UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, February 7, 1997
3B
Track off and running to Lincoln
700 to compete in Husker Invitational
By Matt Woodruff
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas track and field team heads today to Lincoln, Neb., where more than 700 of the nation's top athletes will compete today and tomorrow in the 23rd annual Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational.
"This is a big indoor meet," said Kansas coach Gary Schwartz. "It's the first time we've gone to a two-day format, and I like that because it gets us ready for conference championships, which is also a two-day format."
"in terms of competition, outside of the NCAA meet, you would be hard pressed to find a better indoor meet," said Mark Kostek, Nebraska track and field coordinator. "All this meet is about is running fast. Winning is nice, but they are all trying to earn a ticket to the big show (the NCAA Championships, March 7-8). It should be fun to see what happens."
Track and Field News billed the event as one of the premier indoor meets in the country.
Schwartz said the meet provided an opportunity for the team to evaluate its progress so far this season.
"It will be some very, very tough competition," he said. "We need to go and find out how we measure up and still have a couple of weeks left before conference championships."
"This is a big indoor meet."
Kansas track and field coach
Gary Schwartz
Events in the Husker Invitational will begin at 4 p.m. today and last until approximately 11 p.m. They will resume at noon tomorrow and conclude at about 5 p.m.
Also, Kansas distance runners Ricardo Amezcua and jerry Pullins will compete in the 5,000-meter event in the St. Valentine's Classic tomorrow at Boston University.
Nationally Ranked Jayhawks
The following members of the Kansas track and field team are ranked in the top five in their events this indoor season.
Men
Event Name Time Nat'l Rank
55-meters Pierre Lisk 6.27 5th
55-meter hurdles Nathan Prenger 7.38 2nd
Triple jump Paulo Tan 48-7 1/4 5th
Pole Vault Marc Romito 16-8 3/5 4th
Women
WOMEN
5,000-meters Lynn LoPresti 18:06.34 2nd
Shot put April Kockrow 47:31/2 4th
Pentlanda Candace Mason 3,596 3rd
Spring fever brings hopes of the Series
By Tom Withers The Associated Press
Blame it on optimism or naivete. Blame it on a
dizzying sun or even cabin fever.
Whatever the reason, when pitchers and catchers report for spring training in Florida and Arizona in a few days, they'll all be expecting to still be playing baseball in October.
Of course, only eight teams will extend their seasons into the fall, but that won't players, managers and fans from dreaming in February and March that this is their year.
"There's something about Florida in March that makes you hallucinate," said New York Yankees manager Joe Torre.
You gotta believe. And when Cleveland's pitchers and catchers walk on the field next week at Chain O' Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla., you can be sure they do. And so will the Pittsburgh Pirates, who'll unpack their bags in Bradenton, Fla. And out in Tempe, Ariz., the Anaheim "don't call us California anymore" Angels will begin winter workouts with a new name and several new faces.
under the palm trees. Receive an email with all respect to the groundhogs of North America, the truest indicator that winter's end is near are these warming words: pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report.
So forget about the snow drift in the driveway for a moment. It's time to talk a little baseball. Baseball played in the warmth of a baking sun and under the palm trees. Iced tea anyone? Sun screen?
Players are set to begin arriving Wednesday, and all 28 teams expect to have their full compliment of invites in camp by Feb. 21. Once in place, players will begin preparations for a 1997 baseball season that is already quite distinct.
For the first time in five years, there's no potential work stoppage looming, thanks to a labor agreement reached between players and owners in December. And for the first time in history, teams from the National League will play those in the American League during the regular season.
Hometown honors Ruth
Associated Press
Rare baseball card unveiled by museum
BALTIMORE — Babe Ruth died in 1948, but the famed slugger's 102nd birthday was still cause for celebration in his hometown yesterday.
In his memory, the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Baseball Center unveiled a rare, recently discovered 1914 baseball card showing Ruth wearing a Baltimore Orioles uniform. Museum officials said it is the only known copy of the card available for public viewing.
The card features a lithograph of a 19-year-old Ruth standing in what appears to be an outfield. On the back of the card is the 1914 sched-
ue for the Orioles, then a minor league team.
Ruth played for the Orioles for only a few months before he was sold to the Boston Red Sox, who later sold him to the New York Yankees. Museum curator Gregory Schwalenberg said the Orioles probably commissioned the card to attract spectators.
Forest Hill, Md., resident Marion Townsley found the card in a condemned building 30 years ago. He stored the card in a suitcase until last year, when a friend suggested he show it to curators at the Ruth museum.
"figured it was worth something,
maybe $1,000." Townsley said.
Museum experts estimated the card's worth at $7,000. A similar card was auctioned by Sotheby's.
Baseball historians used the occasion to dispel unflattering stories about Ruth.
for $18.000 in 1991.
"We are looking at a change in Babe Ruth's image," said Mike Gibbons, executive director of the museum.
John Steadman, a baseball historian and columnist for The Baltimore Sun, said Ruth once used an ethnic slur to describe an Italian-American player not because he didn't like Italians, but because Ruth often had trouble with names and remembered people by their appearance.
"The Babe was for 12 years in an orphan asylum with 700 or 800 other kids," Steadman said. "Turnover was high. You remembered people by the way they looked."
'Black Tuesday not end of world
Is it the end of the world that the Kansas men's basketball team lost their first game? More importantly, I don't think 13 outstanding basketball players, four coaches, and the rest of their staff need to be burdened with the headline "Black Tuesday" in your newspaper after they endured such an emotional and heart breaking loss.
Further, I think our student body and our newspaper need to stand behind our team and be positive with our support.
It's not as if we lost on Tuesday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Therefore, the goals our team has made this season remain in our hands: the basketball team's and the student body's.
We still have the best record of any Division I program and the longest home court winning streak in the nation. Go 'Hawks!
Ryan Kruse
Ryan Kruse Watertown,S.D.,junior
The following was received by the University Daily Kansan sports desk via e-mail. Comments, ideas and questions can be sent to sports@kansan.com and selected responses will be printed every Friday.
Hello friends.
I am Seth's mom. I have searched the Internet every day for news about Seth.
The articles in the school newspaper are beautiful. Thank you so much.
It makes me feel so good to read what people have said. I am new at the Net, and I am not sure how I got to this site at www.kansan.com/ but I will bookmark this page and hopefully write you again. Being in Kansas for Seth's memorial has given me great strength. You are beautiful, loving people, and I thank God he had four years with you.
Connie Dunscomb
Loss to Missouri is not sufficient reason to panic
After Tuesday night's game, the buzz on campus has been about one thing ... bowling.
Just kidding. Let's talk hoops.
The Kansas men's basketball team's 96-94 loss to Missouri has had many fans in a haze. The loss snapped a 22-0 streak and the hopes of an undefeated season.
But fans have no reason to panic after losing to unranked Missouri.
First of all, Kansas plays with tremendous heart and which would do for an entire
pose, which they 50 minutes against the Tigers three days after an overtime victory against unranked Nebraska. Toward the end of the second overtime in Columbia, Kansas was probably mentally and physically exhausted after playing 95 minutes of basketball in its last two games.
Second, it's tough to win close games—especially on the road, when four of the team's nine top players, including two starters, are on the bench. T.J. Pugh, B.J. Williams, and Paul Pierce fouled out, and Scot Pollard is out with a
stress fracture. It's rare for four players to be unavailable at the end of a game.
Third, Pollard's defensive presence and rebounding has been missed. However, each night since Pollard's injury a few players have seemed to step up their offensive games.
sive games.
Jacque "Carwash" Vaughn (SportsCenter reference) was automatic on Tuesday. He played his best game of the season against Missouri, scoring 19 points and dishing out 10 assists. He pushes the ball down the court and rips the break as well as any college point guard.
He ran the break well on Tuesday and got to the free throw line where he was 9-for-12.
Billy "AT&T" Thomas continues to be a "zonebuster" as he has been dialing from long distance all season. He has been shooting from so far out that I'm surprised he has not been billed by the telephone companies.
Thomas has also been Kansas" "Rubberband man" in reference to the song by the great music group the Spinners. Thomas' three point shooting stretches the defense. He went 5-8 from three point land with 17 points against Missouri.
Raef LaFrentz has also stepped up his game and has shown he can carry the team during certain stretches. His 26-point-16-rebound performance was a case of Raef just being Raef. In my opinion, he is the front-runner for Player of the Year, but since I don't vote, my opinion doesn't matter.
To quote Craig Kilborn, this is the "feel good edition" of Kansas hoops. However, Kansas has not been playing its best ball in five of the last six halves. The only exception was the second half against Texas Tech.
Before the Missouri game, the Jayhawks had an average margin of victory of more than 20 points, but that average has been declining. In its last three games, Kansas defeated Texas Tech by 9, Nebraska by 5, and lost to Missouri by 2. Do you see a pattern?
But that pattern will be broken this weekend in Ames, Iowa. With the taste of a loss still in their mouths, the team should be refreshed and ready for Iowa State
If the Missouri loss is bothering you, remember that Kansas has the best record in the country and that the team's best games are still ahead.
Just wait until the NCAA Tournament invitations are given out. Missouri played incredible against Kansas, but as for their post-season future, can you Tiger fans say NIT?
In the meantime, I'm thinking about leasing some bowling shoes, working on my five step approach, and trying to improve my three game average.
中國新聞晚會
Welcome to... Chinese New Year Party
Traditional Chinese buffet, great dramas lottery, answer riddles, instrument ensemble piano, violin, and guitar performance,and chorus, etc.
Time: 02/08/1997 6pm-10pm Location: Kansas Union Ball Room Fee: Member $4, Kid $2, Else $5 ~ For ticket information, please call Gemini 749-6767
Come to join us!
Have fun with us!
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中国国际数作
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