SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, September 28, 1993
9
Falcons handed fourth season loss
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — It was supposed to be the night the Atlanta Falcons ended their 1993 futility. It didn't happen. In fact, it wasn't even close.
Neil O'Donnell, Barry Foster and a fierce Pittsburgh defense crushed the Falcons 45-17, handing winless Atlanta its seventh loss in a row on Monday Night Football and its fourth loss of the season.
The Steelers (2-2), 2% point underdogs, converted four Bobby Hebert turnovers into three touchdowns and a field goal as Pittsburgh ended a string of eight losses by AFC opponents at Atlanta.
The Falcons finished with six turnovers to Pittsburgh's one.
Cornerback Rod Woodson was the main defensive star for Pittsburgh with two interceptions. He also had a 30-yard punt return.
The Steelers dominated the second half, outscoring Atlanta 21-0 to turn a game that was close at halftime into a rout.
Two-thirds of the crowd of 65,477 fans had left the Georgia Dome when the Steelers took a 41-17 lead two minutes into the final quarter. They even began a chant normally heard a mile away — the Indian war chant of the baseball Braves.
O'Donnell, who completed 19 of 25 passes for 259 yards, threw scoring passes of 4 yards to Dwight Stone and 7 yards to Yancey Thigpen.
Foster had the first three-touchdown game of his career, scoring on runs of 30,7 and 1 yards. He finished with 65 yards on 20 carries.
Club coach leads from experience
Student coach former player heads soccer
By Anne Felstet
Kansan sportswriter
Spectators looking for the women's soccer club coach should look for nei-ther a whistle nor a person running the sidelines with a bullhorn. Lori Zito, women's soccer club coach, said she went to practice looking like everyone else on the team.
Zito, who began to play for the team, began coaching during the spring semester of her sophomore year, said she was glad to have had the opportunity to coach but that the job was stressful. She said that missed playing, but that sometimes a person had to make sacrifices.
"I am more a leader of the group," she said.
Besides the two-day a week practices, Zito, Omaha senior, establishes the team's schedule and reserves game and practice fields. She schedules the
Senior Carlos Rojas, the team's advisor, said he admired Zito for handling all her responsibilities so well.
referees, arranges the referees' salaries for home games, reserves hotel rooms, handles travel arrangements and attends the Sports Council meetings once a month. She also does all the required paperwork necessary for a functioning club at Kansas .
Rojas, who played on the same co-recreational soccer team as Zito, said she was an excellent player who had the knowledge to direct the team as a leader. She works well with the players on and off the field. Rojas said she was a driven person and was committed because she wanted to do her best.
Zito said her blunt personality showed the team members that she did not back down on her word. When she gives the team instructions, members usually followed them.
Sophomore returning player Carrie Gabbard said Zito was a lighthearted and easy-going coach because she did not yell at the team and was not overwhelming.
"Lori is an effective coach," Gabbard said. "She tells us exactly what to do, yet she's involved with what is going on. She doesn't stand back giving orders."
Zito said she tried to get involved with as many drills as she could, but that was difficult since she was the only coach of a 50-player team.
"I am not a lazy coach," Zito said. "If the team sees me being lazy, then they will be."
That was a problem that Zito saw with the coach when she played. She said the coach let the players do whatever they wanted to do. That brought about laziness and a slacking attitude.
Zito does not run an easy practice. The team practices for about two hours every Tuesday and Thursday. Zito prepares a written practice agenda.
"Disorganization is not good, especially when coaching women my own age," Zito said. She said she was not a strict coach, but she was strict about getting things done that needed to be completed. Other than that, she laughs and jokes like the rest of the team.
Gabbard said Zito made practices fun because she is energetic and lively, with a bouncy, outgoing personality.
Zito's greatest fear is that her players will not listen to her. She said she did not want the team to think she was condescending, because she saw a lot of soccer talent better than her own.
Zito may coach the team alone, but she said she always needed advice. She is not afraid of criticism. She takes all the advice she is given to make the program better.
Senior Lori Zito said she made the sacrifice not to play on the women's soccer team so she could coach.
Doug Hesse / KANSAN
Richard Devinki / KANSAN
Senior swimmer David Lewis participates in a team practice at Robinson Gymnasium. Lewis is the team's first-ever Rhodes Scholarship nominee.
Kansas swimmer is Rhodes nominee
By Kent Hohlfeld
Kansan sportswriter
Senior David Lewis will compete for one of the 32 scholarships given annually across the nation.
This year's Kansas swim team has one thing that past teams have never had. The team has its first Rhodes Scholar nominee in team history.
Rhodes scholarships began in 1904 when they were given exclusively to male student athletes. The scholarship program expanded over the years to include students who were not athletes. The scholarship was first presented to a woman in 1976.
Sandra Wick, assistant director of the University honors program, is one of the people in charge of sending applications to the state committee. That committee sends the nominees to the Rhodes Scholarship Trust, which awards the scholarships.
"They look for people with strong academic and leadership qualities," Wick said. "Applicants also need a legitimate reason to study in England at Oxford University for two years."
Lewis, a biology major, said that he learned about the Rhodes Scholarship his freshman year. He said he had worked since then to fulfill the requirements to apply for the scholarship.
"Attaining a Rhodes Scholarship is a dream," he said.
Among the classes Lewis has taken while attending KU are the biology classes that are required for his bachelor's degree and Japanese language classes.
Lewis said he hoped to study abroad after graduation, with or without the scholarship. He said that after graduation he wanted to attend graduate school and work toward a doctorate in ecology.
Grades have not been a problem for the Spokane, Wash., native. He was a Big Eight Conference classroom champion in Spring 1993. He is working on a senior project on how animals deal with their environments.
Kansas coach Gary Kempf said that Lewis typified what a student athlete should be. He said Lewis was the type of student he wanted to recruit from high school.
"When I recruit them, they know what I expect. Kempf said."
He said he thought the discipline that Lewis learned while swimming helped him in the classroom.
Lewis said disciplining himself was the key to his success in college.
"Basically I have an image of what I want to achieve before the semester starts and how to do it." Lewis said.
Besides carrying a 14-credit hour
course load, Lewis also is president of the Kansas chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa. The organization is a national leadership honorary society. Lewis organizes the group's civic activities.
Lewis said the group tried to help underprivileged children and gave a series of awards in various leadership categories.
Lewis said that keeping up his schedule had meant making some sacrifices.
Throughout Lewis' career, the breast stroke has been his strongest event. Kempf said Lewis also had provided leadership in the middle distance events. He said Lewis was fighting for a spot on this season's national team.
"I don't get to watch to much television," he said.
"I want to place in the top six in the 100-meter breaststroke," Lewis said. "I feel most comfortable with my breaststroke."
He said he was willing to make the sacrifices so that he could participate in his activities.
"I do these things because I enjoy them," Lewis said. "I'm not just looking to build my resume here."
Lewis said making nationals was a dream, but he tried to set his goals realistically.
Lewis' goals for his college swimming career are more modest.
Requirements for Rhodes Scholars
Senior KU swimmer David Lewis is a Rhodes Scholar candidate. To win the prestigious award, he must:
- succeed with a rigorous academic schedule.
Mason said yesterday that junior Asheikh Preston had been working with the No. 1 offense in practices the last week. But Mason also said that a decision on who would start at quarterback against Colorado State at Memorial Stadium would not be made until Saturday.
show willingness and ability to help others.
Thomas completed 5 of 17 passes for 46 yards in his one half of work against Utah.
Mason considers new quarterback
demonstrate leadership abilities.
have a legitimate reason to study two years at Oxford University.
Kansas coach Glen Mason appears to be leaning toward a change of starting quarterbacks for the Jawhaws.
Preston replaced junior starting quarterback Fred Thomas to start the second half against Utah on Sept. 18. Preston completed 7 of 15 passes for 79 yards and also ran the ball 10 times for 53 yards and a touchdown.
"It will be that way on Saturday!" I don't know," Mason said. "Whoever gives us the best chance to win is the one we will go with."
The Rhodes Scholarship began in 1904 as a scholarship for male student athletes. In the 1940s, students who did not participate in athletics began to win the awards. In 1976, a woman won the award for the first time.
Kansan staff report
Kempf said that Lewis was an important part of the team.
KANSAN
"He has the respect of everyone on the team," Kempf said. "We're very proud of David's work ethic and attitude."
Jayhawk wins Big Eight player of week
Kansan staff report
As Kansas prepares for Oklahoma in Big Eight volleyball action this weekend, a Jayhawk has earned the Big Eight player of the week.
Senior outside hitter Cindyee Kanabel was given the award after leading Kansas to the USAir Tournament title last weekend in Pittsburgh, Pa. The team won all three matches against Virginia Tech, Syracuse University and University of Pittsburgh.
The big game for Kanabel came against Syracuse, when she had 25
kills and a career-high. 579 hitting percentage.
She ended the tournament with 51 kills, a.408 hitting percentage, 16 block assists, 32 digs and four service aces. For Kanabel's effort, she was named the tournament's MVP, her second such award this season. She was also MVP of the Kansas Invitational Tournament Sept. 10-11.
This recent honor adds to the list of awards and records Kanabel already has compiled. She is first in Kansas career block assists with 272. Former Jayhawk Kim DeHoff previously held the record with 238.
Suspensions could prevent football fights
By Matt Dovle
Kansan sportswriter
Football is an aggressive, physical and at times, violent sport. Just before halftime of Saturday's Miami-Colorado game, the violence spilled over into a brawl between the two teams near the Miami sideline.
The fight between Miami and Colorado was one of three fights that occurred in college football on Saturday and raised the question of what measures should be taken to prevent such occurrences.
Twelve players — seven from Miami and five from Colorado — were ejected from the game. However, some Big Eight Conference coaches said they would be in favor of tougher punishments for players involved in such fights.
College basketball has a rule that states players ejected from a game for fighting are suspended for one game. Last spring, the NCAA Rules Committee considered such a rule for football, but did not act on it.
Miami coach Dennis Erickson told the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel that he would not oppose such a rule
"All of us hate to see those things happen," said Kansas State coach Bill Snyder. "There's a need for better control of those things, and if you had more stringent consequences for those involved then a lot of it would be prevented."
for college football.
"A one-game suspension makes sense to me." Erickson said.
Oklahoma State coach Pat Jones said he would oppose such a rule if it was ever enacted.
Many Big Eight coaches said they believed such a rule would be beneficial if fights ever broke out, but they also said referees had a difficult time identifying which players should be ejected.
"You have the video of the game," said Kansas coach Glen Mason. "I don't know why you can't use that to find out which players should be thrown out of the game."
Mason's Kansas team was involved in a scuffle with Miami during the pregame warm-up in the 1990 contest in Miami.
Colorado coach Bill McCartney said he was so disgusted by the fight at the Miami-Colorado game that he did not even leave the Colorado sideline when the fighting was taking place.
"We offered no threat to no one at that time," Mason said. "It was total intimidation on their part."
"This was the first time we have had this kind of altercation and I hope it never happens again," McCarthy said.
Foul weather infringes on Kansas' fall softball season
Bv Gerrv Fev
Kansan sportswriter
Inexperienced Big Eight softball players use the fall season to gain experience before the spring's championship season.
But what if there is no fall season?
But what if there is no holiday season. Because of rain, Kansas has only one tournament remaining on a fall schedule that originally had two. The Big Eight Fall Classic, beginning Friday, is the last scheduled tournament for Kansas.
The team was to play over the weekend in the Jawawk Invitational. All four Kansas games were rained out, but the team was able to scrimmage Nebraska-Kearney in Anschutz Sports Pavilion. Now Kansas is forced to add a scrimmage against Johnson County Community College at 2:30 p.m. today.
Kansas junior outfielder Joy Herrera said she was bored with practices.
"It's monotonous," Herrera said. "My roommate says it's like cabin fever. There is not very much to do. You perfect what you already know."
Everybody needed the game time during the fall, Kansas coach Kalum Haack said, not just freshmen.
Iowa State coach Deb Kuhn said. "We've been juggling practices inside and out, but we don't need to be inside that much."
"The rain doesn't help any," Haack said. "We had a controlled scrimmage with Kearney. That was better than nothing, but it wasn't a real game."
"The weather's been touch and go."
Kansas is not the only Big Eight team experiencing problems with inclement weather. Although Iowa State does not schedule many fall games, its number of outside practices has been cut down considerably.
Iowa State has a nice inside practice facility, Kuhn said, and players develop bad habits playing inside too much.
"Inside is not the same, especially in the way of fundamentals," Kuhn said of her team's fielding.
Nebraska has played 10 games this fall, many on artificial turf. Nebraska coach Rhonda Revelle said the team played one of its tournaments on the school's football field.
"If we hadn't had access to turf, we would have been rained out also," Revelle said. "I can't imagine not having a fall season."
Revelle said every team needed to play a fall season because it acted as a preseason.
"It's important for everybody," Revelle said. "But it is critical for the younger players. We have some young players who need to get college experience. Without the fall, those young kids may never get a chance to play because there is too much at stake in the spring."
The Midwestern climate puts some Big Eight teams at a disadvantage against its Southern counterparts.
"We get a late start compared to teams in the South anyway." Revelle said. "You need the fall, especially if you want to compete nationally."
Haack said those teams had an advantage because they didn't have to deal with the same weather situations
"The big schools start playing in January and February," he said. "We can't even get on the field until March."