page 10
daily nebraskan
thursday, march 8, 1979
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Weight
rcdMjIillskers 'never a really out of shape'
By Sara Martens
Editor! note: This is the first in a series of
articles on winter condition of the Nebra
ska football team. The drills are winding
down now with spring practice scheduled
to begin the first week in April.
It will be six months before a mob of
red -clad fans once again fill Memorial Stad
ium to watch Nebraska football, but the
team that takes the field in the Sept. IS
season opener is already filling the weight
room ana track in preparation.
Prospective Huskers have been involved
in winter conditioning since the beginning
of February, under the direction of head
trainer George Sullivan and strength coach
Boyd Epley.
Winter condition is part of the year
round conditioning program designed to
keep athletes in shape.
"Players are never really out of shape,
Epley said. "We are building a new level of
conditioned athletes who are not always
having to get back into shape.
The program, comprising quickness,
strength and endurance drills, puts Nebra
ska a step ahead of others when it comes to
conditioning, Sullivan said .
Conditioning speeds adaptation
Players suffer fewer injuries, have
better muscle tone and are able to move
into regular practice quicker with the use
of winter conditioning, he said.
Sullivan said winter conditioning was
established in 1968 after the Huskers had
experienced two 64 seasons, and did not
seem ready for spring ball.
A strength program was added to drills
for quickness and endurance, forming the
basis for the current program.
The workouts begin with a six-week
winter program in which each athlete is
tested twice for upper body strength in the
bench press, upper body explosiveness in
the power clean and lower body strength
and explosiveness in the leg sled and the
vertical jump. Players also are timed in the
one and a half mile run and the 40-yard
Tournament
For the first time ever a Nebraska women's basketball
team will compete in the AIAW regional playoffs, when
the members travel to Minneapolis, Minn. Saturday.
This year's 23-12 team takes an all-time Nebraska
school record into regional cage action. The 23-win record
is the best by a Nebraska men's or women's team.
The opening round in Minnesota will feature top
seeded Missouri against the University of South Dakota,
UNL against 4th seeded Kansas, Drake facing Central Mis
souri State and the University of Minnesota will take on
Kansas State.
. The Nebraska women already have faced Kansas three
times and were defeated. But the prospect of facing the
team that Big Eight leading scorer Lynette Woodard paces
does not seem to have them overly worried.
Head Coach Lorrie Gallagher is confident that the KU
team will not be overpowering or a negative psychological
barrier affecting her team.
Hands full
"I would have to say we have our hands full," she said.
"KU has beaten us every time we have played. His first
time' they beat us by about 20 and the last time by four.
The first time they played the tempo they wanted to, but
now it's our turn to pace the game." '
"We plan on slowing them down and taking the fast
break away from them, she said. "They have some very
good, very strong individuals that like to play real quick
ball. But they are not so good if you slow the pace down
far enough.
i Kansas also has seniors Adriane Mitchell and Shira
Holden on their team, Gallagher said. Mitchell
has scored over 2JD00 points in her four years at KU
and Holden is averaging 16 points a game. Gallagher also
credited their depth.
- "KU is still ranked 14th nationally, she said. "I think
that what it comes down to is that you have to play best
to be best and we have cot to produce to win. If we can
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(Mil USD, Drake, CM5U)- KSU and KU are the two best
teams the teams we must beat to win it, Gallagher said.
; Chances confirmed 1 v
TesnV center Janet Smith agreed with Gallagher's
analysis, it " -
"Ve reTIy do have i pretty good chance to win it
all, S;riih:id. "We have almost beaten all these teams
at one time ve have proved that we could handle Drake
frcm a scrimnir-e we had with them, we hit Central
dash to determine eriurance and speed.
When not being tested, an athlete is
working on- agility and mobility drills,
running, lifting weights or competing in a
22 game racquetball tournament, Epley
said.
Adjustable emphasis
The emphasis placed on each station is
adjusted to the weight and strength gains
each player needs to make.
Backs and players wanting to gain less
than 10 pounds are placed in the circuit
program, while young players, who need to
gain weight and strength, are placed on the
heavy program. Players with injuries or
special problems workout on a contract
basis through agreements with the coaches.
The number of players involved in
winter conditioning has increased from 180
to 270 in only one year. This has forced
Epley to run two 40 minute sessions daily
to accomodate the large number.
Epley said the increase is due to the
large number of participating walk-ons.
"Nebraska has a tradition for giving the
walk-on player a chance, he said. "If he
wants to walk into spring training, he needs
to take conditioning. There are a lot of
young men working hard to earn a role on
the team.
Winter conditioning is administered
through the physical education department
but is mainly a course taught for varsity
athletes, according to James OWanlin,
dean of the physical education department.
Strength emphasized
Winter conditioning uses two weight
rooms, one in the north fieldhouse emphas
izing overall strength development and the
circuit weight training room in the south
stadium to maintain muscle strength.
"Nebraska has a reputation as having
the best facility in the nation, including
pro ball, Epley said. "One of the reasons
for this reputation is the organized and
orderly atmosphere.'
The equipment in the rooms is organiz
ed by body parts to make training easier.
The Nebraska training program,
developed over the years by Epley has been
the model for programs throughout the
country.
"People from all over have stolen this
program, Epley said. "It disturbs -me on
one hand that they would copy it word for
word and say it is theirs. But if they can't
come up with one of their own, then they
are a step or two behind us. What they see
printed is what we used to do.
' "Anyone can have a training room and a
set of weights, he said. "The attitude,
tradition and motivation here, added to the
supervision, is what allows us to make the
maximum gains."
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'"; w " Photo by Mark Billingstoy
Comhusker football players participate in a winter conditioning program designed to strengthen their leg muscles.
matches Ladffl
w
uskers, 3-timeKU victors
Missouri on a bad night and got beat, and we just
slaughtered SMSU. We split our series with Minnesota, but
I think we can handle them,' she said.
"Anybody in it could win," she added. "NU ranks up
there as a definite contender.'
Smith said she is not in the least fearful to meet a team
that has already defeated her team on three other
occasions.
"I think KU might be trying to look past us a little bit
to. KSU, she said ; "I hope that will happen. We are really
up for the game, we want to beat them this fourth time
out. ' V - "
"I don't think the team is overly psyched or psyched
out, she said; "We want td win and we want it bad.
Tournament not comparable
Coach Gallagher also commented on last week's
women's high school basketball tournament.
"I really enjoyed watching it (the tournament), she
said. "I can't compare it to any other Nebraska tourna
ments because this is my first year in the state. I would
have to say that it doesn't really compare with the state
tournaments I have seen in California, New York or Ne
vada. There play was a little higher caliber.
"The reason I would say is because they have had the
sport for women longer. I think if we wait we will see
Nebraska come up to that level real soon. What I would,
like to see would be more man-to-man defenses and moie
passing and having the girls utilize their left hands on
offense," she said.
"Individually, I was real impressed with Chris Leigh
(Platteview) , she said. We are looking for a guard and
she could fill the ticket. She has good drives and is a good
medium-range jumper. In my opinion, she was the best
all-around player in the tournament.
"Susan Keith from Bellevue East was the best pure
shooter I've seen around here, Gallagher said. "1 was
real impressed with those two ladies."
lleimis
team
hcipes to leave cellar
By Ed McClymont
The UNL men's tennis team hopes to rebound this year
from a nightmarish 1978 season plagued by ineligibility,
dropouts and injuries! " r - w-- '
Nebraska finished eighth in the Big Eight champion
ships last year, but the 1979 prospects look much
brighter, according to head coach Jim Porter.
"We have the potential for a fine season this year,
Porter said. "We have several lettermen back and some
promising newcomers.
There are five lettermen this year, including seniors
Dan Sloboth and Phil Woog, and juniors Kent Lysgaard,
Larry Rugg and Kerry McDermott. : " , - '
' .Woog, one of those injured last year, is optimistic
about the new season. ' ,
"It was like playing with half a team last year, Woog
said, Tf was just disaster.
The Huskers dual record so far this season is 2-1 with
victories over Northern Iowa (8-1) and Dcane (9-0) and a
6-3 loss to Kansas. ; ? . " !
"We have a shot at anybody we play except Oklahoma
State, Woog said. "There is no question they 11 win the i
Big Eight. x .i
The Cowboys are the returning Big Eight champs, a
crown Nebraska has never won. Fdr this season Woog sees
UNL at a possible fourth place conference finish, moving
ahead of Kansas State, Iowa State. Missouri, and possibly
Kansas. s
The next action for the Cornhuskers is 9 a jn. Saturday
at the Bob Devaney Sports Center track. The meet will be
a triangular with UNO and Creighton.
' "We've been looking pretty good this week, Porter
said. "But we still have some work to do on our consist
: ncy." -" - -?
"Neither team should be as tough as Kansas, but )
. really cant say how good the competition will be, he '
'said.
Also on the schedule is a California trip over spring
break for the Huskers. The trip will be a homecoming for '
Woog, a California native. .
The last two years we have gone to Illinois and Minne-' :
sou for spring break and they both had snow, Woog 1
said. "I'm glad I get to go home this year. ;