University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, January 19, 1988
11
Performance frustrates Kempf
By Tom Stinson
rs writer
Although he is planning for the future, Gary Kempf is a frustrated man in the present.
Kempf, Kansas swimming coach, watched his men and women lose to a pair of powerful Saturday in Robinson, Natatorium.
The men's team lost to the nationally ranked Razorbacks 63-50, and the women's team was defeated 68-45.
"I'm disappointed that the men lost, but I'm not disappointed in their effort," said Kempf, whose men lost to Arkansas by one point earlier in the season. "Our men are so hungry that it's tremendous. But you can't make mental mistakes against a ranked team.
"I'm really frustrated with the women. I'm not reaching them for some reason. They're good ladies and they work hard, but they're not competing like they should," he said.
The highlight of the meet for the women was the 1-meter diving competition in which senior Lori Spurney set a school record. Spurney scored 433.875 points in the event to break the record previously held by teammate Jill Pierce at 422.50 points. Spurney also won the 3-meter diving event.
"Lori has just been a gift to the program." Kempf said.
The men, who battled to the last event for a victory, were led by seniors Dews Nesmith and Chris Cook and junior Glenn Trammler.
Nesmith swam a career-best in winning the 200-yard breaststroke. His victory kept the Jayhawks within striking distance going into the final race. However, Kansas' 400-yard freestyle relay team was defeated in the race.
Cook won the 200-yard freestyle and finished second in the 500-yard
freestyle as he posted season-best times in both events. Trammel won the 200-yard backstroke and the 200-yard individual medley as well as swimming a leg on the winning 400-yard medley relay. Also on that relay team was junior Dan Mendenhall and sophomores Billings and Pat McCool.
Other Jayhawks who scored were diver Andy花, freshmen Jeff Stout and John Easton; juniors Bobby Kelley, Allan Chaney and Mendenhall; and seniors Nesmith Billings and Chuck Jones
"We haven't shown it yet," Kempf said, "but we are a good team. We're on a schedule for the end of the season, which means we've been working hard lately in order to be successful at the end."
Trammel said, "It's really frustrating to get to the last layer and then lose. But last year the last relay was just for pride and this year we're staying right in it until the end. We could have wrapped it up early but things just didn't go our way."
Also scoring for the women, who split two earlier meetings with Arkansas, was diver Kelley Kauzlarich; junior Erin Easton, Sue Spry; junior Blaise Billen; still freshmen Keiley Seaill, and Jennifer Cummar.
Barbara Ann Smith led the Kansas women with victories in the 500-yard and 1000-yard freestyles and a second-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley. The only other win for the woman was by freshman Gina Brown in the 202-yard butterfly.
"Our depth swimmers for the women are doing good," Kempf said, "but our top girls aren't doing it and we're not a good enough team for that to happen. They do work hard, which will pay off in the end if I can motivate them."
Lori Spurney, Prairie Village senior, attempts a reverse one-and-a-half layout in the three-meter diving competition. Spurney, captain of the diving team, holds the one- and three-meter diving records at the University of Kansas.
Denver coach praises the Browns' offense
The Associated Press
DENVER — After his team's wild 38-33 American Football Conference championship victory over Cleveland, Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves paid tribute to the losers, saying they moved the ball against his defense in a way perhaps no other team has done.
"I was much more impressed with Cleveland's offense this year than last year." Reeves said Monday. "I don't know that anyone has done to our defense what they did. They scored on four straight possessions in a game, but I think the credit has to go to (Browns quarterback) Bernie Kosar."
Taking advantage of Cleveland turnovers, the Broncos jumped out to a 21-3 halftime lead, then watched almost helplessly as Cleveland drew into a 31-31 tie early in the final period.
Still, Denver needed one more big play to clinch it, and back-up corner-back Jeremiah Castille, cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the preseason and claimed by Denver on waivers, provided it. As Earnest Byner appeared about to score on a pass from Byner, his team stripped the ball from Byner and fell on it at the 2-yard line with 1:05 remaining.
But the Broncos surged ahead again on a pair of 26-yard passes from John Elway to rookie Ricky Nattiel that set up Elwey's 20-yard touchdown pass to Sammy Winder with 4:01 left.
Rather than risk having a punt blocked, the Broncos took a safety in the closing seconds.
"Everybody says turnovers will be the difference in a big game, and that turned out to be the case," Reeves said. "We feel fortunate to win the way we did. Jeremiah knocked it loose and recovered. Without question, that was the biggest play of the
game."
Castille declined to talk with reporters after the game, and Reeves jokingly referred to Castille's closed-mouth stance when he said, "He's not talking to you guys? What are you doing to my players? He was a nice guy when he came here."
Reeves said the Broncos became interested in Castile after cornerback Louis Wright's sudden retirement during training camp last summer.
"He had started four or five years for Tampa Bay and had led them one year in interceptions, so we put a claim in for him." Reeves said. "We thought he could play. He's been very unselfish. He's a natural left corner but we've used him at right corner, and he's never complained. He's been very smart. He'll happen at that position. He's a sound player and he's smart, although he doesn't have that much size. He's helped us this year."
Reeves still was trying to come to grips with his relatively emotionless nature.
"I wanted to be excited, but I was kind of numb," Reeves said. "I didn't have much of any kind of feeling. I was just drained by the whole situation."
Reeves said the handful of Broncos who suffered minor injuries in Sunday's game should be recovered for the Super Bowl on Jan. 31 against the Washington Redskins, who defeated Minnesota 17-10 on Sunday.
Larry's kids
Tight end Orson Mobley has a bruised shoulder, but should be able to resume practice by the end of the week.
Reeves remains most concerned about wide receiver Vance Johnson, who was released from the hospital Monday after being treated for internal bleeding — a result of a bruised groin he suffered on Jan. 10 against Houston.
Kansas basketball team spends Sunday afternoon with very special people
Kansan sports writer
By Elaine Sung
Rules just didn't really matter to anyone Sunday, when the University of Kansas basketball team hosted its fourth annual Special Olympics basketball clinic at Allen Field House.
It was a day when no one really cared where one stood at the free throw line. No one bothered to yell when the pass went astray or when the offense was non-existent.
More than 200 Special Olympians, from age 8 up, came from all over the state, and were obviously enjoying the clinic as if it were a Kansas-Oklahoma basketball game.
"They look forward to this all year, and then they talk about it for the rest of the year," said Gary Scott, director of the Lawrence regional group. "They're just in awe, sort of staring in a daze. Coming in here, they may be when they leave, they'll bollering and shaking hands everywhere."
The day started with a warm-up period, everyone on the floor doing stretching exercises. Then the Special Olympians rotated through four stations, getting lessons in free-throw shooting, jump shots, dribbling and passing.
Assistant coach Alvin Gentry and players Danny Manning, Mike Maddox, Lincoln Minor and Mark Rand stand at the free-throw line with a bunch of ecstatic Special Olympians showing them how to "Whoosh," correctly.
On the other side of the court, Jeff Gueldner acted as traffic monitor, lining up half the group on one side for jump shots, while Marvin Branch directed the other half on the opposite side.
Keith Harris and Sean Alvarado stood under the basket, applauding every effort. Suddenly, the 6-foot-9 Alvarado spotted a tiny child in a basketball "Hawks" sweatshirt, crading a basketball and ready to run to the basket
Alvarado went to the boy, lifted him to the height of the basket, and the child promptly tossed in the ball to cheer of everyone in the group.
The loudest cheering of all came from Coach Larry Brown, who initiated the clinic when he arrived at the University in 1983. He visited just about everyone and helped the ones in wheelchairs get to the next station.
Then came game-time, the event all the athletes had been waiting for. Each side had three Special Olympians and substitutions every few minutes.
It was a regular game, with some losided refereeing by Gentry and
some help provided by the Jayhawks. Alvarado stepped in every few minutes to boost undersized children to the basket.
The crowd went into a frenzy when one of the Special Olympians hit a three-point shot, and most of the crowd ran in the opportunity to guard Manning.
Paul Hernandez, 16, from Carbon-dale, had tried out for basketball in high school, but had never expected to play against the All-American forward.
"It was hard enough, he was so tall," he said.
Lisa Taylor, 14, and her sister Becky Taylor, 13, of Quenemo, both decided the best part was shooting free throws.
During and after the game, the Special Olympians lined up to get autographs from the Kansas players, who obliged willingly. Children climbed onto their laps, and Manning was often seen balancing one on each knee, trying to sign basketballs at the same time.
"Brown makes it a priority, and some teams wanted to bring 40 to 50 people, but that would have made it more of a zoo," said Marty Derda, state director of the Special Olympics. "The best part is to see the Kansas players open up to the athletes and have fun."
Kansas basketball coach Larry Brown finds himself surrounded by autograph seekers during the Special Olympics basketball clinic.
KU basketball player Scooter Barry spends a little time with a few Special Olympians.
Lendl eliminates last American from Australian Open in straight sets
The Associated Press
MELBOURNE, Australia — Top-seeded Ivan Lendl powered his way into the semifinals of the Australian Open Tennis Championships early today, crushing the last surviving American in the men's singles, Todd Wittke.
In the semifinals, Lendl will face either Wimbledon champion Pat Cash of Australia
or michiel Schapers of The Netherlands, who played later Tuesday.
Cash, seeded fourth in the year's first Grand Slam tournament, defeated Lendl in a match on October 1.
"I just hope history doesn't repeat itself," said Lendl, who lost to Cash in the semifinals of last year's Australian Open.
Lendl, 27, the reigning U.S. Open and
French Open champion, took 2 hours, 13 minutes to eliminate Winker. 6.9 6.1 7.6
The 24-year-old former University of Southern California All-American from Carmel, Ind., had upset seventeen-seeded Henri Poirier of France on his way to the quarterfinals.
But Witsken, who also upset Jimmy Connors in the 1986 U.S. Open, had no answer to
Lendl's relentless pressure.
Lendl, seeking his seventh Grand Slam title, his first Australian Open crown and the 71st tournament victory of his career, has yet to lose a set in the tournament.
The American was able to solve Lendl a little in the third set, rallying from 1-3 to force a tiebreaker.
"I played fairly well for two and a half sets,
then I had a concentration breakdown, Todd started playing well and it became tougher," Lendl said.
Despite the ease of his victory, Lendl was involved in a long argument with umpire Rudy Berger midway through the third set over an onerule on a line call.
The two remaining men's quarterfinals are scheduled to be held Wednesday.