THE UNIVERSITY DAILY IKANSAN
SPORTS
THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2008
3B
RAINS (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
why not head out to check in on some of the other stars in Kansas Athletics that not many people know about?
Some of you may in fact be as dedicated to the sports teams on campus as White Owl, but most of you have probably never been to a game that wasn't football or basketball. Here are a few other events and sports that are going on right now that you might enjoy
taking a little bit of time to go watch:
Kansas Relays - The 81st annual Kansas Relays are underway today through Saturday evening at Memorial Stadium and will again feature some of the top track and field athletes in the world. Shot put World Champion Christian Cantwell, 400-meter hurdles World Champion Bershawn 'Batman' Jackson,
American record holder Wallace Spearmon Jr., and World Outdoor Champion Muna Lee will all compete on Saturday afternoon. With the Olympics coming up this summer, it would be cool to say you saw some of the same athletes in the Olympics competing in Lawrence.
Tennis - What could be better on a beautiful spring day than to head out to the tennis courts
behind Robinson and watch some cute girls play tennis? The team has been in and out of the rankings several times this year and has put together some impressive wins. Most of the girls hail from Russia, Hungary and other countries around the world so don't expect to understand what they are velling.
Softball - Quitely, the softball team is putting together one of the best seasons in school history.
With a 30-11 record going into Wednesday night's games against Missouri, the team has already reached the 30-win plateau with a month still left to play. Junior outfielder Dougie McCaulley is second in the Big 12 Conference with a .402 batting average. The Jayhawks team ERA of 1.97 ranks third in the Big 12. They have made the NCAA tournament in two of the past three seasons and
look like they are headed back there again in 2008.
And speaking of softball, an effort is under way to start a club softball team on campus. Any female students interested in playing competitive fast pitch softball against other college teams in the area should e-mail rusty02@ ku.edu for more information.
— Edited by Katherine Loeck
OLYMPICS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, second left, and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani hold the Olympic torch during a ceremony in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday. Pakistan's leg of the Olympic torch relay got under way Wednesday for the country's elite as tight security resulted in an invitation-only event.
Torch to pass through India
Thousands of Tibetan exiles expected to protest
BY GAVIN RABINOWITZ
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW DELHI - About 100 Tibetan exiles tried to breach the security cordon Wednesday around the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi, and police dragged away about 50 of them, but not before they managed to spray paint "No Olympics in China" on a nearby street.
Many in India's 100,000-member Tibetan exile community, the world's largest, have threatened more of the protests that they've staged nearly every day since demonstrations first broke out in Tibet in March.
In recent weeks, Tibetan exiles here have stormed the Chinese Embassy, which is now surrounded by barricades and barbed wire, gone on hunger strikes, and shaved their heads to protest China's crackdown on Tibetan protests.
Exiles say the torch run is an opportunity to make their point, despite the fact that the Dalai Lama's support of China hosting the Olympics.
Protests are expected to begin early today, hours before the run scheduled for 5 a.m. CDT.
Thousands of Tibetans were heading to New Delhi to protest and take part in their own torch run to show the Tibetan struggle against China. Exiles also have urged Indian athletes to boycott the torch relay and asked residents to wear "Free Tibet" T-shirts and fly Tibetan flags.
Some exiles have said they plan to make a more dramatic statement, possibly trying to douse or steal the Olympic flame, but activists were sketchy about their plans.
Tenzin Tsundue, a Tibetan activist with a reputation for publicity stunts, said he didn't want to talk about specific plans in a telephone interview Wednesday because he feared his phone was tapped.
"But be at India Gate tomorrow," he said, referring to a monument the torch will pass.
Life is calling How far will you go?
Activists disrupted torch relays in Paris, London and San Francisco. However, stops in Kazakhstan, Russia, Argentina, Tanzania, Oman
Information Session
University of Kansas
Friday, April 18
7-8:30 p.m.
Kansas Union
Big 12 Room
Public sympathy in India lies with the Tibetans, who have sought refuge in the country since the Dalai Lama fled Tibet after a failed uprising against Beijing in 1959, setting up his government-in-exile in the northern town of Dharmsala.
While India needs to bow to popular sentiment and allow some Tibetan protests, it must ensure it does not jeopardize its important relations with China, analysts said.
Both countries, with their billion-plus populations, are seeking a greater role on the world stage, spurred by rapidly growing economies. India is still wary of China, whose economic, diplomatic and military clout has recently grown.
For information contact campus representative Heather Sutter 110 Burge Union 785-864-7679 peacecorps@ku.edu
India and China are forging their closest ties since they fought a 1962 border war. Last year, two-way trade reached $37 billion.
peacecorps.gov
and Pakistan were trouble-free.
For India, a disruption like Paris, where officials were forced to douse the flame, would be a political disaster.
》 KANSAS RELAYS
Track and Field athletes prepare for this weekend's historic Relays Jayhawks confident after last weekend's meet success
Apply for the 2009 Women of KU Calendar at womenofku.com
BY DANNY NORDSTORM
dnordstrom@kansan.com
Another page in the history books was written Wednesday as the 81st annual Kansas Relays began. Beautiful weather and impressive performances made day one exciting and enjoyable.
Two Kansas athletes competed Wednesday in the decathlon and heptathlon. Sophomores Chelsea Helm and Jacob Breth competed in the first half of the events, which conclude today. The two posted solid performances and coach Stanley Redwine was pleased.
Redwine said that home meets in track and field were rare, and were valued by Kansas athletes.
"For me personally, I'm just happy to be a part of it," he said. "The meet's director is doing a great job in putting it together. We have great fields and we have better universities coming and more competition."
"Being at home is good because you have the whole crowd here to pump you up and all your coaches and teammates are here to cheer you on," senior Crystal Manning
Manning said that the Jayhawks were off to a great start this outdoor season and have made improvements from the indoor season.
Manning will compete in the triple jump, long jump and 4 x 100 meter relay. Last weekend at the John Jacobs Invitational in Norman, Okla., Manning won the long jump with her leap of 6.29 meters and posted the fifth best jump in University history.
said.
"I think everybody's getting stronger," she said. "We all have more confidence in ourselves and more confidence in our teammates. Everybody's just ready to get out here and step out of their comfort zone."
"I honestly believe we have an outdoor team simply because we have certain events like the javelin that are only outdoors," he said. "Outside, I think we are a stronger team."
Senior spinner Jarrell Rollins is definitely ready to step out of his comfort zone this weekend. Rollins will compete in the 400- meter dash and is excited to run in front of his home crowd and campus.
Rollins is also pleased with the meet's pleasant weather.
After nine regionally qualifying times posted by the Jayhawks last weekend in Norman, Rollins said that the team had the momentum they needed to take home a victory this weekend.
"I always consider myself as an outside man so I love running
outdoors," he said. "It might be tough to run with this wind, but it's not even going to be a factor in my mind."
"We just need to keep riding our success through the KU relays all the way to the Big 12 Championship," he said.
Rollins credited the Jayhawks outdoor success to the addition of several events that are not offered with the indoor season.
The Kansas Relays take place today through Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. Cost is free for students and $10 for adults. Events start at 8:30 this morning and last until 9:20 p.m.
—Edited by Madeline Hyden