Thursday, September 30, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
Contributed Photo
Rowing team receives jolt of inspiration from seniors
By Shawn Linenberger sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
Kansas rowers Tara Lynn and Risa Pette are two big reasons why the Jayhawks are coming off their best season in the program's short history. Seniors Lynn and Petty helped Kansas finish last spring ranked No. 22 nationally — which is impressive, considering the rowers had no previous experience.
"Rowing was an alternative to softball," Petty said. "I'd never done it before or thought about doing it. I realized that I was not Division I caliber for softball."
Four years ago, Lynn and Petty joined the team as walkons. Lynn was asked to walk on by a coach, and Petty found out about rowing through a friend after deciding not to continue her softball career in college.
Maybe not, but Petty has become a top NCAA rower. She was named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association's All-Central second team this year.
Lynn was nominated Most
Inspirational by her teammates her freshman year, an honor she received because of her attitude. Petty said.
"it lead by example," Petty said, "but Tara leads with actions and words."
Lynn and Petty, who are co-captains, have been the only Kansas rowers to be in the first-varsity eight boat since their freshman year. But Lynn and Petty weren't always as successful as they were last year.
"I was in track and played volleyball and basketball in high school," Lynn said. "It was a tough transition being in a new sport."
Petty agreed.
"It was tough to learn a brand new sport," Petty said. "Rowing is very repetitive. You have to have more mental toughness in rowing than in some other sports. You really have to push
Coach Rob Catloth said it was a major task for the pair, considering their first rowing experiences came in college.
yourself."
"They were basically fed to the wolves." Catloth said.
Lymn's success could be attributed to her work ethic.
"Rowing's a part of life for me," Lynn said. "This is what I do, what I live for. People wonder why I live up each morning at 5:30 to lift weights. I feel if I don't, I let people down."
Lynn and Petty said they have made a steady climb in improvement since their freshman days and are prepared to capitalize on last year's national ranking.
"We're in better shape now than we've ever been," Petty said. "We have a strong team made up mostly of seniors. We're rowing better than we ever had."
The Jayhawks begin the fall season Saturday at the Head of the Ohio Regatta near Pittsburgh.
Edited by Chris Hutchison
Play pingpong,says local man trying to infuse sport into town
By Doug DeRhodes
Kansan sportswriter
Titel Nedelicia came to Lawrence just a few months ago, but in that short time, he has been busy trying to make Lawrence a place he can call home.
A former swimmer and skier, Nedelcia turned in that equipment to pick up a title he prefers: coach. But Nedelcia is not coaching those sports. Instead, he's guiding players in a sport he continues to participate in: table tennis.
Nedelcia certainly has the credentials to wear the title of coach. While in Europe, Nedelcia coached junior gold medalists in Romania and was recognized as a top table tennis coach in his region.
But don't think that he doesn't play anymore. On Sept. 11, Nedelicia went to the Wichita Table Tennis Tournament, and
Table remarks. Fourth, in his usual business-like manner — defeated the top three players in the state.
But his real goal is not to be recognized as a great player and coach, but rather to bring the attention that table tennis receives in Europe to Lawrence.
"I hope the University needs a coach if they start an organization." Nedelcia said.
Until the Kansas creates an organization, or students with interest start a club. Nedelicia will work out of Trinity Lutheran Church, 1245 New Hampshire, at 7 every Thursday night.
If an organization were started, it wouldn't be the first time Lawrence was exposed to the
Lawrence seems to be getting hooked, with both high schools taking steps to start a school-sponsored team, said Wendt.
Wendt said that there were three table tennis clubs in his area and that he hoped that people in Lawrence caught on to the idea and start a club.
"It's a great way to meet someone," said Jim Wendt, who comes from his home in the Kansas City area to play.
Jim Wendt, Lawrence resident, is competing in a Lawrence-only table tennis tournament. The tournament, which was held at Trinity Lutheran Church, consisted of 12 players ranging from the age of 13 to 43. Photo by Tara Kraus/KANSAN
"I hope the University needs a coach if they start an organization."
"It's a great way to get involved in the community." Nedelcia
rapidly growing sport. Lawrence had a table tennis organization for a while, but it was disbanded last year.
Titel Nedelric
table tennis coach
Nedelicia said he encouraged people to come out Thursday nights and see what table tennis was all about.
Crew members planning to get dirty this weekend
— Edited by Chris Hutchison
By Jason Walker
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
Members of University of Kansas Crew will be doing some manual labor this weekend.
The rowing team is conducting its fall cleanup, called Rent-A-Rower. This fundraiser gives the crew a chance to make some money for the team while helping people who need work done around the house.
Nick Lehman, St. Louis junior and club vice president, said that most of the rowers were hired by KU faculty.
"It is a good way to get our name out to the faculty and staff," he said. "They like to support our team, and they treat us pretty good. They are impressed with the hard work we do."
Lehman said that while the fund-raiser was a great way to make money for the team, the work had been tough at times.
in the office Melanie Moore, Morrison, Colo., senior, said team members did not get to choose the jobs they were assigned.
"Mostly they have us do things like wash windows and clean out their garages and basements," he said. "My freshman year I got assigned shoveling manure for someone out in the middle of nowhere."
"Last year was the first year I did it," she said. "A girl and I had to clean out a gutter in the freezing cold. But I think this year I am going to be moving furniture in a lady's house, so we'll see how long that lasts."
Moore said that the club had been doing this fund-raiser for years and that although
Nick Lehman
"It's a good way to get our name out to the faculty and staff."
St. Louis junior and club vice president
the work could be hard, it was not as bad as some of the alternatives.
"It's better than cleaning Allen Fieldhouse," she said. "That's one of the other fund-raisers we do and that really sucks."
There are more than 60 members of the Jayhawks crew team that are available to work this weekend. The club also will hold another Rent-A-Rower fund raiser. Oct 23-24.
Lehman said that people should not hesitate to rent a rower for anything they needed help with and that they could rent as many rowers as they wanted. The cost to rent a rower is $80 for eight hours of work, and the club will negotiate with people who need less than eight hours of work done.
"People are usually pretty generous," she said. "Sometimes they make us lunch. A lot of them are professors who help out because they know it's for crew and we need money." To rent a rower for this weekend, call Nick at 841-9660.
Moore said the people who hired the rowers usually were nice, which made the jobs a little bit easier.
Edited by Kelly Clasen
Topeka sophomore John Appelhans performs and acrobatic shot in an intramural soccer games yesterday at Shenk Fields. Various organizations around campus compete at Shenk in intermural sports such as soccer and flag football.
Photo by Chad Cummings/KANSAN
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