THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
SOFTBALL|8A
Kansas fails to focus, loses to Tulsa Jayhawks' lack of intensity costs team both games in doubleheader against Tulsa.
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2011
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 12A
TAKING IT TO THE STREETS
No.7 in world wins shot put event
Dylan Armstrong launches the shot put high into the air during his third throw at the Kansas Relays' Olympic Men's Shot Put held downtown between Massachusetts and New Hampshire streets on Eighth Street Wednesday night. The Olympic men's shot put featured eight of the world's best shot putters. Armstrong who came into the competition ranked No. 7 in the world won the meet with a throw of 70 1/4".
Chris Bronson/KANSAN
Friendly but fierce competition at the Kansas Relays
GEOFFREY CALVERT
gcalvert@kansan.com
Dylan Armstrong, ranked No. 7 in the world, won the men's invitational shot put last night, throwing 70 feet, 7.25 inches. He held off a field of seven other competitors who are all ranked in the top 22 in the world. Armstrong knew he would have to throw about 70 feet to secure the victory.
"This is one of the strongest events in the world right now in track and field," Armstrong said. "It's a great group of guys. We're all friends and we all support each other."
Indeed, the competitors could be heard giving shouts of encouragement to each other as they stepped up to throw the shot. Many of them have been competing against one another for about 10 years.
"We're big guys, but we're the friendliest guys, too," Armstrong said.
Reese Hoffa, ranked No. 2 in the world, took second place by throwing 69 feet, 3.5 inches. Hoffa has now thrown at least 69 feet in 83 competitions, leaving him two meets shy of second place all time for throwing 69 feet or more. Hoffa felt he could have done better but he knows he's in a good position for the rest of the year.
"I felt like 1 should have hit it a little harder," Hoffa said. "But if this is a bad day for me, going 69-2, 69-3, then I'm in incredible shape."
After the meet, Hoffa, a noted Rubik's Cube enthusiast, solved a cube provided by event organizers in about three minutes, well shy of his best time of 38 seconds. He started doing the Rubik's Cube to calm his nerves when he was competing for the University of Georgia.
The shot put was held in the streets for the first time in the United States in a makeshift ring. Armstrong said the event organizers got everything right. The only nuisance was the telephone line hanging overhead. Armstrong hit the power line on one of his warm-up throws. Despite this, the consensus from the competitors was that Lawrence successfully pulled off the shot put.
“It's really unique to see that kind of crowd gathered for just one event in track and field,” said Adam Nelson, who placed third. “I think Lawrence did a fantastic job hosting it.”
An estimated 2,500 fans really got into the meet when Nelson stepped up to take his first throw. His warm-up routine consists of him urging the crowd into a rhythmic clap, enthusiastically pulling off his shirt, and then hopping down the runway. Nelson did this on all six of his
"I was hoping to get a throw out over 70 feet today," Nelson said. "But I was just having a slight technical, like a timing issue at the front of the circle."
throws. Like Hoffa, Nelson felt he could have thrown farther.
Check Kansan.com today and this weekend for more coverage of the Kansas Relays
Edited by Danielle Packer
Neville dominates first day, scores 3,125 points
TRACK & FIELD
BY GEOFFREY CALVERT
gcalvert@kansan.com
Rebecca Neville won three of the four events in the women's heptathlon Wednesday and ended the day in the lead with 3,125 points. Neville won the 100-meter hurdles, the 200-meter dash, and the high jump. She also placed seventh in the shot put.
The weather was colder than anticipated, resulting in slower times in Neville's events. Despite this, Neville said she was pleased with her performances.
"The 100 hurdles, it was a slow time, but it was 40 degrees outside," Neville said. "To so run a 14.35 in 40 degree weather, that's OK."
"High jump was awesome today," Neville said. "My third attempt I did a time foul so I couldn't get to do my third attempt, but it's OK."
Despite not doing her best in the hurdles, Neville did set a personal record in the shot put and high jump. She recorded a jump of 5 feet, 5.75 inches in the high jump and a recorded a throw of 31 feet, 5.25 inches in the shot put.
The 200-meter dash was Neville's last event of the day. She came close to setting her third personal best of the day, finishing with a time of 25.12 seconds. So far, Neville is performing better than she did two weeks ago at the Texas Relays, and more importantly, she is beating a rival.
Neville said she planned to take an ice bath, eat a good meal and get a good night's sleep in preparation for the long jump, javelin throw and 800-meter run set for Thursday. She said she is more than ready for the competition and plans to "kick butt."
"A girl that I'm beating right now from Nebraska beat me at Indoor Big 12," Neville said. "That's just showing me how much better I'm getting as we move on in the season."
"I don't care if it hurts in the 800," Neville said. "It's the last event."
REBECCA NEVILLE'S RESULTS: 1ST DAY OF HEPTATHLON
--Edited by Jacque Weber
100-METER HURDLES:
1. 14.35 (929 points)
HIGH JUMP: 1. 1.67m
(818 points and personal record)
SHOT PUT: 7. 9.58m
(502 points and personal record)
200-METER DASH:
1. 25.12 (876 points)
Overall: (four of seven events)
1. Rebecca Neville (3,125 points)
COMMENTARY
Two of them - Conner Teahan and Marcus Morris - have never had serious trouble with the law.
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
Kansas rap sheet too long to ignore
Three others — Markieff Morris,
Brady Morningstar and Mario Little
— had been arrested in their time at Kansas. Morris faced a battery charge in his freshman year after shooting a woman from his Jayhawker Towers dorm room with an Airsoft gun. In December 2010, Little faced a battery charge for an altercation with his ex-girlfriend and a member of the Kansas baseball team. Morningstar was cited for driving under the influence in October of 2009.
This isn't to say these are all bad kids. The Morris twins have grown into quality young men since coming to Kansas and Robinson has been through more crap than anyone could be reasonably expected to handle over the last few months. And Self is by no means an evil tyrant. He genuinely cares about the off-court development of his players, and has sent off guys — namely Giles and Giddens — who were a real detriment to the program.
The sixth player, sophomore forward Thomas Robinson, who is essential to the immediate future of the Kansas program, would face his first battery charge by the end of the night.
If you want to criticize Kansas coach Bill Self, don't do it over tournament losses. Criticize him for the rap sheet his program has accumulated over his tenure.
Start six years ago, when J.R. Giddens was stabbed in a 2005 fight that witnesses said he instigated. C.J. Giles, who was there at the Giddens stabbing, was arrested for battery in 2006. Sherron Collins was charged with sexual assault, though the charges were dropped when Collins filed a counterclaim for defamation. Then there was Markieff Morris' battery charge. Morningstar's DUI. Fights with the football team, highlighted by Tyshawn Taylor's injury and Facebook posts. Little's battery charge. And now Robinson's.
When the biggest surprise about a Saturday night arrest is that the point guard wasn't there, that's an issue. A DUI is an issue. A pair of on-campus fights with members of the football team is an issue. Three different battery charges are issues.
It is past time to shine a harsh and unforgiving light on the Kansas basketball program and the real and numerous problems that have been haunting it over the last few years.
National headlines have been dominated recently by recruiting violations and botched amateurism. But who is hurt by that? Who is the victim? What does it matter if Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor earned a little money on the side by selling his jersey? What is the value of amateurism? There isn't one. Those aren't real issues. Not in my book.
But the problem clearly hasn't been addressed in full, and it needs to be. Forget, for a moment, wins and losses, and look at that list. Forget that you're a Jayhawk fan, and tell me if you would root for that team.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, it's because I'm desperately turning a blind eye because, hey, these guys are world-class athletes, and they sure do win a game of basketball games.
Pretty tough, isn't it?
Edited by Brittany Nelson