Friday, March 21, 1986
Daily Nebraskan
Page 5
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By Todd Aron
Staff Reporter
Coach Ray Huppert said the Nebraska women's
swimmers might have a hard time matching last
year's success in the NCAA swimming and diving
championships Thursday through Saturday in
Fayetville, Ark.
Last year, the Cornhuskers finished ninth
with 123 points.
"It will be more difficult this year," Huppert
said. "We didn't qualify in two events that we did
last year. But I don't know what to expect. We,
could finish in the top 20. Like 20th or 19th or
maybe all the way down to seventh or eighth." '
Huppert said this year's team title is between
Florida and Stanford, who tied for the top posi
tion in the final Associated Press poll, and No. 3
Texas.
This year, the Huskers sent nine swimmers
and one diver to compete in eight individual
events and four relays.
Huppert said they are ready for this meet.
"They're as tapered as they ever could be,
absolutely," he said.
Ail-Americans Dana Powers and Erin Hurley
lead Nebraska. In the individual events, Powers
qualified for the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 100
breaststroke and 200 individual medley. She also
swims on the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle relays for
which the Huskers qualified.
In last year's NCAA championships, Powers
finished 10th in the 50 freestyle and 13th in the
100 butterfly.
In the Big Eight championship, Powers fin
ished first in the 100 butterfly and 100 breast
stroke. She got second in the 200 butterfly and
third in the 50 freestyle. Last year, she set school
records in all those events except for the 200
butterfly.
Three of the individual events Powers quali
fied for at Fayetville are scheduled on the same
day.
"We'll try and keep Dana (Powers) in all three
events, but if we scratch one it will be the 200
IM," Huppert said. "But she knows what it takes
to swim fast and be mentally prepared."
Hurley, the only other Huskers winner to qual
ify for an individual event, is back for her second
NCAA championship. She qualified in the 100
and 200 breaststroke. Last year, Hurley finished
fifth in the 200 and 12th in the 100 breaststroke,
earning ail-American honor, in both events.
In the Big Eight championships, Hurley fin
ished first in the 200 breastroke and third in the
100 breaststroke. She holds the school's best
mark in the 100 breaststroke.
Huppert said Hurley is swimming the best she
has all year and is ready for the meet.
Sophomore diver Julie May also represents
Nebraska at the championships. May qualified
for the 1 -meter event after a first-place finish in
last week's NCAA zone-qualifying meet.
Nebraska also qualified four relay teams. They
are the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle and the 400
medley relay.
Missy Allington, Shauna Gilmore, Cindy Hap
pel, Lorie Kapperman, Emily Ricketts and Linda
Sebesta join Powers and Hurley on Nebraska's
relays.
None of Nebraska's relays are seeded high,
but Huppert says he thinks they could score in
all of them.
"We are most solid in the 400 freestyle
(relay)," he said. "The 800 (freestyle relay) is our
toughest. But, if we place good, it could give us
momentum and get the ball rolling."
luskers
begin
spring practice
Analysis by Chuck Green
Senior Reporter
lback spots to begin the spring.
Perhaps the most intense battle will
be for quarterback. Junior McCathorn
Clayton returns, as does sophomore
Steve Taylor, whose late-game perfor-
Just when you thought it was all over
until next fall...Nebraska officially beg
ins spring football practice March 31, mance in the Fiesta Bowl nearly rallied
hoping to prevent the Cornhuskers' the Huskers past Michigan. Taylor never
current two-game losing streak from started during the '85 season, but came
becoming any longer. off the bench in several games to post
Nebraska lost to Oklahoma in the impressive performances. He finished
final game of the 1985 regular season, the season with 14 rushes for 1 12 yards
then lost to Michigan in the Fiesta and two touchdowns and completed
Bowl. Nebraska will open its 1986 sea- three passes for 38 yards during the
son Sept. 6 at home against Florida regular season with the varsitv.
State. The Huskers lost to the Semi
noles in last year's opening game.
Going into spring drills, the Huskers
return 11 starters from last year's 9-3
team, including six on defense. Thir
teen players who started at least one
game last season with the defensive
unit are returning.
On the offense, the Huskers return
Clayton and Taylor will be pushed by
junior Clete Blakeman and Jeff Taylor,
who may forego spring football to
remain with the baseball team.
Whoever the starting quarterback is,
he will have a wide variety of talent to
throw to. Senior split end Robb Schnit
zler returns to his starting position, as
does junior wingback Von Sheppard.
five starters, including Heisman Trophy Sheppard also may spend time in the
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candidate Doug DuBose at I-back. Du-
Bose is sixth on the Nebraska career
rushing list. Junior Keith Jones, the
fastest football player ever at Nebraska,
is second on the depth chart behind
DuBose. Jones has been timed in the
40-yard dash at 4.33 seconds. Other
backfield if the Huskers continue to
work on the power-I formation they
used in the Fiesta Bowl. Junior Pernell
Gatson also returns to challenge for
wingback after sitting out last season
because of a knee injury. Sophomore
Dana Brinson also will battle for a
Andrea HoyDaily Nebraskan
Nebraska quarterback McCathorn Clayton evades new Mexico defensive players in a game last
season. Clayton and Steve Taylor will be vying for the No. 1 quarterback spot when spring
practice opens March 31.
hopefuls at I-back include junior Jon starting position at wingback.
Kelley and sophomore redshirt Jeff Nebraska's tight ends will be Tom
Wheeler. Banderas, a 6-2, 225-pound junior who
Who will throw the lead blocks for played second-string to last year's Todd
the aforementioned back will take a Frain. Sophomore Todd Milikan, a 6-2,
little longer to answer. The fullback 215-pound player from Shenandoah,
slot is wide open, and four players are Iowa, will push for the starting duties
prime candidates. Tyreese Knox, a as well.
Rob Maggard and Stan Parker also
return to attempt to earn starting jobs.
Defensively, the Huskers' main con
cern is the condition of linebacker
Marc Munford's knee. Munford under
went knee surgery following the Kan
sas game last season.
John Melton, Nebraska's linebacker
more Steve DeShazer from Kansas City
will also contribute following a solid
performance with the freshmen last
fall.
Nebraska's defensive line returns
.six of the top 10 players from 1st sea
son. Sophomore left end Broderick
Thomas, a 6-4, 235-pound Houston na-
coach, said Munford probably won't tive, is back after ample playing time
sophomore from Daly City, Calif., will
begin his fullback career after a solid
performance with the freshman team
last fall at I-back. Knox, who rushed for
483 yards and five touchdowns with the
freshmen, was asked to move to ful
lback after the Fiesta Bowl. His 4.44
speed in the 40-yard dash makes him
the third-fastest player on the team
The offensive line, usually the big
gest rebuilding concern for Nebraska,
won't be much of one this spring.
Nebraska returns two starters from
last year's squad and three others who
were second-teamers. Left tackle Keven
Lightner, a 6-2, 280-pound junior, re
turns, as do left guards Mike Hoefler,
practice this spring, but may be ready
for next fall.
"It's just phenomenal how well he's
recovering," Melton said. "He tested at
61 percent the other day (Wednesday),
and I wouldn't absolutely count him
out of spring ball, but it looks highly
doubtful."
Melton said the linebacker situation
overall "looks pretty good." Nebraska
with the varsity last season as a fresh
man. Tony Holloway, 6-2, 205, and Brad
Tyrer, 6-2, 220, will challenge for the
other end spot.
The battle for the middle guard posi
tion will be intense. Senior Danny Noo-
Groskurth, a 6-4, 240-pound junior.
Nebraska's defensive backfield re
turns three starters, the only hole to be
filled being that of right cornerback,
where Dennis Watkins started last sea
son. Mike Carl, a 5-1 1, 180-pound senior
from Gretna is expected to fill the
vacancy to start the spring, though he
may be pushed by sophomores Charles
Fryar and Marvin Sanders.
Right cornerback Brian Davis returns,
as does monster Brian Washington.
Cleo Miller and Gary Schneider also
figure to contribute at cornerback. The
safety position will be fought for by
nan will start the spring as the top Chris Carr, Bryan Siebler, last year's
noseguard, but sophomores Lawrence
Pete and Kent Wells will also vie for
starting honors. Pete set a Nebraska
6-5, 245, and Ron Galois, 6-0, 265. Lin- returns Kevin Parson, a 6-3, 230-pound team bench-press record of 500 pounds
Senior Ken Kaelin, who backed up coin East graduate Mark Cooper and
'85 graduate Tom Rathman last season, senior Jeff Sellentin will compete for
also will challenge for starting honors, the center spot.
Kaelin, a 5-10, 215-pound fullback from The right side of the front wall is
Westerville, rushed 17 times for 137 solid, returning junior John McCor-
yards and two touchdowns last seasoa mick, a 6-0, 250-pound guard, and
Senior Dan Casterline and junior Micah senior tackle Tom Welter, 6-4 and 275,
Heibel will round out the top foiir ful- from last year's team. Brad Johnson,
junior who started at weakside line
backer last season. Backing up Parsons
on the weakside will be junior Blake
Henning.
On the strongside, the Huskers will
have sophomore Leroy Etienneand
senior Steve Forch to pick up the
Wednesday. Noonan had benched 485
earlier in the week.
starters and Dan Thayer, all of whom
will be seniors this season.
Nebraska's special teams will be led
by placekicker Dale Klein, a junior who
connected on 13 of 20 field goal at
tempts and 38 of 38 extra points last
The tackles will include Chris Spach- season. Sophomore Chris Drennan will
man, a 6-5, 265-pound senior who started
last season. Ail-American Jim Skow
will be replaced at right tackle by
either junior Lee Jones, a 6-1, 230-
slack if Munford isn't healthy. Sopho- pound player from Omaha, or Danny
give Klein competition. The punting
chores will be handled by either red
shirted sophomore John Kroeker or
Craig Schnitzler, a junior from Battle
Creek.
NU wrestlers could've, should've but didn't win
By Doug Carroll
Staff Reporter
It was a "could've and should've"
situation for the Cornhuskers at the
NCAA wrestling tournament last Sat
urday in Iowa City, Iowa, said Nebraska
coach Tim Neumann.
But Nebraska didn't.
Nebraska took nine wrestlers to the
tournament and came back with a 12th
place finish and one medal winner,
heavyweight Gary Albright placed third.
Neumann said that if three matches
had gone the ether way, Nebraska
could have placed as high as sixth in
the tournament. Gil Sanchez, Keenan
Turner and Jeff Coltvet all lost close
matches, Neumann said, and hurt their
chances for placing. Neumann said
several of the team's losses came in the
last few seconds of the match, which
upset him.
While Neumann said he was disap
pointed, "the 12th place finish was a
30-place move" for Nebraska. Nebraska
finished 42nd last year.
Heavyweight Albright led Nebraska.
Albright, the second seed, pinned his
way into the semifinals before losing
4-2 to Kirk Trost of Michigan, the even
tual champion. Neumann said Albright
did "super" and got beat by an oppo
nent who wrestled Albright's own style.
After his loss, Albright came back to
pin Edinboro's Dean Hall to set up a
fifth meeting with top-seeded Tom
Erikson of Oklahoma State. Erikson
had been upset by John Heropoulos of
Iowa State, the eventual runner-up.
Erikson led the series 2-1, with one tie,
but Albright evened it by pinning Erik
son in 6:57 to earn third place and
revenge for a 4-0 loss at the Big Eight
championships.
"He went out with style," Neumann
said.
Albright finished the season with a
43-4-1 record, including 36 falls, the
third most in NCAA history for a single
season. His career record was 112-19-4,
with 68 falls. His five falls in the tour
nament earned him the award for the
most falls in the tournament, making
him the only wrestler in NCAA history
to win the award twice. He also won it
his freshman year when he placed sev
enth. Albright was the 1984 NCAA
runner-up.
With the NCAA tournament over,
Neumann said the team will get a short
break before starting freestyle practi
ces. He said the team will send wrestlers
to as many open tournaments as possi
ble this spring and summer.
Among the plans Neumann has for
next year: Redshirting several of this
year's NCAA tournament qualifiers.
Some of the wrestlers who he said will
be redshirted are Terry Cook, Turner,
Coltvet and Cody Olson. Neumann said
these wrestlers will sit out a year in
order to get stronger and to work on
various aspects of their wrestling.
Neumann, who recently found out
that he's been hired as the permanent
coach, said he and assistant coach
Mark Perry, who also was hired this
year, are "ecstatic" about their new
jobs.
"Now we can get started building
the type of program we want," he said.