Thursday, August 19. 1999
The University Daily Kansar
Section B · Page 3
Jayhawks to battle tough Big 12
Continued from page 1B
"Those kind of honors are appreciated by me, but I'd rather show what I can do by playing well as a team." Reves said.
"We were picked to finish tenth last year, and we finished higher than that." Bechard said, referring to the Jayhawks' eighth-place finish last season. "It's such a tough conference. People are respecting what we're doing, but it puts us in the underdog
role a lot."
In the poll, Texas A&M was picked to finish second, followed by 1997 Big 12 champion Texas in third. Colorado was the fourth-place choice, with Kansas State fifth and Texas Tech sixth. The top six teams all competed in the 1998 NCAA Tournament.
Baylor was picked to finish seventh, followed by Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa State.
lor's Elisha Polk, Colorado's Kelly Campbell, Texas' Erin Aldrich and Texas A&M players Jenna Moscovic and Amber Woolsey. Texas Tech middle blocker and outside hitter Colleen Smith was chosen as the preseason newcomer of the year.
Roundout out the preseason conference team were Bay-
The 1999 season for Big 12 teams opens Aug. 27, when Nebraska hosts Pacific in the State Farm/NACWAA Volleyball Classic.
"We were picked to finish tenth last year and we finished higher than that. It's such a tough conference. People are respecting what we're doing, but it puts us in the underdog role a lot."
- Edited by Laura Roddy
Ray Bechard
Kansas volleyball coach
Former pro player joins softball coaching staff
By Chris Wristen
cwristen@ukans.edu
Kansas writerwriter
After an up-and-down season last spring, the Kansas women's softball team looks to make improvements during the off-season with the addition of two new assistant coaches.
- Seventeen players return from last year's squad that finished 31-29 and made a late season charge before being ousted in NCAA regional play.
Julie Wright and Drew Christmon joined the coaching staff last Monday and will work side by side with Coach Tracy Bunge to guide the Jawhaws this spring.
"It's in a competitive conference being in the Big 12, and being in the Midwest," Christmons said. "I'm born and raised in
a Midwest city in Oklahoma, so it's a little closer to home.
Christmon brings a slew of experience with him, both college and professionally. After playing football and baseball for the University of Oklahoma from 1990-92, he went on to serve as a utility player for the Detroit Tigers for four years.
Following his professional career, he joined the softball staff at Cal State-Northridge as an assistant coach before coaching at a high school in California.
"I am thrilled to have Drew joining the staff and the program," Bunge said. "I am excited about the experience, both playing and coaching, that he brings to our hitters, infolders and catchers."
Christmon said he hoped to help team members improve both as players and as people.
"If I could rub off anything from myself it'd be an aggressive style of play, knowledge of the game and to be mentally prepared for anything that comes their way—adversity, positive things," Christion said. "Just to help them learn how to be a champion."
Wright joins the Kansas staff after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Ohio for the past three years. Before coaching, she played shortstop for Ohio under Bunge, then a first-year coach. After graduating in 1995 with a degree in sociology and criminology, she worked for Ohio Governor George Voinovich, and then served as a parole officer before returning to softball.
For the Jayhawks, Wright will be a recruiting coordinator, academics coordinator and will work
with outfielders and hitters.
"Jule will bring tremendous energy to the program and to the staff." Bunge said. "I look forward to working with her and I am looking forward to what she will bring to our program."
Wright and Christmon replaced Marla Looper, who took an assistant coaching job at the University of Texas, and Carla Marchetti, who took an assistant coaching job at Texas Tech.
- The softball team will hold walk-on tryouts at 4 p.m., Tuesday. Anyone interested in trying out must attend a meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at the lobby in the Wagnon Student Athlete Center. Everyone must bring proof of insurance and a copy of a recent physical.
University, track team ready for 73rd Relays
By Rebecca Barlow sportswriter @kansan.com
Kansas sportswriter
Kansas officials are looking forward to the return of the Kansas Relays in 2000, but there is a lot of work to be done before the first event of the meet is held.
The Relays, which have not taken place in two years, will be affected by the two-year hiatus. About 50 colleges and 180 high school teams competed in the 72nd Relays in 1997, but Gary Schwartz, track and field coach, now has to contact these teams about coming back for the 73rd Relays April 19 through 22, 2000.
Regional schools such as Emporia State University and Kansas State University have said they would come back for the 2000 Relays. But Schwartz said he still had to work with other college teams, which already have set their schedules, to convince them to compete in the Relays. He said there should not be a problem getting high school teams to participate.
The Relays have been postponed because of the renovation of Memorial Stadium. The resurfacing of the Memorial Stadium track will make it possible for the meet to take place.
"To ensure that the Relays continues without additional interruption, we felt it was necessary to resurface the track at this time," said Bob Frederick, athletics director. "We are moving forward with plans to build a new track facility on campus in the near future, and we are now in the process of determining that timetable."
The work on the track, which will be recovered with a surface called Rekortan, will take place Oct. 3 through 22, while the Kansas football team has
two consecutive road games.
The Relays have been run at the University since 1923.
"The Kansas Relays is a meet which represents an important part of the history and tradition for the University of Kansas and it has always been our intention to bring it back," Frederick said.
Schwartz said he also was looking forward to the return of the Relays.
"I'm excited that we will be in a position to bring back the Kansas Relays this year and continue its tradition for years to come." Schwartz said. "We plan to maintain the same format."
Besides being an exciting event for high school and college athletes, Schwartz said the Relays also meant a lot to track fans and helped in recruiting for the track team and at the University.
City Manager Mike Wilden said the event was beneficial to the community because of the visitors it brought to the area.
"Any kind of destination event like this is important to the community," he said. "It brings in outside monetary influence."
Edited by Kelly Clasen
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