Paga12
Daily Nebraskan
Friday, December 14, 1034
its
. "a is 1 J-
wimmer
JI JUL
more conquers-1
niurvano aouoi
By L&ari Hopple
Daily Nebrakan Senior Editor
UNL swimmer Shauna Gilmore, a redshirt sopho
more, has accomplished what most redshirted ath
letes do: She has become stronger, faster and more
experienced in competition. But she did it while fight
ing a severe shoulder injury.
Last October, Gilmore tore two of four muscles in
her right rotator cuff while lilting weights.
Coach Ray Huppert said the cuff, where the arm
meets the shoulder, is an over-used muscle and espe
cially susceptible to injury. Every swimming move
pulls the hand and uses the rotator cuff, he said.
After the injury, Gilmore spent about seven months
out of the water trying to rebuild the muscle.
"We tried to get it to the point where I could pick
things up," Gilmore said. The pain was constant, she
said; she couldn't raise it above her head.
Gilmore, a freestyle and butterfly sprinter, started
with weight training, ice and ultra-sound treatments.
But Gilmore said she wasnt sure her shoulder
would ever be the same after about three months of
rehabilitation. Gilmore went to California to see a
shoulder specialist, who recommended a less
advanced rehabilitation program.
Besides working on her own, Gilmore had to go to
every team workout Just to watch.
"I d be damned if I d let her get away from swim
ming," Huppert said. Keeping in touch with the team is never gave up. Now, her shoulder is stronger than ever
important for every athlete, injured or not, he said
Gilmore might argue with him, Huppert said, but he
believed staying close to the team helped her desire to
rebuild her shoulder and start swimming again.
Gilmore said one of the worst parts of her rehabili-
and her times are faster than when she was a fresh
man, he said.
As a freshman, Gilmore swam the 200-yard freestyle
at 1 :53.3; last week she clocked at 1 :52.2. Last year's
I uu-yard tree time was o3. 1 ; this years 52.4. Last
If
0
0 Jw
a r
7 V "N
: ""-.
AM. f 7 ' i
J 4 r Y i II I , i
r in hi tM
' v
vAsr's im-vard hntterflv was 59.3: this year's 59.2.
Gilmore began swimming again this summer. She
started slow: Eight laps a workout. It took all summer
and fall to progress to a full workout of 250 to 300
laps.
They say it's like riding a bike, and you never forget
how to do it," she said. She found the saying true when
she climbed on the starting blocks for her first races,
she said.
Gilmore has adopted another saying since her
injury. There's always a purpose in mind for
everything.
Gilmore, a B student, said her time away from
swimming gave her a chance to reflect on what pur
pose her life might have. She changed her major from
engineering to p re-medicine or pre-dentistry.
Although her dentist father is pushing her toward his
profession, Gilmore said, she is more interested in
sports medicine.
Gilmore said her injury gave her time to do things
she miht not have done if she were swimming.
"I got to go to formal," she said of a dance at her
sorority, Kappa Delta. Although not many athletes
belong to fraternities or sororities three of 2 1
women on the team belong to a sorority Gilmore
said she enjoys her s.
Huppert is not opposed to Gilmore's activities out
side of swimming.
"She's the kind of person who will devote 110 per
cent to swimming, yet still be a good student, and
active and well-rounded in other areas," he said. "She's
a good leader in that sense she leads by actions, not
by mouth.
"She's proving to herself and to others that an injury
is not the end of her career."
nslser cagems Iiope to break
Tecii's wiiuiing-afrhome habit
By Kevin Werneke Anderson a 6-9 senior, leads the Red
Dfiiy Nebnusinn Senior Editor Raiders in scoring, averaging more than
18 points a game. He also leads the team
Texas Tech has a habit of winning at in rebounding,
home. Iba said Nebraska guard Brian Carr
During his 14-year stint, coach Gerald will be assigned to stop Jennings, while
Myers has racked up a 144-36 record at forward Ronnie Smith will guard
home. Anderson.
Nebraska will try to add a blemish to Meanwhile, the Red Raiders will have
that record Saturday when the Huskers to put the clamps on high-scoring Ne-
travel to Lubbock to meet the 4-2 Red braska center Dave Hoppen.
Raiders. But Myers said his team will concen-
Myers said his home record isn't any- trate on stopping all Nebraska players, not
thing special. just Hoppen.
"I can't say why we play so well at "We're playing Nebraska, not just
nome, rayers saia. u s wnacever reason Hoppen," ne said. "We need to do a cood
tation was watching those workouts.
"I was tired of coming over here and watching other
people swim," she said. "Last year I was so down and
depressed about swimming that I didnt even want to
come to meets."
Gilmore gained about 20 pounds from inactivity and
eating to cure her depression. Trainers told her she
could exercise but only if the exercises didnt jar or
hurt her shoulder. That wasn't much, she said.
Despite her depression, Gilmore said she never
really considered not returning to competition if her
shoulder healed properly. Swimming would be hard to
give up because she's been at it for so long, she-said.
Gilmore began racing when she was 9 years old. She
continued racing through high school in Grand Junc
tion, Colo. She also played tennis and basketball
Choosing UNL wsnt hard, Gilmore said. She came
for UNL's swimming and academic programs, she said.
"And I like the attitude of Nebraska people. It's not
out of their way to say, Hi! How are you? " she said.
Huppert said he had some doubts about Gilmore's
return.
"I'd be lying if I said I thought she never had doubts
or that I never did," he said. But there was reason to
doubt.
Injuries scare both athlete and coach, Huppert said,
because neither knows if the injuries will heal 100
percent or if they'll heal at alL
Despite these unknowns, Huppert said, Gilmore
H
Nebraska plays so tough at home.
Nebraska coach Moe Iba said he isn't so
sure.
"They're a very good team," Iba said,
"and good teams play well at home."
Texas Tech's 4-2 record could be deceiv
ing, Iba said. The Red Raiders have suf
fered defeats to Washington and Iowa.
The Huskers will try to stop Texas
Tech's one-two scoring punch of guard
Bubba Jennings and forward Quentin
Anderson. Jenning3, a 5-10 senior, is
averaging more than 16 points a game.
job on the whole team.'
Texas Tech will have the advantage of a
week layoff before the Nebraska game.
But, Myers said, it's no advantage.
"Our workouts are tougher than most
games," he said.
Nebraska racked up two victories this
week and boasts a 6-0 record. Iba said the
team will use its two days of practice to
work on offense execution.
With final exams, Iba said, some play
ers might be worrying about tests instead
of basketball.
They should be," he said.
ports world changes guar
as basketball courts heat up
Analysis by Scctt Ahlstrcad coach against another in a chess game of
David Crtan;erDsty im brwksn
Nebraska center Dave Hoppen jrsts up another errant shot in t&e Huskers
E3-51 victory cgsisst TTlscossia Wedaesdxy rJht Happen was held to 3 for 10
Dtdly Nebtaakan Senior Eeporter
Well, winter is finally here and with the
advent of the new season comes a chang
ing of the guard in the sports world.
Both pro and college football are wind
ing down their seasons with only one
week of regular season play and playoffs
and bowl games remaining. In football's
place, basketball is just warming up in
indoor arenas across America.
With the transition in sports comes a
changing dialogue. Hang time no longer
refers to the air time of a punt, as it does
in football, but instead is used to describe
the athletic ability of a forward or guard
(but almost never a center). A facemask
in football brings on a penalty. In basket
ball, a "facial" ("in your face") is admired.
Finally, a human eraser in football brings
to mind Lawrence Taylor, in basketball
Pat Ewing. '
Teamwork is perhaps more evident in
college basketball than in any other sport
in America Every shot and pass is of piv
otal importance. Each game matches one
strategies. Combine these factors with
the enthusiasm of college fans and the
sheer athletic grace of the game and you
can see why college basketball is the top
dog of winter sports.
Locally, the college basketball game is
experiencing a flourish of excitement.
The Big Eight looks to be sporting some of
its strongest teams in years.
Oklahoma is undoubtedly the confer
ence favorite with Wayman "I wish I was a
point guard"Tisdaie leading the way. The
Sooners have dropped two games to highly
ranked Illinois but appear to have the
makings of a top-20 team.
Closely following Oklahoma will be
Kansas, Iowa State and Nebraska. Kan
sas is led by Calvin Thompson, native
Omahan Ron Kellogg and freshman
phenomena Danny Manning.
Iowa State narrowly missed knocking
off powerful Indiana earlier this week,
ihe Cyclones just missed a last second
shot that would have tied the Hoosiers.
Contis&ed oa Psa 14