University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, March 22, 1988
9
Sports
The KU Crew men's varsity heavyweight eight wins first place in their heat in the Heart of Texas Regatta in Austin, Texas. The boat went on to win in the final race against Tulane with a time of 3:13.36
Crew team wins Texas Regatta title, credits experience
By Elaine Sung
Kansan sports writer
With new equipment, some relatively experienced rowers and a whole winter's worth of training, the Kansas crew team captured the Heart of Texas Regatta title last weekend in Austin, Texas.
It was the Jayhawks' fourth consecutive title, and they won it with a score of 289.5. Texas came in second with 234, and Tulane finished a distant third with 83.
or the 40 races, Kansas won 10, took second place in five and finished third in two. The final race of the competition was the varsity men's heavyweight eights, in which the Jayhawks topped off the weekend with a decisive 3:13.36 victory. Tulane finished second with a time of 3:17.52.
The regatta was the Jayhawks' first major competition of the season. More than 120 rowers participated, and both the men's and women's coaches were pleased with the showing.
"I'm not surprised," said men's crew coach Cliff Elliott. "For us to have a performance like that doesn't happen overnight. We've been working all year for this. I was happy to see us able to perform at this level.
"What made me happiest was not winning the races but the way we were racing while winning them. Their fundamentals were sound. I saw big improvement, and we held together in the tight parts of the races."
The addition of two new shells and three assistant coaches has helped the team
train for the season. The two eight-man shells were purchased this year with Student Senate funds.
Assistant coaches Dan Jewett, Rob Catloth and Dawn Rouse joined the staff this year to help out Elliott and his wife, Libby, who is coach of the women's crew team
"The biggest credit has to go the rowers," Cliff Elliott said. "We asked them to work harder this season, and they've responded."
Experience is a key for the crew team. While both the men's lightweight and heavyweight rowers finished strongly in their races, the lightweights have more experience with six members returning from last year's regatta championship.
The women's crew team, led by many of the third-year rowers and with the advantage of depth, was impressive in taking seven of Kansas' ten first place finishes
"Everyone came along really well, but the third-year rowers set a good example for the rest of the team. We have a lot more depth on the women's team this year. There are so many good rowers to choose from. I think we were confident that we trained really hard. This year, they were more willing to row with whoever's in the boat. Everybody's pushing each other."
I noped our training was leading up to this." Libby Elliott said. "Right after spring break is the hardest part. We're getting into the nitty-gritty.
The Jayhawks will meet several teams from the regatta again in future competitions. Texas, which both coaches thought
made a surprisingly strong showing in the regatta, will be in the Midwest Regionals in late May.
In late May,
"You never know what kind of improvement different schools will make over a period of time," Libby Elliott said. "You have to always be prepared to meet really difficult competition."
Curt Elliott said that he was encouraged by the Jayhawks' early strength but that they have yet to race in the President's Regatta on April 16th in Topeka and the Midwest regionals in late May in Madison, Wis.
Smith's performance at NCAA qualifies her for Olympic trials
"We haven't peaked yet," he said. "We still have a long way to go on improvement. This is an encouraging step."
By Tom Stinson
Kansan sports writer
Kansas distance swimmer Barbara Ann Smith thought she had used everything at the Big Eight Championships earlier this month.
there. The Mequon, Wis., junior won three individual events and was on a winning relay team. She also was named the meet's Outstanding Female Performer and set a conference record in the 1,650-yard freestyle.
But Smith had another fine performance March 13-15 at the Women's NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas.
Smith earned All-American honors in the 400-yard individual medley by placing 14th with a career best time of 4.22:22. She also finished 18th in the 1,650-yard freestyle and set a career best of 4:53.8 in the 500-yard
freestyle, finishing 26th.
"My performance was a big surprise," Smith said. "I thought I'd choke because it was my first national. I thought I'd put everything to bank in the Big Eight meet. I just thought I'd swim the same.
"My sprinting was there this time, but my mile was better at the Big Eight's. But I made the (Olympic) trials cut in the IM, so I'm pretty happy."
This summer's trials will be the second for Smith. She competed in 1984 in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Smith's time of 16:34:45 in the 1,650-yard race at the conference meet also qualified her for the Olympic trials. The trials begin August 8 in Austin.
"The first one I just swam through because I didn't really have a chance to quality," she said. "This time, I'll
be ready.
Smith was joined at the NCAA meet by senior teammate Lori Spurney in the one-meter diving and the Jayhawks' 200-yard freestyle relay team. Juniors Erin Easton and Sue Spry, sophomore Susan Bloomfield and freshman Kiley Seavall comprised the sprint relay team that finished 22nd.
Spurney qualified for the championships by placing third at the NCAA Zone C Diving meet last week in Austin. Her appearance at the NCAA Championships was the first for any Kansas diver. She finished 32nd.
"I'm really proud of the ladies," Coach Gary Kemp said. "It was a rocky and frustrating year, but they came around. This was a good finishing touch. We just need to take this and use it to improve next year."
Coach proud of strong performances by pole vaulters at indoor track meet
Kansan sports writer
Bv Keith Stroker
Having four pole vaulters in the NCAA Indoor Track Championships was quite an honor for the University of Kansas.
The championships were March 10-12 in Oklahoma City. Kansas pole vault coach Rick Attig said it was unusual for any team to have three men qualify, let alone four.
"I was very proud of the way our guys performed this season, considering the workout program they endured," Attig said. "We trained very hard, sacrificing our indoor season somewhat so that we could be at our best for the outdoor season."
Senior Scott Huffman led the Jayhawk vaulters with a second-place finish, clearing 17.9% $^4$. The top five finishes all cleared that height, but Huffman took second because of only
one missed attempt.
Kansas sophomore Pat Manson also cleared 17-9%, but because of his five missed attempts, he finished in fifth.
"Scott and Pat had a tremendous meet, and I was very proud of their efforts," said Attig, the United States Olympic pole vault coach. "I feel that the two of them had the best attempts out of the five guys that competed at 18-2. They both had cleared that height by at least a foot, but the pole knocked over the bar on its way down. They did a tremendous job."
Kansas junior Chris Bohanan finished seventh with a vault of 17.6. Atttig said Bohanan had placed higher many times but the workout program could have affected him more than it did the others.
Kansas senior Lance Adams also competed in the championships.
Attig said that Adams, despite not making the first jump at 17-134, did a tremendous job of qualifying for the meet.
Because of a limited budget, Kansas has a strict policy of taking no more than three qualifiers to a meet. Because Huffman, Manson and Bohan are All-Americanes, Adams had to work hard to join them in Oklahoma City.
Adams, on his own initiative, asked Attig if he could attempt to qualify at a meet at Central Missouri State. Attig said yes, and Adams accomplished what he set out to do.
KU football practice is set to begin
"Lance has a very interesting story," Attig said. "He had to clear 17-3 to qualify, and he set a Central Missouri State indoor record by clearing 17-6. I think it was neat that he did it all on his own, and I am very proud of his efforts."
Today, the offensive coaches will begin incorporating a five-running-play and three-passing-play offensive attack, using several different situations. Ruel said the team would work on becoming more disciplined on both offense and defense.
"We will be looking for specific talents that each player possesses," Ruel said. "We will place each player at a position that corresponds to his talents. It is a searching-out process for the coaching staff because we still don't know our team real well."
The Jayhawks' four-week practice session will culminate with the annual spring practice game on April 16. Ruel said the team would work out in pads for 15 days and would have five non-contact practices.
By Keith Stroker
Kansan sports writer
Kansas coach Glen Mason was hired from Kent State in December after former coach Bob Valesente was fired after two seasons without winning a Big Eight Conference game.
The Kansas Jayhawks at 3:30 p.m today hope to begin something they haven't enjoyed for several years: a winning football season.
or Leagues trying new strike zone to aid pitchers
The Jayhawks' last winning season came in 1981, when they had an 8-4 record. That season, Kansas went to the Hall of Fame Bowl and lost 10-0 to Mississippi State.
Kansas offensive coordinator Pat Riel said that the task would not be easy but that the attitude of the team was positive.
"After the off-season workout program, the guys seemed to be really enthusiastic about the challenge ahead," Ruel said. "We are trying to stress team unity, and the guys seem to be really responding well."
The problem is clear. Hitters are getting too far ahead of pitchers.
If it sounds confusing, it is. No one is sure what the effect will be, not even the umpires, who are trying to enforce the change in spring training.
The solution is strange. Shrink the strike zone in the rule book, call higher strikes in the games.
Raising the actual strike zone by a few inches could be the biggest batter-pitch adjustment in baseball since the mound was lowered after 1968.
Here's what happened. The old rule defined the strike zone as between the batter's armpits and the top of his knees. But in reality, anything above the belt was a ball, particularly in the low-ball National League.
"It's second nature to us what a strike is," said Joe Brinkman, an American League umpire for 16 seasons. "Now, we'll have to constantly think about it."
Here's what's happening:
The new rule brings back the letter-high strike. The upper limit will be the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants; the lower limit remains at the knees.
Technically, that is smaller than before. But the idea is that umpires will call those high strikes.
The players' union and owners have agreed to the change, along with tighter balk rules, for a one-year test period. After the season, both sides will review the results. Yet, even if players don't want to continue the alterations, management can implement them in 1989.
"All our lives, we've been taught to lay off that high pitch. It's a ball," Wade Boggs carped. "Now, do we have to swing at it?"
Hitters, who have seen home run totals go up to record rates, are not thrilled at seeing the strike zone go up, too.
Pitches are excited about the strike zone becoming a twilight zone up top. Their strikeouts are at an all-time high, but they are giving
This season. Boggs and other batters do.
up runs at an alarming pace.
Last year, 62 pitchers in the AL had earned run averages of over 6.00. Baltimore and Cleveland became the first AL teams with ERAs over 5.00 since 1956.
The NL, where scoring is about a half-run less because there is no designated hitter, is
With higher strikes, those imbalanced numbers could come down.
"I heard about it in the off-season, and I liked it," said Dwight Gooden, who has always enjoyed success with rising, chest-high fastballs. "So I thought this spring that if I got ahead in the count, I'd go up there, but I haven't noticed any difference."
I haven't noticed any
That's because sometimes there isn't any.
in a because sometimes there isn't at all.
"I have not changed my strike zone at all," said Bruce Froemming, an NLA player for 18 years. "I've always been aware of having a high strike zone, but I failed, as a group, we weren't calling the higher strike."
"I'm calling it about a ball higher," he said.
"It doesn't sound like much, but it is. This will
"The first game I had behind the plate this spring, I called about seven or eight strikes that I would've called balls last year," Brinkman said. "There were about nine or 10 the next time."
be a major adjustment.
Few batters have argued about high strikes in the exhibition season, in contrast to the protests pitchers and managers have lodged about increased balks.
That might change on opening day.
"It's still early in the spring," Brinkman said. "No one is saying much right now. Once the games count, it may not be that way."
No one is sure, and no one knows whether the change will more closely align the strike zones in the two leagues.
AL umpires have a reputation as high-ballers; NL umpires like low strikes.
The umpires, however, say there is little discrepancy.
"I don't think you can differentiate between the two teams anymore." Froemming said.
Royals beat Cardinals for 8th straight victory
The Associated Press
ST. PETERSSBURG, Fla. — Thad Bosley had three hits and drove in three runs, leading Kansas City to a 5-3 victory yesterday over the St. Louis Cardinals that stretched the Royals' exhibition winning streak to eight games.
eight games.
Bossey's third hit, an eighth-inning single, drove in two runs to snap a 3-3 tie. It gave the victory to relief pitcher Bud Black. The hit off loser Randy O'Neal followed singles by Frank White and Bo Jackson and a sacrifice bunt.
Bosley also doubled in the fifth inning and had an RBI single in the sixth. Jackson had three hits for Kansas City and scored twice in
helping the Royals overcome a 3-0 deficit.
St. Louis took the 3-10 lead in the first off Kansas City start Bret Saberhagen on Mike Laga's RBI single and a two-run homer by Tommy Herr, his first of the spring. The Cardinals were limited to two hits in the final eight innings by Saberhagen, Black and Gene Garber.
The loss dropped St. Louis' spring record to 8-8 and improved the Royals' to 13-6. Cardinals reserve Tom Pognozi fouled a ball off his left foot during batting practice, but X-ray's proved negative.
Tennis team wins 5
By Tom Stinson
Kansan sports writer
Kansas women's tennis coach Eric Hayes was surprised with his team's spring break performances.
The Jayhawk women went 5-2 last week in California. Hayes was pleasantly surprised at the beginning of the week but then was unpleasantly surprised when Kansas "broke down" against 17thranked Brigham Young.
The Jayhawks opened the trip with a 9-0 win over St. Mary's of California. Kansas then lost to Pacific 6-3. During the week, Kansas defeated Santa Clara, California-Davis, Fresno State and San Jose State 8-1, 9-0, 8-1 and 9-0, respectively.
But then Kansas lost to Brigham
Young 6-3 to bring its season record to 13-3. Three of the matches were lost in three sets.
The Jayhawks won two matches when a Brigham Young player was injured, and junior Susie Berglund won at the No. 5 singles position.
"I was excited about how we played during the week. But when we broke down against BYU, I was surprised because I thought we were there."
"We had a great opportunity to knock them off," Hayes said of Brigham Young. "We had a chance to kick their butts. We just broke down. We matched shot for fight against them, but we just broke down and let them slip away.
Sports Briefs
KU PLAYS TARKIO: The Kansas baseball team will play Tarkio College at 1 p.m. tomorrow in a doubleheader at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium.
GOLF TEAM FINISHES SECOND:
The Kansas men's golf team came away with a second-place finish Sunday at the University of South Florida Invitational in Tampa, Fla.
In their third tournament of the season, the Jayhawks placed second in a field of 14 teams with a score of 901. Virginia won the tournament with a score of 891, and Tampa placed third with 903.
Junior John Sinovic was the top finisher for Kansas with a score of 224 for seventh place overall. Clay Devers, Lake Quivira sophomore, finished at 225 for 10th place.
The Jayhawks' next tournament will be the All-American Intercollegiate Tournament March 31 at Houston.