Section B · Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Friday, April 13, 2001
Shot putter has competitive edge
By Michael Sudhalter
by Michael Squamale
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Hard work and countless repetitions of snatching, cleaning, squatting and close grip weightlifting have made Kansas All-American shot putter Ryan Speers a major force on the conference and national levels.
Speers, a 6-foot, 285-pound junior from Sabetha, credits throws coach Doug Reynolds for his climb into the nation's elite in shotputting.
"Coach Reynolds helped out a lot technically," Speers said. "The experience of the coaching staff is great. Most of them have been involved with or competed as world-class athletes."
Reynolds said Speers' solid contributions had helped the team out in several ways.
"He brings a lot of intensity to the ring and to the team. I think he's going to help us out at the conference meet," said Reynolds, referring to the Big 12 Championships on Thursday, May 17 through Sunday, May 20 in College Station, Texas.
Speers, who is competing in the hammer throw and shot put this spring, hopes to repeat his performance from the indoor season.
"I'd like to make All-American in outdoor," Speers said. "My ultimate goal is to break the school record in the shot put."
The Kansas record for the shot put is 67-2 3/4 by Karl Salb in 1971.
Speers, a former all-state defensive lineman for A4 State Champion Sabetha Blue Jays in 1997, became interested in the shot
Speers: wants to break the Kansas shot put record
because of his defensive line coach Dave Remmers, a former Kansas track and field athlete.
Although recruited by several major Division I football programs, Speers said Remmers' influence was
one of the main reasons he chose to compete for the Kansas track team. He also said the individuality of the sportalso influenced his decision.
"I enjoyed track more, and I know that throwing is up to me," Speers said. "If I mess up, then I know it is my fault."
Speers said the Kansas Relays next week in Memorial Stadium would be a great event for the track program.
"It is nice to have a big home meet, and there will be several elite throwers there." Speers said.
A human development major, Speers would like to coach track at the collegiate level or work with kids who have had troubled lives.
Considering that Speers spends hours in the weight room and throwing the shot put, the native Kansan treats himself to a more relaxing hobby.
"I like to fish, fish and fish," Speers said. "I say my itleout away from track."
Speers and the Jayhawks will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Banks of Fayetteville Invitational tomorrow.
- Edited by Jennifer Valadez
By John Donney
sports@kanson.com
Kansas sportwriter
Golfers want to finish season strong
As the Kansas men's golf team prepares for its tournament this weekend at the Intercollegiate 2001 in Chapel Hill, N.C., the Jayhawks are focusing on closing out their last tournament in strong fashion before the Big 12 Championships Monday, April 23 and Tuesday, April 24.
If the Jayhawks are looking ahead a little, they couldn't be blamed.
Even with all of the preparations for the Big 12 Championship, the Hawks know that they must play well this weekend to prepare for the bigger battles down the road.
"We've been trying really hard to find time to practice and play," said coach Ross Randall. "When we've had a chance to practice, we've been working on a little bit of everything."
What the team is focusing on in practice is getting off to a good start the first day of the tournament.
In its last tournament, the Western
Intercollegiate, Kansas slumped to unusually low scores for the first two rounds of the competition. That left the team with a large hole to climb out of in the final round.
Still, the Jayhawks' scores in the final rounds of other tournaments have impressed Randall, including the Western Intercollegiate's final
first time.
"They've shown me some mental toughness to finish well in last tournament's final
round. Kansas went from 13th to finish third.
round," Randall said. "Lately, they've been playing well in the final rounds, and I like that."
Much of the Jayhawks' late-round heroics have come from a host of players who are individually capable of playing great golf at any tournament.
Recently, it has been junior Travis Hurst who has had high finishes and senior Andy Stewart who turned in a strong final round four under par at
the Western Intercollegiate.
This weekend's tournament will provide a different type of challenge for Kansas. The team will compete at the University of North CarolinaFinley Golf Course, a venue where none of the Jayhawks have ever played together as a team.
Kansas knows that its practice round will be a time when the team will need to learn and study the nuances of the course.
"Some courses are really hard to get used to," Hurst said. "I don't really mind it because we usually get a practice round before we play."
Part of the reward for the travel to North Carolina is that Kansas will be only nine miles from the site of this year's NCAA Championship at the Duke University Golf Course in Durham, N.C.
Randall said he hoped he could take the team to look at the course and remind them of what is at stake at the end of the year.
— Edited by Courtney Craigmile
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LAWRENCE
KANSAS. USA
Share your views on future transportation needs in Lawrence and Douglas County
Help us identify transportation improvements for regional roadway, transit,bicycle, and pedestrian systems over the next 25 years. Talk with city-county planning staff and consultants developing the region's Transportation 2025 Plan. Here your chance to learn about the process and provide input.
Public meetings
Give us your input
Monday, April 16
12 noon to 1:30 p.m., Lawrence
Public Library Auditorium, 7th & Vermont
4 to 6.p.m., Haskell Indian Nations University Stidham Student Union, 23rd and Barker
Tuesday, April 17
12 noon to 1:30 p.m., University of Kansas
Kansas Union, Fourth Floor Traditions area
5 to 7 p.m., Eudora City Hall, 4 E. 7th
More information available at the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Office, City Hall, 6th and Massachusetts,
(785) 832-3150. Written comments due April 17 to Transportation Planner, Planning Office, PO Box 708, Lawrence 66044,
e-mail morgung@cilawrence.ku.edu
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PrideWEEK2001
Monday April 16
Jan Einarson | Comedy
8:00PM KS Union Ballroom
April 16-21 Events
Tuesday April 17
Skott Freedman | Speech & Concert
4:00PM Spencer Art Museum
8:30PM Hashingher Hall Auditorium
Wednesday April 18
eursday April 18
Alix Olson | Slam Poetry
Workshop 3:30PM Woodruff Auditorium
Performance 8:30PM Jazzhaus
Tremors Party | Pride Party
Evening to 2:00AM Tremors
Thursday April 19
Movie Night | But I'm a Cheerleader
9:30PM Woodruff Auditorium
Friday April 20
Drag Show | 8th Annual
Noon KS Union Plaza
Saturday April 21
Rights March | Mass St
11:00AM City Hall
Followed by picnic in South Park
with funding from STUDENT SENATE
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