THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2005
SPORTS
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Big 12 Championships start tomorrow
Nebraska, Oklahoma and others aim to earn their schools' first championships
BY TIME HALL
hall@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITE
One day remains until the Big 12 Conference Championships at Whispering Pines Golf Course in Trinity, Texas, where the Kansas men's golf team is already practicing. Tomorrow will mark the ninth Big 12 Championship. Here is a look at the remaining teams the Jayhawks will face in the last part of a four-part series.
Nebraska
Nebraska
T h e
Cornhuskers
have tasted
success on a
couple of occasions this season. On April 5, Nebraska won its second tournament of the season at the
Branson Creek Invitational in Branson, Mo. The team won the event with a total score of 878. two shots better tha an Southwest Missouri
Schnell
State. Sophomore Brady Schnell led the Huskers, finishing the event in second place with a three-round score of 216. It was the fourth time Schnell has placed in the top six this spring.
Nebraska also won the Fairway Club Invitational in September at the Firethorn Golf Club in Lincoln, Neb. Nebraska won the tournament, its first of the season, by
10 strokes over Southern Mississippi. Junior Judd Cornell was the Huskers' top performer, finishing second overall with a total score of 222. good for 9-over-par.
The Huskers did have a poor performance on April 12 at the Indian Golf Classic in Jonesboro, Ark. They finished the tournament, which was their last of the regular season, in 14th place in a 15-team field. Though the Huskers finished low in the standings, the event was shortened by two rounds, because of rain. The first two rounds of play were washed out on Monday, making the tournament only an 18-hole event. Cornell was the low scorer for Nebraska with a 1-under-par 71.
The Huskers will have their work cut out for them this
weekend, as they haven't won the tournament in school history.
Oklahoma
T h e
O k l a h o m
Sooners are currently ranked
No. 34 in the nation by Golf
Week, one spot behind the Jayhawks. The Sooners have had a strong season with three top-five finishes, including fourth place twice. Sophomore Anthony Kim is the Sooner player to watch. He recently tied for first in the team's final tournament of the regular season at the Texas A&M Invitational on April 17. Kim propelled the Sooners to a fourth-place finish with a three-round score of 210, 6
under-par for the tournament.
N e w
Mexico junior
Spencer
Levin, who
was ranked
No. 2 by Golf
Week, shot
the same
score and was
Kim
the tournament's co-champion. Kim became the first Sooner to finish in first place when he won the Taylor Made/Waikoloa Intercollegiate in February of 2004.
Kim and the Sooners also have a challenge in front of them, as they will hunt for their first Big 12 Championship.
Edited by Ross Fitch
Congress investigates gridiron steroid use
▼ NFL
BY HOWARD FENDRICH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — A law establishing uniform drug-testing rules for major U.S. sports would be a mistake, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue told Congress yesterday.
"We don't feel that there is rampant cheating in our sport," Tagliabue told the House Government Reform Committee.
"How is the average American supposed to look at the size, strength and speed of today's NFL linebackers and not conclude that they might be taking performance-enhancing drugs?" asked chairman Tom Davis, R-Va.
Tagliabue countered: "We're certainly not going to jump to the conclusion that because we have larger athletes today, there is increased steroid use in the National Football League. I think it's nonsense."
On the whole, congressmen generally praised the NFL for its cooperation, with more than one calling yesterday's session a "breath of fresh air" compared to Major League Baseball's hearing.
Still, the committee didn't get a direct answer as to how widespread steroid use might be in the NFL. Lawmakers tried to gauge that level in baseball on March 17, when an 11-hour hearing featured Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco and other past and current stars.
How is the average American supposed to look at the size, strength and speed of today's NFL linebackers and not conclude that they might be taking performance-enhancing drugs?"
"H $ ^{o w} $
Tom Davis Congress chairman, R-Va.
Yesterday, only two former NFL players were present, and one was Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw, who was invited because he's the NFL Players Association chief executive.
The other was Steve Courson, an offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from
Courson delivered his statement to dozens of empty black leather chairs.
1978-85. He has admitted using steroids and said they probably played a role in his developing a heart condition.
pro football players use steroids today. Courson said: "That would be very hard for me to determine. I've been out of the game for 20 years."
Even a congressman pointed out the contrast in the witness lists.
Later, when asked by ranking Democrat Henry Waxman of California what percentage of
"If this committee is serious about investigating steroid use among football players today, well, we should probably start by talking to some of today's football players," Massachusetts Democrat Stephen Lynch said.
Davis promised more hearings and said the NBA would be next. He said he, Waxman and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., were working on legislation that would put sports' banned substance lists and testing protocols under the auspices of the White House drug czar, but might leave penalties up to the leagues.
AUTO RACING
Honda favors Brit for Toyko race
MOTEGI, Japan — Dan Wheldon's first IndyCar Series victory came last year in Japan — and it was a great relief for host Honda.
The victory by Wheldon at the 2004 Indy Japan 300 in a Honda-powered car was also the first for the Japanese manufacturer on its home track after six unsuccessful tries.
Wheldon, a 26-year-old Englishman, will be among the favorites for Saturday's IRL race at the track Honda built north of Tokyo.
In addition to overcoming jet lag, Wheldon said he also will have to overcome the unique challenge of the 1.5-mile Motegi oval.
"What makes it challenging is that one end is open and one end is pretty tight," Wheldon said yesterday.
The Associated Press
FOOTBALL
Wanted: new poll for BCS formula
PHOENIX — The Bowl Championship Series is trying to establish a new poll to help determine teams competing for the national championship.
At their meeting Tuesday, BCS member athletic directors made it clear that they preferred starting a new poll to replace The Associated Press rankings,rather than radically changing their formula. BCS coordinator Kevin Weiberg said.
"We continue to look at a poll that would potentially include a panel of voters that would be comprised of individuals who have had experience with the sport, either as administrators, coaches, perhaps former players, things of that kind. That's where we're putting most of our focus at this point," said Weiberg, the Big 12 commissioner.
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Bob Baum/The Associated Press
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