Sports
University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, April 19, 1988
African runners decide Marathon in last four miles
The Associated Press
BOSTON — Ibrahim Hussein and Juma Ikangaa ran shoulder-to-shoulder over the last four miles of the 26-mile, 385-yard Boston Marathon course.
With about a mile to go, their eyes met. Twenty-four miles over the rain-splattered roadways of Boston and its suburbs, and the two runners still were that close.
"I looked at Ikanga, and I looked at me, and I said, "It's going to be a 100-meter kick," Hussein said.
Hussein passed him on the right with only a few strides left to win by one second yesterday in the closest of 92 Boston Marathons.
"I thought I had won the race. I didn't even hear his shoes," Ikangaa said.
Hussein became the first African to win the race, and Ikangaa, the world's top-ranked marathoner in 1986, was second again, as he was last year at Tokyo.
"I was a bit upset to be defeated with a few meters to go," Kangaa said. "At the same time, I was happy to be able to maintain the pace I set at the Tokyo Marathon."
The Tanzanian coach, Samuel Tupa, said Ikangaa was surprised by Hussein's strong finish.
"In long-distance running, changing paces is a big problem," Tupa said. "You cannot just change pace like a motor car. Sometimes, that person takes you by surprise, and you can't pick it up.
As Hussein crossed the finish line, Robert Ouko, secretary of the Kenyan track and field federation, draped the country's flag over him.
"I knew we were going to do well, so I carried the flag with me," Ouko said. "We are proud of our nation."
And Ouko was extremely proud of Hussein, who had beaten many of the world's top marathoners and established himself as a serious threat for a gold medal at the Seoul Olympic Games in September.
Ikangaa was one of the most stirring in the long history of the race, although it was not televised live outside the Boston area. ESPN, which had televised the race the past two years, was unable to work out an agreement with the three Boston network affiliates producing the telecast.
Hussin's time was 2 hours, 8 minutes, 43 seconds — far less than his previous perfect best of 19.5 seconds. No Member's New York City Marathon.
The battle between the 29-year-old Hussein and the 28-year-old
The previous closest Boston finishes came in 1978, when Bill Rodgers edged Jeff Wells, and in 1982, when Alberto Salazar defeated Dick Beardside. Both were decided by two seconds.
It was the fourth consecutive victory for Hussein and his most impressive. Hussein had to outfight not only Ikanga, but also a powerful international field in his first attempt at the difficult Boston
He ran the second-fastest Boston race ever, behind only the 2:07:51 time of Australia's Rob de Castella in 1866. And he shattered the Kenyan national record of 2:09:44, by Joseph Nazean at Chicago in 1867.
Knight-Ridder Graphic
Ixanga, the early leader at Boston in 1987 before flipping to 11, finished in 2:08:44. Ireland's John Trethew, 1984 Olympic silver medalist who made a late decision to enter, was third in 2:09:15.
Mota, 1984 Olympic bronze medalist, earned her fifth consecutive marathon victory and ninth in 12 starts, finishing in 2:24:30.
The time was nearly a minute faster than Mota's 1987 finish of 2:25:21 and the second-fastest for a woman at Boston, behind only the 2:22:43 by Joan Benoit Samuelsoel of the United States in 1983.
Overshadowed by the duel between Hussein and Ikangaa was the second consecutive Boston victory division by Rosa Mota of Portugal.
Tuja Jousiaism of Finland was the second women's finisher in 2:29:26, with Odette LaPierce of Canada third in 2:30:35.
Hussein and Ikangaa ran at the front of the pack for the entire race; and after shaking Treacy with about four miles remaining, the two staged a gritty battle to the finish.
mer steeplechase runner at the University of New Mexico, said that as the two headed for the finish in the center of Boston, he checked Ikangaa.
Before the race, Hussein said he thought it would come down to beating Kangaa. Hussein, a for-
"He looked very relaxed and very strong, and I was a little worried." Hussein said.
Chiefs institute minority hiring program
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs became the first National Football League team to establish a minority hiring plan yesterday, one year after the NAACP began a campaign encouraging all professional sports teams to set up such programs.
The bulk of the "statement of cooperation" between the Chiefs and the NAACP broke no new ground, emphasizing the Chiefs plans to continue efforts to hire them. But the statement did establish an intern program to help meet the NAACP's call for more minority hiring.
The program, which begins in June, will offer four internships in the Chiefs' marketing, public relations, accounting and ticket offices. The program will be available to students entering their junior or senior year of college.
"The overall) plan reaffirms the Chiefs' policy of providing equal opportunity for minorities," Chiefs President Jack Steadman said at a news conference at Arrowhead Stadium. He made the announcement with Benjamin Hooks, the national president of the NAACP, and Marcus Jackson, president of the Kansas City chapter of the NAACP.
The three men signed the statement, which detailed the team's current efforts to use minority suppliers in purchasing, do business with minority financial institutions, do advertising in black and minority
media, when appropriate, and set up the internships.
"The intern program focuses on education and training for young people interested in finding positions in professional sports, especially with the Chiefs," Steadman said.
The statement commits the Chies to continue working with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Hooks said. The agreement also called for more minority hiring of vendors and parking lot attendants.
"Some people call the jobs low-pay and no advancement, but we believe any job is a good job." Hooks said. "The most important thing about the statement is the Chiefs' spirit of cooperation."
"We want to make sure they (the Chiefs) do business with minority companies outside of the organization," he said.
The agreement also will help minority businesses in the Kansas City area, Hooks said.
The Chiefs and the NACP negotiated for eight months on specifics of the program. Hooks announced the NAACP's nationwide campaign on April 15, 1987.
The issue of minorities in sports peaked last year when Al Campanis said during a television news show that blacks might not have the "necessities" to be managers or front-office personnel. The Los Angeles Dodgers fired Campanis as vice president of player personnel.
Wildcats finish off sweep of Jayhawks
By Tom Stinson
Kansan sportswriter
Losing to Kansas State by one run and adding to a 10-game losing streak didn't get Kansas baseball coach Dave Bingham down.
The game took 26 hours to complete because the final two innings were postponed because of rain and dropped the Jayhawks' record to 16-28.
However, continuing to build a strong program, establishing a style of play and having confident players is most important to Bingham.
That is what Bingham emphasized in a 50-minute team meeting after a 10-9 loss, yesterday at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium.
"We're in a building process, and this is a setback," said Bingham, who has never had a losing season. "We just tried to emphasize the basic principles of the system. With our situation, we tried to confront some issues that may be bothering our guys.
The final two innings of the game were played yesterday afternoon because of rain Sunday. The score remained unchanged from Sunday.
"I didn't see Kansas State as a must-win situation. We're trying to build a program. Our style of play is much more important than winning. I've learned to put things into perspective. That's what I told the kids."
"It was strange," said Kansas coach Derek Johnson, who knows to prepare for two innings.
Both sides would have much rather finished the game (Sunday).
"But it's much better to play in these types of circumstances. We'd hate to win or lose because of field conditions or a wet ball."
Kansas had a chance to tie the contest in the ninth iming.
Senior Rocky Helm was on third base with two outs, but junior Pete Simmerson flied out, ending the game and the Jayhawks' bid for a second conference victory.
Kansas is in the Big Eight with a 1-11 record.
Junior Craig Houfek, 0-1, was the loser pitching, finishing four innings and allowing eight earned runs. Junior Scott Taylor pitched yesterday for Kansas, allowing no hits and collecting two strikeouts.
"We got the pitch we wanted," Bingham said. "Pete got a fastball and just didn't set up on it high enough."
Kansas State hit nine home runs, including four grand slams, during the series. The Jayhawks hit eight home runs.
Senior Reese Beers' grand slam was the difference in the fourth game.
"We don't play with adversity well. When something goes wrong, we just fall apart, but we did battle back. Our next step is to come back and win the thing."
Bingham hopes recruits will add to competition
Kansas plays Emporia State, Bingham's former team, at 7 p.m. today at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium. The Jayhawks defeated Emporia State 18-8 and 8-5 in a doubleheader earlier this year.
By Tom Stinson
Kansan sportswriter
No position is sacred on next year's Kansas baseball team.
Coach Dave Bingham wants his players to compete for playing time, and he has started signing recruits to add to that competition.
Two high school players, Jim Hanna of Emporia and Jay McIntosh of Wichita Heights, have signed with Kansas.
"Everybody we recruit absolutely has a chance to start," Bingham said. "We're hoping to improve ourselves."
"I told them when I recruited them that I'd like to have some point when freshmen don't start in our program; but right now, we need all the help we can get."
Kansas loses only three seniors, outfielder Rocky Helm, second baseman David Smith and pitcher Mike McLeod, but Bingham said he was looking for recruits at every position.
Eight Conference last spring with a 15-39-1 record and is at the bottom of the conference this season with an 1-11 record.
Hanna played first and third base for Emporia High and lettered three years in baseball.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 205-pounder also lettered three years in football and was named All-State in 1987 at tight end. He also lettered four years in basketball and has a 3.9 grade point average.
Kansas finished last in the Big
"I think Kansas is a great school," Hanna said. "It looks like Coach Bingham is going to turn the program around, and I want to be a part of that."
McIntosh, a switch-hitter, lettered three years in baseball at Wichita Heights and is an honor roll student. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 155 pounds.
Bingham said, "They reflect my recruiting goals — to recruit the Midwest high schools."
Tigers beat Royals 4-2
The Associated Press
DETROIT — A double by Tom Brookins triggered a two-run sixth inning yesterday, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 for a rare victory over Floyd Bannister.
Bannister, 2-1, who had allowed just four hits this season coming into the game, had won 12 of his previous 18 games against the Tigers.
Conference raises prices for Big Eight tournament tickets
Bannister allowed eight hits, striking out four and walking three in $6\frac{1}{2}$ innings.
By Elaine Sung
Kansan sportswriter
Next year's Big Eight conference men's basketball tournament will be far more expensive to attend than this year's.
Prices for the seven-game tournament at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo., will be $100 for courtside seats and $80 for all other seats.
The athletic directors from all eight schools met in December to vote on a ticket price increase because of surveys of other conferences in the country.
Before the increase, the Big Eight had offered three prices for the tournament package. Courtside seats were the most expensive at $72; lower-level "horseshoe" seats, those on either end of the arena, and upper-level side seats cost $60; and upper-level "horseshoe" seats were the least expensive at $48.
The directors recommended the price increase, which was then approved by faculty representatives from the conference.
"Athletic directors don't decide on policy matters or anything like this," said Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick. "We can make a recommendation, and the faculty representatives decide. They usually approve it unless the A.D.'s are way out of line."
Considering the growing popularity of Big Eight basketball, the consensus was to take advantage of the situation and maximize revenues by keeping up with the
The revenues generated from the tour
nament are channeled back into the conference and then divided among each of the schools.
"It was our feeling that this was comparable to other major conferences like the ACC." Frederick said. "It was something the market could bear because of the fact that it needed a master of trying to be in line with what other tournaments were offering."
The Phillips 66 Company sponsored this year's Big Eight tournament, the first time the tourney has taken on a corporate sponsor. Corporate sponsorships have become more common in college athletics, and the tournaments of several other national conferences have such sponsors.
The Big Eight tournament typically has been during spring break, when most students are out of town. Frederick does not anticipate that the increase in the ticket price will decrease the number of students attending the conference tournament.
"I don't think we've had great student participation, anyway," he said. "I don't mean that in a critical way, I just don't." He said: "We haven't had a lot of students there."
Frederick said that the corporate sponsorship had no direct relationship to the
Here is a look at the tournament prices of some of the major conferences in the
The Atlantic Coast Conference, including schools such as Duke, Virginia and North Carolina, charges $90 for its seven-
game tournament package. The tournament, which next year will be in Atlanta, does not have a corporate sponsor.
"We've stayed with this ticket price for the last four years," said ACC assistant commissioner Marvin Francis. "It is on our agenda for our next meeting, and we will discuss whether we will raise the price or not."
The Big East conference, including schools such as Syracuse, Georgetown, Villanova and St. John's, last year charged $80 for its seven-game package. The conference, which holds the tournament each year at Madison Square Garden in New York City, has not decided on next year's prices.
The Metro Collegiate Athletic Conference, including schools such as Memphis State, Louisville and Florida State, has two prices for its six-game tournament package. The regular package sells for $70, but students may purchase the package for $35 for a limited time.
The tournament, which this year was at Memphis State, is organized by a host school and does not have corporate sponsorship. Conference schools that wish to be host to the tournament must enter a bid each year. The price of the tournament package is determined by the host school.
"To get the tournament, we have to look at who can produce the most money," said Memphis State ticket manager Joey Burke. The small arena, Louisville could have gotten it because they have 7,000 more seats, and they could probably have lowered the
Next year's host school has not been determined.
tickets to $60."
The Missouri Valley Conference, including schools such as Bradley, the University of Tulsa, and Wichita State, has three ticket prices. Depending what seat they want in the arena, fans can buy a seven-game tournament package for $20, $35, or $45.
The Pacific 10 Conference, including schools such as Arizona, Oregon State and UCLA, has held only two tournaments.
This year's nine-game tournament was at Arizona, and the package cost $85. Next year, the tournament will be played at the Forum in Los Angeles.
Like the Big Eight, the athletic directors of the Pac-10 recommend price changes, although they do it on suggestion from the conference office.
The tournament also has an official corporate sponsor, which has its name on both the tournament and on the regular-season games.
"The price will not be raised this year," said Jim Muldoon, Pac-10 assistant commissioner and tournament manager. "In fact, we may lower the price because of the bigger arena."
The Southwest Conference, including schools such as Baylor, Southern Methodist, and Texas A&M, holds its seven-game tournament at Reunion Arena in Dallas. The price of next year's tournament package is $60, the same as this year's.
age is 50, the same as the y
The Western Athletic Conference,
including schools such as Brigham Young, New Mexico and Wyoming, has one of the lowest tournament package prices of the major conferences in the nation. The six-game package costs $45 and this year was at Provo, Utah. Neither the price nor the site of next year's tournament has been decided.
Ticket sale policies also have been altered. The Big Eight has a May 1 deadline for ticket packages purchased through the conference office. Fans who have bought tournament packages before are on a mailing list and were sent a certificate of purchase. Carnahan, Big Eight administrative assistant and ticket manager.
Because the conference works with a base number in allocating tickets, once the public has handed in its applications, the individual schools will have an early estimation of how many tickets to allocate.
Each school already has allocated about 525 tickets for the tournament. If public demand for the tickets falls short of what the Big Eight had allocated, the remainder will be divided and added to the individual schools. Therefore, it is possible that each school will receive more than the 525 tickets for next year.
"It could help out schools by increasing their percentage." Carnahan said. "If the public demand drops, there will be a turnover. If not, the schools still have about $25 each. They can tell what they have to work with, and they won't be caught short."