Nuts And Bolts
Tide Women On A Roll - The Alabama softball team won the NCAA title on Wednesday night. Not only was it the Crimson Tide's first softball title, but it was also the first for an SEC team.
That just kept Alabama women's sports teams on a roll.
Last month the Crimson Tide won its first-ever NCAA Women's Golf Championship title. And leading Alabama to that first golf title was its top player, Brooke Pancake.
I can't wait until she turns pro. As soon as it happens, IHOP will be calling about an endorsement deal.
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Wrong Tee? - Last week while playing on the Lake Course at Chautauqua Golf Club, I noticed the Jamestown Community College golf team members on an adjacent hole playing a practice round to prepare for this week's NJCAA Division III National Tournament. I was sure they had just teed off on a par-4 hole, but then I noticed them stopping at the ladies tee. I thought maybe one of them popped up his drive or rolled it off tee. But then I noticed they were setting down their bags and staying there.
I moved on and missed seeing them hit their tee shots from that tee.
I later learned from JCC coach Brett Mucheck that the Jayhawks really were playing from the ladies tees that day.
''I'm trying to teach them to feel comfortable with going low; feeling comfortable with having more birdie putts,'' he said.
He added, ''A lot of those par 4s, they can drive those greens. They had eagle putts on every par 5.''
Jake Yartz was the leader as he shot a 3-under 69.
Mucheck got the idea from reading a book by Tom Watson. Watson couldn't go low as a youngster, so he started playing from the ladies tees so he could experience what it was like.
After a couple weeks of qualifying within the team and then plenty of practice rounds, it was a way to break up the monotony for the Jayhawks. The next day JCC played with irons only.
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Hat Trick - The Los Angeles Kings had a chance to complete a Stanley Cup Finals sweep against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, but they lost and will have to try to finish the series tonight.
The Kings might be able to blame their change in luck on JCC golfer Jake Yartz. The Jayhawk freshman has been wearing a Kings hat all during the golf season and he bought a new one just for the NJCAA Division III National Tournament. However, he forgot to wear it for Monday's practice round. Instead, Yartz wore his usual Kings hat and that night they won again to take a 3-0 lead. I advised Yartz not to change anything, but on Wednesday he wore his new Kings hat and teammate Casey Davidson wore the old one. That night, Los Angeles lost Game 4.
Many have probably accused Yartz of jumping on the bandwagon with his Kings hat. However, the Southwestern graduate has been a fan for about four years and he's worn a Kings hat throughout the golf season. JCC's first invitational was on April 13 and Yartz was wearing his Kings hat then. On that day, Los Angeles was in eighth place in the Western Conference.
There usually aren't bandwagons for teams just hanging on to a final playoff berth.
Look for the Kings to wrap it up tonight. Yartz was back to wearing his regular Kings hat for Friday's final round at the nationals.
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From Detroit - Speaking of the Kings, last week's column was about their history and I mentioned that they landed Marcel Dionne in a big trade with Montreal, but that was incorrect.
Always on the spot, Burdette Catley pointed about the Kings got Dionne, a former Canadien, in trade with the Detroit Red Wings in 1975. And he remembered because the trade involved his all-time favorite name in sports - Bart Crashley.