GOLF
The Kansas women finish 12th in the Oregon Tournament. Page 3 NFL Nashville wants the Oilers. Page 4
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28,1995
PROFILE
Soccer player drawn to Kansas by coach
By Jason Strait Kansan sportswriter
Jackie Dowell wanted to spend her college years playing soccer in a big city close to her home in Germantown. Md.
She finally had chosen George Washington, which has a program consistently in the Top 20, when she got a phone call from her former coach, Lori Walker.
Walker, Kansas women's soccer coach, had coached Dowell for three years on the Olympic Development Program in Maryland and was determined to make her a Javahawk.
Walker persuaded Dowell to make the trip to Kansas.
"I came here skeptical, but the campus was so beautiful, and I just got used to everybody being so nice." Dowell said.
Even though Dowell liked the environment, it took something extra from Walker to bring her to Kansas.
"Coach pointed out that I wouldn't learn much from the sideline at George Washington," Dowell said. "I would have been working hard just for playing time, while here I could contribute right away."
In high school, Dowell played on the East Coast regional team — one of four regional teams in the nation
— and was named to Maryland's regional team three times.
Dowell also broke her high school's career scoring record, a record previously held by a member of the men's team. Dowell scored 77 goals and recorded 33 assists in four years.
Walker moved Dowell to defense and made her sweeper, a position that controls the transition from defense to offense.
"In high school, because of the level of players, the best player is usually put in a position to score," Walker said. "When the level of competition increased for Jackie, playing on defense seemed to be a better position for her. Playing sweeper, she can be more effective distributing the ball and is more involved with the play."
Dowell, who was named team captain by her teammates, said that it was harder to get recognition playing defense but that she had enjoyed the transition from offense to defense.
"On offense you can always say, 'I scored a goal,' but on defense you can only say, 'Oh, I blocked a shot.' Dowell said. "The sweeper position is a good one for me because I think I see the field well."
the smallest players on the team, but she said her lack of size had never hindered her.
Dowell, a slim 5-foot-4, is one of
"I've never considered my size an obstacle," Dowell said. "Being smaller, I'm usually quicker and faster than the bigger players."
"I'm never concerned about her going into a tackle because she goes in so hard," Walker said. "Her tenacity on the ball really makes the difference for her."
After playing on successful high school and regional teams, losing is not something Dowell is accustomed to. Now playing for a first-year program, the Jayhawks are likely to lose their share of games.
"It's frustrating losing," Dowell said. "The team works so hard and is constantly improving, but the progress doesn't show if we don't win."
While Kansas' record is 3-4 overall, the Jayhawks are 3-0 against fellow first-year programs, something that Dowell said she considered a good indicator of the team's progress.
Dowell said she was happy with her decision to come to Kangas.
"Coming here, everything is up to us," Dowell said. "Everything wide open. We have a chance to make a difference and to set the standard for future Kansas teams."
Steve Puppe / KANSAN
Kansas freshman sweeper Jackie Dowell takes a break during practice. Dowell came to Kansas to play for Lori Walker, her former coach.
Runner finds niche with cross country team
Pam Dishman / KANSAN
Senior Sarah Heeb who walked onto the Kansas Cross Country team last year. The team is gearing up for the Minnesota Invitational on Saturday.
By Adam Herschman Kansan sportswriter
Whenever assistant cross country coach Steve Guymons drives around campus and notices someone running with decent form, he has a tendency to stop them and see if they are interested in trying out for the team.
Guymon said that seldom happens. But in the case of Kansas senior Sarah Heeb, it did.
When Heeb arrived at Kansas her freshman year, she was on the cheerleading squad. Heeb decided not to continue cheerleading after her first semester. Instead, she walked on to the Kansas track and field team as a hurdler. Heeb was not recruited by Kansas to run cross country or track, even though she was a state qualifier in the 300-meter hurdles while at Toneka West High School.
"I walked on to track for hurdles and just didn't have the 400-hurdle speed that college athletes do today." Heeb said.
For two years, Heeb ran in Lawrence with two different running clubs, increasing the miles she could run and getting stronger. They ran by the levee along the Kansas River.
After a season, Heeb decided to quit the track team, but she kept running on her own.
Besides running by the levee, Heeb also ran on campus.
"After a while it got to be a joke, because I would see her so much," Guyon said. "I would drive up get real
excited about a good runner and I would see who it was, and I was like, 'Oh, brother. That's just Sarah.'"
Guymon encouraged her to go out for the cross country team.
Two years after leaving the track team, Heeb knocked on Guymon's door and told him she wanted to run.
"After all the stuff we'd been going through, I thought she was kidding me, so I didn't know she was real serious about it." Guvmon said.
But Heeb was serious about joining the cross country team.
"It took me two years to realize that I was strong enough to compete collegiately," Heeb said.
Heeb has come a long way, but she hasn't let success go to her head.
"She's got a great attitude. She keeps things in perspective," Guymon said. "I think she has got a world of talent. The main thing is I just want her to enjoy the process."
Two weeks ago Heeb, who is a fifth year senior, finished eighth at the Jayhawk Invitational.
She will run in her second meet this weekend. Both the Kansas men's and women's teams will be competing in Minneapolis at the Minnesota Invitational.
"This weekend is going to be very tough, because there are going to be 37 teams there, six of which are nationally ranked," Heeb said. "I'm excited this weekend because it's going to be the first meet that everyone is going to be running."
BRIEF
Volleyball team loses conference opener
The Kansas volleyball team lost to Oklahoma at the Big Eight Conference opener in Norman, Okla., last night.
Kansan staff report
The Sooners beat Kansas 3-0 (15-10, 15-12, 15-10).
Despite being swept by the Sooners, the Jayhawks had five players in double digits in kills. Senior outside hitter Jenny Larson led Kansas with 15 kills and sophomore outside hitter/middle blocker Kendra Kahler added 14.
Kansas, 5-9 overall and 0-1 in the Big Eight, will continue conference play on Saturday at Missouri. The Sooners, however, proved to be too much for the Jayhawks. Oklahoma was paced by sophomore outside hitter Patrice Arrington, who recorded 22 kills and 14 digs.
Jayhawks experience passing fancy
Bv Robert Sinclair
SECTION B
Kansan sportswriter
And even though Williams isn't ranked as highly in the Big Eight Conference as Kansas football coach Glen Mason would like, he has followed through on his pre-season pledge to throw the ball more.
Through the Jayhawks' first four games, Williams has completed 55 of 98 passes for 664 yards and four touchdowns. Compared with other starting quarterbacks in the Big Eight, Williams has the most attempts and yards, the second most completions and the third most touchdowns.
What once was the beginning of a quarterback controversy for the Kansas football team now has been laid to rest by the performance of senior quarterback Mark Williams.
"We're still not executing the way we are capable of," Kansas offensive coordinator Golden Pat Ruel said. "I think our players are making good efforts, but I think we need to concentrate on doing things better
The quarterback ratings, which also take into account passing percentage and interceptions, rank Williams at No. 7 in the conference.
Williams has the most competitions and the second most attempts, yards and touchdowns. He also has the fewest interceptions during the same span.
KANSAS FOOTBALL
The only quarterback whose numbers look better than Williams' is Chip Hilleary, who led Kansas to an Aloha Bowl victory in 1992. Hilleary, however, had five interceptions compared to Williams' two interceptions. Williams' ability to run the ball also is similar to Hilleary's.
fundamentally."
Despite Williams' low conference ranking, his numbers do fare well in comparison with his predecessors' first four games during the last five years.
"Now teams have to respect Mark not only as a passer but also a scrambler." Kansas junior tight end Jim Moore said. "I think that's opened up a lot of chances for him to break big plays running the ball. I'd say that's the biggest difference in the passing game."
Williams agreed with his tight end and knows what needs to be done.
Although pleased with their leader, the Jayhawks also acknowledge that they are far from where they want to be.
"We just need to improve daily in practice," the quarterback said. "There's little things we have to correct to make the offense roll as far as the passing game and the running game together. We're going to have to execute, starting off in practice, to get things rolling."
During the Houston game, the reason the offense wasn't rolling had to do with offensive holding penalties. The Jayhawks had almost as many holding calls in that game as they did all last year. Ruel said.
"We're just not playing like that right now."
"We're getting better," Moore said. "It's come down to single play. It seems like every play we've got a different guy making different mistakes. It takes 11 guys working together to make a successful play.
Ruel also was frustrated that Kansas sophomore place-kicker Jeff McCord missed three of his four field goal attempts.
"Right now, we're shutting ourselves down," he said. "There's not anybody that's really shut us down. We've got the talent out there; we've just got to get it to do a little better."
Golf team racks up applause
Here's a golf clap from me to the Kansas men's golf team.
I probably should be hootin' and hollerin', though, after the Jayhawks demolished their competition in the Rolex Kansas Invitational on Tuesday.
It also had the top two individual finishers in Dan Rooney and Slade Adams. The two seniors fired three-round totals of 212.
SPORTS EDITOR
What an awesome display of power.
Kansas won the tournament by 31 strokes, which was head and shoulders above second place, Drake University. I won't bore you with the impressive numbers because it would take all day. Just take my word, this team broke a ton of records on Tuesday.
But what truly is awesome is the way the Jay-hawks handled the 11-stroke lead they posted after the first day of competition. It would have been easy for them to kick back and coast through the last 18 holes. Hey, they were at Alvamar, their home course: no
1
one comes into their house and pushes them around.
Kansas didn't adopt that mentality, though. Instead, it continued to play solid golf. No arrogance, no cockiness and most importantly the Jayhawks avoided that nasty six-letter "n" word.
Nerves.
Like any sport, golf involves nerves. When that awful duck hook or the 150-yard shot over water that went about 140 creepers into the subconscious, it's pretty hard to ignore. Then so much can go awry.
Sand traps loom larger. Your backswing seems to have a mysterious hit somewhere. Trees stretch nearly to the clouds. And you can't keep your grips dry enough.
Before the tournament started, my stomach was in knots and I memorized the way to the little girls' room. I knew that the team was counting on me because I was one of only two seniors, had competitive experience and was playing in the tournament's top foursome.
I didn't choke that day, but let's say that my score wasn't as I had hoped it would be. The nerves got in the way.
I know. I've been there.
No, Ive never played college golf,
but I've experienced the nerves.
I first swung a golf club when I was about 7 years old. Some evenings my dad would take me out into our front yard and hit balls into the cow pasture across the road. Feeling the club head make a connection with the ball and seeing a shot fly over the road, out of sight and into the weeds hooked me on the game.
I played junior golf at home in Clay Center, in state junior tournaments and on the girls' high school golf team. The game seemed easy and carefree.
I'll forever remember coming off the 18th green and giving my dad a hug. He'd seen me through more than 10 years of golf, and I didn't think it was right that nerves had affected my last round of competitive golf.
Then came my senior year of high school. In my fourth state golf tournament, that nasty little "n" word snuck up on me.
Even now when I go golfing with friends, I have times when the nerves take over. The short three-foot putt, the tee shot with trees looming to the left or the 4-iron I hit after pumping one out of bounds all cause me to think twice.
So I have to congratulate athletes, especially golfers, for overcoming their nerves. I know how it goes when they are on the course.
And so my congratulatory golf clap goes to the men's golf team. Maybe if they keep winning by 31 strokes, it will warrant a "You the man!"