6B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
TUESDAY, APRIL 26. 2005
FOOTBALL
Two KU players sign NFL contracts
Senior tight end Lyonel Anderson and senior fullback Austine Nwabuusi signed free agent contracts yesterday.
Anderson
weeks.
Anderson caught 33 passes last season for 328 yards for Kansas. He was the starting tight end for the past two seasons. Anderson also caught three touchdown passes.
"I am very thankful for the opportunity that I have received from the Bengals," Anderson said. "Cincinnati is definitely a team on the rise. I'm excited to become a part of the team and to help the Bengals become a perennial contender."
Anderson signed with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Nwabuisi with the New York Jets. Both are expected to join their teams for mini-camps in the coming
Nwabuisi
Nwabuisi rushed for 98 yards last season and had three rushing touchdowns for Kansas. It is likely he will be used primarily as a blocking back as he spent
most of the season at Kansas in the position.
"I'm really excited about the chance to continue playing football," Nwabusi said. "I appreciate the Jets giving me that opportunity, and I plan on making the most of it."
Anderson and Nwabuisi join David McMillan, who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round yesterday, on the list of KU seniors joining NFL teams.
— Ryan Colalanni
a team before the season starts.
Senior center Joe Vaughn and senior wide receiver Brandon Rideau have yet to ink deals with NFL teams, but still have the potential to sign with
VOLLEYBALL
Coed game to raise money for charity
all competitive, so it should be great."
The Kansas varsity volleyball team and men's club volleyball team will play host to the first ever Charity Volleyball Challenge today. Doors to the Horejsi Family Athletics Center will open at 6 p.m., and the match will begin at 7 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the KU Habitat For Humanity chapter, with a $5 suggested donation per person.
The event, one of four spring scrimmages the women's team is allowed under NCAA rules, will be the first time the two teams have ever met. The varsity team finished the 2004 season 19-12 overall and made its second-straight trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2004.
"Playing in the offseason is always fun, but the whole boys versus girls rivalry is something we're really looking forward to," freshman opposite hitter Emily Brown said. "We're
Brown
For the first time in more than a decade, the men's club team was invited to the 2005 NIRSA
Division I-AA national tournament April 14-16 in Kansas City, Mo. The team made strong showings against Iowa State, Western Illinois and Missouri. Team president Adam Ferrari, Wilmette, III., senior, said he had envisioned a charity event since helping to restart the club in the fall of 2001.
"When we first restarted the club, the two things we really wanted to do were to go to nationals and do a charity event," he said. "I'm extremely excited that this is all coming to reality."
Jessica Fergen
Senior left-hander Mike Zagurski (4-4, 4.74 ERA) is slated to start the first game after his scheduled start on Sunday was rained out at Texas Tech.
series and collecting 10 RBL
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
T-Bones'
Tomorrow's game will bring on another unfamiliar opponent as the Jayhawks face Sacramento State at noon.
These games may not be as vital as Big 12 competition, but the Jayhawks see the games' purpose.
The Hornets (18-22-1) come into the tournament after a 4-3 loss to UC-Irvine on Sunday. The day before, however, Sacramento defeated No. 5 Arizona, 7-4.
"Every game is a must-win for us at this point," Van Slyke said. "It's an interesting break. We get to play some West Coast teams that we don't get to see every day."
The mid-week tournament is not one the players said they were used to, and because of it the Jayhawks will play five of the seven nights this week.
Junior first baseman Brian Blauser connected on a three-run home run in the victory.
But, the team has more excitement than concerns
"I think we've got enough arms in the bullpen that we should be all right. And the position players are well-conditioned athletes, so I think we should be OK," Schweitzer ioked.
about the upcoming week.
Van Slyke agreed.
The Jayhawks' two-day tournament begins tonight against New Mexico State at 7 p.m.
"I'd rather play every day. I don't like practicing, not a lot of the guys do. It makes it hard on school, but everyone likes playing the game," Van Slyke said of the week's game load.
— Edited by Kendall Dix
Honors
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
an award like that. I am just humbled."
Senior swimmer Aly Colver was recognized at the banquet for her excellence in academics with the Academic Award. Colver had a 4.0 grade point average and was a member of the Academic All-Big 12 team for three consecutive seasons.
The Tammy Thomas MVP award was earned by senior co-captain standout Amy Gruber. Thomas, a legendary swimmer at Kansas, earned 12 individual conference championships in addition to achieving All-American status in 1980, '82 and '83.
Kansas being named first-team Academi All-Big 12.
Gruber recently qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials at the NCAA Championships. Gruber's four-year career at
Schramka was a member of the school record-setting 800-meter freestyle relay team at the Big 12 Championships. She was also a major contributor in the 100, 200, 500 and 1000 freestyle events as well as the 100 and 200 back-stroke events. Schramka's talent landed her in KUUs top-five times in all of her events. Schramka took some of the credit for her swimming abilities, but she gave
Besides the senior class, which was greatly represented on the awards list, one shining star from the freshman class stood out. Terri Schramka received the Newcomer of the Year award.
"I knew I had a shot at it," Schramka said. "All of the freshmen were up for it and everyone swam so well. It could have been any one of us."
most of it to her teammates and the coaching staff.
"Gina and Emily will be the liaisons between the team and coaching staff," Campbell said, "but we'll be looking to all six of the 2005-2006 seniors for leadership. The seniors on the team really set the tone for the year, and we have a great group leading us into next season."
"My season went really well," Schramka said. "I appreciate the support of the coaching staff and my teammates because without them I couldn't have done any of it."
The banquet wrapped up the 2004-2005 season, but when Gnatzig and Rusch were named next year's captains, the team began thinking about next year's goals.
Edited by Laura Francoviglia
for booting it off the roof.
Coliseum
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
boys. Each girls' run was worth two points, also.
"Brett is in a league of his own," Williamson said. "He's the power punch that the team needs. He's got a lead foot."
The boys were able to prevail 13-12, led by Cantrell, a.k.a. "The Franchise," who homered off the roof for the third time in his kickball career. Cantrell is the only kickballer to kick it off the roof. He is also usually one of the first players picked for the games because of his uncanny knack
The Dewds have been able to attract elite Kansas athletes to compete in their kickball games. Past games have included athletes from the girl's soccer team and the men's basketball, football and baseball teams.
Office. When the officers found out they were just playing kickball, the officers left them alone.
Future plans at the Lawrence International Kickball Coliseum include a scoreboard and bases with battery lights. The Dewds are always bringing in new participants for their nighttime games.
The first game ever was temporarily postponed by an appearance from the KU Public Safety
- Edited by John Scheirman
Prepare yourselves for another season of close losses, near upsets and a lot of disappointment as the Kansas offense blows games and the Big 12 North title next season.
The quarterback position is still the key for the Kansas offense, and for the entire team as a whole. One of the three quarterbacks, Jason Swanson, Adam Barrman or Brian Luke, has to emerge for this team to have a chance of winning any conference games. If they play as poorly as they did last season or during the spring game, this team will lose a lot of close games.
Like last season, Kansas will stick with opponents in the first half, taking close games into the locker room. After the half, the defense will tire when the offense continually goes three and out without taking any time off the clock. The fatigue will allow the opposing offenses to score and ultimately win games. This defense will play a lot of snaps in 2005, and it will show by the ends of games.
The Jayhawk defense may be good enough to hold opponents to less than 20 points a game and be among the conference leaders in defensive statistics, but the offense is so bad that it will negate any positives the defense brings.
Until this team finds a quarterback that can lead the offense and a running back that can eat up the clock, it will be hard-pressed to win many games in the conference.
John Randle's dismissal from the team makes it a little more difficult to depend on the running game, but it shouldn't matter that much. He wasn't all that effective last year rushing for 540 yards on 147 carries, a minisце 3.7-yard per carry average. If Clark Green can return to his 2003 form in which he rushed for 968 yards on 204 carries, Kansas' rushing offense should be better.
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- Weinstein is an Overland Park senior in English.
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