Future plans indefinite
Johnson resigns as assistant athletic director
Monte Johnson, assistant athletic director and business manager at the University of Kansas, resigned Tuesday and indicated his future plans are indefinite.
"I would like to make it very clear that the decision to resign as assistant director of athletics was entirely my own," Johnson said. "In doing so, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the many alumni, friends, and fans, too many to name individually, who have made my nine years with the athletic department so rewarding.
I don't believe anyone realizes
better than I, as a result of the position I have held in the athletic department, the importance of alumni and fan support to the
eventual success of an intercollegiate athletic program. In this regard, the University of Kansas alumni, friends, and fans are second to none in their loyalty
and support of the University and its athletic program," Johnson said.
"Having experienced this support as an athletic department employee," he said, "I am now anxiously looking forward to the opportunity to continue to serve the University of Kansas athletic program as a loyal alumnus."
With the team title practically conceded to Indiana, the KU team will be swimming for All-American rankings in the National championships March 26-28 in Salt Lake City.
Kansas who had last week off after winning the Big Eight championships will take nine swimmers to the meet at the University of Utah.
Bolton, who picked up four firsts in the Big Eight meet, will swim the 50,100,and 200-yard freestyles as well as being on the freestyle relay teams.
Nine swimmers to enter nationals
Kim Bolton and Bob Hines will be after their second All-American ranking. They were on both the 400 and 800-yard freestyle relay teams last year.
Hines will swim the 50 and 100-yard freestyle races individually while competing on the 400 and 800-yard freestyle relay teams and the 400-yard medley relay team.
In the 400-yard freestyle relay Tom Ellis and Roland Sabates will join Bolton and Hines. Ellis will also swim the 800-yard freestyle and the 400-yard medley relavs.
Coach Dick Reamon said Tuesday that the best chances they had of placing would be in the relay events. "We have a good shot at All-American ranking in both freestyle relays," he said
Steve Rice, Bolton, Hines and Ellis will toe the mark for the Hawks in the 800-yard freestyle relay.
"This is not a meet in which anyone can go," Reamon said. "Everyone must qualify, it is an honor even to compete in the nationals."
Scott Skultety and Steve Trombold have qualified for backstroke competition. Trombold will swim both the 100 and 200-yard events and Skultety will swim the 200.
Mike Tackett will swim the 400 freestyle and the 400 medley. Bob Wright, who competed in the Big Eight meet with the measles, will go after the 400 medley and the 800 freestyle relay.
8 KANSAN Mar. 18 1970
--year, Johnson joined the KU athletic department in 1961 as promotion director.
Athletic Business Managers Association and was slated to assume the presidency of the organization next January.
When Stinson became athletic director in 1964 one of his first moves was to name Johnson his assistant. A year later on the death of Earl Falkenstien, long time athletic business manager, Johnson assumed the duties of that position.
He is on the board of directors of the Lawrence National Bank and trust Co. and also a director at the Lawrence Country Club. He plans to continue living in Lawrence at this time.
Reamon said that in the conference meet they pushed a team effort. This, he said, does not obtain a maximum individual effort but allows depth to come through. He said they were looking for individual improvement this week.
He said the team felt it was not only representing KU and theirselves but also all of Big Eight swimming. They are very optimistic about bettering their own times and school records, Reaemon said.
Johnson and his wife, Kay, have two children, Jackie, 7, and Jeff, 4.
"At the same time," Johnson said, "I would like to publicly express my complete optimism for the future success of the University of Kansas athletic teams. The future for KU athletics is bright indeed, thanks to the presence of coaches Rodgers, Owens, Timmons, Temple, Reamon, Lockwood, Burns, Norton, and their respective staffs. If I have properly judged the ability and dedication of these excellent coaches, and I am sure I have, many championships and rewards are forthcoming for University of Kansas alumni and fans."
Johnson recently was elected first vice-president of the College
"Monte's decision to leave is a great loss to the athletic department and the University of Kansas," Stinson said. "His capability and efficiency in handling all the department's business activities will be most difficult to replace."
Maravich named as player of the year
Reamon said he was more pleased with the workouts they had had going into the Nationals this year than he had been last year. "Their attitude has been much better this year," he said.
Wade Stinson, KU athletic director, reluctantly accepted Johnson's resignation and said he would begin an immediate search for an athletic business manager to succeed him.
Johnson, 33, played basketball at Kansas in 1957-58-59 and was a teammate of Wilt Chamberlain two seasons. He graduated from KU School of Business in 1959.
The slender, 6-foot, 5-inch Maravich, College basketball's greatest scorer in history, was an easy winner in the balloting for the Naismith Award conducted by the United Press International.
The young man with the
NEW YORK (UPI) - Pete Maravich, a guy who plays basketball as though he invented the game, is the proud possessor of a giant trophy, named after the originator of the sport, designating the Louisiana State University star the college Player of the Year.
Announcement of the award, presented by the Atlanta, Ga. Tipoff Club, was made jointly in New York and Atlanta.
Maravich, the scorer-playmaker whose list of accomplishments include 11 NCAA scoring records and 34 Southeastern Conference offensive marks, was named winner of the second annual James A. Naismith Award Monday.
Bob Lanier, the giant center for St. Bonaventure who is considered the best big man in the college ranks this season, was second in the voting with 63 votes.
tousled hair and the floppy socks was named the top player in the country by 467 of the 566 sports writers and sportscasters participating in the balloting.
After working in Skelly Oil Co.'s marketing division for a
Lew Alcindor of UCLA was the winner of the first Naismith Award a year ago.
Rick Mount of Purdue was third with 13, followed by Dan Issel of Kentucky with 12 and Austin Carr of Notre Dame with 11.
---