RCW: Faces in the Crowd 4.25
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.
NINA KHMELNITCKAIA
Junior | Moscow, Russia
Full Bio
Junior Nina Khmelnitckaia went a perfect 4-0 for the weekend, but no victory was as big or as memorable as her near-three hour marathon match win over Wichita State’s Marta Bellucco. With that victory, Khmelnitckaia secured the victory for the No. 20 Jayhawks over No. 21 Wichita State, but it wasn’t easy. Khmelnitckaia won the first set 6-2, but then dropped the second set 6-4. The third set, knotted at 6-6, was forced into a tiebreaker in which Khmelnitckaia won 12-10. Teamed with No. 1 ranked Anastasia Rychagova, the No. 29-ranked doubles team won both their matches from the No. 1 position over WSU and Gonzaga.
TARIN TRAVIESO
Freshman | San Antonio, Texas
Full Bio
Freshman Tarin Travieso played a big role in the Jayhawks’ 5-1 overall record for the week, which included the Carolina Classic title. Travieso batted .353 (6-for-17) for the week, which included a grand slam home run and team-best eight RBIs. She also added four walks. Travieso also saw success in the pitching circle. Appearing in three games, Travieso posted a 2-0 record along with a 0.55 earned run average. She only allowed one run and 10 hits over 12.2 innings pitched, while recording nine strikeouts.
RYAN ZEFERJAHN
Sophomore | Topeka, Kansas
Full Bio
Sophomore righty Ryan Zeferjahn fanned a personal-best 14 batters in the series finale against Texas Southern (March 4) en route to his third win of the season. Those 14 strikeouts marked the most K’s for a Jayhawk in a game since Frank Duncan struck out the same number against Mississippi Valley State on Feb. 23, 2014. Zeferjahn allowed just one unearned run off four hits in that six-inning start, and now averages 9.7 strikeouts per outing. He leads the conference with 29 strikeouts through three starts, and ranks fifth in both ERA (1.59) and opponent batting average (.169).
ANDY SPENCER
Sophomore | Leawood, Kansas
Full Bio
Sophomore Andy Spencer helped lead the way for the Jayhawks to their first team title of the season, as Kansas claimed the 2018 Desert Mountain Intercollegiate. Spencer finished tied for fourth, but was only one stroke away from claiming his first collegiate individual medalist honor. He collected 13 birdies over the three-round event, and led the entire field in par-4 scoring with a 5-under. He finished 3-under for the event to lead five Jayhawks (Daniel Hudson, Daniel Sutton, Charlie Hillier and Harry Hillier) which all placed in the top-20. It was Spencer’s third top-5 finish of the season.
