The Rice Thresher, Vol. 89, No. 2, Ed. 1 Friday, August 24, 2001 Page: 23 of 32
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Page 23
Thresher Sports
' THE RICE THRESHER * Friday, August 24,2001
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Projected starting QB
Hurd out for the season
by Chris Larson
THRESHER EDITORIAL SI AM-
Not again.
Last year, Jeremy Hurd was a redshirt fresh
man quarterback ready to guide the Owls to a
successful season.
It lasted less than one game. In Rice's
season opening 30 27 victory over the Univer
sity of Houston, Hurd broke his finger and was
sidelined for more than a month. Hurd re
turned and was a solid contributor for the
second part of the season, starting two more
games and totaling 280 yards rushing and 129
yards passing for the season.
7 thought Kyle did a really
good job with the poise lie
showed with the first-team
offense.'
— Ken Hatfield
Head football coach
After an injury-free spring, Hurd was set to
be the man this season and sat at the top of the
Owls' depth chart — until injury struck again
Aug. 15, when Hurd tore his right ACL while
making a cut during practice. Hurd will be out
for the season.
"The whole Rice football family is disap-
pointed that Jeremy will not be able to contrib
ute on the field this season," head coach Ken
NEXT WEEK
Look for complete season previews of
the Rice football, cross country and
women's soccer teams in next week's
edition of the Thresher.
Hatfield said. "He had been showing the type
of skill and leadership abilities we expected of
him during the early part of camp."
Evans is taking the season off to rehabili
tate from a knee injury and will play defensive
back for his senior season — leaving the total
experience of the Owls' quarterback corps at
just three games played and seven passes
attempted.
All belong to sophomore Kyle Herm. who
will take over the reins for Rice heading into
lhe Owls' season opener Sept. 1 at UH. Fresh
man Greg Henderson, who ran for over 1.500
yards his senior season at Wichita Falls High
School, and Joe Moore, who passed for 1,000
yards his junior season at Fort Worth South-
west High School, will back up Herm.
Though it's not an ideal situation to be in,
Hatfield is confident in Herm. Herm rushed
for 92 yards and threw a touchdown pass
against defending Western Athletic Confer
once champion University of Texas at El
Paso last year, and Hatfield said Herm has
established himself as a capable leader in
practice.
"I thought Kyle did a really good job with
the poise he showed with the first-team of
fense," Hatfield said. "He led us on two or
three big drives down the field, and he ex
ecuted some big plays."
Sophomore quarterback Jeremy Hurd, shown here rushing in Rice's 431'
Methodist University last season, is out for the season after tearing the
CE/THRESHER FILE I
Southern
right knee.
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COURTESY SEAN SCOTT
After placing second at the NCAA Championships May 30-June 2 in Eugene, Ore., junior Alice Falaiye brought home
the gold medal at the Games of la Francophonie and competed at the World Championships in Edmonton, Canada.
Women's track goes international
Women's tennis coach
Blankenship retires
by Chris Larson
THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF
by Chris Larson
THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF
Sophomore Allison Beckford
would likely be a shoo in winner of a
"Who had the busiest summer at
Rice?" contest.
After winning the 400 meter dash
and finishing second in the 400 meter
hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Track
and Field Championships May 30
June 2 in Eugene, Ore., Beckford
began an around the world trek.
First came the Central American
and Caribbean Senior Championships
held in Guatemala City July 20 22.
Beckford took the silver in the 400
meter dash, finishing in 53.28 sec
onds, and helped Jamaica claim the
gold medal in the 1,600 meter relay.
Then it was off to Edmonton,
Canada, where Beckford competed
for Jamaica at the World Champion
ships in Athletics held Aug. 3 12.
Beckford failed to advance to the semi
finals, finishing sixth of eight athletes
in her first round heat in 53.08.
This weekend, she's in Beijing,
China, competing in the World Uni
versity Games.
Rice head coach Victor Lopez said
the summer has left Beckford tired
physically as well as mentally. Her
times in Guatemala and Canada wen-
more than a second and a half slower
than the career best 51.50 she ran in
Eugene.
"She's really tired," Lopez said.
"She let her mind play games with
her. She was leading in the 400 at
CAC, and then all of the sudden she
relaxed. Her teammate came up and
got even with her, and she didn't
have the momentum. Her rhythm
was not there, and she got tight."
After her finish, Jamaican officials
selected four other athletes from the
middle distance talent loaded nation
to run on the 1.600 meter relay team.
The Jamaican team went on to win
the gold medal after t he United States
team dropped the baton between the
third and anchor legs.
"That set her back," Lopez said.
"It was disappointing. She's a chaser
— she's one of the best 4x4 legs in
the world."
But there's still plenty of time for
Beckford to shine internationally.
See TRACK, Pago 28
An era came to an end this sum
mer as Paul Blankenship, who
served as Rice's head women's ten
nis coach for 20 years, announced
his retirement.
Replacing Blankenship will be
Roger White, who has been
Blankenship's assistant coach the
past three years. The duo guided
Rice to a 15-6 record and a NCAA
regional bid in 1998. For the first
time in the program's history. Rice
qualified a singles player and a
doubles team to the Clay Court Na
tional Championships in 1999.
"Roger has done a tremendous
job in his three years at Rice," Ath
letics Director Bobby May said. "We
are excited to have him take on the
position of head coach and are con
fident that the team will continue to
flourish under his guidance."
Before joining the Owls in 1998.
White was the assistant head tennis
professional at the Houston Coun
try Club after working as the direc
tor of tennis at Atascocita Country
Club from 1989 96. He earned All
American honors while playing at
Abilene Christian University in 1986.
"I am looking forward to the chal
lenge," White said. "It is an honor to
serve as head women's tennis coach
for Rice University and to assist these
women in the pursuit of excellence
on and off the court."
Blankenship guided the Owls to
a 279 169 record during his tenure.
He helped the Rice program transi
tion from the AIAW to the NCAA
after his first season and oversaw its
move from the Southwest Confer
ence to the Western Athletic Con
ference in 1996. Blankenship's Owls
COURTESY SPORTS INFORMATION
Paul Blankenship
COURTESY SPORTS INFORMATION
Roger White
\
have garnered 14 all-conference hon
ors, produced 11 individual SWC
championsand three All Americans,
including Tracie Blumentritt and
Susan Rudd, who captured the AIAW
national doubles title in 1982.
"I felt like 1 needed a break from
coaching." said Blankenship. "Twenty
years is a long time. The toughest part
was trying to tell the team about [my
retirement]. I'll miss the kids."
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Liu, Leslie & Reichle, Robert. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 89, No. 2, Ed. 1 Friday, August 24, 2001, newspaper, August 24, 2001; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth443210/m1/23/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.