2B
SPORTS / FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement."
Steve Prefontaine
FACT OF THE DAY
The men's track and field team earned on the spot on the annual U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association preseason indoor national rankings list. They came in at No.25.
Source: Kansas Athletics
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: What national high school record does freshman athlete Mason Finley hold?
A: He is the national high school record holder in the discus.
Kansas Athletics
MORNING BREW
Goodrich's ACL déjà vu deals big losses
Freshman guard Angel Goodrich sat in a desk last year and attempted to explain her state of mind while recovering from an ACL injury in her left knee that she suffered during last season's second practice.
It was hard for her to reopen the doors of a time that certainly altered her first year of college. But she answered each question thoughtfully, spending time to think before speaking.
BY JAYSON JENKS
jenks@kansan.com
"It was like my heart was ripped out. I was devastated," Goodrich said. "To be honest, I didn't even want to come to games knowing that I couldn't help, or at least in the way that I needed to."
Now Goodrich must go through the same ordeal once more.
In the final minutes of Kansas' 70-68 loss to Oklahoma State Tuesday afternoon, Goodrich dribbled down the court and planted for a lay-up with her right leg. She instantly crumpled to the floor and started criving.
Shortly after, she was escorted to the locker room. Later that night, word spread that Goodrich had torn her ACL in her right knee.
Reporters are often taught to be hardened to the not-so-pleasant facts of sports Losses will occur. Players will get demoted. And injuries will certainly happen.
But, sitting roughly 30 feet from Goodrich's curled-up body, I couldn't help
but think back on our conversations last season when she was recovering.
She described in dark detail the painful toll — part physical, more emotional — that injuries can take on athletes. I've heard some of those answers before, but some of them startled me.
Injuries are usually significant because of their on-court impact. Last season, the loss of Goodrich left a void for coach Bonnie Henrickson at the point guard position.
This year's injury does the same thing. Goodrich's point guard savvy has allowed Kansas to run in transition more. She made life easier offensively for Kansas' other players. And with her no-look passes, she's made watching Henrickson's team more fun.
But the injury also does something else:
It makes me feel sorry.
Sorry for Kansas fans hoping to watch more fast-paced basketball. Sorry for
Henrickson and the Jayhawks, who will now rely even more on seniors Danielle McCray and Sade Morris.
Most importantly, I feel sorry for Angel Goodrich. She will have surgery in a few weeks, and then she will spend months attempting to return to the court.
It will not be fun. Or pain-free. Or easy. Goodrich unfortunately knows all of this from experience.
"I just appreciate the game," Goodrich said while rehabling last season. "I mean, being taken away from it and letting it get to me — once I get to step on the floor again, that will be the greatest day of my life."
Here's to hoping she feels the same way this year.
Edited by Sarah Bluvas
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
TODAY
Track
vs. Missouri, Columbia,
MO, 1:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
Men's basketball vs. Texas Tech, 12:45 p.m.
Women's swimming vs. Nebraska, 2 p.m.
SUNDAY
Women's basketball vs. Missouri, 1 p.m.
MONDAY No events scheduled.
TUESDAY No events scheduled.
NFL
EDNESDAY Women's basketball at Iowa State, 7 p.m.
Men's basketball vs. Baylor, 8 p.m.
THURSDAY No events scheduled.
Broncos sign former Seahawk to deal
DENVER — The Denver Broncos have signed outside linebacker and defensive end Baraka Atkins to a future contract.
Atkins was the Seahawks' fourth-round pick in the 2007 draft after playing for Miami.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Atkins last played for Seattle. He had 28 tackles, including two sacks, in 21 games for Seattle from 2007-2008.
Associated Press
New Orleans snaps losing streak in OT
NEW ORLEANS — Devin McDonald scored 20 points and Carl Blair hit the game-winning layup with 34 seconds left in overtime as New Orleans edged Arkansas-Little Rock 67-66 on Thursday night.
Arkansas-Little Rock's Ricky Davison missed a layup with 18 seconds left. Courtney Jackson missed two free throws with 16
seconds to play and Solomon Bozeman missed a jumper with 2 seconds left to help New Orleans win for just the second time in 11 games.
Alex Garcia-Mendoza's jumper gave the Red Wolves (4-13, 0-6), who have lost eight straight, a 66-65 lead with 1:01 remaining.
McDonald was 6-for-9 on 3-pointers as the Privatees shot 45.8 percent from beyond the arc (11 of 24).
Associated Press
( But if she emails us to complain that your grades are slipping and you're not eating right, you're on your own. )
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Head over skates
Boston Bruins' Adam McQuaid, top, checks Anaheim Ducks' Troy Bodie into the boards in the second period Wednesday night. The Ducks defeated the Bruins 4-3.
NHL
St. Louis shuts out Minnesota, 2-0
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS — Chris Mason stopped 19 shots for his 19th career shutout, and T.J Oshie scored 26 seconds into the third period in the St. Louis Blues' 2-0 victory against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.
ninth goal of the season.
Oshie, a former Minnesota high school star, fired a wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle past goalie Josh Harding for his
St. Louis won consecutive home games in regulation for the first time this season. The Blues (2019-7) also tied a season high with their third victory in a row.
Minnesota (24-21-3) had its four-game winning streak snapped.
Oshie, who broke a 10-game scoreless streak in a 4-1 victory against Columbus on Tuesday night, had his third game-winning
Mason posted his first shutout of the season and his first since April 12, 2009.
goal of the season.
He stopped Eric Belanger from close range midway through the third period.
The Blues had 18 shots on goal in the first period, tying a season best set in the second period of 3-1 win at Nashville on Nov. 27. St. Louis finished with 37 shots overall.