Jayhawk Leadership Retreat Recap: Spring 2011

Three times a year 20-25 Jayhawk student-athletes are invited to go on an overnight leadership retreat. Last month volleyball players, men's golfers, soccer players, football players and one men's cross country runner came together for the Spring 2011 Jayhawk Leadership Retreat. Check out the footage below...

Quick Pix: Jayhawk Twins

Our KU Men's Basketball roster proudly boasts arguably the most famous duo in college hoops history, the Morris Twins.Opponents not only have to guard one 6'10" powerhouse forward, but they have the daunting task of defending TWO monstrous posts.

What many Jayhawk fans don't know is, the KU Men's Basketball team is not our only team applying this one-two punch on the court, or the field or in the pool for that matter. We have SIX different Jayhawk teams that fill their roster with sets of twins. Check 'em out.

Kelsey and Kortney Clifton come to KU from Wichita, KS. Kortney plays forward, while Kelsey plays midfield.

______________________________________________________________

Maggie and Rosie Hull are local softball products, coming right from Lawrence, KS. Both play outfield and bat from the left side of the plate but Maggie throws left handed while Rosie throws with her right.

_______________________________________________________________

Brittany and Alyssa Potter swam to KU from Bentonville, Ark. Alyssa swims the 400 IM, 200 and 100 Fly and Brittany swims the 200 and 100 Fly and the 200 IM.

________________________________________________________________

Kara and Amy Wehrs, freshman on this years KU volleyball team hail from Hampshire, IL. Amy plays outside hitter while Kara plays setter for the Jayhawks.

_______________________________________________________________

Brooke and Molly Ryan dance on the Jayhawk spirit squad and come to KU from Iowa.

Showdown: Soccer vs. Softball Results

Sunday, Nov. 21 the KU Softball and Soccer teams met in a head to head battle of athleticism on the softball field. We talked with Liz Kocon (softball) and Jordyn Perdue (soccer) in a pre-game interview the week before the big showdown, and they came back by to give us the post-game analysis.

Let's just cut to the chase. What were the results?

LK: Softball!

In both games?!

JP: Well we didn't really play soccer. We played MUFF. But softball dominated.

MUFF? Can you give us a short explanation of what that is?

LK: You describe it Jordyn. I don't know soccer terms.

JP: Ok, first, "dominated" is not the appropriate word. Second, MUFF is just a game where a group tries to keep a soccer ball in the air by juggling it, and if you drop it you get a letter. If you acquire M-U-F-F you stand in front of a wall and people just kick balls at you.

Well did soccer at least get some retaliation in the MUFF game?

LK: Nope. No. I only think one soccer player actually hit me (when I was on the wall).

JP: How many times would you say you were being 'hit at' though?

LK: Well I was on the wall twice... out of two times.

Ok, so the overall day, was it successful?

LK: I loved it. I had a blast, but that's because I love winning.

JP: We scored four runs! That wasn't supposed to happen. Four runs!

What was the final score?

JP: It was 6-4 at one point, then they started slaying because of our outfield.

LK: No. It was because we actually started trying.

JP: Yeah because you got scared. Then it got out of hand.

So we asked in the pre game interview if you think the competiveness would build camaraderie or if it would put a wedge in your friendships. Which of these two outcomes do you think were the result?

JP: I'm feeling some wedged friendships right now (laughs) KIDDING!

LK: I feel good about it. I'm just ready to see what other sports softball can dominate soccer in .

JP: Yeah, right.

LK: Jordyn was surprisingly good. She had some range at third base. Kaitlyn (Cunningham) was good at the plate, and Caroline (Kastor) was also good. If it hadn't been for those three they wouldn't have scored any runs.

So what's the next event going to be?

JP: We still want to play a full game of soccer.

LK: Tennis.

JP: Track?

LK: I'll just be a thrower in that (competition).

What were your final thoughts on the day?

LK: It was great. I had fun.

JP: I'm going to be returning in my fifth year to play softball (at KU). It's happening. See yuh out on the diamond!

Showdown: Soccer vs. Softball

This Sunday the KU Softball and Soccer teams are facing off in a "friendly" showdown on both the soccer and softball field. We asked Liz Kocon (softball) and Jordyn Perdue (soccer) to sit down for a pre-game interview to give us a rundown on the event as well as their predictions for both games.

.

First off, explain for the blog readers what it is you are doing.

LK: Me and Kaitlyn (Cunningham) came up with the idea. To have a soccer versus softball, softball game… To make it even the softball team will have to swing from the opposite side of the plate.

You guys are playing soccer too I understand.

JP: Ya, after the softball game, it will be followed by a soccer game.

How is that game going to be fair though? Softball is batting with their opposite hand. You going to only shoot with your left foot?

JP: Ya, we are gonna play on a smaller sized field and give them 5 extra players.

If your going softball versus soccer in both games, isn’t it going to be obvious who’s going to win?

JP: No, no. I think you’ll be surprised.

So predictions for the softball game?

LK: Softball, No doubt!

JP: I think softball will win but I think it will be really close. Within a run or two.

What about the soccer game?

JP: Ya that won’t even be close.

LK: Ya probably not.

JP: Run rule!

Is there even a run rule in soccer, isn’t that a softball thing?

JP: No there’s not, but we’ll have to invent it for this game.

Are there any of your teammates who will be stand out "crossover" players you think?

LK: Leah. Leah (Daiber) is a really good muff player! (Soccer juggling game the softball team plays) And Rizzo (Marissa Ingle).

JP: I think the soccer team has some pretty steller athletes, that talent will come out on the softball uh what is it you call it? Field? Diamond? Whatever. Were gonna go out there and surprise "Team Softball."

I heard you were going to pitch jordyn?

JP: Ya I’ll be pitching. I’ll be wearing a catchers mask, while pitching. Cause I don’t want to get hit in the face.

Protect the money maker?

JP: Yes exacty

Do you think this event will build the camaraderie between the two teams or do you think the competitiveness will get to your friendships?

JP: Well I’ve proposed an Olympics of sorts to determine which team has the better athletes and this is just the start of it I feel like.

Any final thoughts going into the game? Anything at all?

JP: "Team Soccer" is gonna slay.

Liz: Ya, we’ll see

We WILL see! Check back next week for the post-game analysis and results!

Quick Pix: Snoozing Jayhawks

Between class, practice, tutoring, competiton and MAYBE a social life Jayhawks gotta sleep somewhere...

Deshaun Sands (football) in the team lounge

Amanda Miller (Cross Country) on the way home from practice

Coach Francis (soccer) on the plane

Kendra Cullum (softball) in the locker room

Geneva Magness (soccer) on the plane ride

Player Profile: Shannon McCabe - Women's Soccer

Born: November 24th 1987

Hometown: Tulsa Oklahoma (Born in Poplar Bluff, Missouri)

Hobbies: Listening to music, watching HBO, reading, making people laugh

Pregame warm-up song: Ice Cream Paint Job, anything by the Killers

Dream job: To be on SNL (when it's good)

Favorite athlete to watch in another sport: Ally Stanton

Talent I’d most like to have: Break dancing

Best movie line: "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best thing, and no good thing ever dies” -Shawshank Redemption

Favorite team growing up: USA women's soccer team!

Three things I want to do in my life: Save Dolphins, Cure cancer, reproduce

Favorite value in others: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

My motto: The greatest mistake a man can make is to be afraid of making one

Hawk Talk: Monica Dolinsky, Soccer

Personal: Captain of six-time state championship club team Carmel Cyclones ... Cyclones won the 2007 US Youth Soccer National Championship in the U-19 Division ... Led the Cyclones to the Regional semifinals in 2003 and 2004 ... Coached by Gene Lindley ... Played on the Indiana State ODP team and Regional Team from 2000-04. Parents are John and Diane Dolinsky ... Has two siblings, Paul and Kris ... Majoring in architectural interior design.

Walk us through the experience of winning U-19 Nationals with the Carmel United Cyclones.

That was probably one of the best soccer memories I have had so far. We went to regionals seven times. But when I was 18, we won Regionals and Nationals in Frisco, Texas. It was pretty exciting, it all happened so fast. Emily Cressy was there at regionals as well, she won golden boot for her age group.

What was your favorite birthday party ever?

I love food, and I get to pick dinner for my birthday.

So if your birthday was tomorrow, what would you have?

I’d have some steak and seafood – lobster, shrimp, crab, mashed potatoes, corn, veggies, green beans. I like all food. For dessert, I’d have cheesecake with strawberries on top.

Tell us about your brothers Paul and Kris.

Once, my brother Paul got the three stripes shaved in the side of his head. I think that is pretty embarrassing, I wish I had a picture. That was probably in 1994.

What does the name Beth West mean to you?

Oh man. I didn’t think it was a big deal. They wrote about it in the paper. I didn’t even notice her on the field.

Apparently, you punched her!

Yeah, apparently things went down. But I don’t remember trying to hit her. I am not an aggressive person.

So if Beth West was here with us, would you apologize?

Yeah! I don’t mean to hurt people. I don’t mean to be mean!

Where was the College Football National championship game your freshmen year? Oh man. It was on ESPN and I was trying to figure out where it was being played. I asked my little brother and he texted me that it was in ‘Glendale, Ariz’, so I told everyone that it was being played out of the country, in Ariz. Everyone still makes fun of me for it.

So when the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke out, did you ever consider changing your name?

Nobody has ever asked me that. That’s so great! I used to want to make a press release when I was in 4th grade. I used to get made fun of, but I wanted to make sure people knew it wasn’t me. At first I thought it was cool, like I was on the news or something. But then I understood what actually went down and didn’t want to anymore.

Describe your love for the Olive Garden.

Oh man, the Olive Garden. We went yesterday, all the way to Topeka and back. Whoever is on their marketing team is awesome. The commercials… well, they stopped serving the commercial special on Sunday. It was supposed to be shrimp pasta with creamy garlic sauce. I was so excited to go, but then I was so upset. I told the waitress I was rattled, I didn’t know what to order for the longest time so I got ravioli and breadsticks. Oh, the breadsticks!

Would you rather wear sweats every day for the rest of your life, or never be able to wear sweats again.

Wait, what!? Oh my gosh. This puts me in a pickle. I’d have to go with never… oh man… I guess never wear them again. Who told you I wear sweatpants everyday!? I am torn, but I couldn’t wear sweats to my wedding. Final answer.