MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2005
FOOTBALL
SPORTS
Fans campaign for Big Jay during mascot competition
BY MIRANDA LENNING
mlenning@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTS WRITER
Brittany Hills has met Big Jay numerous times, but she still gets excited about the thought of posing for a picture with the Jayhawks' mascot. On Saturday, Brittany and her sister, Timory, got more than that.
Contributed Photo
The Capital One Mascot Challenge made its second stop of its 13-week tour at Memorial Stadium on Saturday before Kansas' football game against Appalachian State. Big Jay was on hand to meet fans and encourage them to vote for him in the mascot challenge.
Brittany, 11, and Timory, 8, traveled with their mother all the way from Sedan, near the Oklahoma border, just to see their favorite bird. They left with pictures of Big Jay, autographed shirts and smiles on their faces.
"He's cool," Brittany said. "We meet him every time we come to KU football or volleyball games."
The mascot challenge is an 11-week competition where mascots compete head-to-head with a different mascot each week. Fan voting will determine the winner of the battle of the beasts. Big Jay was in a head-to-head competition with Butch T. Cougar, the Washington State mascot, last week. The results of that competition will be announced today. This week,
he will match up with Bruiser of UCLA.
The six mascots with the most head-to-head victories during an 11-week period will advance to the playoffs, which consist of three weeks of nose-to-nose competition between the top mascots. The winner will receive $10,000 for the school's mascot program.
Former Kansas City Chief Curtis McClinton poses with a fan during the Capital One Mascot Challenge.
The mascot tour is part of Capital One's effort to give the fans an opportunity to get to know their favorite mascots, said Wesley Ward, Capital One's event coordinator for the mascot tour. Each week, they will visit the home of one of the mascots on the All-America team.
The challenge is also fun for the school and the fans, said Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director.
"Capital One is celebrating the unsung hero," Ward said. "We are giving the mascots their day in the sun."
Former and current Kansas football players are also getting involved. Curtis McClinton, who played professionally with the Kansas City Chiefs and was a member of the 1969 Super Bowl Championship team, joined Big Jay at the pregame festivities. He signed autographs, took pictures and chatted with fans. He said he voted for Big Jay many times already and was excited to get out and encourage fans to do the same.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 9A
"I think it is a positive experience to be able to take pictures and explain to kids about my career and my Super Bowl ring," McClinton said. "I would like fans to reach out and support the University in this challenge."
Current Kansas linebacker Kevin Kane said he wasn't quite as on the ball with voting as McClinton, but he said that was about to change.
"I am going to go home and vote right now," Kane said after the Jayhawks' victory against Appalachian State.
Edited by Ty Beaver
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12A
Soccer
with even shots and even corners," Francis said.
Kansas held the lead for only 12 more minutes before Pepperdine midfielder Emily Wynne drove in the first goal of her career and tied the match at a goal apiece.
In the 65th minute, Pepperdine midfielder Kelsey Quane scored her first goal of the season, putting the Waves up 2-1.
From 28 yards out, the shot was too high for sophomore keeper Colleen Ouinn.
Quinn was replaced by freshman keeper Julie Hanley.
"We were actually a little fatigued and we made some mental mistakes." Francis said.
Gault scored again in the 79th minute from an assist from senior forward Caroline Smith.
With less than seven minutes left in regulation, Pepperdine forward Megan Woods broke away.
The unassisted score was Woods' second game winning goal of the season.
"They got beat but even though they were tired, they still found extra energy," Francis said.
The Kansas victory came from Friday's 1-0 victory against San Diego, Kansas' third shutout.
In a night of firsts, the game marked the first Kansas road match, its first game under lights and the first game-winner by freshman midfielder Missy Geha.
Quinn was there to clear shots on goal. The Jayhawk keeper collected a career-high seven saves.
Kansas will have its next game against UC-Irvine this Friday at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex.
Edited by Katie Lohrenz
and ready for the season.
Wissel said the first two races were to get back into shape
Wissel finished first overall, pacing the men's team.The Jayhawks tied the Wildcats in the race with 28 points
"We just aren't really used to racing right now, but that's the purpose of these first two meets." Wissel said.
Both the men and the women will have the week off to rest and prepare for the Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 24 from Minneapolis, Minn.
For the second consecutive week, sophomore runner Colby
"I thought we did an average job on Friday," Wissel said. "I think a couple of us were just a little beat up from Rim Rock the week before."
Antonio Mendoza
Sophomore Connie Abbott made her debut in the dual meet. She had been held out of the previous meet because of allergies, assistant coach Doug Clark said.
led the women's team, finishing third overall, with a time of 19:44 in the 5K race. Seibel led Kansas to a 20-41 victory.
The Kansas women's cross country team defeated Kansas State Friday in a dual meet in Manhattan at Warner Park. The men's team tied Kansas State.
Junior runner Dena Seibel
CROSS COUNTRY Women win,men tie at K-State meet
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