page 10
daily nebraskan
thursday, january 29, 1981
Huskers minus two equals 'best foe' pressure
By Kim Hachiy.i
The Nebraska cornhuskers will enter into Saturday's
gymnastics dual with Iowa State University in Ames
without two top performers, but according to Coach
Francis Allen, "We're not going to go over there, lay down
and die."
Olympian Jim Harking, who was slated to miss the
meet anyway because he was going to compete in a Los
Angeles Invitational, may be out of all-around competit
ion because of a sprained ankle.
However, llartung may see some limited action on the
rings and pommel horse at Iowa State if NBC television
does not ask him still to go to Los Angeles.
NCAA floor excercise champion Steve Llliott will be
competing in a diving meet Saturday in Iowa City and
also will miss the dual.
Allen said that when he made the decision to send
llartung to Los Angeles two weeks ago. he thought he
would have Llliott lor the ISU meet, lie said he now
regrets making the decision, although Hartung's injury
doesn't change his availability for the ISU meet.
"It's tough every time we go over there (to Ames),"
Allen said. "I would say they're our top competitors.
When I first started coaching here, they beat me bad.
They ran their compulsories and we ran our optionals
and we still lost pretty bad."
Allen said the loss of Hartung and Elliott would place
extra pressure on the rest of the team to hit 100 percent.
"We'll find out what some of our younger guys ano
under lots of pressure," Allen said. "I'm not trying to
take anything away from Iowa State, but we beat them
last time by one point without Phil Cahoy. It's not fun
to face your best foe short of personnel. It makes us per
spire more than a normal meet."
Assistant coach Jim Howard echoed Allen.
"Everyone else has to knuckle down and do that much
more." Howard said. "There is more pressure having Jim
not at full speed or in a meet. The guys rely on Jim, he's
our workhorse, scoring a lot of points."
He added that Scott Johnson and Jim Mikus both have
worked extremely hard this week preparing for the meet.
Allen said one problem with competing short on per
sonnel is that it may be difficult to score high enough
to qualify for the NCAA nationals.
Iowa State has been scoring in the 277 range and ac
cording to Howard, is 100 percent healthy.
Allen said UNL has to score at least 270 to qualify
for the nationals.
"A 270 will probably get us in. It may sacrifice going
in to nationals ranked number one, but it probably won't
I doubt if they'll move us down if everyone is healthy.
We are the team to beat," Allen said.
Hartung said he was disappointed with probably having
to miss the Los Angeles meet and was sorry he may not
be competing at ISU.
If our team can go up to ISU without Sieve and me.
and if we can't beat them or at least stay real close, it will
be a big psychological advantage lor us." Hartung said.
"If everyone hits, there's a good chance that Nebras
ka can win. So there arc advantages to it."
Allen said if Hartung had competed at Los Angel
es, it would have given him more national television pub
licity and probably would have helped recruiting efforts.
Allen said there are two outstanding gymnasts in the Los
Angeles area that Nebraska is interested in signing.
'''''
E :-M I r. W mm . , - -5
Li v ii n tvi
Teammate, former coach
guide athlete to UNL
Photo by Kent Morgan Olsen
Jerry Shoecraft
Career ends with close of season
By Joni Kramer
Good friends arc the biggest help Jerry
Shoecraft has acquired from playing
basketball at Nebraska.
"Basketball's been good to me in many
ways but the best part is my teammates
and friends. Wc have fun together on and
off the court. The atmosphere is good."
Shoecraft said.
Shoecraft. a junior, is originally from
Muncie, Ind. He said there weie several
factors that swayed him toward playing at
Nebraska.
"I was waiting foi an answer from
Purdue but went ahead and chose Nebra
ska. I came here because my high school
coach was out here. Another teason i came
here is because I wanted lo pla with a
teammate of mine. Jack Moore. He was
leaning toward Nebraska so I chose it too,"
Shoecraft said.
The only oilier school Shoecraft said he
had considered, besides Purdue and Ne
braska, was Northwestern.
Despite the time basketball takes away
from studying. Shoecraft said determina
tion and desire for a degree keep him going
when things get rough.
"It's really tough when we have to do a
lot of traveling like this semester. I usually
have to take my books on the road. Some
times it's hard to get motivated, but I just
remember my desire for a degree and it
keeps me going." Shoecraft said.
"Practice, traveling, games and school
also make it hard sometimes for a social
life. There are a lot of sacrifices." he add
ed. So far. Shoecraft said he's a little dis
appointed with the season.
"I feel our record should be a bit better
than it is. I'm hoping for some progress to
improve our record." Shoecraft said.
'Hopefully, we'll get back on track and
play some good basketball, ami we hope to
win the Big Light. That's our season goal."
Shoecraft said he has learned a lot since
starting basketball in grade school, and he
feels it will definitely affect his future.
An accounting major. Shoecraft said he
plans to go into business altei giaduation.
He said his years of basketball with Nebra
ska will help Ins career.
"There are a lot of nice people here in
Nebraska that could be good references for
me." Shoecraft said.
"Because of the people I've met here.
I'll probably set up business here in Nebra
ska. If not I'll go back to my hometown.
Either way. basketball will play a part in
mv life." he said.
Basketball is enjoyable chapter of player's life
By Cindy Gardner
Like the Lone Ranger riding off into the
sunset, Carla Saveri, the lone senior on the
women's basketball team, said an episode
of her life will end at the close of the
season.
For Saveri, a 54 guard from Nazareth,
J UjcL)
SH07IS
Both UNL swimming teams will be in
action Friday. The men will be at Iowa
State and the women will be at UNO.
The Nebraska women's basketball team
has back-to-back games this weekend. Fri
day night, the Huskers host South Dakota.
Saturday they will host Big Eight rival
Iowa State.
Tip-off for Saturday's men's basketball
game with Kansas is 2:40 p.m. to allow for
regional television coverage.
Pa., basketball started early. As a fifth
grader and a self-described "little tomboy."
she found basketball to be the "in thing."
Now as a senior social work major looking
back over the 1 1 years she has spent on the
court. Saveri said she is ready to move on
to other things.
"Basketball's been a long, hard road and
at the end of the season I'll be ready to
give it up."
Describing basketball as a chapter in a
book that she will always enjoy looking
back on, Saveri had little to say about her
personal success as an athlete.
"To mention the honors would be in
significant," she said. "Records are made
to be broken. I don't see what I've done as
anything compared to what athletes today
are starting to do."
Saveri came to Nebraska in the fall of
1979 after spending two years at Immacu
late College in Immaculate, Pa.
"I wanted to prove to myself that I
could play Division I basketball." she said.
According to Coach Colleen Matsuhaia.
Saveri can play Division I basketball and
she plays it with a lot of enthusiasm.
"I like to use Carla in a spark-plug role.
She always hustles and has a lot of spirit."
Matsuhara said.
Although she is a senior. Saveri doesn't
see herself as a team leader, but stresses the
fact that the team is a unit in which every
one works together.
"Our team's a tight team." she said.
"We're kind of like the coronary kids.
We'll always promise you a close game."
Teammate Janet Smith agreed, saying.
"Everyone is equal on our team. Age
doesn't make a difference."
When the season ends, and with it
Saven's collegiate career, she'll be ready to
move on. Saveri said it's tough to be an
athlete.
"I don't think a lot of people realize the
sacrifices that an athlete makes."
However. Saveri doesn't regret her years
as an athlete.
"I've learned a lot about life through
basketball. It's been a learning experience -a
very very good learning experience,"
Saveri said.
2nd half boosts Huskers
The Nebraska men's basketball team
kept alive an impressive streak of wins at
Ames. Iowa last night with a 61-56 win
against the Iowa State Cyclones. The vic
tory marked the sixth consecutive year the
Cornhuskers have won at ISU's Hilton Col
iseum. Nebraska trailed through most of the
first half, despite 60 percent shooting
from the field, and was behind 32-26 at
halftone.
The Cornhuskers stayed with the Cy
clones through the opening minutes of
the second half before taking a two-point
lead with just over 7 00 left in the game
and opening up a 5446 lead with 4 50 re
maining in the contest.
The Cyclones came back to within two
56-f4. with 2.00 left but Kennv Walton
tipped in a missed Ray Collins free shot
and followed by picking up an ISU pass to
seal the victory for the Huskers.
Andre Smith led Nebraska with "5
points, followed by Walton with 1 2. Rob
ert Estes had 20 points to lead Iowa
State.
