to be there as a team [will be fun]," she
Junior midfielder Katie Lents said she was looking forward to watching the professionals.
said.
Since the U.S. team won the World Cup this summer, interest in the game has grown as well, which Lents said has helped boost support for Jayhawk soccer.
"When we're up on campus in our soccer sweatshirts, people come up and are like 'Oh, you play soccer,' and they're really interested in it because the World Cup was so big in the U.S. this summer." Lents said.
This weekend the Jayhawks will join the show.
Two pivotal games lie ahead for Kansas, first against Oklahoma State at 4 p.m. on Friday at SuperTarget Field and Sunday against Oklahoma at 1 p.m. Both games are must-win's for the Jayhawks in their quest for a first-ever Big 12 Conference tournament berth. In addition, two wins this weekend would set a new team record for wins in a season with eight. The current record of seven was set in both the 1996 and 1997 seasons.
"It's a huge week for us," said Coach Mark Francis. "It is parents week for us, so all of the parents will be in town. This weekend will make or break our season. We need to win both games."
The Jayhawks are in a four-way race for the tournament's final bid, competing with Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Sunday's win against Texas Tech gave Kansas the tie-breaker advantage against the Red Raiders, and wins this weekend would do the same against both Oklahoma schools
The win against Texas Tech also served as a confidence booster for the Jayhawks as they head into a crucial part of the conference season.
"It was such a great feeling just to win [a conference game]," Lents said.
"Everyone was smiling, everyone was laughing. We were so excited. I think we're going to remember that feeling and come out against Oklahoma and hopefully, whup on them."
- Edited by Julia Nicholson
'Hawks should tune into fan suggestions
The results are in. I've got suggestions from readers for the intro music at Memorial Stadium.
First off, one more suggestion from me,
then some reader suggestions:
To promote the thought that the Jayhawks are steadily getting better, I suggest "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" by Ben Folds Five. The song is about a guy who starts out getting picked on but eventually takes charge.
I'm mainly happy because everyone stayed away from the clicked sports songs. No suggestions for "Rock and Roll Part 2" by Gary Glitter from my readers. They're way too creative to settle for the "Du-na-puh-bh na HEY!" song.
Here are some lyrics: "Now I'm big and important, one angry dwarf and, 200 solemn faces are you. If you really want to see me, check the papers and the TV, look who's telling who what to do. Kiss my ass...goodly."
Jayhawk, keep that in mind when you play Kansas State. K-State loves to run the score up on us. Wouldn't it be fun to steal their thunder and stomp them?
Now, some reader suggestions:
Billy Maxton gets the "Best-Overall Suggestion" Jonesy award for his idea.
He thinks the Hawks should play Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time..."
Not only is that good for a song suggestion, but maybe we also could show her video at the same time on the MegaVision. Yeah, Britney is smokin' hot. I don't care if she is only 17. She looks good in that video.
Kelly Harvey gets the "I-know-how-to-get-my-name-in-the-
Seth
Jones
sports columnist
email@kansan.com
paper Jonesey" with her suggestion. She wants to hear Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" because the team "needs some sweetness to their game." OK, Kelly.
But why does she get the name-in-paper award? The e-mail goes on: "I just want to say I thoroughly enjoy Jones" column. It's the most entertaining thing I read all day."
Yeah! My new favorite reader is Miss Harvey. Thanks for the compliment. And Kelly? You can call me Jonesey.
Uh… J.R.? They already play "Hells Bells." In fact, I'm pretty sure that AC/DC is the only CD they've invested in so far.
The "Go-to-a-Game" Jonesey goes to J.R. Metzen. J.R. thinks the team should play AC/DC's "Hells Bells."
Have you heard of H.A.W.K. Club? It's the new club set up to support Kansas athletics.
It's okay, JR. Last game, nobody showed. A grenade could have been thrown in some parts of the stadium, and no one would have been injured.
Which allows me to shift gears and bring up a more serious point. Do students give a darn about their football team?
Michael Henry, H.A.W.K. Club founder told me about what was available to its members. For $15 they get a T-shirt, admission to a couple tailgate parties, HAWK Talk, which is a sit down conversation with Coach Allen, e-mails from the coaching staff giving scouting reports on games and great seats at the games, right on the 40-yard line behind the away team.
Henry told me that last game, after the first Southern Methodist touchdown, one of their players taunted the group. From then on, they had a target. It's always fun yelling at a giant mean-looking guy that you usually would cower from if you saw him in a shady bar.
Ryan Gerstner, H.A.W.K. Club member, told me that sitting with the group was the best way to watch a layawk game.
"It's lots of fun, and it gets rowdy," he said. "Another great thing is that you can show up five minutes before the game and still get great seats."
The next home game is Oct. 23. Wouldn't it be nice to have a huge group of students all wearing the same color and heckling the evil known as Mizzou?
Jones is a Mulvane senior in journalism.