Tuesday, April 24, 2001
The University Daily Kansan
Section B - Page 3
Softball twins overcome difficulties
Continued from page 1P
As the migraines persisted, Christi had tests to see what was wrong. Nothing was found.
Christi Musser (lifting weights) is now hitting home runs after coping with illness earlier this year. Her sister Shelly (spotting) has had a successful season, but is now recovering from an injury to her shoulder. Photo by Laurie Sisk/KANSAN.
As Christi slumped, her twin sister thrived. Shelly led the Jayhawks in hits, batting average, stolen bases and runs scored as a sophomore. She was again named the team's offensive MVP and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors.
Blood tests showed she was diabetic.
Finally, after Christi nearly passed out during preseason conditioning drills in January, the coaching staff sent her to Watkins Memorial Health Center.
"Really, I was just relieved that there was something wrong." Christi said. "I was just happy that it wasn't just me, it was something I could control."
Controlling the disease has changed her life. In addition to taking five shots and checking her blood sugar level nine times every day, she must constantly plan ahead, especially on road trips.
"I have to think about when and where we're going to eat," she said. "All the little types of things that would have never occurred to me before are very important now."
Shelly works with her too, refraining from eating sweets and other food she knows her sister can't have.
Now, there's a whole new Christi Musser. She has gained the weight back, rarely suffers from headaches and has the energy she sorely lacked last season.
Her performance reflects the change. She is hitting 296 with 16 extra-base hits. Her recovery was apparent Saturday when she hit three home runs in a game against Iowa State. Only a catch at the fence prevented a fourth. All this from a player who had hit one home run since high
school.
As Christi has enjoyed a breakout year, it's been Shelly's turn to suffer the injury bug.
It started early as she sprained an ankle just three days before the season's first tournament. She later learned she had a bone chip that would require off-season surgery.
Three weeks into the season she contracted mononucleosis.
"It's been frustrating," she said.
"Every time I think I'm healthy, some
thing else goes wrong."
Shelly worked through the problems and turned her season around. Her average rose above .300, and she helped the team overcome a midseason slide.
Two weeks ago she went down again with a partially-torn shoulder muscle.
“She is a kid with an enormous tolerance for pain.” Bunge said. “But a problem like this isn't something you just bounce back from right away.”
The sisters have been supportive of each other through their struggles.
Shelly has tried to play in two games since the injury, but it has limited her to two at bats. Though the injury is healing, she doesn't know if she will return for the final two weeks of the season.
"I was so excited for her Saturday," Shelly said after her sister's home-run binge. "I called my boyfriend and told him all about it. He just laughed because he knows I wouldn't have been as excited if I was the one who hit them."
Now the sisters are excited about next season.
"I look at how I'm playing now that I'm finally healthy and completely comfortable with my situation," Christi said. "I just think about how fun it will be to come back and play next year with Shelly in the outfield, too."
Edited by Megan Phelps
Kansas Leaders
Batting Average
Klocksien .329
Nelson .308
Gremminger .287
Appuhn .279
Tribble .261
Nelson 52
Klocksien 50
Gremminger 43
Grenniger 43
Spain 39
Spanish 39
Jason Appuhn
Klocksen 4
Nelson 4
Gremminger 3
Del Chiaro 2
Matt Tribble
Rattine Avarava
Jesse Gremminger
Baseball
Casey Spanish
Jeff Davis
John Nelson
Kevin Wheeler
Ryan
Klockgelen
Brent Del Chiaro
VS.
Kansas
Nebraska
Omaha
Kansas (17-26, 5-19 in the Big 12) vs. Nebraska-
Omaha (18-21, 6-6 in the North Central Conference)
p.6 m. at Hoglund Ballpark
Standings in Big 12
Kansas
Nebraska
Baylor
Texas
Texas Tech
Oklahoma State
Texas A&M
Oklahoma
Missouri
Iowa State
Kansas State
Kansas
lastgame
34-9, 15-4
30-15, 14-7
30-18, 16-8
30-18, 14-9-1
32-13, 12-9
25-20, 10-11
16-27, 10-13-1
28-17, 10-14
28-17, 10-14
20-21, 7-10
20-21, 8-15
12-6, 5-19
The Jayhaws defeated current #1 Nebraska 12-3 on Sunday.
Nebraska-Omaha lost to North Dakota 8-1 on Sunday.
lastgame
UNO Leaders
Shoemaker .389
Hammer .351
Doyle .310
Rysdam .300
Gordon .300
Batting Average
Hammer 2
Rysdam 2
Gordon 2
Cook 2
Wurth 259
Doyle 259
Rysdam 259
Persons 259
Homers 259
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