6B
Friday, March 21, 1997
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tennis team to face New Mexico
Jayhawks settle in, show improvement
Freshman Ryan Baxter returns a volley earlier this season at Alvamar Tennis Club. Baxter and the rest of the Kansas men's tennis team enter the height of the season this weekend, finishing nonconference play against New Mexico and Fresno State.
Staff Photographer / KANSAN
By Andy Rohrback Kansan sportswriter
Just in time for the most decisive part of the season, the Kansas men's tennis team is hitting its stride.
"We're a lot better team than we were even a week ago," head coach Mark Riley said. "All you want to do is improve, and we've been improving."
we've been off a 2-1 record at the Blue-Gray Tennis Classic last week in Montgomery, Ala., the Jayhawks face two more nonconference teams this weekend, just before the Big 12 Conference schedule begins. Kansas faces conference rival Texas A&M March 29 and will follow that match with five more Big 12 matches, two at home, before the conference tournament on April 24.
The nonconference meets this weekend feature teams the Jayhawks have met and defeated before. Tomorrow, the team travels to Albuquerque to take on New Mexico. The Lobos visited Lawrence Jan. 31 and kept the meet close by winning three singles matches. Kansas picked up the doubles point in that match at Alvamar Tennis Club and won 4-3.
This meet will be different. The Lobos will have home-court advantage, which places added pressure on Riley's team. But the Jayhawks will have an edge with the return of Fernando Sierra, who sat out the previous meeting with an injured shoulder. Sierra is 13-8 in singles play and has a 15-9 doubles record with partner Luis Uribe.
Sierra said his biggest concern was the change in environment. "If it's really hot here, then they're going to be used to it and we're not," he said.
Riley said having a healthy team and a cohesive squad would be a plus.
"We're pretty healthy right now," he said. "People are starting to get used to my style and what I expect. What we have to do and now is win matches."
The weather in Lawrence in recent days may work to the Jayhawks' advantage. Riley said.
"We have to be prepared for each match," he said. "We've had great weather this year."
Another benefit for Kansas is Trent Tucker, who has not lost a singles match all season. Tucker is on an eight-game winning streak, which he said was an effective confidence booster. But now doubles play is paramount.
"I'll definitely focus on doubles and hope that singles keeps rolling," Tucker said. "The confidence is there right now."
After the New Mexico meet, the Jayhawks travel to Fresno, Calif., to take on
the No.22 Fresno State Bulldogs. Fresno State is on the 33-game home winning streak, but the team is 1-7 against Top 25 teams. The Jayhawks are ranked No.17 and beat Fresno 4-3 at the National Indoor Tournament.
"They have good tradition," Riley said. "They've been pretty strong in the past. We certainly felt that we were fortunate to beat them the first time."
The Jayhawks will return home March 29 to play Texas A&M at the Robinson Center courts.
The Big 12 became more competitive after the Texas Longhorns slipped past Kansas March 11. Texas and Kansas are in contention for the conference lead, and the victory gave Texas the advantage.
"We'll have another opportunity at the (Big 12) tournament," Riley said.
"People are starting to get used to my style and what I expect.What we have to do now is win matches."
Mark Riley
Kansas men's tennis coach
KU golfers finish in middle of pack at New Mexico
Kansan staff report
The Kansas women's golf team finished in ninth place Wednesday at the University of New Mexico Spring Intercollegiate Golf Tournament.
The team moved into ninth place after shooting a team score of 315 in the third round of play. The score was the team's second-best single-round score of the season.
The Jayhawks shot 326 and 330 in the first two rounds and finished with a three-round team score of 971.
Fifteen teams participated. Kansas finished 87 strokes behind tournament champion New Mexico.
The tournament was held at the University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course, a par-73, 54-hole course in Albuquerque, N.M.
Kansas' Susan Tressary dropped 10 spots from the second round to the third after shooting an 83 in the third round. She finished with a three-round total of 283 and ended in 20th place. It was the third time in her career that Tressary, a freshman, finished in the Top 25. Missy Russell fired a 75 in the third round, lifting her into a tie for 28th place.
Golf results
Kansas finished ahead of Big 12 Conference rival Kansas State, which shot a 977.
Top five team finishers at the UNM Golf Tournament (three-round total)
1 University of New Mexico 883
2 Northern Arizona 942
3 Iowa State 944
4 Pepperdine 950
5 Colorado 955
Where Kansas golfers placed
20 Susan Tressary 239
28 Missy Russell 241
34 Mandy Munsch 243
44 Anne Clark 248
60 Lori Lauritsen 257
'Hawks Vaughn, Haase join Halbleib on GTE Academic All-America team
Kansan staff report
Kansas men's basketball guards Jacque Vaughn and Jerod Haase have proved they don't spend all their time playing basketball. They take time out to study, too.
The two seniors have been named first-team GTE Academic All-Americans. It is the second year in a row that Vaughn has been named to the first team. Haase was a second-team selection last year.
Vaughn, who has a 3.72 grade point average in business administration, was also named the Academic All-American team member of the year. The honor is much like being named most valuable player.
Haase has a 3.70 grade point average, also in business administration.
Also representing the Big 12 Conference on the first team was Baylor senior Doug Brandt.
Kansas now has three GTE Academic All-American basketball players. On Monday, senior guard Angie Halbleib was named a third-team Academic All-American. Halbleib has a 3.82 grade point average in math education.
GTE Academic All-America teams
First Team
First Team
Jacque Vaughn Kansas
Sr. 3.72 Business Administration
Jerod Haase Kansas
Sr. 3.70 Business Administration
Doug Brandt Baylor
Sr. 3.98 Aviation Science
Adonal Foyle Colgate
Jr. 3.47 History
Pat Garrity Notre Dame
Jr. 3.67 Biochemistry
Second Team
Second Team
Matt Harping Georgia Tech
Jr. 3.30 Management
Pete Lislicky Penn St.
Jr. 3.32 Finance
Seamus Lonergan Dartmouth
Sr. 3.85 Chemistry
T.J. Lux Northern Illinois
So. 3.76 Math Education
Dan Muller Illinois St.
Jr. 3.84 Business Administration
Third Team
Scott Cross Texas-Arlington
Jr. 4.00 Business/Marketing
Carlos Daniel Washington St.
Jr. 3.52 History
Alexander Koul George Washington
Jr. 3.33 Exercise Science
Corey Reed Radford
Jr. 3.97 Chemistry
Skipp Schaefbauer Illinois St.
Jr. 3.84 Business Administration
Baseball team to spend break traveling through the Midwest
By Harley V. Ratliff Kansan sportswriter
While students are basking on the beaches of Cancun or hitting the ski slopes in Colorado next week, the Kansas baseball team will be spending spring break in exotic locales such as Ames, Iowa; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Omaha, Neb.
- Maybe next year Kansas should schedule a few more of those road games in South Florida
"We're not going to the beach," head coach Bobby Randall said. "But all we have to concentrate on is playing baseball and getting rested."
The Jayhawks (15-9, 4-5), who ended their four-game slide with Wednesday's 8-2 victory against Arkansas, will be back on the road this weekend. Kansas, making the first of three spring break road trips, plays Iowa State tomorrow at noon in Ames.
The visit to Ames will mark a sort of homecoming for Randall. Randall, who made his college coaching debut as the Cyclones' head coach in 1985. Randall spent 10 years in Ames. He helped turn Iowa State into a formidable baseball program.
Before Randall's arrival the Cyclones hadn't posted a
winning record in seven years.
"It's funny because I still have some friends in Ames," Randall said. "But they're all Cyclone fans."
Although Randall still has ties to the Iowa State program, he said his main concern was with the Jayhawks.
"We had some good years up there, but this is my home now," Randall said. "I'm not part of that program anymore, I'm thinking more about today and tomorrow than I am about the past. Kansas is where my enthusiasm is."
Randall said the most important part of going to Ames was getting key conference wins.
"if there is any nervousness about Iowa State, it's that we need to win some games."
After Iowa State, the Jayhawks will play Rockhurst College and Howard University at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium and Oral Roberts and Creighton on the road. In all, Kansas will play eight games during the break.
After the nonconference series, the Jayhawks will be gearing up for a rugged conference schedule.
"We have a tough schedule ahead of us, Oral Roberts and Iowa State are quality teams," Randall said. "But our most difficult stretch starts real soon. Once we hit April, it's nothing but Big 12 Conference games."
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for the both the Summer and Fall 1997 semesters.
Applications may be picked up at The Kansan Business Office, 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall. Deadline for Business Manager and Editor application
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