NFL
Defon Sanders announced yesterday he will not play professional baseball in 1996. Page 6
SPORTS VERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1996
SECTION B
Not just another dumb jock
Angie Halbleib combines brains with athleticism
By Evan Blackwell Kansan sportswriter
Don't mention the "dumb jock" stereotype to Halie Holblet.
The junior guard for the Kansas women's basketball team has been disproving that myth her entire life, and that hasn't changed this year.
Halbleib recently was named to the Big Eight Conference All-Academic first team for the third consecutive year, becoming only the second Kansas player to accomplish the feat. Kay Kay Hart was the only other Jayhawk to make the first team three consecutive years, 1989-1992.
Halbleib, whose majors are mathematics and physics, earned a 3.83 grade point average during Fall 1995.
"I've always been a perfectionist," Halbleib said. "I've always gotten mad when I've gotten a 'B', when I knew I could have gotten an 'A'. That's the same way I am on the basketball court."
Halbleib's mother, Leenar Halbleib said she had seen the perfectionist side of her daughter from an early age.
"I remember when she was a toddler. I
would tie her shoes and sometimes they
would be a little loose," she said. "Angie would always kick them off, and re-tie them herself."
When her playing career at Kansas ends, Halbleib said she would like to focus her determination on teaching and coaching basketball at the high school level.
Since there are even fewer professional sports opportunities for women compared to men, hitting the books takes on even more importance, she said.
"I think it's important for all athletes to stress their education," Halbleib said. "I don't settle for less on the court, so why should I settle for less in the classroom?"
Along with her success in the classroom, Halbleib also has stepped up her game on the court this season.
She has raised her scoring average to second on the team, with 14.5 points a
"I've always gotten mad when I've gotten a'B', when I knew I could have gotten an'A'. That's the same way I am on the basketball court."
Angle Halbleib Kansas junior guard
Halbleib also has been the Jayhawks' top shooter from the three-point range, knocking in 43 percent for the year.
game.
"I've worked hard to become one of the go-to players on this team," Halbleib said. "I think I've become that."
During her high school career in Middleton, Wis., Halbleb always had a reputation as a deadly perimeter shooter. That hasn't changed at Kansas, although Halbleb said she worked hard to improve her all-around game.
"The main thing I've worked on is my defense," she said.
Scoring points is still Halbleib's strong suit. She needs only 26 more points to become the 11th player in Kansas history to score 1,000.
However, that milestone doesn't mean as much to her as other team goals, Halbleib said.
"It's just extra baggage you carry around," she said. Scoring points doesn't matter to her as long as the team goes as far as it's capable of going in the NCAA Tournament.
As Halbleib helps guide Kansas, she receives support from fans at every game.
Both her parents, Bob and Leenar, make the nine-hour drive from Middleton to attend every home game the Jayhawks play during the Big Eight season. They also go on many of the road trips.
"We love to support Angle, and we love the team," Leenar Halbleib said. "It's like family to us, and I feel a certain sadness every time we leave."
Andv Rullestad / KANBAM
Kansas junior guard Angie Halbleib was named to the Big Eight Conference All-Academic first team for the third consecutive season this year. She is only the second Jayhawk to accomplish that feat. "I think it's important for all athletes to stress their education," she said. "I don't settle for less on the court, so why should I settle for less in the classroom?"
Nebraska team strife is 'rectified'
Player boycott, meetings came out of long losing skid
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
The basketball bounced off Nebraska junior center Mikki Moore's knee.
A Cornhusker pass looked as if it was intended for Kansas junior guard Jerod Haase.
With 12 first-half turnovers in Nebraska's 81-71 loss to No. 5 Kansas on Monday, the Cornhuskers seemed to be a bit distracted. Few would blame them after the events of last week.
All but two players — freshman guard Tyronn Lue and junior forward Bernard Garner — boycotted practice on Feb. 12. The following day, nine players were an hour late after meeting with Nebraska athletic director Bill Byrne to express concerns about coach Danny Nee. The Cormhuskers are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak.
However, the problems are over now. Nee said.
"All of our distractions ended last Wednesday," he said. "But the media is making it awfully difficult to move on. We've rectified our problems and are concentrating on playing good ball."
Nebraska did just that in the second half, cutting Kansas' 43-31 halftime lead and taking a 60-59 lead before the Jayhawks could secure a victory.
Danny Nee
"I think that answers a lot of questions about whether or not this team can come together, play like a team and be able to come back." Nee said.
During their weekly teleconference on Monday, many Big Eight Conference coaches expressed their disappointment and sympathy for Nee. Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton said he hoped Byrne would step up and make the players realize that no one wanted to win more than the coach.
Kansas State coach Tom Asbury expressed similar sentiments.
"Danny should be judged on the last 10 years, not the last three weeks," Ashbury said. "When I was playing, you just shut up and did what the coach told you. Now, athletes have a greater share of opinion."
Even though Kansas coach Roy Williams believes players now are just as good as they were when he was growing up, he said the Nebraska players did not handle the situation correctly.
But he does not foresee that kind of thing happening at Kansas.
"We've had such good kids," Williams said. "With the open dialogue that the players and coaches have, we could handle any situations."
The occurrences last week in Lincoln, Neb., did cause some player discussion, Kansas freshman guard Ryan Robertson said. Not because the Jayhawks are thinking about walking out, but because it wouldn't happen in a million years.
"We can't even picture it." Robertson said. "If something like that were to ever happen here, you can guarantee the劈 wouldn't be coming back the next day. I can't even imagine what practice would be like."
Kansas women's tennis falls to No.2 Texas team
By Spencer Duncan Kansan-sportswriter
The defending national champion Texas women's tennis team came to Lawrence last night to take on the No. 25 Kansas women.
Kansas juniors Kyle Hunt and Jenny Atkerson, ranked second nationally, were defeated by No. 4 Farley Taylor and Cristina Moros in a tie breaker, 8-8 (7-4).
The Jayhawks lost to No. 2 Texas (6-2), in a meet that came down to a close doubles match.
The result was not what the Jayhawks had imagined.
"I had a feeling earlier this week that we would win," freshman Kris Sell said. "But we did not win."
"We didn't play the tie breaker too smart," Atkerson said. "That was what did it"
Hunt and Akkerson began the match ahead 3-1 but allowed Moros and Taylor to come back and take a 8-3 lead. From then on, the two teams battled back and forth for points until Texas took an 8-7 lead. Hunt and Akkerson got the match to 8-8 but were unable to clinch the win.
"They were a hard-serving team." Kansas women's tennis coach Chuck Merzbacher said o. Morcs and Taylor. "They looked to be in better shape in the end than we did."
The loss by Hunt and Atkerson was
KANSAS TENNIS
their fourth in a row, and the team is not happy with its play.
The teams were awarded one point for every match in both singles and doubles. Kansas fell behind early in points, 4-2, when it lost four of the six singles matches. All three doubles teams would have had to win for the Jayhawks to win the meet.
"I'm not playing as well as I would like," Atkerson said. "Just need to keep working at it."
Of Kansas' four singles losses, Sell, sophomore Christie Sim and junior Bianca Kirchhof took their matches to three sets. Sophomore Maria Abatjoglou lost to No. 56 Laura Brendt, 7-6(4). 6-4.
"We were in every match we played." Merzbacher said. "When we got in a crunch, we could have done a better job."
In singles, No. 7 Hunt defeated No. 25 Taylor, 7-5, 6-4, and Atkerson defeated Moros, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4.
Texas moved to 2-0 for the season and easily could have been beaten by Kansas, Texas women's tennis coach Jeff Moore said.
"We knew they were tough indoors, and we were up to the challenge, if only barely." Moore said. "Kansas is a good team that will get better."
Adversity pushes pitchers to improve
By Dall question
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas senior pitcher Josh Belovsky is tired of hearing about how bad the Jayhawk pitching staff will be.
"We've talked about it a little bit," Belovsky said. "We've got to come together just to prove them wrong. We know we're better than some people think."
The team certainly was better than Texas expected last weekend in Austin, Texas. The Jayhawks (3-3) won two of three games against the then-No. 18 Longhorns.
Kansas baseball coach Bobby Randall was quick to credit the assistant coaches for the pitchers' turnaround.
"A great deal of the credit belongs to Wilson Kilmer and Steve Lienhard," Randall said. "They really prepared our pitchers very, very well to make the adjustments they needed to make from last weekend. Our pitchers pitched with poise and confidence. That means they had a good plan and they worked hard."
That poise and confidence never was more evident than in Kansas' 8-6 victory on Saturday. Belovsky and sonhomore relief nitcher Casev Barrett bottle
Kansas' 8-6 victory on Saturday. Belovsky and sophomore relief pitcher Casey Barrett both averted potential game-killing, bases-loaded jams.
In the first inning, Belovsky walked the bases loaded and was one pitch away from being removed from the game by Randall. But Kilmer went to the mound and talked to Belovsky.
"Coach Kilmer came cut and told me to stay positive," Belovsky said. "He told me 'I know you can do this.' Getting out of that tam was a big confidence boost out there."
Belovsky held Texas scoreless that inning and pitched four more shutout innings, earning the win.
Kansas led 8-4 in the bottom of the ninth when freshman relief pitcher Chris Williams surrendered a two-run home run.
After two outs, Randall called on Barrett to preserve the lead. But he, like Belovsky, walked the bases loaded. Barrett then struck out the last batter, and Kansas hung on for the 8-3 win.
"Obviously you don't like to get into those types of situations all the time," Kilmer said. "The good thing it is showed is when the bases are loaded, you don't necessarily have to give up any runs."
Kilner said the ability of Belovsky and Barrett to escape jams might have been the defining moment of their careers.
Matt Flickner / KANBAN
Kansas senior pitcher Josh Belosky said the help of pitching coach Wilson Kilmer got him out of a tough situation in Texas.
The confidence they gained could continue the rest of the year.
he said.
But just as critics were quick to discount the Jayhawks, Kilmer said they should not get overconfident about early-season successes.
"We haven't arrived as a pitching staff yet, he said. "We still have work to do."
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