BOXING Mike Tyson's thumb injury leaves Las Vegas with just one heavyweight fight on Saturday. Page 4
SPORTS VERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1995
CROSS COUNTRY
Bittersweet finish for cross country
Kansas teams place higher than critics expected
Richard Devinki / KANSAN
Kansas cross country team members (from left to right) Lynn LoPrest, Clifton Railsback, Whitney Ace, Erin Anderson, Josh Weber, and Cord Crisz have been named to the Phillips 66 All-Big Eight Cross Country Honor Roll.
By Adam Herschman Kansan sportswriter
Although the Kansas cross country team defied the predictions of its critics, the Jayhawks did not run like they wanted to at the Big Eight Conference Cross Country Championships last Saturday.
"I'm disappointed in the placing." Kansas assistant cross country coach Steve Guymon said. "We did place higher than what people thought we'd place, but it's not much higher."
The Big Eight coaches poll predicted that the men's team would finish last and the women's team would finish seventh. At the meet, the men placed seventh while the women placed sixth.
"I think the problem that we're having is making the transition from practice to competition," Kansas cross country and track coach Gary Schwartz said. "It's a tough, tough thing to do. I would hope that they're frustrated because to me that is a sign that they recognize that there are some difficulties. I'm assuming they're frustrated because they see their progress in practice."
The Jayhawks have one scheduled meet remaining, the District V Championships on Nov. 11.
The Jayhawks, however, hope to be running on Nov. 20 when the NCAA Cross Country Championships take place in Ames, Iowa. In order to qualify for NCAA Championships, Kansas must either place first or second at the Districts V Championships in Stillwater, Okla.
"We're still looking for that elusive, good team performance," Schwartz said.
This will be a tough task as the Jayhawks will face Big Eight teams except for Colorado and some Missouri Valley Conference teams including Southern Illinois and Drake, whom the Jayhawks raced earlier this season.
The other possibility for the Jaya hawks to qualify for the NCAA championships is to receive an atlarge bid.
"I want to get to the point where we're competitive as a team — beat some people that we haven't beat this year that I think we can beat like K-State," Schwartz said about the uncoming district V meet.
Schwartz said that he wanted the team to focus on having its last race of the season he his best.
In other news:
The Kansas cross country team recently had some individual success as six runners were named to the Phillips 66 All-Big Eight Cross Country Honor Roll.
Kansas juniors Josh Weber and Cord Criss were first-team selections while senior Clifton Railsback earned honorable mention on the men's honor roll.
Kansas junior Erin Anderson and sohomore Whitney Ace were first.
team selections to the women's honor roll, while sophomore Lynn LoPresti received honorable mention.
In order to qualify, a student-athlete must compete regularly and post a minimum 3.00 grade point average, either cumulative or from
the previous academic year.
"Actually, I didn't even know there was anything such as All-Big Eight academic or anything," Anderson said. "Sometimes it's kind of difficult to balance athletics and academics, but once you find the balance it's pretty easy to budget your time
and get your stuff done."
Anderson and the rest of the Jayhawks hope they can get the job done at districts as well.
"After a disappointing Big Eight, I think everybody is really looking forward to competing hard at districts," she said.
Point guard's expectations bounce high
Erinn Reed hasn't let her height keep her from playing college basketball
By Bill Petulla
Kansan sportswriter
All it did was make her better.
Kansas women's basketball player Erinn Reed signed her first basketball contract at the age of nine.
It wasn't with a professional franchise or a shoe company. The contract didn't make her richer or make her name a household word.
in the fourth and fifth grade, Erinn made a contract with herself to wake up at 6:30 in the morning and practice for a half hour before she got ready for school," Reed's father, Norwain Reed, said.
After being touted as a great scorer who is extremely intelligent by Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington, the next contract Reed sets for herself might be to fulfill her potential.
"I'm not necessarily scared that I won't live up to the expectations," said Reed, Saginaw, Mich., junior. "For one, I expect so much out of myself."
Washington isn't the only one who feels that Reed may provide the missing link for the Jayhawks frontcourt.
PROFILE
"Erin Reed is not a joke," Kansas
senior guard Charisse Sampson said. "She's one of the quickest guards, she's smart and she knows the game really well."
Reed credits much of her basketball knowledge to her father, who recently retired after coaching basketball for 23 years. She said that her mother had played an important role in her athletic career as well by persuading her to keep a level head.
"My mother taught me to play hard, and if you lose it's OK because you played hard," she said. "And after it's over you move on."
Reed will see her first game action in a Kansas uniform this season. After transferring from Iowa following her freshman year, Reed was required by the NCAA to sit out one season.
Reed said that she had loved KU when she visited, but that she was committed to Iowa because it had been recruiting her for so long. She knew she had Kansas to fall back on.
Reed said coming out of high school, Kansas was high on her list. But she chose Iowa, which had been recruiting her since eighth grade, because of the school's familiarity and persistence.
"I was in a program where the point guard was limited to what she could do." Reed said. "But Coach Washington doesn't restrict your abilities; she lets you be creative."
Luckily for the Jayhawks, something did go wrong.
Reed's parents also stood behind her decision to transfer.
"I'm very happy that she transferred to Kansas," Reed's mother, Cecel, said. "I think we made our minds up too early when Erinn was being recruited."
Reed's mother is one of many who is pleased that Reed chose Kansas the second time around. Reed said that Washington had held no grudges and had embraced her the first day.
For Washington, the arrival of Reed has been a long time coming.
"We're really delighted to have Erinn this year," Washington said. "We've finally got a true point guard this season. We haven't had one since Kay Hart (1989-92). If there's any weakness about her, it might be her size."
"When you're short, you have to prove that you can play," she said.
"When you're tall, you have to prove you can't play."
Reed admits that her 5-foot-4 frame had forced her to convert doubters into believers.
Reed also likes to keep a routine. She has a ritual which involves sitting in the same spot before each practice while Washington speaks with the team.
Teammates know better than to swipe Reed's seat — or she might just put a contract out on them.
Richard Devinki / KANSAN
At 5-foot-4, Kansas sophomore point guard Erin Reed is working hard to live up to her high expectations as the floor leader for the women's basketball team.
Paul Kotz / KANSAN
Haase trying to save face and teeth
Kansas junior guard Jerod Haase will slow down his aggressive style of play to stay healthy this season.
By Matt Irwin Kansan sportwriter
SECTION B
Jerod Haase has a goal to be playing basketball 150 days from now.
Haase is concerned about the 150 days for another reason as well. His goal won't be reached if he's injured before April 1, 1996. In that 150-day span, Haase could play in as many as 39 games and probably will practice more than 75 times. That's more than 100 days that Haase could end up injuring himself by hitting the basketball floor.
It's a goal most players have — to play in the final game of the college basketball season.
Haase, who is known for diving for loose balls, said that he's going to try to be a little safer this season.
"I'm continually learning to pick my spots of when to be out of control and go for the loose ball or — you understand, there's five gears — when to bring it down to fourth or third gear and slow it down just a bit." Haase said. "It doesn't mean I'm not going to play as hard."
Despite his concern for his body, Haase may still have trouble picking his spots.
The mouthpiece was the result of a lesson he learned at the World University Games tryouts when he was elbowed in the mouth. He had two root canals during the summer to repair the damage, he said.
"It's dangerous, and it would be nice to not get as many bumps and bruises. But once you get out on the floor, I'm so competitive that if there's a loose ball on the floor, I'm sure I'll go after it," Haase said. "I have a mouthpiece now."
Haase's roommate, sophomore point guard C.B. McGrath, said that Haase took too many dives last season, but agreed that it was because he was so competitive.
"I think he falls too hard sometimes when he doesn't have to," McGrath said. "That's my opinion from the bench. He's just trying to get some fouls every once in a while. But he's just so competitive. He gets so mad when he loses at cards when we're playing at night. He goes to bed angry sometimes because I beat him at cards. It's pretty funny."
McGraith doesn't mind that competitiveness at home since it also inspires the Hawkways on the basketball court.
"If we're not playing hard and he starts hustling, it's going to pick the whole team up," McGrath said.
Don't try this stuff at home
It's all fun and games until somebody gets an eye poked out — or some teeth smashed in.
SPORTS EDITOR
At least he fared better than the floor.
As the Kansas men's basketball team gets down to business, practice is getting a bit physical. Last week alone, senior forward Sean Pearson received a cut above his eye from a flying elbow, and sophomore forward Raef LaFrentz took a bite out of the Allen Field House floor. The guy nearly lost a couple of front teeth and got a black eye for his troubles.
I go to at least
If the Jayhawks can stay healthy until Nov. 10 when they open the season against the Converse All-Stars, they might be pretty good. And Friday's practice told me that Kansas can be pretty good.
one men's basketball practice each season. The practices, which are open to students on Mondays and Fridays, give Kansas basketball junkies a taste of what the Jayhawks are up to, so my three roommates and I went on Friday.
Even though we all are Kansas students and kind of biased, we came away understandably impressed by several things.
The first thing was the team's competitiveness, even in practice. If you're not convinced by the injuries, take this example into account.
During the Jayhawks' full-court scrimmage, one of the Kansas guards pressed the ball upcourt. I don't remember the guard because all I saw was a streak in the form of freshman forward T.J. Pugh. He busted his tail down the court, dove at the guard and knocked the ball away.
Sure, you think, these guys play hard when they scrimmage but probably take it easy on the drills.
Wrong. I heard all kinds of grunting during the three-man passing drill as well as the defensive drills. The Jayhawks are going to be ready to tear someone apart on Nov. 10.
All the competitiveness also leads me to believe that no starting position is sacred on this year's team. If I had to pick a starting five right now, I don't know if I could. But I likely would give the nod to Jacpe Vaughn, Jerod Haase, Scot Pollard, LaFrentz and — my surprise entry — Paul Pierce.
Another thing that my roommates and I marveled at was how the players practically were interchangeable. Just about the time an opponent thinks it has the Jayhawks worn down — boom — Kansas coach Roy Williams can bring in five new players.
Scary.
The options really are endless.
Calvin Rayford or C.B. McGrath for Vaughin at point guard doesn't bother me at all. Haase taking a breather while Billy Thomas or Ryan Robertson steps in is no problem.
Heck, Vaughn and Rayford could play together and stir up things even more.
Finally, the Kansas men's basketball team is a focused one. With the national attention that the Jayhawks are getting, it might be easy to let the pieces fall where they may. But no Roy Williams team will ever be that passive.
Instead, the players and coaches were yelling encouragement to each other, applauding good effort and explaining plays to those that did not understand.
I wouldn't expect any less considering Kansas's schedule, which includes games against Utah, Virginia, UCLA and Indiana before the Big Eight Conference season even begins.
Of course, that's assuming that the Jayhawks make it through the next few weeks of practice without killing each other.
Jenit Carlson is a Clay Center junior in journalism.