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WWW.KANSAN.COM FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2008
>> KANSAS RELAYS
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Throwin'in the wind
BY DANNY NORDSTROM
dnordstrom@kansan.com
Hammer throwers Zlata Tarasova and Egor Agafonov are great teammates. The two grew up in Russia together
and shared the same friends and throwing coach during high school. Interestingly enough, according to Tarasova, she is the reason Agafonov came to KU.
"If it wasn't for me, he would probably still be in Russia somewhere, not throwing the hammer anymore," the junior said with a laugh.
"Sometimes it's not easy," he said. "It's stressful in competitions, especially when there are a lot of good guys, like the ones that are here. We fixed the mistakes and hoped that the finals would be all right."
While Tarasova was being recruited by Kansas, she informed Agafonov of the opportunity to study abroad and Agafonov decided to come to Kansas.
On the women's side, Tarasova did not
"It's kind of sad. It's my last Kansas Relays, but I'm glad that I won this event."
Senior Egor Agafonov throws in the men's hammer throw Thursday at the Kansas Relavs. Aqafonov took first place last year at the Kansas Relavs and finished fourth nationally
"I love Kansas. Lawrence is a great town and KU is a great school," the two time NCAA champion said. "I'm happy that I'm here."
EGOR AGAFONOV Hammer thrower
"It's kind of sad. It's my last Kansas Relays, but I'm glad that I won this event," he said.
Agafonov competed in the Kansas Relays yesterday and took home the victory for the Jayhawks, throwing his hammer 67.41 meters.
Agafonov struggled in the prelims, making several fouls, but managed to make the finals.
Weston White/KANSAN
have as impressive of a performance. She finished in 9th place with a disappointing 53.33-meter toss. Conditions were rainy and soggy, and several athletes slipped during their throws.
"It was the worst competition I've ever had," she said. "Rain is just terrible for me."
Zarasova's disappointing finish in the Kansas Relays is one of several so far this outdoor season. She feels the problem mainly stems from her focus on the weight throw as opposed to the hammer.
"I've been throwing the weight throw for months and I didn't touch my hammer at all," she said. "I've never done that before. I just need more practice and some better weather."
While Tarasova did not compete well, several Jayhawks posted impressive finishes at the relays.
and fifth place respectively.
Kansas women finished in first, third, and fifth place in the 3,000-meter run. Senior Alicia McGregor took home the victory for KU with a time of 10 minutes, four seconds while senior Haley Harbert and sophomore Allison Knoll took third
Also competing for Kansas were sophomores Jacob Breth and Chelsea Helm. Breth placed seventh in the decathlon
while Helm came in 12th in the heptathlon.
The Kansas Relays continue tomorrow with events starting at 8 a.m. and concluding at 9 p.m. Admission is free for students and $10 for adults.
Edited by Jared Duncan
SOFTBALL
Jayhawks lose two games to Missouri, prepare to face Texas A&M
BY KELLY BRECKUNITCH
kbreckunitch@kansan.com
The University of Kansas softball team lost two tough games to Missouri on the road Wednesday. Coach Tracy Bunge said losses were always harder when you lose to a rival.
"Any sport that faces Missouri, I think the intensity is a little higher." Bunge said. "The rivalry obviously is there and you always want to take care of business during that game."
played extremely well and pitched extremely well," said Bunge.
The Jayhawks lost 7-2 in the first game. While Missouri came up with only six hits in the game, the Tigers were efficient and scored seven runs on those six hits. The Jayhawks managed one fewer hit than the Tigers, but they produced only two runs. One of those hits was a home run by freshman right fielder Liz Kocon, accounting for half of the Jayhawks' run support. Junior center fielder Dougie McCaulley had two hits in the game and the only other RBI. Missouri senior pitcher Jen Bruck limited the Jayhawks' chances and presented a tough matchup for the team.
Junior outfielder Dougie McCauley misses a hard line drive during a game against Sunday at Arrocha Ballpark in Lawrence. The Jayhawks lost two games against Missouri on the road this week, with scores of 7-2 and 6-5.
Bunge said Bruck was a strong second half pitcher, who came on strong near the end of the season. She said Bruck was very hittable early in the season, but the Jayhawks met her on a day when she was in late season form.
"Bruck is a big key for them and she
The Jayhawks improved their play in the second game of the night, but the result was the same. The team lost in extra innings on a walk-off double, 6-5. Errors hit the team, as they committed three in the game, but they still managed to stay in the ball game. Sophomore first baseman Amanda Jobe did her part to help the Hawks, hitting two home runs and driving in three runs. Kocon had the other two RBI for the team.
Pitching was a problem for the Jayhawks in both games. Junior Valerie George struggled in the first game yielding six runs in two and one-third innings. In the second game, sophomore pitcher Sarah Vertelka allowed three runs and was pulled from the game before recording an out.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Bunge said she was at least pleased with freshman pitcher Allie Clark's performance in relief. She said George's struggles may have been due to her battling sickness, but it was an off day for George.
The team will play at Texas A&M on April 19 and 20. Bunge said the team
Now the Jayhawks move on to face Texas A&M, which is ranked fourth in the nation. "It will be very mental,very physical," Kocon said.
Kocon said that was an off day for the entire team. "It was no one person the team that could've done things better," Kocon said, "it was just the cards didn't go our way."
would need to shake off the Missouri losses and play up to the occasion. "We're going to obviously be the underdog.
There's nothing to lose," Bunge said. "Our kids just need to go out and play loose and have some fun with the event and go play
hard and do what we do."
— Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird
COMMENTARY
Kaun makes the most of college, basketball experience
In the classroom, Kaun has been a three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection majoring in Computer Science. On the court, Kaun evolved into a key reserve for the Jayhawks National Championship run this year. Though he lost his spot in the starting lineup this season, there were two particular performances this past season that put Kaun on the radar of many NBA scouts.
When senior center Sasha Kaun walks through the Campanile and down the hill in three weeks, the final chapter of one of Kansas' best student-athletes will come to a close.
In the first performance, Admiral James T. Kirk, played by William Shatner in Star
Trek II: The Wrath of Kaun, said it best,
"Khaaall! Khaaall! Khaaall!"
It was in the second half of Kansas' 84-66 victory against DePaul that the wrath of Kaun was unleashed. On the video board at Allen Fieldhouse, the memorable Star
Trek clip was played in celebration of the 6-foot-11, 250-pound center from Tomsk, Russia. Kaun, who had been limited to five minutes of play in the first half due to two quick fouls, redeemed himself by scoring 15 points, with five rebounds and two blocks in 15 minutes of play.
"He got off to a miserable start, but it took some courage to be honest with you," said coach Bill Self of Kaun's turnaround in the post-game press conference. "He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders."
Reflecting on these two performances, Kaun may have made a career for himself. This past week, Kaun was invited to tryout for the Russian Olympic basketball squad. If Kaun makes the cut, he will be the first Jayhawk men's basketball player to play in the Olympics since Danny Manning in 1988 and the first ever to play for a country other than America.
The same video clip did not play on the video boards of Ford Field in Detroit, but the wrath of Kaun was unleashed once again with an NCAA Regional All-Tournament performance against Davidson. With 13
points and six rebounds, Kaun gave the Jayhawks the edge over the Wildcats and ended Kansas' five-year drought from the Final Four.
With the NBA Draft on the horizon this summer, Kaun's name has been tossed into the mix of potential late second round draft picks. Should Kaun get drafted, he could have a long career in "the league."
With Kaun's success in the classroom coupled with his performance on the court this season, Kaun is the definition of a student-athlete. His hard work over the past four years is what every coach, teammate and fan could ever ask for in an individual. With this in mind, there would be nothing better than seeing Kaun in the Olympics this summer and in the NBA for seasons to come.
Comparing size and athletic ability, Kaun is reminiscent of former-Kansas center Scott Pollard. Pollard has been playing in the NBA for 11 years now and had a 2008 salary of $770,610. Not too shabby.
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—Edited by Russell Davies
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