WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2004
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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SWIM: Workout regimen is intense
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Lindsey Urbatchka, Sheridan, Wyo., junior, said she had also noticed a difference in her swimming this summer.
"During the summer the girls are kept on a consistent schedule," Campbell said. "They just eat, sleep and train. It is not a sport that people can just do six months a year."
"I have never done a summer of longcourse and I CAN tell it is already paying off," Urbatchka said. "I have never felt this in shape."
Summers under Campbell's direction mean the girls have to stay on task.
Zarazan said she agreed with Campbell that swimmers should be constantly training. It is a year round sport that does not really have an off-season, she said.
Miranda Isaac, Hutchinson senior, said getting the chance to swim with half the team made things a lot easier.
"There are no excuses during the summer," she said. "We are held accountable by each other."
The girls competed in a meet this past weekend for the first time this summer at the 48th Annual Air Capital Invitational, which was held in Wichita.
Coach Campbell said the swimmers all swam well, but they only competed in the
Courtney Kuhlen/Kansan
Coach Clark Campbell explains the next set of laps to the girls swimming team during one of its practices. Campbell said the goal of summer practice was to make each swimmer better during the regular season.
preliminaries in each event and did not participate in the finals.
The girls will participate in two meets in July, the Roger Hill in Lawrence, July 9 to 11, and the USA Sectionals in Wichita, July 21 to 24.
— Edited by Marc Ingber
Not only does Webb own the fastest
DAVIS: Webb could end medal drought
After graduating high school in 2001, Webb lasted only one year at the University of Michigan before re-enlisting the services of his former high school track coach to help him train full-time. The move worked.
Once again, welcome Alan Webb. Webb is like a 2004 version of Jim Ryun, but not in the sense that he's been a track darling through high school and college like Ryun was.
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mile time in the world this year, he also holds the fastest time for his event in Athens,the 1500M.
You see, going into '68, no American had won gold in the 1500M since the late, great Mel Sheppard did in 1908. Needless to say, Ryun had an entire nation pinning its hopes on him to end 60 years of frustration.
Fast-forward to present day. It has now been almost 96 years since the U.S.won the 1500M gold, but worse yet, no American since Ryun's second place finish in 1968 has even medaled in an event 1500M or longer. That is 36 years for those of you scoring at home.
Too bad Kip Keino had other ideas. Keino dominated the entire race, leaving Ryun to settle for second and guaranteeing another 4 years of gold-less frustration for the U.S.
So is Alan Webb the 2004 Jim Ryun? Well, he certainly has not gotten the publicity or respect that Ryun received in his hevday.
Davis is a Topeka freshman in pre-journalism.
Of course, track and field was actually a big deal when Ryun was running. Now, unless it is Marion Jones or a BALCO-related scandal, track and field, particularly distance running, has faded like a Tim Montgomery claim to be drug-free in mainstream popularity.
But similar to a great runner heading down the homestretch, American distance running is ready to surge and Alan Webb is precisely the man to provide the kick. Is he the 2004 Jim Ryun? No he's not, because that is unfair to both him and Mr. Ryun.
Jim Ryun represented his country 36 years ago and did a fine job of it. Now it is Alan Webb's turn to try and reverse the fortune of American distance running and bring home the gold in the 1500M that has eluded the United States for nearly 96 years.
Just make sure that Kip Keino isn't lining up to race.