University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, January 31, 1989
Sports
7
Olympic diver gets 17 years
The Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. — Olympic diver Bruce Kimche was sentenced yesterday to 17 years in prison for killing two teen-agers and injuring four others in a high-speed drunken driving accident last summer.
Coe revoked Kimball's driver's license and said his prison term would be followed by 15 years probation, which would include teaching young people about the dangers of alcohol.
"You must suffer the consequences of drunken driving," Hillsborough Circuit Judge Harry Lee Coe III told the 1984 Olympic silver medalist. "We must stop it."
Calling the Aug. 1 accident a terrible tragedy, the judge said he hoped the sentence would scream out to young people about the dangers of drunken driving.
A model prisoner could expect to serve one third of his sentence, which means Kimball could be free in five or six years, defense attorney Fran Quesada said.
Kimball was legally drunk the night his speeding sports car slammed into a crowd of about 30 teen-agers on a dark, dead-end street known as "the spot," a popular hangout for teen-agers in suburban Brandon, Fla.
Prosecutors said he roared down the narrow road at about 75 mph and skidded 397 feet from point of impact, hurling victims 30-60 feet and sidewiping several cars.
Kimball's attorneys left him at the mercy of the court after the 25-year-old athlete interrupted the start of his trial Jan. 11. In a surprise move, he switched his plea to guilty on two counts of driving under the influence manslaughter and three counts of causing great bodily injury while driving under the influence.
He has been in jail since.
He firstly, Kimball was his pries again, this time to no contest, a technical move aimed at making it easier for victims to recover damages from his automobile insurance company.
Gary Sawyer, who represented Kimball in four civil suits, told the judge that a guilty plea, which would go before a civil jury, might interfere with the insurance company's ability to defend itself. He said he wanted to do nothing to jeopardize the policy provisions.
Later, on the courthouse steps, the athlete's mother offered an apology. She also said she thought the 17-year sentence was tough.
sentence was old.
"I want to let everyone know how very sorry all of us are for all the pain and suffering that everyone involved has had to go through." Gayle Kumble said. "I think it's a very stern sentence, but . . . I’m not in the judge’s shoes."
Technically, Kimball could have faced a maximum 45 years in prison. However, Florida sentencing guidelines call for a penalty of between seven and 22 years.
Prosecutors said that an hour after the accident, Kimball had a blood alcohol count of 0.2, twice the legal limit in Florida.
The accident happened as Kimball was in training to qualify for the 1988 U.S. Olympic team. He was released on bond, and families of the victims went to the Olympic trials in Indiana to protest his quest for a place on the squad. Kimball ultimately failed to qualify.
Smooth moves play role in KU forward's success
by Mike Considine Kansan sportswriter
Making smooth transitions has been an important role in Kansas forward Freeman West's success
of the three years since West graduated from high school, he has made the on-court transition from the interior to the perimeter and back again. Off the court, he adjusted to playing for two coaches, neither of whom recruited him.
West was former Jayhawk coach Larry Brown's first recruit last season. This season, under Coach Roy Williams, the 6-500-19-8-pound junior is fifth in scoring (10.3 points a game) and sixth rebounding (7.4 points a game) has played both power forward and small forward.
Last year, he averaged 19 points,
4.4 rebounds and 3 assists as a guard at Paris (Texas) Junior College.
"Coming in, I thought I would be competing for the shooting guard or small forward position," West said. "During the summer I worked hard on my dribbling, shooting and outside game."
Williams said the decision to play West up front was based on Kansas' needs and on some qualities he discovered in West.
"During the early practice sessions he had a knack for coming up with the ball." Williams said. "His offensive rebounding ability was
really a plus, and he had a knack for getting his shot off against bigger people."
West ranked second in the Big Eight Conference in field goal percentage before Saturday's game against Kansas State. He dropped to 64.3 percent (83 field goals in 129 attempts) with zero-for-four shooting in the 71-70 loss.
for your shirt. Williams said Saturday was West's only bad game. He said the forward had improved his inside moves and defense throughout the season.
season.
"The reason he has progressed so well is that he is very coachable." Williams said. "He has picked things up quickly and put them to use."
them to use.
West said he wasn't prepared for Williams' decision to play him at forward because he hadn't played inside since he averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds as a senior at East Chicago (Ind.) Washington High School.
after he get to high school, West said he considered St. Louis University and the University of Cincinnati, but former Paris coach Jim Moffett convinced him to go to junior college and work on his skills at the guard position.
"I'm smaller and weaker than most people I'm guarding, so I have to rely on quickness and technique to get by." West said.
the guard position.
Shawn Scanlan, who replaced Moffett as coach, said West's ability to be coached had influenced him to make the change.
"Though I felt he was a major college prospect from the start, I felt like the best chance for him as was a perimeter player." Scan's response was that if he could convert to guard, he could make the next step up."
Scanlan said he was impressed by West's work ethic.
"I always prefer to think of Freeman as a self-made player." Scanlan said. "That's what got him to where he was. Freeman does a great job of using the tools that he has."
West said he knew Williams would be a good coach because of his background.
Kansas dropped out of the Associated Press basketball rankings yesterday for the first time in six weeks. The Jayhawks received 70 votes, putting them 21st, just two votes from 20th. Big Eight-rival Oklahoma climbed to the top ranking, and Missouri stayed in the fifth position.
"The main thing that stuck out was that Coach Williams asked about school first," he said. "He's really concerned about his players getting degrees. That shows he's a caring coach. That makes you play harder."
Notes
Junior forward Freeman West has averaged 10.3 points and 6.5 rebounds a game and shot 64.3 percent from the field for the Jayhawks despite starting only two games this season.
Laura Bronson/KANSAN
Former walk-on climbs tennis ranks
KANSAN file photo
Sophomore Jeff Gross walked on to the Kansas tennis team in 1986 and now is the Jayhawks' No.4 player He also won the Big Eight Conference No.6 singles title last spring.
by Laurie Whitten
Kansas sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas men's tennis coach Scott Perleman said he'd expect much from Jeff Goss when Walked on the team two summers ago.
He's happily been eating those words ever since.
Gross, a 6-foot-1-inch, 160-pound sophomore from Overland Park, agreed to be redshirted by Perelman when he came to Kansas in 1986. Perelman said that Gross practiced as hard as the rest of the team that year but that he never got the chance to compete.
to compete
"Jeff was one of several guys that you didn't make the team's top 10," Perelman said. "Those guys would practice on their own and watch us play, but they never got to compete.
compete.
"He was the only one who stuck with it."
with it.
After sitting out a year, Gross had improved enough to claim the No. 6 spot on the team.
Perelman said Gross played better than anyone expected when he won the Big Eight Conference singles championship last April at the No. 6 position against Oklahoma State's Deon Botha.
Deon Botha.
Gross defeated Botha 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 in a match that lasted more than three hours.
Gress said that being redshirted made him a stronger, more competitive player. Without the extra time to mature, he said, he might not have been victorious at the Big Eight tournament.
tohannah. I came here my freshman year, a lot of qualified players were already on the team," he said. "I wasn't very experienced, so I had to sit out. Sitting out a year kind of showed me what to do."
Gross said he stayed in shape while he was redshirted by doing aerobics
with the team and lifting weights. The conditioning process lasted two hours every morning.
He began to notice a difference in his strength and mobility, compared with his high school playing days, he said.
"Since I've been playing for Coach Perelman, I feel like I've improved a lot, both mentally and physically," said Gross, the Jayhawks' No. 4 player this season.
"Coach knows a lot about tennis, and he's really fair to the team. He's a motivator."
Perelman said Gross was not the same tennis player that walked on the team in 1986.
the team in the game.
"He's much improved — in all aspects of his game." Perelman said. "Jeff is more confident; he hits the ball harder, and he's stronger physically.
"He's capable of repeating his Big Eight championship but higher in the line-up this time."
stop this other.
Gross said that another Big Eight championship was one of his goals for the season but that he also had other goals, both individual and for the team.
"I've set a personal goal for myself, and that is to go out and play every match as hard as I can," he said. "I proved I could do that this weekend against Arkansas."
weekend against Arkansas. Gross won one of Kansas' two singles victories in the season's first home dual against 15th-ranked Arkansas last weekend at Alamuar Razborack Club. He defeated Razborack Johan Dysholm in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
"As for the team, our goal is to repeat as Big Eight champions and make the NCAA ('Tournament'). Gross said of the two-time defending conference champion Jayhawks. "And I think we are going to do it."
Manning receives support Begins rehabilitation of injured knee
by Scott Achelpohl
Kansan staff writer
Sentiment among Danny Manning's fans in Lawrence and Los Angeles is strong, as the injured Los Angeles Clipper rookie begins his road to recovery.
Manning, the former Kansas All-American forward and last year's top NBA draft pick, tore the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee against the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 5. After surgery on Jan. 14, Manning has begun the long process of rehabilitation.
George Crawford, Lawrence resident, said he and his wife had sent a get-well card to Manning and were interested in organizing a cardsending campaign for Kansas basketball fans who want to express concern for the former Jayhawk.
concert here. "We're big Jayhawk fans and big Danny Manning fans," Crawford said. "We want him to know that people in Lawrence are thinking of him and rooting for his fast recovery
from the injury."
Crawford said it had been nearly a week since he and his wife had sent the card.
Although Manning has left Kansas, Crawford said Kansas fans should realize the important role Manning played in the winning tradition of Kansas basketball and in the continued success of the program.
the card
"We don't really expect a reply since we didn't put a return address on the card," he said.
Ed Manning, Manning's father and former Kansas assistant coach, said Manning and his doctors were pleased with the All-American's progress since his surgery.
"Danny's in his fifth day of rehabilitation with his doctors and he's doing great," Manning, currently an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, said. He is also confident about his chances for recovery. His fans have sent him a lot of cards and he's grateful."
red player.
"We've had a lot of phone calls expressing concern for Danny's condition before, during and after his surgery." Gallagher said. "He also has received candy and flowers from fans and family during his stay in the hospital."
Jack Gallagher, director of public relations for the Los Angeles Chippers, said fans in the Los Angeles area also had shown concern for their injured player.
Manning underwent two $ \frac{1}{2} $h-reconstructive surgeries on his right knee on Jan. 14. A tendon from his right leg was removed and inserted in place of the damaged anterior cruciate ligament.
no further damage to the leg was reported during the surgeries, and he was released four days later from prison. He was sent back to ban lindenwood, Calif., on Jan 18.
"Right now, he's working with his doctors on getting some flexibility in his leg," Gallagher said. "He's also mainly working on leg extension."
BASEBALL TICKET SALES: The baseball season ticket sales and Diamond Club membership drive begin tomorrow.
beager
$25 season ticket provides admission to all 37 home games.
Punch-card tickets for admission to 20 games are $20.
10-20 games bd. 85
Membership in the Diamond Club, the baseball booster and support club, is $25.
Tickets may be purchased at the ticket office in the east lobby of Allen Field House, the baseball office in room 217 at the field house or from sales campaign workers. For more information, call 864-395-3000.
Sports Briefs
OU'S KING HONORED: Oklahoma center Stacey King, who scored 48 points against Nevada-Las Vegas on Saturday in the game that boosted the Sooners to No. 1, was named Big Eight player of the week.
week.
It's the third time this year King has been so honored. He also had 28 points and 13 rebounds in a mid-week victory over Colorado. For the week, King was 29-of-45 with 18
rebounds and 74 points. He was 17-24 from the field and 14-19 from the free-throw line against Nevada-Las Vegas. His 48 points set a record for UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center.
raise for $237,000.
Two Seattle Mariners settled
yesterday. Third baseman Jim
Presley agreed to $955,000,
a $12,500 raise. Catcher Dave Valle
settled for $290,000, a $125,000
raise.
BASEBALL SIGNINGS: Bill Hatcher, Juan Agosto and Jim Deshares of the Houston Astros were among seven players who agreed to one-year contracts yesterday, reducing the players in salary arbitration to 69.
salary at business
Hatcher, an outfielder, settled
with Houston for $495,000,
a $255,000 raise. Agosto, a left-
handed pitcher, accepted $480,000,
a raise of $277,500. Deshaies, also a
left-hander, settled for $470,000,
a raise of $237,500.
Joel Skinner, a catcher for the New York Yankees, settled for $200,000, a $90,000 raise.
$160,000, a Rift Valley Hearings are scheduled to begin tomorrow when the outfitter Dion James and the Atlanta Braves will argue before arbitrator Daniel Collins in New York.
Left-hander Juan Nieves of the Milwaukee Brewers agreed to $370,000, or $175,000 raise.
Collins in New York.
Also yesterday, the Philadelphia Phillies signed free-agent left-hander Larry McWilliams to a one-year contract plus an option for 1990. McWilliams was the 61st of the 77 free agents to sign for the 1989 season.
WILSON IN TROUBLE AGAIN:
Stanley Wilson, suspended from the Super Bowl because of a drug relapse, was sentenced yesterday in Kentucky on an unrelated charge of urinating on a sidewalk
charge of do the sentence were not announced, but Justin Verst, the assistant Campbell County prosecutor in charge of the case, said he would recommend that Wilson be required to complete a drug treatment program.