Photo by Jim Forbes
High soaring 'Hawk
Soaring high, but just knicking the crossbar at 16-7, is Jan Johnson, KU pole vaulter competing at the 61st Drake Races.
Rodgers says turf benefits university
KU football coach Pepper Rodgers said Sunday that the new Tartan Turf to be placed in Memorial Stadium this summer will benefit not only Jayhawk football but the entire university as well.
Talking about the artificial turf as he watched his football team warmup prior to a two hour scrimmage in the stadium, Rodgers said the field will give KU facilities second to none.
"You put this turf with the addition to Allen Field House and Jayhawk Towers and there's not
Pepper Rodgers
another school in the country that can offer as much," Rodgers said.
Rodgers also mentioned the significance of KU being the first in the Big Eight conference to put down artificial turf and the resulting recruiting advantages.
The only other Big Eight schools to announce plans for a similar field are Nebraska and Kansas State.
Nebraska football coach and athletic director Bob Devaney announced last week that he is studying artificial turfs in hopes that the Cornhuskers will be playing on one by 1971.
Kansas State announced soon after KU in January that they too hoped to have such a facility by the 1970 season. However, upon presenting its proposal to
the State Board of Regents it was rejected for being "financially unsound." Presently the school is hurriedly trying to correct that major obstacle so that approval can be gained in time for the surface to be finished before the coming season's opener.
Apr. 27
1970 KANSAN 9
Contacted by the Kansan Sunday night, K-State Athletic Director Ernie Barrett said K-State is still hopeful of having the facility by September 12, the Wildcats' home opener. The K-State proposal is based upon donations. Interested persons can "buy" a square yard of the turf for $28.50. It will take 8,431 square yards for the project, Barrett said.
"As of right now I don't really know how we stand," Barrett said, "but I'm happy to say that as of our last report we were progressing very well." Barrett said that their project was based on a county basis with money then channelled to K-State.
The Board authorized the KU Endowment Association to install the synthetic turf, which will be Tartan Turf, with the understanding that the state architect must approve all plans and specifications.
Confirmation that KU would actually get the facility came Friday morning when the Board of Regents, meeting in Kansas City, gave approval to Chancellor E. Laurence Chalmers' recommendation of installing the allweather surface.
It was also stated that on completion, the project will become the debt-free property of the University of Kansas.
The agreement also states that the Endowment Association will act only as the contracting agency and that the athletic department will make its payments through that body. Chalmers said the project would be paid off in five years.
Actual cost of Tartan Turf,
which is manufactured by the
3M Company, is estimated at
$220,000 with an additional $25,000
interest.
The actual financing of the project is still sketchy. Chalmers told the Board that the fact that KU's athletic department revenues have exceeded expenditures over the last several years was the main reason KU could finance it.
Making a big splash
Photo by Jim Forbes
Going over the water jump in the 3,000 meter steeplechase is Jayhawk distance ace John Callen. Callen, steeplechase winner at the 45th Kansas Relays and in a dual meet against UCLA, failed to place at the Drake Relays.
Oilers boom past Aeros in 9th
TULSA (UPI)—Luis Melendez three-run double and game-winning single by Bob Guindon highlighted a four-run 9th inning rally as the Tulaa Oilers came from behind to defeat Wichita 8-7 Sunday night.
Jerry DaVanon opened Tulsa's rally in the final inning with a single to left and, with two out, Galen Pitts and Lee Thomas
walked to set the stage for Melinda's triple. Melinda came in as Guindon lined a single to center.
TUESDAY 7:30 P.M. Dyche Auditorium Free
Presented by the Center of Latin American Studies