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University Daily Kansan / Monday, April 25, 1988
11
Sports
Pressure, lack of depth hinder men's team in Relays
By Keith Stroker
Kansan sportswriter
The 63rd Kansas Relays was a success, according to man's track coach Bob Timmons. Successful if one looked at the planning and execution of the meet itself, but perhaps not nearly so successful if the Kansas men's performance is taken into account.
"I think all of our athletes did a fine job and tried as hard as they could." Timmons said. "I think most of them tried a little too hard and put a lot of pressure on themselves. The Kansas Relays is a quality meet, and it puts some added pressure on our team to do well."
Timmons, in his 23rd and final season as the Jayhawks' coach, was not making any excuses for his team's performances but said that Kansas did not have enough depth on him. He was in the number of events that it did.
Kansas junior distance runner Craig Wattke agreed with Timmons and said that because the Relays was something Kansas traditionally had done well in, it was tough to live up to, especially this year.
"Our vaulters and two-mile relay team did well, but our distance runners and sprinters did not," Watche said. "We really worked hard, but we didn't get to spend nearly enough time with our coaches because of their commitments with the Relays.
"With it being Coach Timmons' last year, there was a lot of pressure on us to do well. Everyone feels bad about the entire situation."
Timmons believes that the only way to get more people into the stadium is for the coaching staff to do a better job with the team.
"We have to put a winning team on the field in order to draw bigger crowds," Timmons said. "The coaches have to do a better job of recruiting and bringing in more quality players deep. We do have some quality athletes now, but not enough of them."
"I think Schwartz will know what to do and can get the job done next year," Watche said. "Combining the two teams is a big move, but it can work to help the track program. Nebraska and Kansas State have both done it, and they have done well."
Watchek thinks that the most important factor in getting the team to perform better is next year's Kansas coach Gary Schwartz. Schwartz will combine both the men's and women's track programs next season.
The Kansas women's team performed better than it did last year and Kansas junior sprinter Mylene Mahara] was pleased with how well the team did.
Maharaj thinks that next year's combining of the two teams is a good move and will prove beneficial.
"Our program will benefit because both we and the men can push each other and bring about some team unity," Maharaj said. "With our new coach coming in and bringing with him some great ideas, it should work out quite well."
Kansas Relays competitors wait for the starter's pistol at the beginning of the 5,000 meter run.
Dan Ruettimann/KANSAN
Two world class runners win meet events
By Keith Stroker
Kansan sportswriter
Two of the world's finest female athletes showcased their skills during the Kansas Relays on Saturday.
Gwen Torrance won the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.78 seconds. Her unofficial time of 22.60 was a new Kansas Relays record, but the race was declared wind aidered and she won a record. The record is 22.61, set by Merlene Ottey of Nebraska in 1981.
A wind tube measures the wind speed in meters per second. In all races that are 200 meters or less in distance, the wind speed must be measured. If it averages 2.0 or less, then the race is allowed to count as a record. If it is over that mark, then it does not count.
Rhonda Bianford of the San Diego Track Club won the 100 meter hurdles in an unofficial Kansas Relays record time of 13.05 seconds, but her race was also declared wind aided. Her official winning time turned out to be 13.22 which when it was converted to the record of 13.47 set by Faye Barrett of Western Illinois in 1986, it did not count.
Torrance is considered to be the third best female sprinter in the United States and the world's fifth. It has a consecutive 200 meter indoor races.
Gwen Torrence, competing unaffiliated, wins the 200 meter dash with a wind-aided time of 22.60 seconds. Torrence is ranked third in the United States and fifth in the world in the 200 meter dash.
"I have never been to Kansas before, and the Relays stood out to me as a fine meet." Torrance said. "I knew Kansas had a great basketball team because I played with them when I thought I'd come here and see what their track was like, and I was glad that I did."
Torrance has not had much of a chance to compete in competitive meets. She runs unaffiliated, which makes it difficult for her to find good competition.
trio good compañero Kansas women's track coach Cliff Rovelo said Torrance was one of the finest sprinters in the United States and had a legitimate chance to make the Olympic team.
"Gwen has a tremendous amount of talent, and she has as good a shot as anyone at making the Olympic team," Rovelo said. "The kinds of meets like the Kansas Relays are good for people like her who do not get much of a chance to compete."
Blanford was encouraged by her time in the 100 meter hurdles.
though she thought she could have done better. Unlike Torrance, Blanford is not unfamiliar with Kansas because she ran track for Nebraska for four years and had competed here before.
"I really enjoy it when I compete at Kansas because I love the track
here," Blanford said. "I'm trying not to peak too early because of the Olympic trials in July. If I stay on the team, I'm going to compete at chance at making the Olympics."
Rovelto said Blanford, like Tortrance, was capable of competing for the U.S. Olympic team in
Seoul, South Korea. Blanford qualified for the Olympic trials last summer in Jamaica in both the 100 meter hurdles and the 140 meter
However, Blanford said she
See STARS, p. 12, col. 5
Priority on first day of NFL draft is need; KC takes Neil Smith
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — NFL teams went for needs before talent in yesterday's draft, picking players to fill gaping holes and passing on some better athletes.
Miami's Michael Irwin, for example,
lasted until the 11th pick, and
Oklahoma's Keith Jackson was No. 13.
The first pick, of course, was no surprise — linebacker Aundrua Bruce of Auburn, already signed by the Atlanta Falcons.
"I know I'm one of a few," said the 6-foot-6, 240-pounder, whom the Falcons will turn into a pass rusher on the field. Taylor was Lawrence Taylor or Andre Tippett.
Audie Rutherford "There aren't many people around who can say they were the first player taken in an NFL draft."
Kansas City then took Nebraska defensive end Neil Smith, for whom they had given up a second-round choice to change places with Detroit. Lions picked Miami safety Bennie Blander and they had planned to take all along.
Blades' selection was the highest of any defensive back since the Cardinals took Jerry Stovall with the second pick in the 1964 draft.
The first eight picks went about as expected, save for the choice of Wisconsin tackle Paul Gruber by Tampa Bay with the fourth pick of the round.
The Bues, who had said last week they wouldn't take an offensive lineman, were expected to go for a wide receiver — either heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown of Notre Dame or Sterling Sharpe of South Carolina.
"He's one of the big athlete I've ever seen." Bucs coach and general manager Ray Perkins said of the 6-foot- 290-pound Gruber.
"He's so gifted he can come in an play. He represents both a need and a value. Wide receivers come along every year." Perkins said.
This year was no different. Six wide receivers were taken in the first round, breaking the record of five in 1973.
But they may not have anyone to throw them the ball.
Through the first 54 picks, no quarterbacks were selected — an NFL record.
The previous record was set in 1974 when the Dallas Cowboys took quarterback Danny White as the 53rd pick.
A place kicker was taken before a quarterback when the Washington Bedskins used their first pick, the Chip Lohmiller to take Chip Lohmiller of Minnesota
Actually, the first quarterback taken was a punter, Tom "Tupa" of Ohio State, by Phoenix with the 6th pick. The Cardinals expect to use him primarily as a punter; he was the 11th-rated quarterback by the NFL's scouting combine.
The first real quarterback went on 76th pick when Indianapolis took Washington's Cris Chandler, considered the top-rated quarterback
This year's first round was limited to 27 pigs because Seattle forfeited its choice by taking Brian Bosworth in last year's supplemental draft.
There were lots of surprises, particularly after the top eight blue-chipers were gone.
in a draft deep in running backs, for example, none was chosen until the Los Angeles Rams took UCLA's Gaston Green with the 14th pick.
The Los Angeles Raiders, who took Brown with their first pick, sixth overall, went for cornerback Terrence McDaniel of Tennessee, who has a history of shoulder problems. McDaniel was taken as a potential replacement for the aging Mike Haynes and Lester Hayes.
Then the New York Giants, who normally go to the best available athlete, took tackle Eric Moore of Indiana, another player expected to go lower, with the 10th pick. In injury and illness on the offensive line was one reason New York fell to 6-1 last year after its 1986 Super Bowl season.
As expected, Dallas then picked Irwin, a wide receiver who "very definitely fills a void" created when Mike Sherrard broke his leg, coach Tom Landry said.
But the Cardinals, transplanted from St. Louis, continued their ofBeat drafting history by taking linebacker Ken Harvey of California, earlier considered a marginal first-rounder.
And Miami, picking 16, took 6-7, 257-pound Eric Kumerow, a defensive end from Ohio State who almost no one projected as a first-rounder.
Royals extend Orioles' losing streak
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Baltimore Orioles to 10-18 yesterday and stunked closer to the worst losing streak in major league history as Bret Saberhagen pitched a six-hitter and the Kansas City Royals won 3-1.
The Orioles' slide is the longest in the majors since Washington dropped 18 straight in 1959 and ties the Senators for the fifth-longest in American League history.
The modern major league mark is 23, set by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1961; and the AL record is 20, which has been done three times. The
Orioles extended their record for season-opening defeats, not including five straight losses to end exhibition play.
Mark Thurmond, 0-4, winless in the majors since Aug. 26, 1986, kept the Orioles in a scoreless game until Kurt Stillwell hit a solo home run in the fifth inning. Stillwell, the ninth batter in the Royals, won the winning run in the ninth inning in Kansas City's 4-3 victory.
Danny Tartabul hit a two-run homer in the sixth, and Thurmdur left later in the inning. Baltimore starting pitchers began the game 0-15
with a 7.12 earned run average.
The Orioles, outscored 114-34 this season, did not move a runner past second base until Cal Ripken Jr. homered with one out in the ninth. The Orioles entered the day as the poorest hitting team in the majors, batting .199 overall and .118 with runners in scoring position.
Saberman, 2-2, finished for the first time in five starts, striking out four. He is 4-4 lifehunter against Baltimore, and he was 0-2 against them.
The Royals completed their second three-game sweep against the Orioles this season.
Big Eight fares well in draft
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Oklahoma beat Nebraska again in football yesterday, boasting two first-round choices in the NFL draft to just one for the Huskers.
of the Pacers. Nebraska, however, had the first player taken. Defensive lineman Neil Smith, to the surprise of no one, was the choice of the Kansas City Chiefs and the second selection overall.
tight end Keith Jackson, a two-time all-American and the first wishbone tight end to be so honored.
Cincinnati, with the fifth pick in round one, went for Oklahoma defense back Rickey Dixon. Then, the Philadelphia Eagles used the 13th pick in the first round for Oklahoma
Jackson and Dixon were both firstteam All-Americans during the Sooners' drive to the Big Eight title. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Smith, projected as a pass-rush specialist, was a
Altogether, 15 Big Eight players were swept up in the five rounds yesterday. Oklahoma had the lion's share with eight draftees. Nebraska and Oklahoma State each had two, while Missouri, Colorado and Kansas State had one each.
second team All-American.
Thurman Thomas, Oklahoma State's all-time rushing leader and last year's Big Eight's offensive player of the year, went to Buffalo as the 13th player in the second round of the MVP game. As backup Dante Jones, the Big Eight defensive player of the year, was taken by the Chicago Bears.
Eric McMillan, Missouri's all-Big Eight defensive back, was the ninth player selected in the third round when he was taken by the New York Jets.