Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
The Kansas volleyball team will play host to the Jayhawk Invitational this weekend at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
Northridge troubles
SEE PAGE 3B
When Cal State Northridge comes to town, it will be Kansas' second straight team in trouble with the NCAA.
Friday
September 10, 1999
Section:
B
Page 1
SEE PAGE 5B
Hunter dies
Hall of Fame pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter died yesterday after a battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease.
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
SEE PAGE 7B
Contact the Kansan
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Wish upon football genie for game day
I am a football genie. That's right, a football genie.
Kansas quarterback Zac Wegner hands off to running back David Winbush during the game against Notre Dame. Though Wegner will start tomorrow's game against Cal State Northridge, he will split time with Dylan Smith at the position. Photo by Matt J. Daugherty/KANSAN
Don't worry about rubbing me the right way or wishing for more wishes. I am a bottomless pit of granting ability.
So what would you like for your first wish? The Kansas Jayhawks first home football game, huh. I can do that. How's tomorrow for you?
Anything else?
"We want instant replay at the games so we can see David Winbush make 80-yard runs and Zac Wegner made into linebacker sandwiches, again and again."
How about a $3.1 million dollar MegaVideo video board, so brand-spanking new the price tag still is hanging off the side?
"But will we be able to see it from everywhere in Memorial Stadium?"
Don't worry, it'll be the biggest of its kind in the nation.
"Genie, we've been to Jayhawk football games before. They move too slowly, and we always leave with a bad feeling in our gut."
What you need is a souped up Kansas offense that rolls up its sleeves and cuts loose. Your wish is my command (so I had a little help from Coach Allen on that one).
"We've seen the new offense get beat 48
13. How about an easier opponent?"
You have called and I have answered — the Cal State Northridge Matadors.
Granted, they donate a sophomore quarterback who threw for 25 touchdowns and 3,000 yards last year, but their defense ... the Jayhawks will march up and down the field like the Russian army. I'm talking offensive shootout
"But Genie, it's so hot in September. We sit in the stands and smolder in the burning sun."
James sports columnist sports@kkanan.com
No need to worry. I'll schedule the game for 6 p.m. Then you can experience MegaVision in the light and the dark, and most importantly, the cool evening air.
Still doubting my wish-granting powers, eb? Check this out.
Bob Frederick, athletics director, came to me a while back and said, "Genie, I want the largest scholarship suite in the new press box, with a 61-inch big-screen television and enough seating for the entire cast of 'The Love Boat.'"
I made it happen. Go see for yourself.
What's that? You want the Jayhawks to play on grass.
Does Kansas really have the 25th best athletics program in the nation?
The Sporting News said it does, but I have a few qualms with the ranking system used. First of all, the winning percentage and graduation rate categories that it used only factored in football and men's basketball. Sure they bring in the money, but what kind of evaluation of our athletics department considers only two of the 18 varsity sports?
Be patient I'm working on it.
And the only category of the four used in the ranking that factored in women's sports was the "Do we play fair?" category, which considered if a school had an equal number of sports for both sexes. What kind of message is this sending? "Women's sports don't count, but we'll give a bonus if you have them."
give a bonus The renovations at Memorial Stadium will no doubt help us in the fan support category by boosting football attendance, so I have to think the athletics department is trying to move Kansas up in the rankings.
Ask the women's rowing team to suit up in place of half the football team. Granted, we'll have some undersized players, but think how high our graduation rates would soar.
Here's a suggestion that might help the cause.
We wouldn't have a women's rowing team, but evidently it didn't count anyway.
James is a Hugaton senior in journalism.
Home turf, athletes key to victory
Kansas aiming to crush Cal State
By Mike Miller
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The last time Kansas played a Division I-AA football team, the Jayhawks dominated Illinois State. 63-21.
When the 'Hawks play Cal State Northridge tomorrow, Kansas will be looking for the same result — especially with a fully renovated stadium making its debut during the home opener.
"Hey, it's the home opener, we're all fired up about it," said defensive back Quincy Roe.
The Jayhawks should be. After playing Notre Dame two weeks ago, the 'Hawks have been getting somewhat restless. Coach Terry Allen said that practice had been good the first week after the game, but that this week had been another story.
"We need to play again." Allen said.
we need to play again. Allen said.
When the Jayhawks practiced Tuesday they had a full-contact scrimmage, but the same intensity wasn't there like it was during the game. But, Allen said, he thought his team just needed to get back out on the field.
More Football stories For an in-depth look at tomorrow's game See page 4B and 5B
The enthusiasm that goes with a home opener should also help Kansas. "There's
always a certain amount of excitement," he said. "That should be one of our allies."
The new megavision board also will generate excitement for the game, both for the fans and the team. Replay will be the main purpose for the board, but graphics, special effects and some Jayhawk football commercials also will be seen.
But wide receiver Harrison Hill said he hoped for mostly replays of touchdowns and other Jayhawk highlights.
"We've been looking forward to that for a long time," Hill said. "Ever since the summer, when we would practice on the field and look up at the board and picture ourselves scoring a touchdown."
Much like last season, when a Division IAA opponent provided the first victory of the season, tomorrow's game should feature numerous scoring opportunities. While the Matadors feature a wide-open offense with four- and five-receiver sets, the Jayhawks will use some of the same sets, just with more depth.
"We really don't see a lot of teams like them in our conference, so it should be good for them," Allen said. "In fact, they'll probably look a lot like us."
Unlike Kansas, the Matadors don't split time at the quarterback position. Northridge's quarterback, Marcus Brady, threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns last year. The Jayhawks will start senior Zac Wegner, but junior Dylan Smith, who has recovered from a second-degree concussion suffered in the Notre Dame game, will still take some of the snaps.
Kansas' physical advantages is something that Allen would like to exploit during the game, which would wear down the Matadors.
Fullback Moran Norris agreed that it's the physical aspects that the Jayhawks needed to dominate in order to win. But he was more blunt about it.
"We've got better athletes," he said. "We're just going out to win against the team we play."
—Edited by Mike Loader
Adam Denny, Lawrence High School student, prepares to land after grinding the bench. Denny skates almost daily at Centennial Park. Photo by Jay Soldner/KANSAN
New extreme options fly high at skate park
By Doug DeHodes
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
Ben Wazienski spent his last day of summer doing what he had done during most of the previous three months. Wazienski, who was about to begin his junior year at Free State High School, participated in a sport that has caught the attention of youths nationwide.
Wazienski and about 20 of his peers were passing their last few free hours of the summer working on their tricks at the new skate park at Centennial Park near Rockledge Road and Ninth Street.
The park is an about 12,300-square foot concrete plaza where in-line skaters and skateboarders can test their skills on a variety of inclines, ramps and stairs. It has become a popular gathering place for youth since it came into existence.
Fred DeVictor, director of the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, said the city viewed the skate park as an investment in youth in the community.
Built in December 1998 at a cost of just under $120,000, the park is representative of Lawrence's dedication of accommodating youth whose interest in non-traditional sports were either underrepresented or lacked the proper facilities to let the youths practice.
DeVictor said that Lawrence has made an effort to add more alternative sports facilities.
"We have already transformed two tennis courts into roller-hockey courts in both Deerfield Park and Edgewood Park, not to mention the BMX trail that also is at Edgewood," he said.
While kids like Ben take advantage of Lawrence's new sports attractions such as the skate park, surprisingly, traditional sports aren't losing popularity.
Lee Ice, youth sports director for Lawrence Parks and Recreation, said that while there has been a drastic increase in popularity of roller hockey and skateboarding, enrollment in the three major park district-sponsored sports — baseball, basketball and football — hasn't fallen off.
Lawrence Parks and Recreation said about 2,700 youth participate in youth teams annually. Ice estimated that at least another 1,600 youth were play in Douglas County-sponsored programs.
With the numbers so strong, and no extreme changes in participation, some wonder why Lawrence is making such a concerted effort to put money and effort into non-traditional sports.
Ice said funds for alternative sports were important because he truly thought roller hockey would be the next big sport.
"It's like soccer 15 years ago, it too was thought of as unconventional, but now it is very popular with youth and park districts all over," he said.
See EXTREME on page 10B
Tigers eager for Jayhawk blood, Kansas soccer ready
By Chris Wristen
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
It's time for war.
The Kansas women's soccer team travels to Missouri today in one of the most highly anticipated Big 12 Conference rematches of the season. After Kansas shut out the Tigers 1-0 last year, a revamped Missouri team is hungry for revenge. But Kansas will be ready.
"They're going to come out really hard," junior midfielder Katie Lents said. "We beat them last year, so I bet they're thinking, 'They can't beat us.' They're going to come out 100 percent, ready and raring to go."
First-year coach Mark Francis is eagerly anticipating his introduction to the classic rivalry.
"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "Obviously with the conference games there's a little more at stake, and especially being Missouri there's a rivalry there."
As border wars go, last year's was no different, and the Jayhawks are expecting more of the same today, Lents said. She described last year's game as a bloodbath. In the game, 31 fouls were called and a Missouri player received a yellow card.
Kansas players know they will be in for a battle for the full 90 minutes, as the Tigers are off to their best start in team history. They have a 3-1 record and are ranked 20th in the SoccerBuzz poll. In addition, they defeated 14th-ranked Michigan 4-1 last weekend for their first win against a top-20 team.
"They're coming off a good weekend." Francis said. "Offensively they're very
The scoring precision of the Tigers' tandem is a concern to the Jayhawks, but they are confident they will be able to ston them.
dangerous. They've got some good forwards that we're going to have to make sure we contain, but that's definitely the strength of their team."
The Missouri forwards are what have captured the Jayhawks' attention the most; specifically, junior Nikki Thole and senior Erin Grimsley. Thole is Missouri's all-time leading scorer and already has tallied 13 points this season. Grimsley is a close second with 11.
"Total team defense is what we've worked on, so they can't even get it to their forwards," senior defender Lindsey Loeffler said. "They said that their strongest position is their forwards. We can shut them down. We did it last year so there's no reason we can't do it again."
SOCCER SCHEDULE
Today at Audrey J. Walton Track-Soccer Field-Stadium in Columbia, Mo.
4 p.m. vs. Missouri
Francis praised the efforts of sophomore Melanie Schroeder and juniors Colleen Colvin and Johanna Larsson for stepping up on the offensive end of the field and will be looking for someone to step up again this week to carry the scoring load.
The Jayhawk seniors are also looking forward to their final battle with the Tigers.
"I want to go to the Big 12 tournament of course, but our biggest goal for the seniors is to beat Mizzou." Loeffler said.
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Edited by Mike Loader
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