MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
▼ CROSS COUNTRY
SPORTS
Kansas runners place high, low in annual Minnesota invitational
BY ANTONIO MENDOZ
mendoza@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
The Kansas cross country men's team finished eighth overall out of 25 teams that participated in this weekend's 20th annual Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis, Minn. The women's team finished in 26th place overall out of 31 teams.
The men finished with 235 points, three points behind the 25th ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers.
This was the first race of the 2005 season in which the 2004 Big 12 Champion junior Benson Chesang participated. Che sang finished the 8K race second overall with a time of 24:05. Benson finished 22 seconds behind Simon Bairu Wisconsin senior.
"Overall, I think we did really well," coach Stanley Redwine said. "We need to continue to build on this result. Our goal at the end of the year is to place in the NCAAs. We just need to continue to work hard and hopefully we'll be there at the end of the season."
Sophomore Colby Wissel was the closest Kansas runner following Benson's finish. Wissel finished 22nd overall with a
time of 24:53.
"We did a lot better this year in this meet than we did last year, and this year's meet was a little more challenging." Wissel said. "We're excited and we know we're going to improve and we can't wait to get started."
Sophomore Connie Abbott was the first Jayhawk to cross the finish line of the 6K race with a time of 23.16 and was the 116th finisher overall.
The women's team finished with a total of 734 points and 26th overall out of a total of 31 teams.
"I expected us to do better." Redwine said. "We need to try
and pack a little better during our races."
This was Abbott's second meet of the season. Allergies kept her from participating in the Kansas State Wildcat Invitational on Sept. 9.
Both cross country teams have this weekend off.
The Jawahks will compete in the NCAA Pre-Nationals Invitational on Oct. 15 in Terre Haute, Ind. After the NCAA Pre-Nationals, there are only two more meets before the National Championship on Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, Ind.
— Edited by Nate Karlin
Kansas State could take untested North after last year's disappointing season
BIG 12 FOOTBALL
BY ERIC OLSON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
OMAHA, Neb. — Before the season you would have been hard pressed to think of a reason why Kansas State should contend in the Big 12 North.
Now the question is, Why shouldn't the Wildcats?
Every team in the North is vulnerable. The nonconference portion of the schedule proved that.
After a 54-7 feel-good victory over North Texas, the Wildcats are eager to move on to their Big 12 opener Saturday at Oklahoma.
"I think this win was a steppingstone for us," freshman running back Parrish Fisher said. "We got a big win, and I feel like we are ready to head into conference play. We know that the Big 12 teams we face will be tough, so we have to keep working and improving each day."
The Wildcats were picked to finish fifth in the North, ahead of only Kansas. But the division looks balanced now and ripe for the taking.
Preseason favorite Iowa State struggled to hold off Army 28-21 on Friday, and the Cyclones' 23-3 win over Iowa on Sept. 10 doesn't look quite as impressive after Ohio State throttled the Hawkeyes 31-6.
Kansas is 3-0 for the first time since 1997 but has built its record against undistinguished competition.
Nebraska also is 3-0, but the Cornhuskers have an offense that has mustered a total of three touchdowns in three games.
Missouri is 2-1 but hasn't proved it can stop anyone.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3B
shaky on the road in a 23-3 loss at No.9 Miami, where they committed a school-record 16 penalties.
Defending North champion Colorado also is 2-1 and still looks like the class of the division. But the Buffaloes were
The North has been hard to predict. The Wildcats won the division in 2003 and shocked Oklahoma 35-7 in the conference championship game, only to drop to last place last season.
So being 3-0 for the 13th time in 15 years means little to Kansas State coach Bill Snyer.
"We haven't really done enough to say that we're really up there yet," Snyder said. "There are other schools who have obviously played a more difficult schedule and fared well. I think those teams would be the odds-on favorites as it stands."
But the Wildcats have reason to be optimistic.
to rush for 100 yards.
Fisher, who had 169 yards subbing for the suspended Thomas Clayton, became the first freshman in school history
The Wildcats rolled out 658 yards of total offense, breaking the school record of 638 set in 1997 against Bowling Green.
Allen Webb completed 10 of 12 passes for a career-high 256 yards, including three passes of 40 or more yards. He's the first Wildcat quarterback to throw for more than 250 yards since Ell Roberson's 294 against Ohio State in the 2004 Fiesta Bowl.
Wide receiver Jordy Nelson caught his third touchdown pass in three games and Jermaine Moreira returned a second-quarter punt 62 yards for a touchdown, the first at Kansas State since Darren Sproles' 63-varder against Kansas in 2003.
"It was very important to get this win going into Oklahoma," Moreira said. "It builds our confidence a lot more."
CLUB SPORTS
Alumni picnic goes on despite high river level
BY KRISTEN JARBoe
kjarboe@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Saturday's weather was perfect for a rowing event, but because of Thursday's downpour, the Kansas River was too high and fast for the
RO crew team to row in.
"Everything went really well," coach Jeremy Struemph said. "I think the alumni were happy to see us get the ball rolling, and happy to see people they used to row with."
"It would have been fun to row, but with the past week's rain, it would have been too dangerous," crew alumni coordinator Phil Wilke said.
The team had its first alumni reunion from 9 to 2.3
"We encouraged them to come out if they can.It's just a good prep for the year."
This was our first year for this, but we'll be doing this again."
Jeremy Struemph KU crew coach
Next time the team hopes to
The team also held a silent auction to raise money.
At the park, the team unveiled a newly purchased boat, had a barbecue, showed photographs and displayed trophies.
am. to 2 p.m at Burcham Park.
Despite the lack of actual racing, event organizers called it a success. Twenty-four alumni came back for the event, along with 40 to 50 current crew team members.
"It was a good turn-out," Wilke said. "And it was a great opportunity for the alumni to converse with each other, and for the alumni to meet the current members, too. We also had a lot of activities for everyone."
database that Right now we alumni involve
team hopes to bring back even more alumni. This year it brought back three people who rowed in the 1980s.
"Most people who came back were probably within the area," Wilke said. "But we've established an alumni keeps growing, have about 100."
The crew's fall schedule begins Oct. 1 in Iowa City, Iowa, making it convenient to have the reunion in the fall.
"We encouraged them to come out if they can. It's just a good prep for the year." Struemph said.
The reunion will likely occur again in the fall, however it is undecided if it will be an annual event.
Wilke plans to hold a meeting to discuss what worked well, and how often to host the event in the future.
— Edited by Jonathan Kealing
MLB
Royals trip the Indians in race for the division
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Cleveland center fielder Grady Sizemore appeared to lose Paul Phillips' ninth-inning double in the sun, allowing Angel Berroa to score the winning run for the Kansas City Royals in a 5-4 victory over the Indians yesterday.
The Indians lost for only the
third time in 20 games, trimming their AL wild-card lead to a half-game over the Red Sox and Yankees, who are tied atop the AL East.
The Indians tied the score at four in the ninth, but Bob Howry gave up a leadoff single to Berroa in the bottom half. He moved up on Joe McEwing's sacrifice and scored when Sizemore couldn't come up with Phillips' fly.
The Associated Press
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