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Golfers not teed off by slow start
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By Steva Taylor
. UNL's golf team opened its spring season last
weekend at the Galveston Invitational in Texas. The
Huskers finished fourth out of six teams,
Nebraska ace Steve King says the team isn't
throwing drivers or bending putters because of the
low finish. , , ,
' We weren't really too disappointed,"' he
continued. "The teams in the meet were mostly
southern teams, and they have been playing all year.
We've been outside only a month."
King played well in the Galveston meeting. The
20-yeer-old junior finished 10th out of 90 golfers.
For most of the tournament he was in second, but a
dismal last round pushed him back in the standings.
King, who packs 150 lbs. on his 6 ft. 1 in. frame,
sets fairly high standards for himself.
"One or two over, par isn't bad, but if the weather
is good f want to shoot par."
Though he prefers to play in pleasant conditions.
King calls himself a "bad weather player." iff not
that he plays any better; it's that his opponents play
worse.
"My short game holds up pretty well in bad
weather," he explains. "I like to watch the others give
up.
Golf is not the Lexington native's only game.
When he was 17, he won the Omaha city bowling
championship in his age bracket. Since then, he has ;.
given up the sport to concentrate on goif.
While Nebraska hosts the Cornhusker Invitational
today, King wiU be the Huskers No. 1 golfer. Other ,
members of the team include: Dan Bahensky, Gary
Teel, Tom Sieckmann and Jon Rumfield.
King has some confident opinions about this year's
. team. . .
"We have the best team the university has ever
' had," he said. "We're head and shoulders above any
team they've had here before. I think we have the
best golfers in the, Big 8."
What about Oklahoma and Oklahoma St. two
conference teams ranked in the national top twenty?
"We're better than both of those teams," King
said. - :
If King's optimistic appraisal turn out to be
accurate, Nebraska will get a chance to participate in
the national meet in San Diego later this year. The
top two finishers in the conference tournament will
qualify to go west This year's Big 8 meet will be in
Lincoln May 17-18.
King felt that a good golfer needs several attributes
to be successful.
The most important thing is to have a positive
attitude," he observed. "You've got to develop a
repetition of the swing so you don't choke on the big
shots."
King's goal is to make it to San Diego. Beyond
that, his plans are not definite. Of course, every
golfer's dream, including King's, is to compete on the
professional tour.
"Few guys in the history of Nebraska have made it
on the tour," he remarked. "I'm just going to wait
and see where the money is."
There won't be any money involved in the
Cornhusker Invitational today, but it will be
interesting to see if Coach Larry Romjue's crew can
bounce back.
If Steve King is right, the tournament will trigger
the start of a long winning streak for the Nebraska
golf team.
Track team's hopes
all prey to football
Husker golfer Steve King placed 10th in
the Galveston Invitational test week.
i
Huskers,
Sooners
to meet
on diamond
Registration deadline Y 4:30 p.m.
today for intramural golf, tennis and
horseshoes doubles. For more
information, contact the Recreation
Dept., 472-3467.
UNL's women's Softball team has
three home games scheduled this
weekend on the field behind the Women's
Physical Education Bldg. The season
opener against the College of St. Mary
starts at 5 p.m. today. Saturday's
doubleheader with Wayne State College
begins at noon.
: , , . . . -v
Defending conference champion Oklahoma University
brings a 22-2 nationally ranked baseball squad to Lincoln
today as the Huskers open their home conference season.
UNL will play a doubleheader today and conclude a 3 -game
series with the Sooners Saturday.
After snapping a 11 -game losing streak with a
doubleheader sweep over Morningside College Tuesday,
Head Coach Tony Sharpe said his team is much more
relaxed.
The Huskers' worst start in Sharpe 's 28 years at UNL
(0-11) had several causes; however, he feels his team has
played better than their record would indicate.
"Because of key injuries to four or five players, we were
not able to field our starting team until the Kansas State
series. Most players now appear physically sound," ha said.
Despite dropping their threo previous conference games
to KSU 2-3, 4 6, 5-7) the Huskers are still tied for fifth
piace in the Big 8. There were four sweeps of conference
ball clubs last week, the first time In history that has ever
happened, Sharpe said.
Before the southern swing Sharpe said the Husker
pitching staff was vne of his strong points. He no longer is
sure.
"I think we can use improvement in all phases of the
game. We've hit the ball well, except in the clutch, which
could be due to the early part of the season," he said.
Denny O'Doherty the conference earned run champion a
year ago, and Ralph Benish figure to be the Huskers'
starting pitchers this afternoon, Sharpe said. He still is
undecided n to his starter for Saturday's contest.
"Oklahoma won the Big 8 in '73 for the second
consecutive year, and this year seem to have even
improved," Sharpe said. "They won two of three games
from powerful Arizona State University and easily handled
Texas Christian University, a strong Southwest Conference
title contender," he said.
Last year the Sooners led the league in team hitting and
pitching, and won or shared individual crowns in batting
avcraqo, hits, doubles, home runs and stolon bases.
Oklahoma senior first baseman Kenny -'King' narrowly
won the batting crown by three percentage points last year
over the Huskers' Bob Munson. King finished the season
with a .424 mark, and led the conference in hits (28) and
doubles (6). ' .
At tne beginning of this semester, Husker track hopes received
a jolt when seven athletes were declared scbolastlcaliy ineligible.
Among the casualties was virtually the entire sprint corps,
including top returning team membejr Karl Webb; and three
promising freshmen. .
Now,, with the start of the outdoor season Saturday at-the
Oklahoma Invitational in Norman, Coach Frank Sevigne has seen
his problems compounded.
Four of his trackmen art participating in spring football drills.
Dave GiSfespia had helped fill the sprint void in the indoor season,
white Dave Shambftn picked up some points in the hurdle events.
Also lost are 440-yard men Bill Bunker and Chuck Malito. Malito
is the top Husker in that event.
As in the indoor season, Sevigne expects the middle distance
events to be the Huskers' strong point. Surprisingly, that only
means more problems.
Two middle distance events, the GOO- and 1,000- yard runs,
run in the indoor season are dropped for outdoors. The Huskers
picked up points in both those events In the Big 8 indoor meet,
where they finished fourth.
- dennisonnen .
press box review
Also, the 100- and 220-yard dashes and the 440 yard relay are
aAAart in h ntjtttnnr rwrtftrmm Mtielrar hAn in thnvn mion r
dim, to say the least. '
Sevigne pointed cut that the added discus and javelin events
should be a boon to his teara Freshman Scott Scrchik and top
' returner Wayne Ritchie lead the javelin men. Best in the discus
appear to be freshman Steve Millard and sophomores Jerry
Hannan and Steve Jepsen. Jepsen was the top man last year.
Millard was the only Husker to garner points in the field events
in the Big 8 indoor meet when he took fourth in the shot put.
Senior co -captains Roger Chadwick and Bob Unger should be
among the team leaders, as in the indoor season, according to
Sevigne. Chadwick was named the outstanding performer in the
Big 8 indoor. He won both the CG0- and 880-yard runs. Ungcr
took the 2-milo championship.
v Among the top middle distance men are Larry Gnapp, Dan
LpctiC jnd Jeff WisemUter, Lynn Hall, who posted a 4:03.8 mile
two Masons ego, Keith Whitaker arid Mike Fertig should pick up
points in the longer distances.
"Kansas State and Colorado have extremely good tepms'
Sevigne said in analyzing thg Bit 8 race. He said it is too early to
predict Husker chances. Saturday's meet might help in
deteritiining just how serious Husker problems are.
friday, epril 5, 1874
daily nebraskan
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