THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 2006
SPORTS
11B
WOMEN'S GOLF
Freshmen bring experience to team
Two freshmen qualified for the second stage of the U.S. Women's Open this summer
BY JOSH LANDAU
Ever since Erin O'Neil was named as the coach of the women's golf team, the team has steadily improved.
During her first season three years ago, O'Neil led the team to its first tournament victory since 1990. The following year O'Neil helped the team's national ranking improve three spots to No.63. O'Neil hopes the team will continue improving this season and said she wouldn't be surprised if the team won a tournament.
"I can see the potential, I know it's there," O'Neil said. "I don't want to put a limit on what they can do."
Amanda Costner, a senior, and Annie Giangrosso, a junior, will be the team's leaders. Although the team ended its season with an 11th place finish at the Big 12 Championship, the experience the players gained during the summer should help them this season.
Costner and Giangrosso competed in the United States Golf Association Women's Amateur Championship. Costner was also named to the All-Big 12 first team at the end of last season. Giangrosso won the Kansas Women's Amateur Championship in July.
The team will need Costner and Giangrosso's leadership this year. Five incoming freshmen will be a major addition to a team, which had only nine players last year.
"We'll have a pretty good mix of experience and youth that I think will be a good combination for us," O'Neil said.
The incoming freshmen have been accumulating experience
of their own during the summer. Emily Powers and Meghan Gockel, both freshmen each qualified for the second stage of the U.S. Women's Open. O'Neil traveled to Sweden to recruit freshman Camilla Svensson. Lawrence-native Sydney Wilson and Wichita-native Alyssa Rainbolt round out the freshman class. O'Neil expects to redshift Wilson and Rainbolt to give them time to develop with the help of the veteran players. She said the others will play as soon as they arrive.
"I think they will have an immediate effect on the team." O'Neil said. "We have some good leaders on the team that will help bring the freshmen along. Everybody's goal is to make the program better."
With a 12-person team and only five slots open for team play in tournaments, O'Neil is expecting the team to compete with each other to improve individually and as a group.
"I think it will be good and help push everybody to work harder," O'Nell said.
The team will begin practice on Aug. 21.
The fall season's hard work is but a prelude to the spring season, something that O'Neil thinks will pay off when their conference championship comes around in April.
"I think we can do great things," O'Neil said. "I want to let the fall be their time to get their feet under them."
Kansan sportswriter Josh Landau can be contacted at jlandau@kansan.com.
Edited by Jacky Carter
ROWING
Students invited to learn more
BY THOR NYSTROM
The Kansas rowing team is looking for women interested in becoming Division I athletes.
The team will be holding informational meetings for female students interested in walking on to the 2006-2007 team on Wednesday, Aug. 23 and Thursday, Aug. 24 at 5 p.m. in Hadl Auditorium, located in the Wagnon Student Athlete Center adjacent to Allen Fieldhouse, Prior experience in rowing is not required.
This year's walk-ons will become part of a novice team that will travel to Iowa City, Iowa, in late October.
They will also race against Kansas State in Lawrence on November 11. The team practices two hours a day, five days a week in preparation for the season. Early practices will be conducted indoors where the team will learn rowing technique on rowing machines.
Assistant rowing coach Sarah Myers is optimistic about the upcoming season.
"Last year's team had a very successful season both on the water and in the classroom," she said. "I am very excited for this season to get underway. We will be returning many strong athletes from last year who are all eager to get going."
Another cause for excitement is that the team has gained some funding for a new boathouse. There is no timeline for construction.
The boathouse will be funded by a campus fee approved during Student Senate elections. Of that $20 fee, $15 will go directly toward the construction of the boathouse.
"I do feel that having a boathouse will help our program in many different ways," Myers said. "As in all sports, new facilities always draw attention to the program."
Myers felt that in addition to attracting new student-athletes to the program, the boothouse will help the team in another, more
practical way.
"One of the most important ways a boathouse will affect our team is with the upkeep of our equipment," she said.
The equipment was previously stored at city-owned Burcham Park, located at Second and Indiana Streets, enclosed in a fenced-in area nicknamed "The Cage."
Kansas is currently one of only two programs in the country to operate without a boathouse.
Kansan sportswriter Thor Nystrom can be contacted at nystrom@kansan.com.
- Edited by Mindy Hicketts
MEN'S GOLF
Team looks for lineup, assistant coach
BY ASHER FUSCO
The University of Kansas men's golf program had a valuable asset in assistant coach Roy Edwards. This summer, however, Colorado hired the 29-year-old to coach its men's golf team. The young coach and Kansas graduate will undoubtedly be missed when the Jayhawks take to the links to begin practice in several weeks.
Despite Edwards' departure from the program, things shouldn't change too drastically.
"Practice shouldn't change too much, although we'll miss Roy (Edwards) a lot because he's such a good guy," coach Ross Randall said.
Edwards' replacement has not been named, but Randall hopes to name a successor in the near future.
One thing that will lend an air
of stability to fall practices is the return of senior Gary Woodland. Woodland has shown flashes of brilliance and an ability to drive the
ball upward of 350 yards. He tied for fourth in the Porter Cup and reached the quarterfinals of the Western Amateur during the summer, pushing him to No. 22 in Golf week
to use the fall season to mix and match players in an effort to find a consistent starting lineup.
"We hope to determine who our
"We hope to determine who our top six will be, and we hope to greatly improve our national ranking."
ROSS RANDALL Men's golf coach
Magazine's amateur rankings.
While Woodland's role as the team leader is unquestioned, the line up is still in a state of flux. After enjoying a lineup full of upperclassmen last season, the team will have
determine who our top six will be,
and we hope to greatly improve our national ranking' 'Randall said of his goals for the fall.
The Jayhawks finished 107th in last year's Golf week Magazine's rankings.
The Jayhawks'
place in this year's rankings may depend on the emergence of several young players. Sophomore Zach Pederson will need to improve upon a freshman season, which saw him start in several tournaments for
Kansas. Freshman Bobby Knowles may get a chance to crack the starting line up if he continues to play the way he did this summer, enjoying success in the U.S. Amateur qualifying rounds.
Regardless of how many new players fill Randall's starting lineup, he'll see a familiar face at many tournaments this fall: Kansas will compete against Edwards' Colorado squad on several occasions. Though the Jayhawks harbor no ill will toward Edwards or his decision to leave, the team will undoubtedly aim to show him that the Jayhawks are ready to compete in 2006.
Kansan sportswriter Asher Fusco can be contacted at afusco@kansan.com.
Edited by Catherine Odson
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