SPORTS
University Daily Kansan/Wednesday, October 9, 1991
11
KANSAN file photo
Both men and women can participate in the Kansas crew club, which practices about two hours every weekday on the Kansas River at Burcham Park, Second and Indiana streets.
Clubs offer travel, fun, friendship
Students can find place in soccer, crew
By Steve Hudson
Special to the Kansan
Editor's note: This is the second of a four-part series dedicated to informing Kansas students of the athletic opportunities available through club sports on campus.
For new students interested in playing a sport for fun, competition and the opportunity to meet new people — lots of new people — Kansas carpets the bill.
About 100 people participate in crew, the largest sports club at the University of Kansas, said UIF Becker, president of the club.
Both men and women are eligible to compete, and all members are divided into either novice or varsity levels. Novice rowers generally remain in that category until they have competed in at least one race. After that, they can join the varsity or open ranks.
The crew club also divides members into positions based on weight. In the men's division, 160 pounds or less is considered lightweight, and no member may be heavier than and still compete at this level. The open division accepts students with sufficient experience at any weight. However, as Becker pointed out, these rowers will have a definite disadvantage competing against 190- or 200-pound men.
The women's division operates the same way but with different weight limits. The women's lightweight level accepts students who weigh 130 pounds or less. The open division has no limit.
Every weekday morning, the varsity squad works out from 6 to 8 a.m. on the Kansas River at Burcham Park, Second and Indiana streets. The novices also train every day for an hour and a half, usually beginning about 4 o'r 5 p. the practices may be rigorous, but Becker said that getting in shape was one of the primary benefits of the club.
"you get conditioning benefits, but you also have to be mentally tough. It's really competitive. In a long race, mental toughness will get you through the fatigue." he said.
In addition to the physical benefits of crew, there are many positive social aspects.
"You get to see and meet people from all over the country," Becker said. "There are friendships made between different teams."
In addition, Becker said that crew members often socialize with one another. For example, he mentioned the group ski trip that occurs every winter.
But Becker said that the feeling of winning a race was what it was all about.
*After you come across the finish line first,*
and your coach has been on your back all season to work hard, you get a lot of self-satisfaction when you look over and see him smiling." Becker said.
For those students interested in the Kansas crew club, it is not too late to find out more about it or to join the team. Becker said that now was the best time to join. Lack of experience should not deter any one interested.
"There is no experience necessary." Becker said. "Nearly 99 percent of the team had no experience before joining. Most of them hadn't even seen a boat except on TV."
The crew club will be in action at a regatta (a crew competition) Oct. 27 at Burcham Park. Men's and women $varity races will begin at 1 p.m. and continue all day.
The fee for joining is about $100, but much of this is offset by fundraisers. A large part of the fee goes to paying for the equipment, Becker said.
For people who prefer to remain on land but still want to get in shape, the Kansas soccer club could be the right choice. As one of the oldest clubs, soccer provides camaraderie, competition and the chance to meet other people who share a love of the sport.
The club is open to any male undergraduate or graduate student, faculty or staff member. Although experience is helpful, it is not mandatory, according to men's club vice-president
Scott Schaffer
"There are some guys that don't have that much ability, but they like to be part of a group or club. This is a good way to get to know guys." Schafer said.
The club practices Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 5 to 7p.m. at the Shenk Complex, 23rd and Iowa streets. Games are usually on Saturdays and Sundays. The team recently won the annual Jayhawk Fall Classic played in Lawrence, but Schaffer said that it was nice to get away from home once in a while.
"I look at it this way," Schaffer said. "If I didn't play soccer, would I get to see the University of Missouri campus or the University of Nebraska? I really enjoy the travel. Ivegotten to see a lot of the Midwest. If I didn't play, I'd probably be home every weekend."
Every year nearly 40 players, most of them freshmen, try out for the team. Schaffer said that usually 20-25 players came to each practice. Anyone interested in joining the club should come to a practice.
The cost is $40 for the fall season and $20 for the spring. The money pays for referees, balls, equipment and uniforms. Schaffer said he thought that the fees were worth it and that if a student was interested in soccer, now was the best time in his life to play.
ans is the top level of soccer that most people at this school will ever play," he said.
Kansas volleyball team to play rival K-State tonight
By Jeff Kobs Kansan Sportswriter
The traditional Jayhawk-Wildcat rivalry will heat up at 7:30 tonight at Allen Field House when the Kansas volleyball team faces Kansas State.
The Jayhawks, 17-3 overall and 1-l in the conference, see the game against the 5-10 Wildcats as a must-win situation, team members said. The Wildcats are 0-3 in the conference.
"I think we see it in a way that we have to beat them, or we won't live it down," senior jule Wooldruff said. "But we have to learn how to do that."
Although the Wildcats are winless in the Big Eight and have been saddled with problems such as a shrinking roster, Kansas coach Frankie Albitz is not taking them lightly.
"K-State has always played us tough." Albizt said. "I'm not going to depend on the fact that they are struggling internally." "Sometimes adversity pulls a team together."
And the Wildcats, under first-year coach Patti Hagemeer, are familiar with adversity.
For example, the team has lost four players in the last month; its roster has now dwindled to nine active players and one redshirt.
Hagemeyer said in a statement released by the Kansas State sports information department that it's normal to plainen players when a new coach takes over a program.
Albitz said she saw the situation from a different perspective.
"If they only have nine players, they are getting a lot of work in practice," she said.
"We play hard and then let up," she said. "We want to play hard all the way through and take them in three
Woolruff said that the Wildcats' problems made them vulnerable but the Jayawhaks also had weaknesses.
Albiz said that because the Wildcats had a new coach, she was not sure what to expect from them.
Tonight's match will be Kansas' third straight Big Eight match at home.
The Jayhawks opened the season with a 15-1 start, but faltered in opening conference games against Oklahoma and Nebraska.
and New York.
Kansas defeated Iowa State in five games Saturday in the team's first Big Eight victory. Kansas State lost to Iowa State 3-0 on Friday.
Woodruff said the team was down mentally, but the victory against Iowa State helped them get back on track.
Minnesota shuts down rally beats Toronto 5-4 in Game 1
The Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — Neither team looked at home in the dome.
The Minnesota Twins won their seventh straight postseason game at the Metrodome as Jack Morris escaped a Toronto comeback and led the Boston Celtics to the 1st of the American League lapa volfs last night.
For two teams that play a lot of games indoors, it wasn't a pretty display. There were balls lost in the lights and more than a few mismatches. The best-of-7 series continues today at 2 p.m.
"The crowd was very special tonight." Minnesota manager Tom Kelly said, "I'm sure both sides were a little pumped up. Maybe that's why there were some mistakes."
Minnesota, which went from the AL West celestial last season to the top of its division this year, built an early lead on uncharacteristic speed and held on with a strong bullpen performance.
The victory kept the Twins postseason-period in the top spot, and they lost last postseason loss at home at old Metro-Stadium.
politan Stadium, in the 1970 league playoff
Toronto starter Tom Candiottii lasted only 21/3 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits. His knuckleball barely knuckled and little else went right at the start for the started Blue Jays, who won eight of 12 games against the Twins during the regular season.
The Blue Jays rallied for three more runs on five consecutive singles off Morris in the sixth inning, with Oler John driving in a run and Kelly Gruber two.
The Twins scored two runs in the first inning, two in the second inning and added a another in the third.
The Blue Jays scored one run in the fourth when Joe Carter went home from third on Olerud's grounder to second.
Four of those victories came in the last two weeks of the regular season.
The twins said those games did not matter, and they proved it at the start, at least.
"I thought we played well," Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. "We came back. We probably could have run the bases better."
Today's games
American League Game 2----2 p.m.
Toronto at Minnesota
Guzman (10-3) Tapani (16-9)
National League
Game 1—7:30 p.m.
Atlanta at Pittsburgh
Glavine (20-11) Dreibak (15-14)
Notes: Minnesota defeated Toronto 5-4 last night and leads the series 1-0.
Melissa Unterberg / KANSAN
State fans finally may see a game that means more than cellar rights
David Mitchell
Kansan Sportswriter
Allow me to be the first sportswriter to hype a game that the national media refuses to take seriously.
In recent years, the intrastate game often has been the difference between seventh and eighth place in the Big Eight Conference standings.
But this year's game in Manhattan will decide a lot more than state bragging rights.
Since 1969, the Governor's Cup has been awarded to the victor at the conclusion of the annual meeting. However, in recent years either team has won in recent years.
Both teams enter the annual meeting above 500 for the first time since 1974. The Sunflower State teams begin the Big Eight Conference schedule in a three-way tie for second place with an orissa behind undefeated Oklahoma.
With the Sooners traveling to Dallas to meet the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, the conference standings might tighten up even further this weekend.
After being the conference whipping boys in the not-so-distant bad-old days, the Zayhawks and Wildcats now stop the Big Eight in several categories.
Behind the Big Eight-lead efforts of tailback Tony Sands, Kansas is second in the conference in rushing offense, averaging 287.3 yards a game. The Hawks are also second in total offense, averaging 429.7 yards a game.
Kansas State wide receiver Michael Smith ranks second in the conference in receiving. Wildcat quarterback Kyle Rudolph was accounting for 189.9 yards a game.
Kansas State is second in the conference in passing offense, recording an average 217.3 yards a game.
Watson's other primary target is wide receiver Frank Hernandez. Hernandez has caught a pass in 25 straight games. However, the longest reception streak in the conference belongs to Jayhawk flanker Kenny Drayton, who has caught at least one pass in the last 26 games.
Watson's counterpart, Kansas quarterback Chip Hillleary leads the conference in scoring, averaging 10.5 points a game. Teammate Dan Kerr puts his team up to point a game. Eichloh also leads conference kickers, averaging 1.8 field goals a game, and has missed just once in eight attempts.
Though the Kansas offense has been inconsistent at times, the defense has been so solid that the Jayhawks have a confidence-below average of 293.9 yards a game.
Kansas leads the all-time series with Kansas State 60-23-5, including a 27-13-3 advantage in Manhattan.
However, the Wildcats own a five-game winning streak at home, including conference victories against Iowa and Oklahoma State late last season.
Kansas is coming off a 12-point loss to Virginia in which the Jayhawks outgained the Cavaliers 334 to 274 yards but surrendered four turnovers.
Both teams will be out to prove themselves Saturday.
With an open date last Saturday, the Wildcats had an extra week to regroup after taking a 56-3 beating at Washington on Sept. 28.
"We've been knocked down before," Kawasaki coach Glen Mason said. "We've been knocked down."
"We're going to get up for that game."
Instead of supplying a few weeks worth of inane jokes, this year's game should be a contest the entire state and the Big Eight can be proud of.
Football fad has fans doing 'tomahawk chop'
ALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State's celebrated Seminole war song has become a rage this season with fans in Atlanta and Kansas City, Mo, where teams have soared to new heights in the echo of the haunting, intent and accompanying "tombawk chop."
The Associated Press
"It itars you up," Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden said yesterday. "It's automatic when you hear the beat of the drums. It gets a guy's blood boiling."
The Braves won the National League West in baseball, the Kansas City Chiefs are shooting for their first Super Bowl in two years. It is the nation's No. 1 college football team.
The team was prominent in Kansas City's 39-6 victory against Buffalo in Monday
night's nationally televised NFL game. The tomahawk chop will be featured again by Braves' fans when the National League playoffs start today.
What is the history of this letter for fod?
What is the history of this latest rain fan? "It just came together out of the blue in a game we played at Auburn in 1984," said Wayne Hogan, Florida State sports publicist. "It was an impromptt thing done by members of the band.
member of our team
"It was infectious and caught on," he said.
"I guess you'd say it was just absolute, flat-out hok."
By the time Braves started it, the chant and the arm motion were generally associated with Florida State's rising football program, but Atlanta fans took it to another level with the addition of foam-rubber tomahawks this summer.
The Chiefs first heard it last November when the northwest Missouri State band, directed by 1969 Florida State graduate Al Sergel, performed the chant as Kansas City players were warming up for a game against San Diego.
And today the chant and chop are linked with Kansas City's resurgence.
"It really become a signature item," Thomas said.
"It's a direct descendant of Florida State," Chiefs' promotions director Phil Thomas said. "They (the band) started doing the tomahawk chop and the players and Marty Shittentein loved it. He came back every time they don't we have these guys every game?"
The Chiefs' fans have become so enamored with the chant that thousands of them
"I think it does bring an intimidation to an away team," Sergel said. "That's happened in Kansas City with that cheer."
harmonized countless times during the Monday night game.
In Atlanta, the Braves had tried to get a drum beat to catch on since 1988, but it wasn't until a game against the Chicago Cubs in May that the fans picked up on the latest craze.
"It steamrolled from there," said Miles McRea, director of promotion and entertainment for the Braves. "It shows the type of thing that can happen when you're winning games.
"I think this might be the year of the Indian, " Sergel said. "I don't think they use it (the chant), but the (Washington) Redskins are looking pretty good themselves."