6B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DARRY KANSAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2006
FALL SEASON WRAP-UP
Softball coach adapts to recruits
Despite losing six seniors from last year's Big 12 championship team, the Kansas softball team has adapted to its youth and finished 9-3 for the fall season.
Kansas coach Tracy Bunge believes this team will be successful, but differently way than last year's team.
"We have a lot of talent in a lot of different places," Bunge said. "We have a lot of toughness. These kids come out and compete every day, and I love that about this team."
The team, which relied heavily on batting last year, will have to depend on strong pitching performances during the spring season from sophomore Valerie George, senior Kassie Humphreys and freshman Sarah Vertelka. The Jayhawks will have to rely on a less power-oriented offense.
"We cannot sit around for a home run to happen, but we are very capable of scoring some runs," Bunge said. "It is going to be a lineup where we string hits together and make some things happen offensively by executing."
Senior first baseman Nicole Washburn, sophomore middle infielder Stevie Crisosto and Humphreys have been named captains.
"They are really emerging as far as stepping forward and taking leadership responsibility on the team," Bunge said of the captains.
Bunge hopes to improve the infield's ability to work together during the offseason, specifically the shortstop position and second base. Bunge said the only way to improve this was through repetition, time and game experience.
"Defensively, we need to improve our communication. With so many new faces, we want them to feel comfortable on the field." Bunge said.
Kansas will begin its spring season
Feb. 8 against UC Santa Barbara.
"We are going to be successful if we play together as a team. We have to have different people every day stepping up," Bunge said. "There is a lot of capability in this lineup."
Softball Notes:
Kansas signed four players to National Letters of Intent; pitcher Allie Clark of Hesperia, Calif., middle infielder Kolby Fresmire of Round Rock, Texas, catcher Brittany Hile of Olathe and utility player Liz Kocon of Katy, Texas.
Edited by Derek Korte
Kansan sportswriter Betty Kaspar can be contacted at bkaspar@ kansan.com.
Spotlight Player
Humphreys
batters to. 156 batting average, senior pitcher Kassie Humphreys just wants to enjoy her last year playing* Kansas softball.
"Following a really fun year and a great team, I see it as an opportunity to do just as well and an opportunity to help my team as much as I can," Humphreys said. "My goal is to relax and play the game and have fun." Kansas coach Tracy Bunge looks to Humphreys for leadership as the Jayhawks enter the spring season.
The expectations were high for the men's team this season as they returned the top five runners from last year's squad led by two-time defending Big 12 champion, senior Benson Chesang.
The women entered the season with a lot of young talent, but also with some returning experience.
Kansas coach Stanley Redwine said after the men's and women's teams won the event that it was a great way to start the season.
The team kicked off its season in Lawrence for the Bob Timmons Invitational.
Though Chesang had a disappointing season which was plagued by injury, the rest of the team stepped up.
Juniors Paul Hefferon and Colby Wissel finished first and second at the meet and were frequent top finishers for the Jayhawks squad throughout the year.
Juniors Alicia McGregor and Lisa Morrissey cut 90 seconds from their previous performances at the Wildcat invitational.
The team then took to Manhattan competing in the Wildcat. Six of the women competing for the Jayhawks shaved substantial time off previous performances.
The men were lead by Wissel, who was followed by junior Patrick McGowan, who cut nearly a full minute off his time from last year's invite.
After the meet, Wissel was named Big 12 runner of the week.
>> FALL SEASON WRAP-UP
BY EVAN KAFARAKIS
Cross country's Wissel shines
The men's team was ranked 10th at this point in the season by the U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association.
The team would return to the course for nationals later in the season.
The Big 12 championships were held at Rim Rock Farms
At the Midwest regional meet the men's team placed second, it's highest placing there since 1991.
course, which played to Wissel's advantage. He won the men's race in a fantastic finish.
Wissel and Heferon earned All-American status and the team placed 20th at the championships in Terre Haute, Ind.
The men automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships, but the women struggled, placing 12th out of the 23 competing teams.
The men's team placed third in the Big 12 and the women finished at 11th place.
"Overall, I thought everyone ran to their potential." Redwine said. "In the end, I am somewhat disappointed with where we finished as a team, but I think our seniors had a good season and a great career at Kansas."
The men will return three of the
top five finishers from the squad for next year and the women will look to improve its young talent for next year.
Kansan sportswriter Evan Kafarakis can be contacted at ekafarakis@kansan.com.
Spotlight Player
- Edited by Patrick Ross
Wissel
Junior Colby Wissel emerged as the spotlight runner for the cross country
team this year.
Wildcat Invitational a week later, earning him Big 12 Runner of the Week status. "I owe a lot of it to the off-season training," Wissel said. Wissel also gave credit to his teammates. He said they pushed each other to get better.
Wissel placed first in the Big 12 championships and earned All-American status at national.
The Elm Creek, Neb., native placed second at the Bob Timmons Invitational in Lawrence and won the Kansas State
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