University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, April 27, 1988
PAGE 1
Sports
13
KU softball team splits doubleheader
By Elaine Sung
KU pitcher Roanna Brazier faces a Creighton batter in the first game of yesterday's softball doubleheader at Jayhawk Field. KU upset the 13th-ranked Bluejays 2-1 in the first game. The Jayhawks lost the second game 5-4.
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas softball team took a break from the Big Eight Conference schedule to tackle Creighton in a doubleheader yesterday afternoon.
The Jayhawks, with a record of 32-
25, pulled an upset in the first game,
defeating the Blues jays 2-1. Creighton
back in the second game and
won 5-4.
The Bluejays, ranked 13th in the country, first scored in the top of third inning for a 1-0 score.
The Jayhawks stuck back in the bottom of the same inning, however. With the bases loaded, catcher Tammy Cook hit a double between left feet (fielder Jessica Hernandez and center fielder Sara Marchant home.
2nd baseman Reenie Noble was thrown out at home plate while trying to score, but it was all the Jayhawks needed to take the game as they held the Bluejays scoreless for the rest of the game.
"I was glad to see us play that well against that caliber of a team," said KU coach Kalum Huaek.
Creighton again started the scoring in the second game, when pitcher Jody Schwartz hit a double to left field, sending designated player Marina Watson home from second base.
The Jayhawks stunned the Bluejays in the third with four runs to make the score 4-1.
Roanna Brazier, playing first base for the second game, reached first on a single and then stole second after Creighton's catcher mishandled the ball. Designated player Janelle Gaeddert walked, and left fielder Susan Hubbard bunted to load the bases.
Hennig hit a line drive down the left side. Brazier slid home safely when Creighton third baseman Brenda Konfort overthrew home plate. Confusion mounted as the dust rose and hid the ball. Brazier rolled out of the way just in time as Gaeddert slid home safely as well.
The bases were loaded again after Cook was intentionally walked. But Creighton pitcher Kelly Broarkhart threw four straight balls, sending Honning home. Third base Gayne Hamlin sent Marcant home for a 4-1 score.
In the fifth inning, however,
Creighton's Schwartz smashed a
home run over the left wall, sending
second baseman Sue Frederick and
left fielder Joey Shope home and
tied the score 4-4.
Hack took pitcher Reeine Powell out of the game after she walked a batter,挖掘 Brazier, who pitched the first game, back to the mound. Lueke was moved from third to first in swinging moved from left field to third.
Creighton won the game in the seventh inning when Brookhart hit a double into right center, sending Mariana Paposha home for the winning run.
Brazier was given the loss for a
season record of 20-14.
"Overall, I'm pretty pleased. We played real well." Haack said. "I'm sick about losing the second ball game, especially after we won the first. Things just didn't go our way. We just did not make a key play when
we needed to make it."
Kansas 002 000 0-2 3 KU
Creighton: Schwartz and Schopk; L-Braier and Cook, W-Brazier (20-13), L-Schwartz
KANSAS 2, CREIGHTON 1
Creighton 011 000 0-1 4
Kansas 002 000 0-2 3
Rowdv
cfa 400 00-4 7^3$
Creighton, Brookhart, KEU, Klucz, Brazer (12), Cook, WBW, Brokert (20-14) 2bzSwitch, Panagos, Brookhart, Ewell 38s-Heming HR-Schwartz.
Creighton 100 030 1-5 9 0
Kansas 004 000 00-4 6 3
Continued from p. 1
years was worth every yard I put in. Also, just the idea of it being in the United States. It was like Kansas playing in the Final Four in Kansas City and all the fans being from Kansas."
Olympic swimming coach Don Gambirli said Gaines' Olympic backbeat was one of America's greatest success stories in all of sport.
Gaines had retired from swimming in 1981, and again briefly in 1983.
"Here's a guy at his peak in 1980," said Gambir, who is also the Alabama swimming coach. "He probel would have won five gold medals but has that year. That's hindsight, but he did hold five world records at the time.
"（Come back） was a disillusioning thing to do after sitting out. But Rowdy had that extra incentive to be an Olympic champion, which I guess was enough to bring him back into the sport."
Gaines said that if he would have won a gold in 1980, he would have remained retired in 1981, after his senior year at Auburn. But instead, he was drafted by Tampa Bay.
In 1983, Gaines was not swimming well and, with spending six hours a day training, was also forced to rely on workouts for income. But he still came back
"I decided I had to do it because 10 years from now I'd be kicking myself," said Gaines, who holds the Olympic records in the events he won. "Basicly, I had to see if I could call myself that at least I went for it. I couldn't call myself a wimp for the rest of my life."
The year before the games, after a poor finish in the 200-meter freestyle at the 1983 Pan American Games, the U.S. team talked about his possible retirement.
The coach told his star pupil that the key to his quest for Olympic gold was the 100 freestyle. The 100 freeestyle could, and would mean three gold medals. By being the fastest U.S. 100 freestyle, Gaines would then qualify for the two 400 relay teams.
Gaines came back and got his Olympic gold, but the missed opportunity in 1980 will always linger in his mind. The bitterness is gone, but the
pain is still evident.
"It was hard," he said. "It goes back to the every four years thing. It's still hard now. Obviously, it was not the right decision. The Olympics happened and they were a success. When when the Russians pulled out in 1984
"I think it (the U.S. boycot) was a stupid, stupid decision. It's hard for me to believe that the people high up in the government couldn't see that it was a stupid decision. They thought they were going to solve the problems of the world through athletics. It was a pipe dream. No way can you mix politics and athletics in any sport."
Gaines still trains daily and hopes to get another shot at the Olympics this summer in Seoul, Korea. But his competitive swimming future is in the hands of the United States Olympic Committee.
He lost his amateur status after the 1984 Olympics because he accepted money for appearances without putting the money toward a trust fund.
Gaines admits that it was his mistake and that if he had appealed to the committee than this would have been much better in an amateur sport this summer.
"I if I don't compete, it is a not-life-or-death situation," he said. "I'll be hard watchting. It was hard watching there." He continued there. It was hard watching in 1906.
"All my life, there'll always be a little pain in watching. But, I will always be cheering for my country. Hopefully, I'll be there in it, or doing commentary for a network. I'm going to get there somehow."
Gambriel said that if Gaines was still competing he would have a good chance to make his third Olympic team.
Third chance to not. Gaines said he still would maintain his theme of having fun in whatever he did.
"You've got to have fun," he said. "Swimming can be monotonous, but trying to make it fun and light helps things a lot. Training, discipline and dedication should come naturally to a swimmer. It has to.
"I love swimming. I swim the rest of my life. I crave swimming. I don't crave training, but I love and 'rave swimming.'
Sports Briefs
The Jayhawks defeated Missouri Western 23-2 on March 24.
KANSAS BASEBALL TODAY: The Kansas baseball team plays Missouri Western at 7 onnight in Hoglund-Maupin Stadium.
Kansas' record is 17-28 and 1-15 in the Big Eight.
MEMPHIS STATE PLAYERS LOSE ELIGIBILITY — Two former starters for the Memphis State Tigers have been permanently banned from NCAA basketball, and Coach Larry Finsch they paid a big price for dealing with a sports agent.
"I thought our guys should have
been penalized, no question, for what they had done, but I didn't think they needed the death penalty." Firch said Monday after the NCAA announced that players Gray have lost their eligibility to play college basketball.
In making that decision, the NCAA's eligibility committee rejected Maryland State's request to let players return to the lineup next year.
Alexander and Gray said they will consider turning pro, but indicated they have no firm plans for the immediate future.
Big Eight will miss all-star senior class
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — There may be more prestige than great players for Big Eight basketball teams next year.
Most obviously, Danny Manning will be gone from the national champion Kansas Jayhawks. The three-time Big Eight Player of the Year will be banking handsome NBA paycheeks when the Jayhawks open camp in October.
Oklahoma, the Big Eight team the Jayhawks beat in the NCAA finals, retains two of its best players. Center Stacey King and point guard Mookie Blaylock will be presseason all-conference picks and fan-favorite for the College of the Year in a conference that's no longer known exclusively for football.
Of the 40 players who started for five Big Eight teams in the NCAA Tournament, half will be gone next season. Kansas State's Mitch Manning, Kansas State's Mitch Rich-
mourn, Iowa State's Jeff Grayer, Missouri's Derrick Chievous and Oklahoma's Harvey Grant may not be duplicated for a long, long time.
"We're thinking it will be like the great 1971 football finish when Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado were 1-3-2 in the final poll," said Tim Allen, director of the Big Eight Service Bureau.
"It was four years later when the conference really felt the benefit of that, when we sent five teams to bowls as a result of the great recruiting that resulted. It could very well have been our worst year. Before we really know how much it has helped us, we'll have to see two or three recruiting classes."
Recruiters had better be wearing out their shoe leather. Five of the Big Eight's top seven scorers and six of its best rebounders are gone. King, Chandler and Willisman Richard Dumas are the only returning among the top 12 scorers.
0000000000000000000rioles choke again; 19 nears record
The Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — The Baltimore Orioles stumbled to 0-19 and staggered within one game of the longest losing streak in American League history, falling to the Minnesota Twins 2-4 last night on two home runs by Kent Hrbek and another by Randy Rush
It seemed like this would be the Orioles' night to win when Fred Lynn opened the game with a home run. Instead, it suddenly disintegrated and two-run homer and Bush's bases-empty shot in the sixth inning wiped
out Baltimore's 2-0 lead and gave the Twins their second victory in eight games.
Baltimore can tie the AL mark of 20 consecutive losses, last done by the Philadelphia Athletes in 1943, with another loss tonight in Minnesota. The record is 23 consecutive losses by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1961.
Not even Monday's encouraging telephone call from President Reagan to Baltimore Manager Frank Robinson could help the Orioles, who had champagne on ice in their clubhouse in case they won.
O'Hara to run in Drake Relays for first time
Bv Keith Stroker
Senior sprinter considered a leader able to compete with best in country
Kansan sportswriter
Since the seventh grade, Kansas sprinter Orena V'ora has competed in athletics. Then, she saw U.S. Olympic sprinter Evelyn Ashford and former sprinter Wilma McIlish in competitions on television
O'Hara, Kansas City, Kan., senior, is considered by her coach, Chiff Roweit, as one of the best players on the KU women's track team.
With that as an inspiration, O'Hara's athletic scope narrowed to track.
“Verona is a very important part of our team,” Rovetto said. “She is capable of competing against some of the best competition in the United States. She has a big heart and really wants to win.”
O'Hara's best event is the 400-
meter dash. Her best outdoor time
in that event is $33.80 seconds. She
also holds school records in the
440-yard indoor run at 55.40, the
400-meter indoor run at 56.47, the
meter indoor run at 1:22.61 and the
500-meter indoor run at
1:17.4
"I get just as scared before a big race as anyone else on the team would," O'Hara said. "I've even been so excited before a race that I've made myself sick. I usually have to head out of the trash can, though."
Despite what Rovelo said, O'Hara does not consider herself a fierce competitor.
O'Hara said she competed better outdoors, especially if it was warm. Her best performance outside. Here if it is 70-80 degrees outside.
O'Hara's best 400-meter time is .55 seconds slower than 53.25, the time needed in the 400 meters in
order to qualify for both the NCAA championships and the Olympic trials. The NCAA's are June 1-4 in Eugene, Ore. The Olympic trials are July 9-24 in Indianapolis. Teams must meet more criteria before more meets to attempt to qualify.
The Drake Relays is one of the most prestigious track meets in the country. It will be this year's first chance to compete there.
"I will be competing on our relay team, but not in the 400." O'Hara said. "At Drake, only the top eight runners compete in the individual events. I'm just thrilled that all of us are ready to compete in the relay events."
O'Hara attended Wyndotte High School, where she accumulated a 3.66 grade point average. It was good enough to earn her a partial academic scholarship to KU.
"I was recruited by a lot of junior colleges, but I wanted to go to a big school," O'Hara said. "I walked on at Kansas, mainly in the M.I.A.'s scholarship I was offered. I've really enjoyed my time here."
Veronda O'Hara, 400-meter spinner for the KU women's track team, trains in preparation for the Drake Relays this weekend. It will be her first opportunity to compete in the prestigious event.
O'Hara said her scholarship paid for her books and part of her tuition. She was in accounting her freshman year and had to work hard to try to keep up on assignments. It was such a strain and the scholarship was taken away from her.
"I walked, slept and breathed accounting, 24 hours a day," O'Hara said. "It is a very difficult and demanding field at KU, though. I'm now working on a business degree and was able to get my scholarship back this year."
O'Hara said a 2.5 GPA had to be maintained in order to get back
her scholarship. Track commitments took a lot of time, which consequently hurt her grades.
She is considered by her team members as a leader and one who has a good work ethic. Rovello said O'Hara was inconsistent early at KU, but training has helped her to overcome that.
In December, O'Hara will
"I think I would like to take a year off and pay off some of my loans," O'Hara said. "After that, I would like to get on with my career and move somewhere with a good climate."