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daily nebraskan
1 1 KID f I 0
Women cagers suffer 'obscurity'
By Scott Jones
George Nicodemus' problem is similar to that of the
guy who invented the wheel. He can't convince the public
that he has something they would like.
Nicodemus will display his invention, UNL's women's
basketball team, next. Tuesday against Wayne State
College at 7:45 p on. in the Coliseum. The scheduled game
with St. Mary's College this Saturday has been canceled.
"A lot of people don't really know how good these,
kids are," Nicodemus said. "I'm probably a little pre
judiced, but 1 know when players are good."
Indeed he should. Nicodemus coached two national
Amateur Athletics Union (AAU) championship women's
teams at Wahoo's JJF. Kennedy College before coming to
Nebraska. He said he believes UNL has similar potential.
National title potential
"I've seen a lot of good teams and players in the U.S.
and other countries," he said, "and we're capable of win-
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ning trie national uue.
"Nebraska basketball is not that big, but a lot of
people don't realize Nebraska has a lot of potentially great
women athletes," he said. "It will never get as big as in
Iowa until the news media cover it as well as in Iowa."
Larger crowds also would help, he added.
"When we play at homer we get about 100 people,"
he said. "We went to Cozad Oast Saturday to play Colo
rado) and had more than 700 people come to watch us.
The UNL student population- is four times that of Cozad,
he said.
"The only thing we've got to do to be national cham
pions is cut down on turnovers and shoot about 45 per
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cent," which is well within UNL's capabilities, Nicodemus
said. "Our only shortcoming is a lack of height"
The team now is 12-5, after winning four straight.
To counteract what he called their lack of size, the
team has developed a running game.
Foul trouble
"We have to run," Nicodemus said. "Crouch (Jan, a 5
ft. U in. freshman center) is the only big player we've
got, and she has a tendency to get in foul trouble."
Nebraska used the fast break to ultimate advantage
Tuesday in a 81-29 romp over South Dakota State Univer
sity. Nicodemus said guard Kathy Hawkins, Omaha junior,
had a "super game" with 18 points, four assists and 10
steals.
Darcy Williamson,' an Arapahoe freshman, scored 16
points, followed by Lincoln freshman Brenda Lightbody
with 11.
Hawkins and sophomore Sherry Brink, Lincoln
forward, "have been playing great," Nicodemus said. In
weekend wins over Midland College and Colorado Uni
versity, Brink scored 14 and 17 points, respectively.
Hawkins had 20- and 10-point productions in those
games. '
Williamson leads UNL in scoring with 13.5 points a
game, followed by Hawkins at 12.4 and Brink at 11.8.
Nicodemus said UNL must stop Wayne State's "super
ball players," Pat McKay and Connie Kunzman, to avenge
an earlier 68-53 loss at Wayne;
McKay, a 6 ft. 2 in. freshman, scored 29 points and
Kunzman, 6 ft. sophomore, 23 in that game.
1 hosts state
iff inn mot
By Jim Hunt
UNL's weightlifting team will sponsor the 1976 Ne
braska State Olympic Weightlifting Championships this
Saturday at the Coliseum.
It will be the first time the meet has ever been in
Lincoln, said UNL strength coach Boyd Epley. The meet
traditionally has been in Omaha.
The meet is the first of three to be in Lincoln, accord
ing to Epley. The Nebraska Powerlifting Championships
will be in the Men's Physical Education Bldg. April 10,
and the Mr. Nebraska' Physique Contest will bo at the Ne
braska Center for Continuing Education, 33rd and Hold
rege streets, April 24.
Epley said special guest at the Mr. Nebraska Physique
Contest will be Pat Neve, Mr. USA.
Weigh-ins for Saturday's meet will begin at 8:30 am,
with competition starting at 10 ajn. Lifts are the two
handed snatch and the clean-and-jerk. - s
Competition will include the 114, 123, 132, 148,165,
181, 198, 242 and superheavy weight classes.
The meet is open to Nebraska residents who are re
gistered with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Appli
cations for AAU membership may be obtained at the
meet for $3. "
Awards will be presented to the top three finishers In
each class. Awards also will be presented to the outstand
ing lifter in the light and heavy divisions. Trophies will be
presented to the top three teams.
The top finishers at Saturday's meet will go on to the
Region VII championships and possibly the Olympic
trials.
Epley said he expects 30 to 50 entries. Among the
favorites are Omahan Jack Sempek in the 198-pound
division and Jerry Hannan, UNL discus record holder, in
the superheavy division, Epley said.
There will be a $7 entry fee for competitors registering
Saturday.
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Photo by Ttd Kirk
Junior Carol Lundeen of Holdrege will be one of the
Husker gymnasts competing against Oklahoma State
and Iowa Universities Saturday. The meet starts at
10:30 a m. in Women' Ehy steal Education Bldg. 1 19.
sports
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Two openings remain for the ski touring trip to
Boulder, Colo., Feb. 12 to 15. Cost is $35 per person.
Interested persons should contact the Recreation Office,
472-3467. v.
The UNL men's track, gymnastics and wrestling teams
Lansing for the Michigan State University Relays
Saturday. Gymnasts and wrestlers will take on Southern
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Illinois ana rxorinwesi Missouri universities, respectively,
both on Saturday.
The UNL Rugby Club is practicing Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays from 6:30 to 8 pjn. in Schulte
Fieldhouse. Anyone interested in playing is invited. For
more information, contact Larry Griffing, 432-2662.
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The women's tennis team will have an organizational
meeting at 4 p jn. Monday in Women's Physical Education
Bldg. 313. For more information, call coach Gail
Whitaker, 472-3926.
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The women's rugby team will hold an organizational
meeting at 7 pin. Tuesday in the Nebraska Union. For
more information, contact Liz. 489.1581. or Marsh.
a on tnrtn
on
Women 's athletic funds rise
despite low 'people power'
By Larry Stunkd
Ale en Swofford, UNL women's athletic director, said
she has been pleased with the financial support the
women's program has received from Lincoln.
Local barJc3 and businesses have provided the bulk of
the support which Swofford called ' fantastic."
"We need more public response from out-tate Ne
braska," Swofford said. "We've hit Lincoln real well, but
we're running out of people power."
Among ef forts to reach out-state supporters was the re
cent marathon the women ran to five cities. This, along
with a Winter Olympics event sponsored by Uncle Sana
discotheque rals&i Si 1,800.
"The ioul media pldted us up real wcB in the dtles we
vblted," Swofford said, "lately we've written fetters to
every woman phytic si education gyaduata who has moved
out -state and out-of-state."
Swofford sa.kl the marathon and Olympics were just
two of five events the women's athletic program Is spon
rir.jj to nts money this semester. ,
: Currently, the women are sponsoring a raffle, in which
the grand prize is t trip for two to the Nebraska Hawaii
football game Dec. 4. The drawing will be Feb. 15.
Also on Feb. IS, a radio station will challenge
women athletics in a basketball game In the Coliseum, fol
lowed by nock hop. A local electronics dealer will
furnish equipment for the dance.
Finally, a benefit dinner' at one of the local hotels is la
the planning stages. Swofford said.
She said she hopes to raise $50,000 through the
projects.
The Women's Athletic Dept. also has asked the Ne
braska Legislature for $70,000. but Swofford said the
women's budget was one line on which cuts have been
proposed.''
Whether Swofford'i efforts to raise money axe success
ful, no one can accuse the Women's Athletic Dept. of
dftSSing Us feet and taking money from men's programs.
t Swofford and Jy Davis, women's sports information
director,, abng with other workers, have done i commend
able job of drumming up support.