RCW: Faces in the Crowd 3.23

Each week in Rock Chalk Weekly, the top Kansas Jayhawk performances are recognized as Faces in the Crowd. Get to know last week’s stars, including information on their latest accomplishments and a link to their full bio.
 

TAYLOR DODSON
Softball | Senior | Grove, Oklahoma
Bio Full Bio

In her first three seasons in a Jayhawk uniform, Dodson hit a combined five home runs. During the first weekend of her senior season, the utility player pushed her career home run total to nine. She hit one home run against Akron in the season opener to tie the ballgame in the third inning and followed that game with two round-trippers in KU’s 16-2 win over Savannah State, driving in three RBIs. Over the five games of the Stetson Lead-Off Classic, the senior finished opening weekend with a .500 average (7-for-14) to lead the Jayhawks, driving in six RBIs and scoring seven runs. She totaled four home runs in the first five games, also hitting one in the weekend finale versus Akron. For her efforts in DeLand, Florida, she was named to the all-tournament team.
  

ALEXIS REID
Softball | Sophomore | Blue Springs, Missouri
Bio Full Bio

The sophomore pitched two complete games and picked up two wins for Kansas at the Stetson Lead-Off Classic. The Blue Springs, Missouri product opened the season in the circle for the Jayhawks with a one-run, six-hit pitching performance, striking out six Akron batters. Reid allowed a run in the first inning of the season opener, then pitched 13-consecutive innings without allowing a run. In her second start, she allowed just four hits in the complete game shutout against Stetson, the first shutout of her career. She finished the weekend allowing a combined 10 hits and an earned run over 14 innings pitched, while striking out nine and walking two. 
  

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GLEB DUDAREY
M. Track & Field | Freshman | Vitebsk, Belarus
Bio Full Bio

Dudarev continued the impressive start to his collegiate career by tossing the 35-pound weight to another victory, this time at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The freshman entered the event with the NCAA’s No. 3 mark of 2017, and sat atop the leaderboard through his first five throws but hadn’t improved on his season best. That all changed after his sixth and final throw of the day. Dudarev flung the implement to a mark of 23.44 meters (76-11) on his last attempt, securing the victory and moving his name up on both the NCAA and all-time Kansas charts. The throw was the second farthest in the program’s history and put the Belarus native in second on the collegiate lists for 2017. As a result, he will enter the Big 12 Conference Indoor Championship as the league’s top-ranked weight thrower, seven feet ahead of the second-ranked thrower.

JOSH JACKSON
Men’s Basketball | Freshman | Detroit, Michigan
Bio Full Bio

Over the last few weeks, Jackson has approached the game like a veteran, almost making people forget about his status as a freshman. With two road victories, the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week averaged 24.5 points and seven rebounds, while shooting 19-for-27 (.704) from the field and 4-of-7 on threes (.571). He opened the week scoring 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting with three steals in the 74-71 win at Kansas State. Jackson followed that stat line with a career effort. He poured in 31 points, including the game-winning free throw with 2.8 seconds remaining in the 80-79 victory, at Texas Tech. Jackson ended up scoring KU’s final seven points en route to recording his eighth double-double of the season with 11 boards.