Kansas University’s men haven’t won a conference cross country title since 1969 and that streak won’t end today.
The Jayhawks, however, have a chance to improve on last year’s sixth place finish in the Big 12 Conference championships.
Today’s 8K men’s race will begin at 10 a.m. on the Oklahoma University golf course in Norman. The women’s 6K is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Seniors Brent Behrens, Brian Blachly and Pete Prince have been KU’s most consistent performers. Seniors Charlie Gruber and Mark Menefee returned from injuries two weeks ago in Arkansas, but Gruber is ailing again.
“He’s a great runner and a great competitor,” KU coach Stanley Redwine said of Gruber, “but he has back spasms, so we don’t know.”
Gruber is the Jayhawks’ lone NCAA qualifier from a year ago when he finished 14th at the league meet in Boulder, Colo. Later, Gruber finished fourth in the regional and 61st in the NCAA championships.
Another top performer has been freshman Chris Jones.
Redwine would love for his men’s team to post a higher finish than sixth, but he’s realistic.
“It’s up to our athletes,” he said. “We’ve been running tight as a pack and that’s what we’re expecting Saturday.”
The Kansas women finished 11th in the league meet last year and are hoping to climb a notch or two. Sophomore Laura Lavoie and junior Katy Eisenmenger have been the Jayhawks’ steadiest performers.
Kansas University’s men haven’t won a conference cross country title since 1969 and that streak won’t end today.
The Jayhawks, however, have a chance to improve on last year’s sixth place finish in the Big 12 Conference championships.
Today’s 8K men’s race will begin at 10 a.m. on the Oklahoma University golf course in Norman. The women’s 6K is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Seniors Brent Behrens, Brian Blachly and Pete Prince have been KU’s most consistent performers. Seniors Charlie Gruber and Mark Menefee returned from injuries two weeks ago in Arkansas, but Gruber is ailing again.
“He’s a great runner and a great competitor,” KU coach Stanley Redwine said of Gruber, “but he has back spasms, so we don’t know.”
Gruber is the Jayhawks’ lone NCAA qualifier from a year ago when he finished 14th at the league meet in Boulder, Colo. Later, Gruber finished fourth in the regional and 61st in the NCAA championships.
Another top performer has been freshman Chris Jones.
Redwine would love for his men’s team to post a higher finish than sixth, but he’s realistic.
“It’s up to our athletes,” he said. “We’ve been running tight as a pack and that’s what we’re expecting Saturday.”
The Kansas women finished 11th in the league meet last year and are hoping to climb a notch or two. Sophomore Laura Lavoie and junior Katy Eisenmenger have been the Jayhawks’ steadiest performers.
Kansas University’s men haven’t won a conference cross country title since 1969 and that streak won’t end today.
The Jayhawks, however, have a chance to improve on last year’s sixth place finish in the Big 12 Conference championships.
Today’s 8K men’s race will begin at 10 a.m. on the Oklahoma University golf course in Norman. The women’s 6K is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Seniors Brent Behrens, Brian Blachly and Pete Prince have been KU’s most consistent performers. Seniors Charlie Gruber and Mark Menefee returned from injuries two weeks ago in Arkansas, but Gruber is ailing again.
“He’s a great runner and a great competitor,” KU coach Stanley Redwine said of Gruber, “but he has back spasms, so we don’t know.”
Gruber is the Jayhawks’ lone NCAA qualifier from a year ago when he finished 14th at the league meet in Boulder, Colo. Later, Gruber finished fourth in the regional and 61st in the NCAA championships.
Another top performer has been freshman Chris Jones.
Redwine would love for his men’s team to post a higher finish than sixth, but he’s realistic.
“It’s up to our athletes,” he said. “We’ve been running tight as a pack and that’s what we’re expecting Saturday.”
The Kansas women finished 11th in the league meet last year and are hoping to climb a notch or two. Sophomore Laura Lavoie and junior Katy Eisenmenger have been the Jayhawks’ steadiest performers.
Kansas University’s men haven’t won a conference cross country title since 1969 and that streak won’t end today.
The Jayhawks, however, have a chance to improve on last year’s sixth place finish in the Big 12 Conference championships.
Today’s 8K men’s race will begin at 10 a.m. on the Oklahoma University golf course in Norman. The women’s 6K is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Seniors Brent Behrens, Brian Blachly and Pete Prince have been KU’s most consistent performers. Seniors Charlie Gruber and Mark Menefee returned from injuries two weeks ago in Arkansas, but Gruber is ailing again.
“He’s a great runner and a great competitor,” KU coach Stanley Redwine said of Gruber, “but he has back spasms, so we don’t know.”
Gruber is the Jayhawks’ lone NCAA qualifier from a year ago when he finished 14th at the league meet in Boulder, Colo. Later, Gruber finished fourth in the regional and 61st in the NCAA championships.
Another top performer has been freshman Chris Jones.
Redwine would love for his men’s team to post a higher finish than sixth, but he’s realistic.
“It’s up to our athletes,” he said. “We’ve been running tight as a pack and that’s what we’re expecting Saturday.”
The Kansas women finished 11th in the league meet last year and are hoping to climb a notch or two. Sophomore Laura Lavoie and junior Katy Eisenmenger have been the Jayhawks’ steadiest performers.
One game into the conference season is no time to start worrying about the postseason.
Or is it?
KANSAS (6-6, 0-1)F Brooke Reves, 6-0, Sr.F Jaclyn Johnson, 6-1, Sr.C Kristin Geoffroy, 6-6, Jr.G Jennifer Jackson, 5-10, Sr.G Selena Scott, 5-6, Jr. |
NO. 7 IOWA STATE(11-1, 2-0)F Tracy Gahan, 6-0, Jr.F Megan Taylor, 5-10, Sr.C Angie Welle, 6-4, Jr.G Erica Haugen, 5-10, Sr.G Lindsey Wilson, 5-9, Soph. |
Tipoff: 7 tonight, Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa. |
Kansas University’s struggling women’s basketball team which has lost three straight and five of six will carry a 6-6 overall record, 0-1 in the Big 12, into tonight’s conference road opener at Iowa State.
“Some people don’t understand the NCAA Tournament is what we expect,” KU forward Jaclyn Johnson said. “If we get invited to the NIT, I’m not going. It’s that simple. You have to have 20 wins to get into the NCAA, and we’ve got six. We’ve got 15 games left. If we win all 15, we’ve only got 21. That’d be great, but we’ve got some tough road games ahead, and we’re not playing well at home.”
The Jayhawks expect a tough test tonight. Tipoff against seventh-ranked Iowa State (11-1, 2-0) is 7 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
Regardless of the opponent, Johnson a senior playing her final collegiate season is worried about the Jayhawks.
The three-game losing streak is their first since a four-game skid during the 1992-93 season, and, as Johnson said, could jeopardize their nine-year streak of landing an NCAA Tournament berth.
“As a senior, you have to worry about these things,” Johnson said. “I don’t like being where we’re at. We’re 6-6. When have I ever been 6-6? Never. I don’t like being on a mediocre team. I don’t know what’s realistic from this team. We go to Arizona and UCSB and play well, then we come home (against Baylor) and play like crap. I don’t know what it is, but I’m going to find out.”
Part of KU’s troubles can be traced to Johnson’s recurring foul problems.
“Jaclyn Johnson is not keeping herself on the floor long enough,” KU coach Marian Washington said. “In three of our six losses this season, Jaclyn has fouled out and played less than 20 minutes. That is something that she has to do a better job with for us to be more successful.”
That could be especially critical tonight against ISU center Angie Welle, a 6-foot-4 junior who ranks fifth in the Big 12 with a 17.3 point-per-game average. Johnson is right behind at 17.2 ppg.
“A year ago, we beat them twice, and Jaclyn matched up with (Welle),” Washington said. “Our strategy was not to stop Welle. Our strategy was not to give them a lot of looks from the three-point line and limit what they do there. There is no way any one player can contain a player like Welle. We’ve tried to rotate the (center) around and sometimes we are more effective putting a small player that is more active in there, rather than a big player that cannot move with her.”
ISU isn’t a one-player team. Four other starters average in double figures. Forwards Tracy Gahan and Megan Taylor each chip in 13.3 points per game, while guard Lindsey Wilson adds 12.3 ppg.
Kansas’ only other double-digit scorer is forward Brooke Reves at 15.1 points per game.
The Jayhawks will return home for Kansas State on Saturday. Tipoff for the Sunflower State Showdown will be 3 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse.\
Dylen Smith makes it sound like the Kansas University football team is headed more for the sandlot than Nebraska’s famed Memorial Stadium.
“Nebraska doesn’t do a lot of tricks,” Smith, KU’s senior quarterback, said. “They just line up in man-to-man and do it well. I don’t have to read a lot. I just have to play catch.”
If it’s a simple as that, the Jayhawks (4-4 overall, 2-3 Big 12) might stand a chance against the fifth-ranked Huskers (7-1, 4-1) on Saturday.
Kickoff for KU-NU is 2:30 p.m. Saturday, with a live ABC regional telecast available locally on channels 9 and 49.
The way the Jayhawks have it figured, KU must come to pass if a KU victory is to come to pass.
“Obviously, they’re a little susceptible to the pass,” Allen said of the Huskers, who surrendered 328 passing yards last week in a 31-14 loss to now-No. 1 Oklahoma. “You’re not going to go play Nebraska and get in a physical run game with ’em. People have had some success throwing the football on ’em.”
The operative word there is “some.” NU ranks 21st nationally in total defense, having surrendered 305.8 total yards per game, but just 43rd nationally in passing yards allowed (204.2 yards per game).
However, the Huskers do rank sixth nationally in pass-efficiency defense.
Regardless, the Jayhawks plan to put it up Saturday.
“They play so much man-to-man and put so many guys in the box, as a receiver you just need to get some separation and let Dylen throw it,” KU wideout Termaine Fulton said. “Nebraska’s really a man-to-man team. We think the receivers will be very important, receiving and blocking downfield.”
Kansas’ offense is on something of a roll, having gained in excess of 400 yards of total offense in each of its last three games.
Smith, who shrugged off a bruised throwing hand that hampered him in the week preceding the Texas Tech game, had a career day against the Red Raiders with 327 passing yards and has thrown 97 passes without an interception.
Fulton had a career-high six catches against Tech for 126 yards by far his best day of the season.
“We passed the ball on Tech, and they were No. 1 (against the pass),” Fulton said. “We think we’re playing extremely well. Dylen’s playing well. He’s finding a lot of receivers. Our offense as a whole is playing better. Everybody’s more focused.”
Count Smith among that group, especially considering the day he had against NU last year. In KU’s 24-17 loss to the Huskers, Smith completed 16 of 30 passes for 217 yards with two TDs and zero interceptions. It was his best game, statistically, all of last year.
“I did have a good game last year,” Smith said, “one of my best games. That should help give me confidence this year.”
Smith hopes to help KU with his legs, too. He rushed for 77 yards against Missouri and tied for team-high honors with 84 against Colorado.
Last week, though, Smith had just 33 rushing yards.
“A lot of that was because of my hand,” Smith said. “It’s that and I wanted to work on my passing game a lot, focus on my passing and let David Winbush do his thing.”
Smith bruised his right (throwing) hand against Missouri. It swelled after the Colorado game, and a shot made it swell more. He hardly practiced last week.
“I couldn’t grip the ball at all,” he said. “I don’t know how I hurt it or what it is. They don’t know what it is. I don’t know what it is. But I’m much better now.”