Jayhawks venturing to Illinois
After three straight weekends on the relay circuit, KU's powerful track squad retooks this week for a Saturday dual against Southern Illinois at Carbondale.
Coach Bob Timmons will take a 28-man squad to Southern Illinois for the Jayhawks' final tuneup ahead of the Big Eight championships at Ames, Iowa, May 16-17.
Ron Jessie, one of the Jayhawks most versatile performers, will miss the Southern Illinois dual in order to play in the Kansas spring football game the same day. Jessie, a leading candidate for the tailback position, has been dividing time this spring between the football practice field and the track.
Jessie long jumped 26.4½ (wind) and ran the high hurdles in 13.9 this spring while also running with some of the KU sprint relay teams.
While competing in only four meets this spring, Jayhawk athletes have surpassed five school records and tied one in individual events and broken three others in relays.
The new individual record-holders: 100-yard dash, Mickey Mathews, 9.3; pole vault, Bob Steinhoff, 16-6; shot put, Karl Salb, 66-6¼; discus, Doug Knop, 189-8½; hammer, Bill Penny, 176-0; long jump, Stan Whitley, 26-0½ (tied record).
In the relay events the following teams set school records:
440-40.3, George Byers,
Mickey Mathews, Stan Whitley
and Julio Meade.
880-1:23.3, Mickey Mathews,
Jim Hatcher, Randy Julian, and
Julio Meade.
Distance Medley-9:33.0, Jim Neihouse, Randy Julian, Thorn Bigley and Jim Ryun.
Versatile Ron Jessie 'psyched' for football
By PHYLLIS JONES Kansan Sports Special
Always a step behind George Byers and a fraction of an inch behind Stan Whitley, Ron Jessie holds the No. 2 spot in two different track events.
But, the versatile athlete from El Central (Calif.) Junior College is working for the No. 1 tailback position on the football team.
Although he attended junior college on a basketball scholarship, Jessie, Yuma, Ariz., junior, was also a member of the football and track teams.
"I gave up basketball because I'm too short," the 6-foot-1 tailback said, "But, I like both football and track. I enjoy traveling with the track team, and football is where the money is."
Bypassing scholarship offers from UCLA and USC, Jessie came to KU second semester of 1968 on a football scholarship.
He received offers from both the football and track teams with the understanding that he would perform in both sports.
Although he participated in spring football practices last year, Jessie was redshirted this fall because he did not have enough hours to be eligible. Also, he did not run track.
This track season, however Jessie has given both Byers 60-yard high hurdles world champion, and Whitley, long jump king a scare. Both hurdlers have often been clocked at the same time. In the Kansas Relays, the 1-2 duo ran the 120-yard high hurdles in 13.9, the best time this year for both. Jessie holds the NCAA indoor long jump title with a $25^{\prime} 2\frac{1}{2}"$ jump, and was second to Whitley in two straight meets.
Two days a week, Jessie does not practice for track, but attends spring football practice to learn the plays. He will not attend the dual track meet with Southern Illinois University this weekend, because he will play in the annual spring football game.
Mizzou series this weekend
he does not enter pro ball, he plans to coach at a high school or junior college.
Referring to Ben Olison, who was hired earlier this year as KU's first black assistant coach, Jessie commented, "There has been a slight breakthrough, but still that's just one."
KANSAN Sports
Having had no previous experience playing under a black coach either in high school or in junior college, Jessie said "I dig it. I think it is important for a university to have a black coach. The black athlete needs someone of his color with the same background to understand the problems he faces as a human as well as an athlete."
"I don't believe I would get many coaching offers from universities," Jessie said.
KU's hopes still flicker for a first-division Big Eight baseball finish-the first since 1964.
An athlete who plays two sports is no longer a novelty,but one such as Jessie who excels in three is still a rarity.
This feeling of identification extends to the pom-pon squad. "I feel personally represented by a black pom-pon girl," Jessie said.
But the Jayhawks must battle Missouri's formidable Tigers this weekend at Columbia, then return home next weekend for a three-game set with potent Oklahoma State.
Coach Floyd Temple's squad, 4-6 in conference play, has much ground to cover in order to catch co-leaders Oklahoma (9-3) and Oklahoma State. Missouri (7-3), in the race to catch the clay country entries, and Kansas State (4-4) also ranks ahead of KU.
KU and Mizzou play a single game today and complete the series with a doubleheader tomorrow. Missing from the Jayhawk lineup will be first baseman John Riggins, who joined spring football practice Monday.
Lefthander Richard Slicker,
6 KANSAN May 2 1969
NEED TUTORING FOR WESTERN CIV? 4 Sessions 21/2 Hrs. a Session 1 Dollar An Hour Call VI 2-5206 for Information After 5:00 George Waterman, Instructor
After graduation, Jessie hopes to play professional football. If
pacing the Kansas pitching staff with a 4-1 record and 1.95 earned-run average, will toil in one of Saturday's games. Temple has not decided among Randy Stroup (1-3), Dave Robisch (2-2), and Corky Ullom (1-1) for his other starters.