Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2 TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Cover
Head coach Turner Gill looks on as the football team plays in the annual spring game at Memorial Stadium. The Blue team defeated the White team 14-10. Gill is preparing for his first season as the Jayhawks head coach this fall.
Cover photo by Weston White/KANSAN
All contents, unless stated otherwise, 2010 The University Daily Kansan
an 6 Treatingcloser lookinjured ACL that The Wave takes a at some new developments
have been made to help athletes prevent and treat torn ACLs
Big 12 8 Around thewhich baseball players Get the latest news about
Weston White/KANSAN
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THE WAVE
COLUMN 3
SCOTT TOLAND
stoland@kansan.com The Wave editor
New head football coach Turner Gill has brought great class to the Kansas football program since his arrival in Lawrence. Gill has emphasized that he is there to not only teach the players about football, but also to teach them about life. He has also adopted a policy that prohibits bad language at football practices, which would be a great rule for people outside of football to adopt when working with people as well. Gill has recognized that more good will come from building up his players than will come from tearing them down. I am confident that he will see great success during his tenure. When November rolls around and basketball season gets ready to start, Kansas fans should not be too concerned about the loss of Collins, Aldrich and Henry. After the successful recruitment of point guard Josh Selby and the return of several key
players from this years team, the Jayhawks should have a great shot at winning the Big 12 for a seventh straight season and making a deep run in March. The womens basketball team will really miss the play and leadership of senior Danielle McCray, but fans should be confident in the teams chances. Coach Bonnie Henrickson still has a lot of talent to work with, and the return of point guard Angel Goodrich from her season-ending injury should provide a big boost to the Jayhawks hopes. All things considered, next year is looking pretty good. The football team and the womens basketball team should be competitive against anyone they play, and the basketball team could make a big run if young players develop quickly. This year might have been a disappointment in some ways, but we should remember just how high we set the standards for our teams heading into this year. It really is a compliment to our teams that we had such great expectations, and we should keep expecting good things. Next year could be a great year for the Jayhawks.
Weston White/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Kansas quarterback Kale Pick high-fives a teammate after a play during the spring game last Saturday. Pick and the Jayhawks are preparing for their first season under new head coach Turner Gill.
THE WAVE
4 FEATURE
THE WAVE
FEATURE 5
The Jayhawks first game is not for another four months, but the spring game helped get fans excited about the prospects for next years team
By Max Rothman
mrothman@kansan.com
FOOTBALL
Senior lineman Brad Thorson (76) blocks junior defensive end Travis Stephens during a play. The Blue Team won 14-10.
He may have been competing against his own teammates, but freshman Kale Pick displayed the talent and intangibles of a capable starting quarterback. Pick completed 10 of 14 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns and led the Blue Team to a 14-10 victory against the White Team in the annual intrasquad spring game Saturday at Memorial Stadium. I cant be satisfied yet, Pick said. I want to keep working hard and have a big summer while working with my receivers. Every day I want to get on the same page and get this offense going. Since Todd Reesings departure, the battle for the starting quarterback spot has become one of Kansas greatest uncertainties. Coach Turner Gill said that the race has been whittled down to two: Pick and freshman Jordan Webb, who completed 5 of 9 passes for 42 yards and threw one touchdown and one interception. While Saturdays game cannot project who will be the best choice to open the season, it hints at who may have the upper edge heading into the seasons preparation. I think it breeds competition, Webb said. Throughout the summer, throughout fall, until we get to that first game, I think the competition is really going to make the starter a lot better. Gill said that Webb has the stronger arm, but Pick has more experience and perhaps more accuracy
Sophomore receiver Chase Knighton gets flipped over on a tackle after catching a pass. Knighton gained nine yards on three receptions.
with his throws. They both did a good job of keeping their composure in the huddle, Gill said. We knew they werent going to be perfect today, but I liked how they both did a good job of trying to make some plays. The one thing we need to work on is getting rid of the football sooner. With 3:29 left in the game and the White team leading 10-7, Pick heaved a pass to freshman wide receiver Christian Matthews by the right pylon, who then leaped, went around his defenders body and snagged the game-winning 37-yard touchdown pass. It was Picks final stamp on a public bid for the starting job. With precise passing, scrambling creativity (as displayed in brief stints last season) and
budding leadership that Gill demands, he may have earned an early leg up on Webb.
THE WAVE
6 FEATURE
After two Jayhawks tore their ACLs during this basketball season, The Wave takes a look at what can be done to prevent what is commonly a season-ending injury
By Clark Goble
cgoble@kansan.com The second time womens basketball player Katie Smith tore the anterior crucial ligament in her knee, she couldnt hear the rubber band-like snapping like she did in high school. Kansas States crowd was too loud, energized because the rival Jayhawks were in town. Smith had been on the floor for less than a minute. The sole of her shoe stuck on the court while she was sliding on defense, but the knee kept going. Regardless of all the training, regardless of all the measures you take not to get hurt, it happens, Smith said. It was very frustrating, especially because its such a long recovery. The results of a study conducted by the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh might help athletes like Smith avoid ACL injuries. After evaluating athletes jumping and landing techniques with a short test, researchers were able to identify the athletes at risk for ACL injuries. After twelve training sessions, no athletes were at risk. The womens basketball team has been ravaged by the injury in the past two seasons. Three players in the last two years have seen their seasons ended by an unlucky step. Angel Goodrich tore the ACL in her left knee in 2008 and her right knee in 2009. Danielle McCray, Kansas go-to scorer who was drafted by the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA, tore her ACL in her left knee in a practice in February. Smith, an exercise science major who played for Kansas from 2005-2009, said the teams strength coaches took measures to avoid the injury. I think its definitely important to do basic training, Smith said. Ive been an elite athlete and it still happened to me. Any female athlete needs to know about it and know how to train, how to jump and how to land. Dr. Greg Barnhill, an orthopedic surgeon for the North Kansas City Hospital who has been performing surgeries on ACLs since 1979, said that the biological differences between men and women help account for the higher rate of ACL injuries among women. The dimensions in the knee are smaller. The angle between the hip bone and the femur is greater. But Barnhill thinks the biggest difference is simple to ascertain. All you have to do is watch women play, Barnhill said. Watch women play basketball and watch men play basketball. Watch women play soccer. Watch men play soccer. And you can see the difference. Women dont have as strong of legs as men. Barnhill said that a major problem in the overall rate of ACL injuries in athletes is that coaches dont realize that some of their drills can put unnecessary pressure on athletes knee. Our trainers and our therapists and people like me are telling them, Wait a minute, you got to check these people and the coach will go, Oh really? Barnhill said. Barnhill said preemptive training would help, especially if it teaches the athlete to bend at the knees more. He said it is almost impossible for an athlete to tear an ACL if they bend their knees properly. Sportsmetrics is a group of doctors and researchers in Cincinnati that studies ACL injuries in female athletes and outlines training methods to prevent the injury. According to Stephanie Smith, a research associate at Sportsmetrics, female athletes are 2-10 times as likely to tear an ACL than male athletes. One out of every 100 high school female athletes will suffer a serious knee injury. Its clear that our training methods limit these kind of catastrophic injuries, Smith said. Katie Smith did training developed by Sportsmetrics in high school, but she said that its not always easy to maintain the jumping technique she learned. When youre in competition and youre not focusing on it and your bodys tired, you can resort to old habits, Smith said. Dr. Sam Akhaven, the leader of the study at Allegheny General Hospital, said that the training is producing other benefits. Our goal with this program is to reduce the incidence of ACL tears, but what we are also seeing is a significant improvement in sports performance
INJURIES
DEALING WITH
FEATURE 7
Senior guard Danielle McCray goes up for a layup during a game this season. McCray was recently drafted by the Connecticut Sun. measures, such as vertical jump, quickness and explosiveness, Akhavan said. Barnhill said that the increased concern for limiting ACL injuries among athletes will only help it develop. More and more trainers will learn the necessary information and help athletes recognize the physical problems with their athletic movements. Its come a long ways, Barnhill said.
Freshman guard Angel Goodrich defends a drive from a UCLA player during the first half of a game early this season. Goodrich and senior guard Danielle McCray both suffered season-ending ACL injuries during the regular season.
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SERIES TO WATCH
Kansas State vs. Oklahoma
With the Texas Longhorns having all but clinched the regular season title in the Big 12, the focus shifts to second place. The Sooners and Wildcats are separated by one game for the second place spot in the conference. Kansas State coach Brad Hill is proving once again why his team has people across the nation taking Wildcat baseball seriously. As of Sunday, the Wildcats are 27-10, and the most recent coaches poll has them ranked No. 20.
Texas A&M vs. Nebraska @ Lincoln, Neb. 6:35 p.m. Friday, 2:05 p.m. Saturday, 11:05 a.m. Sunday Baylor vs. Texas @ Austin, Texas
8 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday
Kansas State vs. Oklahoma @ Norman, Okla. 6:30 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday Missouri vs. Texas Tech @ Lubbock, Texas
6:30 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday, Noon Sunday
Quick Hitters
Texas is currently on a 16-game winning streak, the longest streak by a Texas team since 2005. The Longhorns lead the Big 12 Conference with a 2.30 ERA. Nebraskas Adam Bailey leads the Conference in HRs with 15.
Wichita State has a back-to-back with Big 12 teams this week. The team will play Kansas on Tuesday and Oklahoma State on Wednesday. Kansas State leads the Big 12 Conference with a .328 team batting average.
THE WAVE
BASEBALL RECAP 9
Texas Tech
21 10
Kansas
Barring a few moments, it was a rough weekend to be a pitcher at Hoglund Ballpark. After junior T.J. Walz silenced the Red Raiders in a 10-2 Jayhawk victory on Friday, the Red Raiders spent the rest of the weekend proving why theyre one of the top hitting clubs in the Big 12. Kansas (25-16-1, 6-8-1) was downed in the final two games of the series, dropping game two 11-8 before suffering a 21-10 thumping at the hands of Texas Tech. The Red Raiders offensive outburst came at the expense of the Jayhawks pitching staff, which had been sound for nearly two weeks. Their offense was really good today, and youve just got to tip your cap to them, junior third baseman Tony Thompson said after Sundays defeat. In Fridays opener, it was the Jayhawks not the Red Raiders that looked like one of the top offenses in the conference. Kansas pounded out 13 hits, including six in its six-run first inning, and rolled to a 10-2 victory against Texas Tech.
Junior outfielder Brian Heere makes a diving catch in centerfield Sunday at Hoglund Ballpark against Texas Tech. The Jayhawks lost 21-10 making it their worst loss in Big 12 play this season. Walz handled the top-hitting club in the Big 12 with ease, pitching the first seven and 1/3 innings, holding the Red Raiders to two runs on seven hits while striking out seven. But aside from Walz, Kansas pitching staff was powerless to stop Texas Techs offensive onslaught. The Jayhawks jumped out to a 6-2 lead in game two, but saw it quickly disappear as the Red Raiders exploded for a six-run seventh inning. Even after Kansas answered via a tworun home run from junior third baseman Tony Thompson, the bullpen again failed to hold the lead, as Texas Tech struck for three more runs in the eighth to pull away 11-8. In the series finale, it got uglier even faster for Kansas pitching staff. The Jayhawks were still pitching to contact, only more balls found grassy patches in the outfield than fielders gloves. Texas Tech took a commanding lead early, pounding freshman Tanner Poppe for eight runs on eight hits in one and 2/3 innings, including seven doubles in a seven run second inning. Even as the Jayhawks cut the lead to 15-10, their bullpen still couldnt keep the Red Raiders off the scoreboard. After the last outs were recorded, the final damage on the scoreboard showed 21 runs and 24 hits for Texas Tech, who coasted to the 21-10 victory.
Ben Ward
THE WAVE
10 WEEK IN REVIEW
SOFTBALL
Zach Getz
NEXT GAME
Wichita State vs. Kansas
5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Lawrence
TENNIS
THURSDAY
Freshman Sara Lazarevic hits a backhand during her doubles match with senior Kunigunda Dorn. Kansas heads to Austin, Texas, for the Big 12 Championships this Thursday.
NEXT GAME
Big 12 Championships
Apr. 29 May 2, Austin, Texas
(785) 856-3835
Kathleen Gier
THE WAVE
THE BASELINE 11
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Senior shortstop Sara Ramirez tags Texas Tech infielder Emily Bledsoe at second. Kansas fell to 1-13 in the Big 12 after two losses last weekend.
Who holds the record for the most home runs by a Kansas softball player in a single season?
A group of seniors from Battenfeld Scholarship Hall pose for a picture during the Senior Night game against Kansas State on March 3. Serena Settlemier. Settlemier hit 22 home runs during the 2006 season.
Weston White/KANSAN
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