Sports
University Daily Kansan / Tuesday. March 24, 1987
9
Women's track team gains momentum
By DIANE FILIPOWSKI
Staff writer
The momentum the women's track team gained from its third place finish at the Big Eight Indoor Conference Championships has seemed to carried over into its outdoor season
The Jayhawks opened the second part of its track and field season Saturday at the Southwestern Relays in Lafayette, La. The State University in Lafayette, La.
No team scores were kept, but Kansas won four and placed second in the six field events. The Jayhawks also won two of eight running events.
Fifteen Jayhawks competed against a 10-team field which included Southwest Louisiana State, Louisiana State, Southern Mississippi, Southeast Louisiana, Tulane, Nichols College, Prairie View, North
western Louisiana and Princeton.
Carla Coffey, women's coach, said the team arrived in Lafayette three days before the meet to begin its outdoor training.
"The team feels very good about the outdoor season that is ahead," Coffey said. "We had some good performances that were a good ways to start the season."
Kansas' Denise Buchanan won the discus with a throw of 162.9. Buchanan, who finished fifth in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships, was second in the shot put with a toss of $51.8^{\circ}$.
Buchanan's performance qualified her for NCAA Outdoor Championships June 1-6 in Baton Rouge. La. He discusr talk, which was also a Cajan Track stadium record, was just short of the NCAA qualifying
mark of 168-6
Cynhea Rhodes, who finished 14th in the triple jump at the indoor nationals, also set a stadium record with her 39.5 win in the triple jump.
with 8 yr college.
Jaci Metzger rounded out the field
event winners for Kansas with an 18-
$ \frac{1}{8} $ long jump.
Kansas' Ann O'Connor, who recently finished eighth at the indoor nationalals, finished first with a jump from third. The man finished second with a 5.6 k.
Cliff Rovello, assistant coach, said Trisha Mangan's win in the 1,500 meter run with a time of 4:44.29 was the team's outstanding run of the meet.
Rovello said the win was impressive because Mangan won by 21 seconds and ran most of the race alone.
Coffey said the team performed
better in the sprint events than it had during the indoor season.
Mylene Maharaj) finished second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.68 and third in the 200-meter dash with 24.78, which was close to the NCAA qualifying time of 23.30.
Casimir also placed second in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 63.15, and O Hara's dash of 54.38 in the 400-meter dash put her in third place.
The mile relay team of Jescia Casimir, Yolanda Taylor, Michelle Foran and Veronda O'Hara recorded Kansas' other win with a time of 3:51.67.
O'Connor and Wadman will compete April 3-4 in the Texas Relays. The other 22 members of the team will face the Kansas State Pepsi Invitational.
Water now therapy for ex-KU swimmer
Bv DIANE FILIPOWSKI
Staff writer
It's been two years since former Kansas swimmer Karen Dionne won the Big Eight Conference title and recorded the fastest 100-yard breastroke time in conference history.
Dionne, a freshmen then, qualified
and competed in the National College Athletic Association Championships. Many talked of the bright future she had as a dedicated and determined swimmer.
Dionne never
Dionne
competed again in a Big Eight or NCAA championship. On Nov. 30, 1985, she received severe head injuries after the car in which she was a passenger slid out of control on icy roads as she returned to school after Thanksgiving break.
Today, swimming has taken on new meaning for the Bartlesville, Okla., native who now attends school at the New Medico Rehabilitation Center in Wauchula, Fla., where she receives specialized rehabilitation for her head injuries.
Dionne was comatose for a month after the accident and during the months that followed, she underwent therapy to relearn basic skills such as speaking, talking and walking.
'I miss school really bad and I miss my family so much. But I know I should stay. I know this is good for me.'
— Karen Dionne
Former Kansas swimmer
During that time, Cindy Walton now a team coordinator at the center worked with Dionne at Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa and used swimming as part of her therapy.
Dionne is semicomatose and at first did not like the water, Walton said. But gradually she made improvement and even began to swim on her own about three months after she began her therapy.
While the Kansas swim teams competed March 5-7 at the Big Eight Championships in Lincoln, Neb., Dionne thought about how the team was doing, she said in a recent phone interview from the center.
Both teams finished second in the meet behind defending conference champions Nebraska. Kansas sent six women last week to the NCAA championships in Indianapolis.
"I wish they would have won," Dionne said, "but I am excited for them because it sounds like they did well."
Barbara John, coordinator of reha
bilitation programs at the center, said swimming was still a part of Dionne's life.
John said the weather in Florida was getting warm and Dione talked constantly about starting to swim again.
In Florida, Dionne decided she wanted to become more competitive in her swimming, Walton said, so she swam with the Fort Meade High School team during practices.
Walton said swimming with that team was an important step for Dionne because it allowed her to make a discovery necessary for her progress.
"She learned that she would probably not be able to swim competitively again," Walton said. "It had to happen, but she learned it on her own."
Dionne said her starts, turns and and most of her strokes had improved, excluding the butterfly because of her inability to get both arms out of the water at the same time.
John said Dionne remained realistic about her swimming capabilities. But, he said, Dionne found a way in which she still be involved in teaching lessons.
"Working with people is one of her strong points because she is very in tune to people's needs." John said. "She has always been helpful, and this is a way for her to give to others."
Dionne had seen improvement. John said, because she attacked her therapy like she did her swimming.
John said Dionne attended speech pathology, occupational therapy, social work, education, cognitive remediation and physical therapy classes to prepare her to live independently and to take a college-level course, possibly next month.
"We want her to succeed," John said. "We want her to be in a program like this because it will allow her to work at her own pace. She is capable of doing the work."
John said Dionne used her time in the evenings productively, either writing in her journal, reading a book, attending her Thursday night ceramics class or going into town to watch a movie with friends.
John said Dionne missed her friends and family, and added that being on her own was important to her rehabilitation.
Dionne talked a lot about the visit her parents were going to make soon. She had not seen them since she arrived at the center in September.
"The way she uses her time shows her determination," John said. "She is very dedicated."
"I miss school really bad and I miss my family so much," Dionne said. "But I know I should stay. I know this is good for me."
"The visit will do Karen a lot of good." John said, "because she still needs to have those hugs from the people she loves the most and to hear them tell her she is all right."
L. A. Rauch/KANSAN
Chris Bohanan, Bishop, Texas sophomore, practices pole-vaulting at the Anschutz Sports Pavilion. The men's track team is preparing for its outdoor season, which begins April 3-4 in Austin, Texas at the Texas Relays.
Going up
Kansas is scoreless at NCAA swim meet
By DAVID BOYCE
Staff writer
The 200-yard medley relay team
For the first time in nine years, the Kansas women's swim team was unable to score a point in the NCAA Championships held last weekend in Indianapolis.
Four Knasas relay teams also qualified for the meet.
Two swimmers qualified in individual events. Erin Easton qualified in the 200-yard individual medley and Liz Duncan in the 50-vard freestyle.
"When you take six people, they need to work together as a group to be successful," Coach Gary Kempf said.
"Our swimmers now realize they must redefine themselves to swim better."
"They were both just a little off"
"simpl said. They did not get done
consisted of Susan Bloomfield, Taryn Gaulien, Easton and Duncan.
and a second away win over pace.
The top 16 places in the NCAA
Championship become All-Americans.
The relay team finished 17th and was 1 seconds away from 16th place.
The 200-yard freestyle relay team consisted of Susan Spry, Rene Bunge, Easton and Duncan. That team consisted 17th and 43 of a second from 16th.
"Bloomfield swam great in the relays." Kempf said.
The 400-yard freestyle relay team included Spry, Bloomfield, Gaulien and Duncan. Kempf said they swam but were eliminated because of a false start from the anchor.
The 400-yard medley relay team consisted of Bloomfield, Gaulien.
Texas won the meet, and Stanford finished second.
Texas football cited by NCAA for violations
United Press International
DALLAS - The Southwest Conference suffered further damage to its image yesterday when University of Texas officials revealed that the NCAA has charged the Longhorns' football program with numerous rules violations since 1980.
The University of Texas released a letter from the NCAA that cited multiple violations in 20 categories from 1890 through 1986 and requested information on three other allegations. Two of them were under the new coach David McWilliams.
SWC Commissioner Fred Jacoby said yesterday that he had not seen the Texas report from the NCAA and had no comment.
Six of nine SWC football programs are on NCAA probation or under investigation. Southern Methodist, Texas Christian and Texas Tech are on NCAA probation, and the NCAA is investigating reports of improprieties at Houston, Texas A&M and
Athletic director DeLoss Dodds said Texas will file a formal response to the charges April 19 and meet with the AAA Infractions Committee April 24.
These revelations are after last month's NCAA penalties against
SMU. The Mustang football program received the harsh sanctions ever imposed by the NCAA as a result of improper recruitment and payments, including illegalities after SMU went on probation in 1985. The NCAA banned SMU football for 1987, imposed limits on recruiting and placed the university on probation through 1990.
Texas Gov. Bill Clement, former chairman of the SMU board of governors, earlier this month disclosed that he and other university officials had decided to phase out the improvement rather than end them immediately.
TCU is on NCAA probation because of an improper slush fund operated by boosters and Texas Tech because of recruiting violations.
Texas A&M has given the NCAA the results of an internal investigation into reported violations, including allegations that a booster provided a car and other benefits to Mustangs' quarterback, Kevin Murra.
An attorney hired to investigate the Houston football program told the university that former coach Bill Yeoman made payments of up to $500 to players from a slush fund.
Softball team returns after 9-8 break finish
By ROB KNAPP
Staff writer
The Kansas softball team returned from last week's trip to Oklahoma and Texas after winning nine of 17 games and playing five nationally ranked teams.
The Jayhawks tied for third at the Sooner Invitational in Norman, Okla., and finished sevent at the Houston Invitational. Each tournament had a field of 16 teams.
Kansas softball coach Bob Stanclift said the team hit well but didn't play steady defense.
"We tend to have a bad inning or make a few mistakes that let the other team score some easy runs." Stanciff said.
Kansas, ranked 20th in the country,
opened the Norman tournament with
a 1-4 victory over 186-hranked Illinois
and a 6-3 loss to eighth-ranked Creighton.
The Jayhawks then won four of their next five games and advanced to the tournament semifinals, where Illinois State avenged its earlier loss by shutting out Kansas 3-0.
Stanclift said that Reenie Powell took control of the games she pitched in Norman, but that the Jayhawk
pitches didn't perform up to their potential the rest of the trip.
After dropping both games of a double-header between invitations to third-ranked Texas & A.M. Kansas began the Houston tournament with victories over Baylor and Colorado before losing again to Texas & A.M.
The Jayhawks finished the tourney by splitting their last four games, including losses to ninth-ranked Arizona State and fifth-ranked Louisiana State.
The tough tournament competition dropped Kansas' record to 11-10, but senior catcher Kelly Downs said the experience would help.
"I think it did us some good," said Downs, who along with senior outfitter Sheila Connolly paced the Jayhawk hitting attack. "It showed us that we're going to have to work that much harder."
Downs said a rule change this season that moved the pitcher three feet farther from home plate, from 40 feet to 43 feet, had helped the hitters.
"I don't think you realize it when you're in the box." Downs said, "but if they moved it back to 40 feet again, you'd be able to tell the difference."
Crew wins Jester Cup for the 5th year in a row
Staff writer
By DIANE FILIPOWSKI
Winning the men's and women's team championship at the Heart of Texas Regatta at the University of Texas has become a tradition for the Kansas Crew team
For the fifth straight year, the crew has won the Jester Cup for the combined team championship March 21 at Town Lake in Austin, said Crew coach Ciff Elliott yesterday.
Kansas' 130 team members won seven of the regatta's 14 races and finished second in six others. The 21-team field included boats from Minnesota and Notre Dame, Nebraska, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State had teams representing the Big Eight schools.
"We did very well considering we have a young team," Elliott said. "In
Elliott said that the team arrived in Austin a week early for a week of twice-a-day three-hour practices to provide a strong base for the competition.
"We chartered a bus and the students paid the expenses to stay in Austin for a week," Elliott said. "It quite a commitment on our part."
most races, we had to compete against teams that have three and four years of experience."
Elliott said that he was pleased with Kansas' novice team members who dominated the regatta with more thn one boat in each final heat.
The men's and women's novice lightweight eight-man boats, the
Drug-abuse article shows McLain only looking out for No.1
See CREW, p. 10, col. 4
Sports Illustrated paid him an undisclosed amount of money for his personal story of drug abuse, but any amount would have been too much. The story proved that Gary McLain only looks out for Gary McLain.
Gary McLain sold out.
Villanova's former No. 22 detailed his cocaine and marijuana abuse in Sport's Illustrated March 16 cover story, "A Bad Trip." McLain told of how he used cocaine during the 1985 basketball season and before the team's NCAA Final Four semifinal game against Memphis State. And he told about how he lied, cheated, sold drugs and stole to keep himself supplied with drugs during most of his career at Villanova.
McLain said in the story that he felt others might benefit if he shared his story. The only on who benefitted was McLain.
basketball and drug abuse lacked the sense of tragedy we so often see in the world of athletics. The death of Len Bias was a tragedy. And what did McLain do after he heard of Bias' death? He went out and get high.
His tale of big-time college
Mark Siebert
Sports editor
So many ghettos youth, with few opportunities and fewer people willing to help them, fail in high
school or college and are destined to spend their lives in the streets. McLain has himself to blame. He pointed fingers at quite a few people who he thought could have helped him with his drug problem, including Villavona coach Rollis Massimino. Massimino and the dean of students at Villanova both confronted McLain about rumors they had heard, but McLain flatly denied his drug use.
If anything good comes of these revelations it will be that the story solidifies the need for drug testing before sporting events. Coaches want to believe their players and they want to trust them, so they shouldn't be expected to police them like the NCAA can.
McLain's story is one of an
irresponsible kid who acted as if he were above the rules others had to follow. He seemed to be a recreational drug user more addicted to the limelight and living in the fast lane than to the drug itself.
At Villanova, McLain stole basketball shoes for money and took loans from boosters and other students that he knew he would never repay. When he graduated to a job on Wall Street, McLain forged checks and travel vouchers for extra cash.
"But coach Donlan knew I was a fast kid." McLain wrote. "He
McLain had always been that way. In high school, his coach, Bill Donlon, only allowed the star point to be scored, and he put him, Villanova and Holy Cross.
knew that if people offered me money or a car, I would take it. That's how I was."
That's how he is. Sports Illustrated, the usually reputable sports magazine, offered him the money and he took it. McLain said that he had reached an all-time low and went for help. Finally backed into a situation that he couldn't con or lie his way out, of he admitted his drug problem. He then told people who didn't help him. He acuses coaches, players and others who failed to help him.
McLain had so much coming his way it's hard to feel sorry for him. He moved out of the projects in New York to a nice residential area. He received a scholarship to
a well-known college with a strong basketball reputation. He won a national championship ring. He lived the life that many athletes, especially those from the city, only dream about living.
He and his teammates played the role of the Cinderella team in the 1985 NCAA tournament when they beat Georgetown in one of the biggest upsets in Final Four history. There was an innocence to it, but as a young player cats played flawlessly and overcame the Big, Bad Royals.
Then the clock struck twelve. McLain turned back into a loser and the unbelievable dream of 1985 NCAA Champion Villanova Wildcats became tarnished forever.