Spring Break
As promised Thursday night after a tough loss against North Dakota State University (NDSU), UMKC head coach Matt Brown put the Kangaroos through the rigors of an early-morning practice on Saturday. It was just hours before they faced off against South Dakota State University (SDSU).
The life blood of any sports writer is a good quote. Without the pontification of coaches, and their players on occasion as well, there really isn't much there. A news story can almost never become more than words written on a page without a quote verbatim from a reliable source.
UMKC junior guard Dane Brumagin seemed destined to roll off a strong game against the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Bison. With 19:09 remaining in the game, the team's leading scorer left the court in obvious pain to tend to an ankle he had previously injured.
The UMKC indoor track and field squad competed in the MSSU/Radio Shack Invitational in Joplin, Mo. over the weekend, and totaled five top-five finishes. Overall, the Roos had 14 top-10 finishes, including eight coming from the men's side. The UMKC women posted six top-10 finishes, with senior Jessica Scott placing second in the 5,000-meter run, recording a season-best time of 18:27:12.
The UMKC men's golf team opened its spring season in St. George, Utah at the SUU/Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational on Feb. 11 and 12. The Roos placed 11th out of 18 schools, after being named as a preseason co-favorite to win the Summit League title. The Kangaroos were led by red shirt freshman Josh Taylor, who finished in a tie for 16th.
UMKC freshman infielder Julie Hartung highlighted the Kangaroos weekend trip to Tempe, Arizona with a second inning homer against the Arizona State University (ASU) Sun Devils. ASU, the host of the Kajikawa Classic came into the weekend ranked third in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association national poll and likely did little to disprove that ranking in their 15-2 victory over the Kangaroos.
On a wet and cold Saturday evening, the UMKC women's basketball team was out-muscled 74-48, by the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State University (SDSU). Sophomore guard Chazny Morris kept the Roos toe-to-toe with the conference-leading Jackrabbits in the early going by scoring her team's first seven points.
UMKC sophomore guard Tarah Cullen is not tied down to one sport. She plays basketball and enjoys extreme sports. Cullen admits to being "kind of quiet," but she can't maintain her silence through one of her passions: thrill-seeking. "Most people wouldn't guess that I love adrenaline … and stuff like skydiving and bungee jumping," Cullen said.
UMKC students will be asked to vote for their 2008 courtwarming king and queen from Feb. 25-29. Coronation will take place at halftime during the UMKC versus Oakland University basketball game March 1 at Municipal Auditorium. More than a mere status symbol, elected royalty in this year's Wild, Wild West-themed program are expected to represent the university as ambassadors to new incoming students, as well as performing in several other capacities.
