The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, March 13, 1981, Page page 10, Image 10

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    page 10
daily nebraskan
friday, march 13, 1981
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Hawaii tourney no vacation
for Husker baseball team
By Jeff Goodwin
Many UNL students will spend their
spring break writing that long-delayed
term paper, skiing in Colorado, or making
the long trek to south Florida to hit the
beach. Nebraska's baseball team will be at
the beach, too, but it will be Waikiki. not
Daytona. The lluskers are entered in the
Hawaii Faster Tournament for March 22
through 28. The lluskers open their road
trip next Monday at Nevada-Las Vegas.
Husker Coach John Sanders said the
competition should be the toughest the
lluskers have faced all year.
"All of these teams are tough. Hawaii
is always tough. They're rated nationally
again. Cal Statc-Northridge is really
tough," he said.
The other teams in the tournament are
Santa Clara and Nippon University of
Japan. Nippon is the national collegiate
champion of Japan.
Sanders said the tournament offered a
good chance to test different lineups.
"We'll use a lot of different players.
This gives us a chance to evaluate our
players and sec what they're capable of,"
lie said.
Sanders added the games would give
Nebraska a chance to solidify its pitching
staff.
"We've got some good, young pitchers
who really haven't been tested yet. This
will be a good chance to pitch a lot of
different people."
Sanders said he was generally pleased
with the way the lluskers have played this
year.
intramurals
Photo by Mitch Hrdlicka
Nebraska's Mike Vojtesak gets ready to let loose a pitch in Wednesday's game with
Benedictine. The Huskers swept the doubleheader, 10-6 and 84.
Tom Vergith scored 19 points to pace
Phi Delta Theta to a 5341 victory over
Mondello's in the finals of the All-University
Intramural Basketball Tournament.
Phi Delta Theta, runner-up last year to
SAC, finishes the season with an 11-1
record.
Mondello's, this year's Independent A
champions, finish the season with an 11-1
record, losing for the first time.
The Phi Delts took control early as they
charged to a 12-2 lead. But Mondello's
Bill Weddle started to find the range and
brought his team to within one at 12-11.
However, the Phi Delts ran off with the
next eight points to lead 20-11,
Although Weddle scored 1 1 first half
points. Jay Rodenberg for Mondello was
limited to three as Phi Delta Theta built a
27-18 halftime advantage.
It was much the same in the second half
and Mondello's trailed by as many as 17
points. Vergith scored 10 points and his
last bucket put Phi Delta Theta up 49-32.
"Three of our starters are seniors so we
won't be back next year," Copplc said.
Old Globetrotter comedy part of new structure
By Pat Clark
Some comedy routines haven't changed
in decades, but people still laugh at them.
Henny Youngman still gets laughs with,
"Take my wife, please." Rodney Danger
Held still doesn't get any respect. And the
Harlem Globetrotters still heave a bucket
of water at the audience.
"They (the routines) really haven't
changed." said Joe Cunningham, a former
Harlem Globetrotter who now works for
the team in a public relations capacity.
"One of the secrets of the traditional
aspect of the Globetrotters is that we have
gags as old as we arc.'1
He cited the trick basketballs, the water
bucket routine, and the baseball sequence
as examples.
"These are things you can't take out of
the show," Cunningham said.
While the on-court routines stay the
same for the Globetrotters, the organiza
tion has been changing. The Harlem Globe
trotters now have a players' association,
something that was not in existence when
Cunningham retired as a player in 1973.
"It (the players' association) has really
helped change conditions for learn memb
ers. Salaries have definitely improved. That
is something the Globetrotters of 198 can
feel good about," he said.
He said lie was unsure what salaries
specific players were making, but noted
that the minimum salary lor a Globetrotter
is at or above the NBA minimum. Such a
salary structure would put the minimum in
the S35.000 to S40.000 range.
The personnel has changed recently
also. With the retirement of Meadow-lark
Lemon (who later formed a team of his
own) the team is starting to put other per
formers in the starring role.
"We share the role." Cunningham said.
"That way, we can always make sure we
have a top-notch showman."
Showmanship can be as important as
basketball talent for a Globetrotter.
"In a Harlem Globetrotter uniform,
you're not just a basketball player, you are
an entertainer and an ambassador. That is
one of the things that attracts players to
us. You never get the same feeling with an
NBA team," he said.
Cunningham pointed out that the
Harlem Globetrotters now have players
who were dialled by NBA learns.
"We recruit players. We have an invita
tion -only, rookie camp every year. College
coaches make recommeini.il ions to oiu
scouting office." he said.
Cunningham s;:id the Globctiotters have
always recruited i or specific talents.
"I was recruited because ol my jumping
ability. They thought 1 could do all the
fancy dunks that a 0-9 or 7-0 player would
do, and look belter at it. Or I could go out
and play guard. I was one of the first 6-7
guaids."
The Globctiotters rely heavily on on-ihe-joh
training for new players.
"There's no time to practice," Cunning
ham said. "We arc playing seven days a
week in most cases. We don't even have
time to train the rookies. It's up to the in
dividual how fast lie becomes part of the
routine.
"I vcrybody is recruited as a straight
man. so to speak, and it's up to him to get
the ballhandling and showmanship skills."
Men's tennis coach retiring
By Scott Ahlstrand
Jim Porter has divided his time between
coaching and architecture. But alter coach
ing the CM. men's tennis team for eight
years. Porter has decided to retire at the
end of this season.
"It's been a lot of fun." Porter said.
"But I have an excellent assistant coach in
Kerry McDermott. and I'm recommending
that he be named head coach next year.
I'm an addict when it comes to tennis, but
compared to Kerry, I'm just a weekend
player. I think he'll do a lot to help the
program."
Porter said he is leaving McDermott an
excellent corps of players.
"This is the best team I think we've ever
had at UNL." he said. "No one has a very
good chance at beating Oklahoma State lor
the Big Light title, but I think we should
be right up there for the second or third
place."
After Oklahoma State. Porter said Ne
braska's biggest competition for the re
maining top spots will come from Okla
homa. Missouri and Colorado. All three
teams and UNL have lost to Oral Roberts
5 4 this season. Porter said this is an indica
tion of how tight the Big Light season will
be.
Although Porter's team has no senior
members or any specific team leaders, he
said the team is a tight unit.
"They're a very enthusiastic bunch of
young men. They have a good team and
their spirit and morale arc very high." he
said. "They're all quite talented and
they've really been practicing well."
Despite the uncommonly warm weather
this winter, the tennis team has practiced
mostly indoors. Porter said the indoor
courts in the Bob Devaney Sports Complex
are the finest in the Big Light.
"Our courts give us a definite advant
age," he said. "It gives the team a chance
to play all year long, and you can tell that
it has really helped them by their perfor
mance so far this vear."
Husker trackmen travel
to indoor championships
By Charles Vaughn
Men's track Coach I rank Sevigne and
an average number of qualifiers (nine)
will be traveling to Detroit for the
NCAA indoor championships today.
The nine lluskers include Randy
Brooks, who qualified with a time of
:7.35 in the 60-yard high hurdles two
weeks ago at the Big l ight champion
ship. Brooks also ran the opening leg tor
the mile relay team which qualified with
a time of 3:12.5. Others on the relay
team are Lvcrton DaCosta. Charles
Lawrence. Rodney Lewis, and Mike
Ciclocha.
DaCosta also qualified lot the o()0
and the 880-yard runs with times ot
1 .09.33 and 1 :52.07. respectively . Brian
Dunnigan qualified lor the mile and
broke his own school record in the
process with a time of 4:04.84. He also
qualified for the 1.000-yard run with a
time of 2:09.60. Joe Stauh. who owns
every Husker shot put record, quahtied
with a throw ol 63-0 while pljcim.' third
at the Big Light champio iship. pole
vaulters Mark Newton and Randy Ra
mond qualified with vaults ot 74, and
17-2 1j. respectively.
Both Raymond and Newton feel
they have an advantage going into the
championship-experience
"I've been there the last two years."
Raymond said, "and I know what it's
like, but more importantly I think I feel
more confident about my vaulting this
year than I have in the past two vears."
"I feel stronger, faster. I believe I can
jump higher, whereas last year I really
didn't know for sure. I jumped 17 once
(last year) but this year I've Iven ovei
17 lour times, so I feel more confident
about m vaulting in general." he
added.
Newton shares Raymond's confi
dence. "With more experience I will jump
well this vear." Newton said. "I feel I
can nimp I 7 feet pluspietty consistent
ly I i i s i want to go in there and jump
mv hest and try and place high."
Assistant ( oach Dick Railsback. a
loimei pole vaulter himself, said Ray
mond and Newton have i he experience
to prevent them from becoming "awe
struck." "They are used to it (pressure).
They've been um mg well and I think
they will do well. They've been there
before and know what they have to do.
Ridit now. I think the are two of the
best m the I S .." Railsback said.
As a team. Sevigne said it has the
potential to place 'high if all of the
qualifiers can score
"It doesn't take many points to place
high. If they score they have done very
well." he said.