CROSS COUNTRY
THE KANSAS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM will be looking for respect tomorrow when they travel to Ames, Iowa for the Big 12 Conference Championships. A regional poll of opposing coaches ranked the Kansas men's
Emily Miles
team sixth in the district and the women's team tenth. The top individual on the women's team is Emily Miles. She has led the team in every race this year. If the trend continues, she will be the first Jawhak to lead each race since Julia Saul's All-American season in 1991.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
ST. LOUIS RESIGNS DENNIS ECKERSLEY
The St. Louis Cardinals have picked up their option on reliever DENNIS ECKERSLEY, the team said yesterday.
Eckerslev, 42, was 0-6, but had 30 saves in 34
opportunities in his first season with the Cardinals. He added five more saves in the postseason. He will earn an estimated $1.5 million.
KANSAS SOCCER
THE KANSAS SOCER TEAM finishes the season this weekend beginning at 3 p.m. today against Wisconsin-Green Bay and at 1 p.m. Sunday against Wyoming at SuperTarget Field.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1996
Although the team failed to qualify for post-season, they have a chance to improve on last year's 6-12 record.
Kansas comes in at 6-10-
Wine Wisconsin
sin-Green Bay
enters at 7-
8-2, and
Wyoming at
2-16.
SECTION B
Volleyball team to face Bears and Red Raiders
The Kansas volleyball team will face Baylor at 7:30 tonight in Allen Field House. The match against the Bears will be the first of two home conference matches this weekend.
The Jayhawks enter this weekend's competition with a 9-15 overall record, and a 3-7 record in the Big 1.2 Conference.
Baylor defeated the Jayhawks earlier this season in Waco, Texas. The Bears lead the all-time series 3-1 against the Jayhawks.
Baylor has lost seven of its last eight matches, and haven't won a match since Oct. 12 against Kansas. The Bears are 14-10 on the season, and 3-7 in the conference.
The Jayhawks will play No. 19 Texas Tech in its second match of the weekend at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the field house.
Texas Tech's record on the season is 20-3 overall, and 7-3 in conference play. The Red Raiders defeated conference opponents Colorado, and No. 7 Nebraska.
Texas Tech defeated Kansas in the first meeting between the two teams Oct. 11 in Lubbock, Texas.
Jennifer Jackson, high school All-American women's basketball player, has committed to Kansas.
All-American player joins women's basketball team
The 5-foot-10 senior guard from Tuscaloosa Academy in Tuscaloosa, Ala., chose Kansas over North Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi State.
"I finally chose the University of Kansas because I honestly felt it was the best fit for me, scholastically and athletically," Jackson said. "Coach Marian Washington is an incredible lady, and it will be a privilege to play for her at Kansas."
Jackson averaged 28 points, almost nine steals, more than six assists, and more than six rebounds per game as a junior last year.
"The University of Kansas is getting a great basketball player, an honor student and a really good person," said Jerry Browning, Jackson's coach at Tuscaloosa Academy.
She was listed as one of the the Nation's Top 50 women's high school basketball players by the Chicago Sun Times. She also has been named All-American Honorable mention by the magazine Street and Smith.
—Kansan staff report
Andy Rohrback/KANSAN
'Hawks face tough rusher
By Dan Geiston
Kansan sportswriter
Arrests, suspensions, finger-pointing and bickering have become the norm and none of the players want to take the blame.
Somebody has to remind the Jay-
hawks that they play in Lawrence
and not on Melrose Place.
Senior wide receiver Isaac Byrd blames the referees, and senior offensive lineman Scott Whittaker has blamed nearly everyone who has ever lived in Lawrence.
On the suspension blotter, senior running back June Henley is off, but junior defensive back Maurice Gaddie is on after an unspecified team policy violation.
To top it off, the Jayhawks, 3-4 overall, 1-3 in the Big 12 Conference, have lost three straight games, have a quarterback controversy and have to face the nation's leading rusher in Cyclone junior running back Troy Davis.
That's right, the Jayhawks are going to battle someone other than themselves. When Kansas plays Iowa State at 1 p.m. tomorrow at Cyclone Stadium in Ames, Iowa, they will play a Cyclone team that's trying to take on the spoiler role.
Geoff Krieger / KANBAN
Kansas coach Glen Mason said a win against Iowa State, 2-5 overall, 1-3 conference, would do wonders for the Jayhawks' morale.
"We really need to play a good game," Mason said. "Our confidence is not very good."
Last week Kansas played an unstoppable Nebraska team. This week they face an unstoppable player in Davis.
The Heisman Trophy contender already has rushed for 1,423 yards, a 203.29 yards per game average. He is also the nation's leading scorer, with 96 points in seven games.
Last season, Davis became just the fifth running back to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, finishing with a nation's-best 2,010 yards.
"I like Todd Doxson," Mason said.
"He's a good passer, he's got good running ability. He knows how to run the offense."
Mason said he was impressed with Iowa's quarterback, senior Todd Dozox.
Iowa State coach Dan McCaryne said Doxzon has come of age.
Kansas offensive players huddle around assistant head coach Golden Pat Ruel in the KU-Nebraska game. Kansas faces Iowa State tomorrow.
"Each week you see him gain more confidence," McCarney said. "His passing efficiency, his decision-making — he's very confident in it. He comes back every Tuesday to practice ready to go and lead this team."
Junior Matt Johner will not be the starting quarterback. Senior Ben Rutz, who had a lot of playing time last week, was named the starter by Mason.
Big 12 coaches gather, 'are on the same page'
By Evan Blackwell Kansan sportswriter
Kansas basketball coach Roy Williams meets with reporters. Big 12 Media Day was held yesterday at the Hyatt-Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Mo.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams said he already knew the biggest benefit of adding four Texas schools to form the Big 12 Conference.
"Some of those road trips are going to be a heck of a lot warmer," Williams joked at the first Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Day yesterday at the Hyatt Regency. "If you go to Ames, Iowa and Lincoln, Neb. and some of those places in the winter, the weather (in Texas) is going to sound pretty doggone good to me."
Williams and the rest of the Big 12 coaches met the media together for the first time and most of the talk surrounded conference unity.
"I think we're on the same page," Williams said. "We have an opportunity to be a fantastic league."
the subject of some controversy because of several comments regarding who was benefiting more from the merger, the Texas schools or the former Big Eight.
The Big 12 coaches had been
"I said some things that I strongly believed ... I do believe those things are in the past."
"I was probably the biggest culprit, I admit that," William said.
Iowa State coach Tim Floyd said that the addition of the
See Media, Page 6B
Women predicted to play well
Bill Fennelle said that the Kansas women's basketball team played with a sense of purpose down the stretch last season.
By Adam Herschman Kansan sportswriter
"They won the regular season championship, and finished with a flurry." Fennelly, the Iowa State
The Jayhawks won 10 of 11 games before losing to Colorado in the Big Eight Conference tournament final. Following that loss, Kansas reached the Sweet 16 by defeating Middle Tennessee State and Texas before losing to the eventual NCAA Champion, Tennessee, in the NCAA Tournament
women's basketball coach, said.
"I think, to the credit of the coaching staff and to the players, they obviously did not play well in the Big Eight 8 Championship game. And then to turn around and play so well in the tournament, I think says a lot about the mental state of their team, the competitive spirit of their team,"
Football team thanks loyal fans
See BASKETBALL, Page 6B
The seniors of the 1966 Kansas football team would like to address the remarks made by senior Scott Whittaker. Whittaker does not speak or represent the attitudes held by the seniors or the other 105 members of the 1966 football team. Scott Whittaker used a media interview to voice his
Letter to the Editor:
own negative opinions and frustrations regarding the fans and our current season. As seniors, we would like an opportunity to say thank you to the fans that have cheered our team on all season. This year's students and fans have provided the best support for a KU football team we have seen during our careers. We hope to see and hear from the KU faithful, espe-
cally when our team returns home against two Big 12 opponents, Kansas State and Texas. It is an honor to wear the KU Crimson and Blue.
Thanks for your support
Thanks for your support
All seniors of the 1996 Kansas
football team.
Whittaker's barb is just a cop-out
Monday's comments made by Kansas offensive lineman Scott Whittaker, ("We don't have good fans. We have horrible fans. ... They just don't know when to cheer. They're basketball fans."), were a cop-out, brainless, but most of all ... true.
Sorry folks, but Scott's right. I've been to high school games where
greater force and gave more support that what I've seen at Memorial Stadium. Fan support stems from winning year after year — something that's never been done on the gridiron at Kansas.
I've watched college football games at Penn State, Ohio State, Iowa, and Michigan. The traits that those fans display are far different than what I've seen at the
base of Campanile hill. The Big ten fans go early and stay until the final seconds. Kansas fans go late — that's if it's a big game — and leave the instant things turn sour for the Jayhawks.
But I'll save my fan support spiel for another day.
Like I said, Scott's tirade was a cop-out. There were times last Saturday night when it looked like the Kansas offensive line was shadow blocking, *a la flag football*, against the Nebraska defenders, just trying not to make any contact. If you're going to gripe and moan about something wrong with Kansas football you should be doing what Michael Jackson once sang, "Starting with the man in the mirror."
But aside from trashing the feelings of the Jayhawk faithful, the real hardship that is suffered by Scott's criticism is recruiting. Whittaker's words were picked up by The Associated Press. In an elaborate write up, which included quotes from radio commentator Bob Davis, the story was sent nationwide.
Coach Mason and the rest of his staff must battle with the Notre Dames and Florida States of the college football world for the
nation's top talent. If a blue-chip prospect were to catch wind that a member of the Kansas football team said the fan support in Jayhawk country is among the lowest in America, why on earth would he want to play for KU?
'Cmon Scott, leave the cynicism and badmouthing to no-name hacks like me.
As far as instructing the fans when to cheer, Scott may go down as the first football player in history ever to criticize his home fans for cheering too loud. Whittaker will most likely be playing on Sunday next season, so it'll be interesting to see how frustrated he gets when the poorly-mannered Denver or Kansas City fans don't take their seats on a fourth down and one.
n Time to open the mail box again
Dear Bill — As a huge Jayahawk fan, I was greatly upset by Scott Whittaker's remarks about our fans. I heard that the seniors on the team wrote a reply to Whittaker saying that they don't conden what he said. What kind of effect will this have on lessening Whittaker's harsh words.
It's about as effective as putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound or feeding a whale a Tic-Tac.
I honor the honesty and sincerity of the KU seniors, but the wound that Whittaker's comments left on the Kansas faithful will take time to heal.
Dear Bill — The Kansas-Kansas State game won't be televised this year. Instead, the Texas &M-Baylor and Oklahoma-Oklahoma State games will be aired regionally. What could be worse than these games?
John Tesh, A Visit to Peoria,
Murder She Wrote, Oil or Latex:
How to Know Which Paint is
Right for You
I take that back. Nothing could be worse than those snoozefest matchups.
You can e-mail Bill Petulla at sports@kansan.com