KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011 / SPORTS / 11A
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"i think you enjoy the game more if you don't know the rules. Anyway you're on the same wavelength as the referees."
— Jonathan Davies, 1995
FACT OF THE DAY
The Kansas basketball team will play 10 nonconference opponents that advanced to the NCAA post-season.
—kuathletics.com
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: Kansas is the winningest team in the past two seasons and could play the second, third and fourth team in that category. Who are they?
A: Duke, Kentucky and Ohio State.
—kuathletics.com
'Top Gun,'sports not so different
MORNING BREW
During the past weekend, I found myself watching "Top Gun" for what must be the
zillionth time. I was appalled to find out that such an epic movie, which is forever enshrined in American culture, received only two stars on the rating guide from my cable provider. After all, this is the movie that gave us the "Danger Zone."
BY ETHAN PADWAY
epadway@kansan.com
"Top Gun" works because it plays to the strengths of its actors, and avoids their weaknesses. In the movie, Tom Cruise is allowed to portray the brash, young-gun image that he wanted to show the American public. The role fits Cruise. At the same, time "Top Gun" does a great job camouflaging his biggest weakness — his height.
Cruise supposedly stands at only 5-feet-7. Co-stars Anthony Edwards and Val Kilmer stand 6-feet-2 and 6-feet, respectively. Yet the height difference is never seen throughout the movie. At most, Cruise looks just a couple of inches shorter than taller co-stars.
In Cruise's later film "Cocktail", Cruise's character is noticeably shorter than co-star Bryan Brown. Now, I'm not saying the movie is bad because the height difference is noticeable. However,
I think that if the filmmaker doesn't care enough to try to mask it then the movie may not be worth watching.
The same is true for sports teams. The best sports teams can hide its weaknesses and camouflage them by playing to its strengths.
The Green Bay Packers, that won the Super Bowl this year, are a great example of this. The team did not have much of a running game after the team lost its running back Ryan Grant for the season in the first week.
So throughout the season they called enough run-plays to keep the defense on edge, but still focused their offense on the passing game.
moved to San Francisco last fall, the lineup that they trotted out was hardly one that would strike fear into the opposing pitchers hearts. The Giants hardly carried the bandwagon fanfare that the supposedly better all-around teams carried heading into the playoffs.
When the Giants won their first World Series Championship since they
But an excellent starting pitching rotation made up for it. I can confidently say that I have no idea which team will come out on top with the NBA and NHL Playoffs now in full swing. But I will bet that they will be more entertaining than "Cocktail."
Edited by Samantha Collins
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
TODAY
Men's Golf
Big 12 Championship
All Day
Hutchinson, Kan.
TUESDAY
Baseball
vs. Creighton
6:30 p.m.
Omaha, Neb.
Men's Golf
Big 12 Championship
All Day
Hutchinson, Kan.
ROWING
WEDNESDAY
Softball
State of Wichita
5 p.m.
Wichita, Kan.
vs. Wichita State
7:00 p.m.
Wichita, Kan.
Men's Golf
Big 12 Championship
All Day
Hutchinson, Kan.
THURSDAY
Women's Tennis
Big 12 Championships
All Day
Waco, Texas
Jayhawks fall short against K-State on Senior Day
BY LAUREN DRUMMOND
Idrummond@kansan.com
Chris Bronson/KANSAN Kansas' First Varsity Eight compete in the final race of the Kansas Cup Saturday morning. The first Varsity Eight completed the race in 7:00.5, which was five seconds slower than Kansas State's First Varsity Fight. The loss in the final race gave the Kansas Cup to Kansas State. The rowing Kansas Cup series is tied tandem 7-1.
The Kansas rowing team competed in the annual Kansas Cup this weekend at Wyandotte County Lake in Kansas City, Kan. The Jayhawks got out to an early 6-0 lead against rival Kansas State by winning the First Novice Eight and First Varsity Four races. K-State responded by winning the next two Varsity Eight races and eventually took the Kansas Cup title by a score of 13-6. The all-time series between the two schools, which began in 1998, is now tied at seven victories each.
Coach Rob Catloth was satisfied with his freshmen and varsity four racers but was disappointed with his varsity eight rowers. "I think we were really strong in our freshmen races and our varsity four, but obviously we weren't strong enough in our two varsity eight races. That's where we have to keep improving."
The Kansas Cup was also Senior Day for 13 Jayhawk rowers. They were honored in a special recognition ceremony Saturday. Catloth is sad to see these seniors go. "We have a really good senior class," said Catloth. "Several of
them have been in top boats since their sophomore year. There are some really strong athletes there, and also student-wise. We've had several on Academic All-Conference teams. It's been a really fun class to work with."
The kickoff to the Kansas Cup got started in exciting fashion with Kansas beating out K-State by less than a second in the First Novice Eight race. The Jayhawks were lead by Caty Clements along with Hillary Woods, Emily Starr, Emma Umbarger, Jessica Miller, Elizabeth Scherer, Katie Hayes, Amanda Lewis and Hannah Singhal. The team finished with a time of 7:00.2, and K-State was very close behind finishing with a time of 7:01.0.
The second race was a bit less stressful, with the Kansas Varsity Four winning with a time of 7:38.4, which was nine seconds faster than K-State. This Varsity Four team was composed of seniors Melissa Hersh and Caitlin Roach along with sophomores Ashleigh Allam and Cheyenne Verdoorn and junior Lindsey Brickleymer.
K-State came back to win the next two races, however. The Second Varsity Eight race was won by the Wildcats, with a time of 6:55.2, which was almost five
seconds faster than the Jayhawks, who recorded a time of 7:00.5. The Jayhawks still led the standings overall with a record of 6-5. Since the standings were so close, the winner of the Kansas Cup was going to come down to the very last race: The First Varsity Eight. The Wildcats finished the race with a time of 6:42.7 while the Jayhawks came in nearly 11 seconds behind,
with a time of 6:53.8.
The Jayhawks will host the third annual Big 12 Championship next Saturday at Wyandotte County Lake. Kansas will look to knock off Texas, who has won the championship the past two years in a row. K-State and Oklahoma will join Kansas in trying to knock off the two-time defending Longhorns. The first race will begin at approximately 10 a.m. with the Second Novice Eight race and will conclude with the First Varsity Eight race at 11:20 a.m.
Catloth has high expectations for the championship next weekend.
"We're excited about the Big 12 Rowing Championship," said Catloth. "This will be the third year of the event. Every year the
level of racing at the regatta gets better, and the competition gets tougher. We're really excited to be hosting it at Wyandotte County Lake this year. I think it's going to be a great regatta with some high-quality competition."
Edited by Erin Wilbert
SOFTBALL
Jayhawks fight for a spot in tourney
BY HANNAH WISE
hwice@Konsen.com
Sophomore outfieldier Maggie Hull swings at a pitch during her at bat in the first inning of the second game against Oklahoma Thursday night at Arrocha Ballpark. Hull went 2-4 with a home run and three RBI's in the Jayhawks 13-5 loss to Oklahoma. The Jayhawks remain winless in Big 12 play.
Chris Bronson/KANSAN
Postseason play is a goal for every team, but attaining that goal may become somewhat unrealistic as seasons wane. The softball team is currently sitting on the bubble as far as acceptance into NCAA Regionals is concerned.
They are in this predicament because of their losing streak during conference play. This streak came after the best start to the season in school history at 26-3 and after being ranked No. 22 nationally. Nonetheless, the team has said all season that they are a team of fighters, and that has never been more true than during the weekend series against Iowa State.
hwise@Kansan.com
Friday, the Jayhawks found themselves trailing going into the fifth mning. Junior infielder Marissa Ingle sent her sixth home run of the season over the centerfield wall to tie the score 3-3. The cyclones responded in the bottom of the fifth.
The Jayhawks were defeated 4-3 during Friday's contest, but rallied back Saturday to earn an 8-6 victory and tie the home run record. They are now 2-14 in conference play and 29-20 overall.
Iowa State sophomore Amandine Habben hit a bases loaded single straight to Kansas freshman infielder Laura Vickers. Vickers tagged the
bases at first to out Habben, but her throw down to home plate reached senior catcher Brittany Hile a second too late, allowing the Cyclones runner to slide in and score.
But on Saturday, Maggie Hull, a sophomore outfielder, hit her third grand slam of the season in the top of the fifth inning to give the Jayhawks a 7-6 edge against the Cyclones. Hull stepped up for her team, something that the coaching staff had challenged the girls to do after their Wednesday losses to Tulsa (3-0, 4-2).
"We had a lot of opportunities in that first game, and we needed someone to step up and we just didn't have it," coach Megan Smith said. "Today Maggie Hull gets up with bases loaded and she stepped up big time when we needed her the most."
Friday's loss and Saturday's win snapped the team out of their mental slump and back into the tenacious fighting mentality that they had at the beginning of the season.
Part of what drives the team is the respect and love they have for seniors Allie Clark and Brittany Hile, who have been leading the team throughout the season. Clark helped secure the weekend victory by pitching the
"We can go to regionals," Hull said. "We have a chance of going. All we have to do is get some more wins. We are on the bubble. We are a really good team and we can do this."
final four innings. She gave up one run but struck out three batters. Hile has been the focal point of the defense, making crucial plays for outs from behind home plate and leading the on-field communication.
This weekend series was a big improvement, and it was what the team needed to keep hopes of a regional appearance alive.
Edited by Amanda Sorell
CLUB LACROSSE
BY BLAKE SCHUSTER
bschuster@kansan.com
While the Jayhawks did have a week between their last two games, they were missing six of its players, including starting D-pole Kevin Munch, a senior from Denver. The missing Jayhawkes were at home celebrating Easter with their fami-
Fatigue seemed to be an issue for the Kansas men's club lacrosse team (7-5) when it fell in Columbia, Mo. to the Missouri Tigers (10-3) by a score of 16-9 Friday.
By the middle of the third quarter the Jayhawks were leading the Tigers 8-6, but according to Kansas coach Dennis Shults, it all went downhill from there.
Even the players began to realize
"We didn't get a breather, and it really affected us." Shuls said.
The Jayhawks fielded 17 players to Missouri's 28.
"We ran out of gas." Shults said. "We went up two goals and just crashed."
Because of the weather, halftime was shortened from 20 to five minutes, which Shults attributed as a factor in the Jayhaws running out of energy at the end of the game.
they were running on empty.
"It was hard to watch," said Tim MacArthur, a freshman from Tallahassee, Fla. "Lacrosse is a game of runs, and they had their best one at the end of the game."
Although the Jayhawks did not return to Lawrence victorious, coach Shults has no reason to believe the teams will play to the same outcome if they meet again.
"I definitely think we can take them." Shults said, "Offensively they weren't that good; we just ran out of gas on defense."
With the playoffs around the corner, and both teams in first in their respective divisions, an early round matchup may be in place for the Jayhaws and Tigers.
Kansas will finish out the regular season at home next weekend against Saint Louis University (3-7) on April 30.
The game looks to be a tune-up for the Jayhawks who will enter the playoffs the following week, and Shults has no thoughts about a first round bounce for his squad.
"We've got a good shot" Shults said.
Edited by Erin Wilbert
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