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Daily Nebraskan
Tuesday, February 23, 1982
Sports
Well-rested swimmers head to Big Eight meet
By Mark Krause
Nebraska women's swimming Coach Ray Huppert em
phasizes the importance of the Big Eight Championship
meet in just three words.
"This is it," Huppert said of the three-day meet begin
ning Thursday at Ames, Iowa. Kansas will be the favorite
to win the team title, but Huppert is not ready to throw
in the towel.
"Let me say this. On any given day any team can beat
any other team," Huppert said. He said he also tells that
sports adage to his swimmers.
"Our girls feel very, very confident in what they are
doing," he said.
Huppert said this will be the most balanced Big Eight
meet in his seven years as Husker coach.
Although Kansas will be the favorite, "because of the
number of athletes they have that will possibly score,"
Huppert said the four other teams have a legitimate shot
at second place.
Fifth last year
But to take home the team crown, the Huskers "will
have to swim well in every single event," Huppert said,
Big Eight in the dark
with no stadium lights
The Big Eight conference may find itself left in the
dark when the new football television contracts become
effective this fall.
Literally left in the dark, that is. None of the confer
ence schools have lighted stadiums, and that will be a
problem with the way the new packages are set up.
Ted Turner's prime-time contract at WTBS eliminates
all Big Eight schools unless they happen to be playing at a
school that has lights.
The NCAA's joint contract with ABC and CBS also
puts constraints on the number of conference games that
can be shown. Half of the games will be shown in the late
r Larry Sparks
afternoon and only one conference school - Colorado -
has enough daylight left at that hour to play a football
game. Considering the way the Buffaloes have played late
ly, they'd probably be better off in the dark anyway.
Of course, the Big Eight is certain to have several early
afternoon games shown, but Midwestern fans are going to
have to watch a lot of football from the Southern states
and the West Coast.
In the long run, that will give those schools a big ad
vantage. More money will be flowing into the athletic de
partments, allowing for better facilities, and their recruit
ing will be aided by the increased exposure.
It is obvious that the Big Eight is going to have to fight
back. Installing permanent lighting at the stadiums may be
out of the question. Funding is a big restraint these days
and the lights would get very limited use.
Afterafi, have you ever thought of watching a game in
Nebraska on a cold November night? That fact alone may
explain why only one of the 18 schools in the Big Eight
and Big Ten has lighting.
Perhaps renting portable lighting systems that have
been offered by an Iowa company would be the best solu
tion. Big investments wouldn't be needed, and the lights
would be available early in the season when night games
are possible in the Midwest.
Random Thoughts: The Bob Devaney Sports Center is
the place for sports fans to be this weekend. Two Big
Eight championship events - indoor track and wrestling
- are on the schedule. The Huskers are almost certain to
make a good showing in both meets.
Moe Iba and his Cornhuskers are going to need a lot of
vocal support at Wednesday's game against Colorado. A
win against the Buffaloes is crucial to UNL's hopes of a
top division Finish in the conference.
Netters lose invitational
The UNL men's tennis team competed in an invitation
al at Sioux Falls, SD. last weekend.
In the singles quarterfinals, Craig Johnson (UNL) lost a
64, 64 decision to Dave Morin (Minnesota) and Jim Car
son (UNL) defeated Raman Japathy (Gustavus Adolphus)
6-1, 7-6, Carson was eliminated by Mike Hoeqer (Minne
sota) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the semi-tinals.
In the doubles quarterfinals, the team of Carson and
Johnson (UNL) defeated Madsen and Covin (Minnesota)
6-2, 6-1. Carson and Johnson lost to Miller and Skansie
(Gustavus Adolphus) 7-5, 4-6, 3-6 in the semi-finals.
adding that he would like to see a Big Eight meet like
last year, even though his team finished fifth.
"Last year the cpnference's coaches voted Nebraska
as having the best Big Eight meet," Huppert said. This was
based on the number of Husker time drops in the meet.
Sherri Hayward will be defending her 100- and 200
yard backstroke crown. The Husker ail-American, with
seniors Laura Spindler and Maria Thompson, are the team
captains. Huppert said they are good leaders.
"These swimmers have been through it three times and
have done a fine job of relating this to our underclass
men," he said.
Huppert said Jane Meyer has looked good in practice
and he is expecting excellent times from her. Marie Sup
pes, the second highest scorer for the Huskers in last
year's Big Eight meet, also should swim well, Huppert
said.
The return of Rene Sullivan is important to the Husk
ers, Huppert said, "and if we keep her healthy, she will
play a valuable role in the outcome."
However, the divers will not be overshadowed by the
swimmers, he said.
Diving potential
Saying that Nebraska diving Coach Jeff Huber "has
done a tremendous job" in forming "a great diving pro
gram," Huppert said "I don't think there is a diver among
our six that doesn't have the potential to score."
NU divers are Stacey Porter, Heidi Sloth, Cathy Lundy,
Marcia Heaton, Anne Biggs and Wendy Lucero.
The breaststroke will be the weakest event for the
Huskers, as it has been all year. This concerns Huppert be
cause it is one of Kansas' strongest events.
"I'm going to be biting my fingernails," he said.
But the Huskers are "rested and ready to go," Huppert
said. They have not had a meet since a Feb. 6 dual with
Oklahoma.
"This team has a legitimate chance of setting school
records in all 24 events," Huppert said.
"Our team is looking extremely good in the water."
:
Photo by Jodie Fields
Nebraska's Ray Oliver earns an 8-4 win against Mike Sheets of Oklahoma State in a match earlier this season.
Both athletes will be in action Saturday and Sunday in the Big Eight Championships at the Bob Devaney
Sports Center.
Lincoln bowler wins PBA tournament
By Scott Ahlstrand
Feb. 13, Lincolnite Bill Straub won the Rolaids Open
Bowling Tournament on national television.
Straub was in first place going into the final five-step
ladder format. He defeated Mike Aulby 217-212, by pick
ing up a 10-pin spare and by striking in the 10th frame to
win his first Professional Bowling Association singles title.
"I got off to a quick start in the finals and that allowed
me to stay emotionally stable. I didn't have to make any
lane adjustments, because I determined what type of ball 1
was going to throw in practice," Straub said. "The big job
for me was to stay calm. Believe me, that's not as easy as
it sounds."
"I told the television announcers, tongue in cheek, that
there were two reasons why I did so well. The first one is
that I changed my lifestyle to that of a spartan. I told
them that I ran 25 miles a day, bowled 40 games a day
and eat cactus leaves," Straub said. "I also told them that
I liked the lanes. And of course that's the real reason."
The tournament didn't signal the end of a busy week,
as Straub attended a post tournament banquet and then
drove home all night, so that he could compete in a city
tournament on Sunday.
"At the banquet I told them that I felt like a balloon
that had been struck by a pin deflated. As soon as I
knocked the 10 pin over, it was all down hill emotional
ly," Straub said.
Straub believes in keeping commitments and has
sacrificed a full-time chance at the tour because of them.
"Right now I have some responsibilities in Lincoln. My
parents both have ill health and I have some other
commitments," Straub said. "I don't like to disappoint
myself or people who depend on me."
Straub has added teaching to his list of commitments.
"Steve Mears, a former bowler at the university, was
working with the team and he called me to see if I would
be interested in working with them," Straub said. "Now I
teach Bowling III, three days a week. It's very fulfilling to
stand behind the kids and suggest adjustments and
improvements in their games.
Straub said that he thinks collegiate bowling is a key to
the future growth of the sport.
"Bowling is becoming a lot like baseball. You see more
and more baseball players coming out of college instead of
the minor league system," Straub said. "It's the same way
in bowling. In a sense the colleges are bowling's minor
leagues. The young guys who come on to the tour out of
college do a lot to help the image of the bowler. A lot of
people think of us as overweight, out of shape, beer drink
ers who wear Joe's Bar and Grill shirts. But these young
guys are changing that image."
Straub said the glamour of the tour is overrated. He
said the tour often can put a strain on the bowler.
"Life on the tour is not as exciting as it seems. You call
home and your wife asks where you are and you have to
look at the hotel stationary to tell her. You get to go to
a lot of resort areas. But essentially, all you ever get to see
of them is the airport, the motel and the bowling alley "
