CROSS COUNTRY The Kansas men's and women's teams both struggle. Page 4
The Chiefs improve to 4-1. Page 6
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, OCTOBER 2,1995
Colorado deserves respect
The cool Sunday morning air offered a rude awakening, sweeping the sleep from my eyes.
SECTION B
I cranked up the well-used Tears for Fears tape in my Walkman and increased my walking gait to a quick jog. The pavement passing under my feet coupled with the drening rhythm of "Slout" put me in an early morning trance.
My thoughts wandered from one unimportant thought to another — what I would wear today, how I was going to complete my history paper on time, men. Then my mind landed on an earth-shattering thought: I
think Colorado's football team is for real.
On Saturday night, I watched Colorado take total control of a good Oklahoma team. The Sooners did have an impressive first half, gaining 162 yards on offense and holding a potent Buffalo offense to 14 points at half-time.
SPORTS EDITOR
But the Buffaloes were like the sunshine clearing away the Sooner offensive storm, specifically junior running backs Jerald "Thunder" Moore and James "Lightning" Allen.
But Colorado was too much to handle. The defense tightened its grasp and held No. 10 Oklahoma to 50 yards of offense in the second half.
The pair had combined to give Oklahoma nearly 300 rushing yards per game, about 70 yards more than Kansas' rushing average. But Moore had only 47 and Allen 48 against Colorado.
But Oklahoma and the rest of the country should be afraid, no, make that terrified, of Colorado quarterback John Hessler. The sophomore had taken three snaps in his entire collegiate career before stepping into the Texas A&M game two weeks ago for the injured Koy Detmer.
I guess Buffaloes aren't afraid of a little stormy weather.
After the Heisman Trophy candidate Detmer tore his knee, I thought the Buffalooes to toast. But Hessler engineered a win against then-No. 3 Texas A&M and then came back for an encore against Oklahoma.
And this wasn't against a Jawhakylike defense either. Outland and Lombardi Award candidate Cedric Jones looms large on the Sooner defensive line while Butkus Award candidate Tyrell Peters and All-Big Eight Conference selection Darrius Johnson roam in the defensive backfield.
What may be most impressive, though, is that Colorado is succeeding during a year when most were thinking the results would be so-so. Long-time coach Bill McCartney resigned at the end of last season, Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam and cornerback Chris Hudson made early exits for the NFL, and quarterback Kordell Stewart and wide receiver Michael Westbrook ended their collegiate careers.
Under those circumstances, it would have been easy for new coach Rick Neuheisel to consider the year as a rebuilding time and let events run their course. People became even more skeptical of the team's chance at success after preseason practices. Neuheisel let his team take inner tube rides between practices.
If it seems like I'm overlooking Kansas' chances against Colorado on Saturday, I may be a little bit. Any team could defeat another team.
And I hope that next week I don't land on another earth shattering thought: Man, I know this Colorado football team is for real.
Well, there might be a run on inner tubes everywhere as coaches attempt to mirror Neuheisel's success. Not only is Colorado coping without McCartney, Salam, Westbrook and everyone else, it is a national championship contender.
Take it from me, the Nebraska-Colorado game on Oct. 28 in Boulder, Colo. will be a war.
Softball team powers to 14-0 record
By Dan Geiston
Kansan sportswriter
KANSAS CITY. Mo. — "We're back."
Josh Junghans / KANSAN
Those were the words spoken by Kansas sophomore right fielder Sara Holland after the Kansas softball team made history and swept through the first Big 12 Fall Preview Tournament.
Kansas sophomore second baseman Heather Richins gets a warm-up hit from junior shortstop Katie Morgan before their game against texas A&M. The Jawhayes won the big 12 Fall Preview Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., finishing its fall season with a perfect 14-0 record.
The Jayhawks, led by the clutch hitting of Holland and the machine-like pitching of freshman ace Sara Workman, won all five of its games this past weekend at Adair Park.
Kansas and Missouri won their first four games of the weekend and met in the final yesterday afternoon. The Jayhawks won. 6-3.
The game was tied at three in the top of the fifth hime when senior left fielder Katie Morgan led off with a triple. Sophomore catcher Kristina Johnson reached on an error, setting the stage for Holland.
She hit a double off the left field wall, scoring both runners and putting Kansas ahead 5-3. After junior second baseman Heather Richins reached on an error, Holland stole home and the Jayhawks never looked back.
There wasn't much nervousness with the players on the team during the championship. The reason is simple — Sarah Workman.
Workman pitched a complete game, and nearly pitched a complete series, allowing three hits and striking out five opponents.
Workman pitched all but four innings of the tournament, allowing just six runs in 31 innings.
"She was unbelievable," Kansas coach Kalum Haack said. "She showed what she was made of this weekend. The competition was tough, the hitters were tough and she got through it."
The personal achievements didn't matter much to Workman.
"For us to win this tournament is so awesome," she said. "We wanted to win so bad, and everybody played well. I think it's going to give us a lot of confidence going into the spring."
There were plenty of hitting stars for the Jayhawks in the tournament, but none more so than Holland. After having a disappointing freshman season in which she hit .210, Holland showed the hitting prowess that convinced Haack to recruit her. She went 8-for-
runs with a triple and a double
15 with seven RBL. In the semifinals against Nebraska, she drove in five of the team's six
When Workman got the final out, the team converged on the mound for a celebration. There were smiles, hugs and high-fives all around.
"I think this shows the conference that Kansas softball is back on track," Holland said. "We woke some people up this weekend."
The win was especially sweet for Morgan, the team's lone senior.
n't feel like our program was respected. We should have that back."
"This is one of my
"I think this shows the conference that Kansas softball is back on track."
proudest moments in Kansas softball, Morgan said. "Coming into the tournament, I did
Sarah Holland
Kansas sophomore right fielder
Other tournament starts included Johnson, who went 7-for-15, and junior first baseman Jacque Wenger, who drove in five runs.
"Every challenge we had, we just stepped up and met it," Haack said. "This has given us a confidence that we didn't have last year. It's made us believe that we can play with anybody in the country and the conference."
first team to win a Big 12 tournament, as the new conference is in its first year of softball competition.
Kansas also became the first team to win a Big 12
Kansas defeated Nebraska in the semifinals, 6-0.
They defeated Texas Tech 5-0 in the quarterfinals, with Workman taking a perfect game into the seventh inning, before settling for a one-hit shutout.
In the opening round on Friday, they defeated Oklahoma 5-3. Freshman pitcher Courtney Wilson took a line-drive off her pinky and index finger of her pitching hand, forcing her to leave the game and sit out the remainder of the series. Holland, Richins and Wenger each collected two hits.
Kansas beat Nebraska for the first time on Friday, 4-1. Johnson, Holland and Wenger collected two hits each with Wenger driving in two runs.
With the tournament victory, Kansas finished its fall season with a perfect 14-0 record.
Edmee Rodriguez / KANBAN
Gery Johnson, Lawrence resident, tries out his swing with Kansas senior baseball player Josh Kliner. Approximately 200 area youngsters participated in Camp Jayhawk Saturday at Anschutz Sports Pavilion.
Athletes, kids enjoy indoor camping
By Erin Johnson Kansan sportswriter
"I thought it would come true because I believe in what I dream," said Harris, a 10 year old from Kansas City, Mo.
After giving Harris some quick instructions on how to dunk, Vaughn said he had a sense of joy after seeing the smile on Harris' face.
Dressed in a blue No. 11 jersey that hung below his knees, baggy red shorts and white K-Swiss shoes, Harris fulfilled his dream Saturday at Camp Jayhawk in Anschutz Sports Pavilion.
Timothy Harris always had dreamed about meeting Kansas men's basketball player Jacque Vaughn.
"The state of Kansas is so supportive of Kansas athletics," Vaughn said as a small group of kids huddled around him. "It gives us a chance to say, 'Thank you,' back to them. To put a smile on the kid's face sure puts a smile on my face."
Camp Jayhawk is a community-out
reach program in which children from 6 to 14 years old interact with Kansas student-athletes and learn about their sports. Kids visited instructional stations that included baseball, football, track, basketball and cheerleading.The children were selected from local and regional youth organizations.
Jessica Wachter, co-director of the camp, said pressure was put on the student-athletes to make the camp a success.
"I really think it's the athletes having so much fun with these kids that makes the camp a success," she said. "These kids look up to these athletes."
For the student-athletes, Camp Jayhawk gave them the opportunity to break from their regular routine and act like lids again.
"The whole thing just being out here with them is fun," said Kansas football player Jim Moore. "You just try and make it as much fun as possible by being involved and letting them know you're
The camp also taught the kids to experience new things. If youngsters wouldn't participate, the athletes encouraged them to give the sport a try. But many already had sports experience.
not iust here because you have to be."
Michael Pritchard, a 13 year old from Kansas City, Mo., tossed the baseball with members of the Jayhawk baseball team. Pritchard, who has played baseball for two years, said he wasn't intimidated by the size of the players and planned on taking his new knowledge to the diamond this spring.
"I'm going to try-out for everything I can, try and do my best and see what I can make out of it," he said.
Kansas men's basketball player Jerod Haase said Camp Jayhawk also provided kids the chance to learn the value of athletics.
"The kids get a lot out of it, but we'd be lying if we said we didn't get anything out of it," Haase said.
Defense struggles in close match; top-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers will be Jayhawks' next opponent
Tigers devour volleyball team
By Bill Petulla
Kansan sportswriter
Searching for its first Big Eight Conference victory Saturday, the Kansas volleyball team took Missouri the distance.
But Missouri defeated Kansas in five close games in Columbia, Mo. Kansas' record fell to 5-10 overall and 0-2 in the conference while Missouri improved its record to 3-12 overall and 1-1 in the Big Eight.
Offense was not the problem for the Jayhawks, who had four players in double digits in kills. The Tigers won each of their three games by less than four points each.
"I was pleased with the way we played on offense," Kansas volleyball coach Karen Schonewise said. "But we struggled on defense."
Chonewise said the Jayhawks defense would have to improve.
Sophomore outside hitter/middle blocker Kendra Kahler and senior middle blocker Jenny Larson led Kansas with 16 kills each. Kahler and freshman outside hitter Laura Rohde had 16 total digs.
Kansas sophomore middle blocker/right side hitter Maggie Mohrfeld added 11 digs
Schonewise said she was pleased with freshman outside hitter/middle blocker Moira Donovan's play. Donovan had 14 digs, 10 kills and a .360 hitting percentage.
On Missouri's side of the net, four players scored double digits in kills. Freshman right side hitter Jodi Maune, who had a 432 hitting percentage and 18 kills, led the Tigers, and freshman right side hitter Renee Rosinski added 14 kills for the Tigers, who will play Oklahoma on Wednesday.
"Missouri had a great team effort and played great defense," Schonewise said.
"We've been really inconsistent all year," Missouri assistant volleyball coach Michele Kohler said.
The Tigers' performance was unusual for this season.
Kansas will have little time to regroup from the loss, as it travels to Lincoln, Neb., on Wednesday to take on the No. 1-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers.
"I think that we're going through a period right now where we are playing great offense, but we need to get back to playing the kind of defense that we played earlier this season," Schonewise said.