MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2005
SPORTS
CROSS COUNTRY
days very
arket-
Experience leads runners
BY ANTONIO MENDOZA
amendoza@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Today marks the start of another year of Kansas cross country, and a new chance to qualify for the NCAA championships.
Redwine said that the experience on his team will be a key factor in performing well this season
"Our goal is that we want to try and get the team into the NCAA meet. We were short of doing that last year," Kansas coach Stanley Redwine said.
"The maturity of our team this year should help us to get a bid at the NCAA as a team," Redwine said.
Last season, Benson Chesang,
now a junior, finished in first
place at the Big 12 Conference
championship in Topeka, and was
crowned the Big 12 champion in
men's cross country.
"Benson had an outstanding year, winning the Big 12 championship, being seventh at the NCAA championship as an individual." said Redwine.
Not only did Benson win the Big 12 championship, but the men's team came in fourth place overall. The women finished tenth.
The KU men came in first place in the Bob Timmons Invitational at Rim Rock Farm, just north of Lawrence, and in the Kansas State Wildcat Invitational in Topeka.
They also placed fourth overall out of 21 teams at the Midwest Regional in Peoria, Ill.
Kansas women's cross country placed second at the Bob Timmons Invitational and fourth out of eight in the Wildcat Invitational.
Edited by Nate Karlin
KU runner Alicia McGregor, then-freshman runner, beats out OU runner Jackie Dubus in the senior, at the finish of the women's 6k race at the Kansas State Wildcat Invitational, last season.
Kansan file photo
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3B
BY SHAWN SHROYER
sshroyer@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRITER
Offseason should improve team
After finishing ninth in the Big 12 Championship last season, the Kansas women's golf team has been working hard this offseason to improve its performance.
Senior Chelsey Pryor kept busy this summer playing in the Western Golf Association's Junior Championship, the Trans National Amateur, the U.S. Amateur qualifier and the Collegiate Players Tour.
In addition to playing in tournaments, the Washington, Pa., native paid special attention to specific aspects of her game.
Pryor isn't the only golfer trying to better her game. Coach Erin O'Neil ensured the rest of the team kept from getting rusty.
Although the golfers don't work out together over the summer, they often see each other at tournaments. Pryor said she ran into most of her teammates at events.
"I just have them play in amateur events all around the country," O'Neil said. "Just to play as much as they can, because that's what helps you get better."
"I've been working on my chipping because it's something that I don't quite have down yet," she said.
O'Neil, coming into her second season as coach, has high expectations for this year's squad. Kansas will return every member from last season, including seniors Meredith Win-
kelmann, Tiffany Woods and Pryor. O'Neil said she wanted the team to finish in the top half at the Big 12 Championship and make a NCAA Regional appearance. At the same time, she wants the team to pace itself and use each tournament as an opportunity to improve as a team.
"It'll pay off in the long run," O'Neil said.
Pryor shared her coach's aspirations for the team, and she also set personal goals for herself.
"I'd like to lower my scoring average," she said. "Really, I'm just expecting to be a really good leader for the team, because I am one of the seniors, and just try to set a good example for everybody and leave on a really good, positive note."
Pryor said her scoring average is around 78.
Pryor's optimism for this season stems from the changes she has seen in the program since she arrived at Kansas.
"People really have a desire now to do well," Pryor said. "When I came in my freshman year, most of the team was seniors, so I think they were kind of ready to just be on the outs with everything."
Kansas' first tournament is set for Sept. 12 in Fort Collins, Colo., where Colorado will play host for the Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic.
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The Jayhawks will travel to Parrish, Fla., in late February for the Central District Invitational. Pryor said this trip will be the most difficult tournament of the regular season.
Edited by Becca Evanhoe
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