Thursday, March 7, 1968
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
7
Askins hopes to repeat
JIM ASKINS
By Carla Rupp Kansan Staff Reporter
When Jim Askins steps on the one-meter diving board at the Big Eight swimming championships today in Robinson Gymnastium, he will be trying to repeat as one-meter champion—against a field that includes all the divers who placed in a tight top five at last year's championships.
Askins, however, is confident.
"I've been feeling better about my diving this year," he said. "Now I have no guesswork and do the dives just like clockwork."
But even his confidence does not temper his respect for his opponents. Askins garnered 383.8 points in the 1967 diving championships. Mike Ballard of Colorado placed fifth only 22.5 points behind.
Askins specifically singled out as potentially his toughest competitors Steve Sorenson, an All-American at Nebraska two years ago, and Mickey Varner of Missouri, who finished second to Askins last year.
Askins likes to do the difficult dives in competition. His favorite is a reverse one and one-half somersault which has the highest degree of difficulty on the one-meter board, he said.
"Judges shouldn't look at the difficulty of a dive," he said, "since scoring supposedly has nothing to do with difficulty, but with the mechanics, grace, form and entry into the water."
He said it does impress a judge if the diver executes a tough dive reasonably well with no splash as he hits the water.
In three-meter, Askins tends to take things a little easier.
"I haven't had as much experience on the high board as I have on the low, so on the three-meter board I just try to do the dives reasonably well without attempting all the most difficult ones," he said.
Askins not only hopes to repeat his championship, but also to see the KU team take its first Big Eight swim title. He said the team is much stronger and has more depth this year. Morale is also higher because of the facilities in Robinson, he said, remembering how he used to hit the ceiling while diving off the three-meter board in the old Robinson pool.
Besides defending his one-meter title, Askins will also compete in three-meter diving. Last year he was second to Varner on the high board.
Betas win fraternity 'A' title
"I don't see how we can be beat," Askins said.
Beta Theta Pi played hustle basketball to defeat Kappa Alpha Psi, 62-57, for the Fraternity A league championship Wednesday night at Robinson Gymnasium.
Led by the 20-point performance of Steve Chandler, Tulsa, Okla., freshman, and by 19 points from Rudy Belton, Wamego senior, the Betas managed to stay slightly in front after the Kappa Alpha Psis came back during the second half to tie the score and lead by two, 51-49 in the closing quarter.
Kappa Alpha Psi couldn't hold the lead.
High scorers for Kappa Alpha Psi were Don Shanklin, Amarillo, Tex., junior, with 19 points, and Ron Lang, Leavenworth junior, with 11.
In other games Wednesday:
Independent A—semifinals
Sirinloit Tips 58, Laws 42
Old Charters 53, Black Hawks
Fraternity B—finals Betas 36, TKE 35
Independent B—finals Swahilis 35, SEK Boys 33 Fortress Court
Dwarkins 50, SLK Boys 33
Fraternity C—finals
Phi Gams No. 128 Beta N
Fraternity C—finals
Phi Gams On 1. 28, Beta On 4. 21
Phi Gams On 1. 28, Beta On 4. 21
Phi Gams No. 1 28, Beta No. 4 21
Independent C—finals
Independent C-finats Losers 49, Collective Alpha Sig 27
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