8B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY HAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2007
CLUB SPORTS
Kansas crew gets an early start
Team prepares for upcoming tournaments as sun rises
Outgoing hips: KARLA
Will Hecht, Lawrence senior and president of the club, and Gretel Schleifman, Arlington Va., sophomore, carry their boat out of the water Tuesday morning. Most of the team members had never been on a rowing team before they arrived at the University.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
BY EMILY MUSKIN emuskin@kansan.com
It was dark and silent all around at five in the morning on the Kansas River. The only people out of bed at this early hour would have to be crazy, except for the 16 members of the KU varsity crew club team. On any day of the week, barring bad weather, they can be found training at dawn.
Most of the crew members have never rowed before coming to the University of Kansas. Will Hecht, a senior rower with no prior experience, has been competing now for four years.
He played other sports in high
school and he said the idea of rowing intrigued him.
'I was walking down Jayhawk
KU crew members practice Tuesday morning on the Kansas River. The team began practice at dawn, as it does every day when weather allows.
Boulevard and saw the women's rowing team. Since I couldn't join them, they sent me here," Hecht said.
Coach Jeremy Strumph said crew was all about team building and a shared rhythm when rowing.
Hecht said teamwork was one of his favorite things about rowing.
"There's nothing individual about it," he said.
The crew team has 51 members who are divided into varsity and novice teams. Everyone is encouraged to attend tournaments.
This season, the team will be rowing around the country at tournals in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Oklahoma and Iowa. The team will also compete in Kansas in tournals in Topeka, Wichita and Lawrence.
The team competes with eight-man and four-man boats in two different events.
In the fall they participate in the 5,000-meter race, and in the spring the 2K race.
Struemph said that the 2K race required the same amount of energy needed to play two back-to-back basketball games. However, this race only takes five to six minutes to complete.
Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the crew club. The team will begin its season this year on Sept.30.
Anyone interested in joining the crew club team can contact Struemph at jhstruem@ku.edu.
Edited by Elizabeth Cattell
BY DOUG TUCKER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Royals safe from losing 100 games
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals aren't going to lose 100 games this season, and manager Buddy Bell isn't surprised at all.
Gil Meche won for the first time in almost two months, David DeJesus and Mark Teaken homered, and the Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 6-3 Wednesday to snap a seven-game losing streak.
It also was Kansas City's 63rd win of the season, ensuring it won't have triple-digit losses for the first time in four years.
》 MLB
"I knew that question would come up," a grimacing Bell said when asked about avoiding another 100-loss year. "I never thought that this team would lose 100. I don't really think it's that big of a deal. I always believed from the very beginning that wasn't going to be the case."
"I've been pitching well, so I could kind of swallow it a little bit easier," said Meche, who struck out seven and walked one.
Meche (8-12) allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings, earning his first win since he beat Detroit on July 20. He was 0-6 with three no-decisions in his previous nine starts.
"It's just been a bad-luck season. I haven't had good run support. I'm not going to look at the guys any different."
Mchec, whose 3.82 ERA is eighth best in the AL, said turning the 100-loss corner is just another sign the Royals are headed in the right direction. Between seven-game losing skids in May and September, the Royals were 43-40.
"We just have a lot of good things going with this team for the future," Meche said. "I think it's going to be an exciting offseason to see what moves we make. I think we're getting close."
Mche retired the first nine batters he faced before Jason Tyner led off the fourth with a double. He then retired five straight before Michael Cuddyer dumped a single into short center.
Teahen went deep leading off the third. In the sixth, John Buck singled and Delesus connected for his seventh homer.
Alex Gordon hit his 34th double in the seventh, establishing a Rows record.
Billy Butler's RBI single and Ross Gload's sacrifice飞 gave the Royals a 2-0 lead in the first, and Delesus made it 3-0 with a run-scoring triple in the second.
"I know one thing." Bell said. "It's not very much fun to lose 100. I can tell you that."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas City Royals pitcher Gil Meche throws against Minnesota Twins' Chris Heinzt in the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo.
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