Hartung’s Husker dreams came true
By Richard Cooper
Staff Reporter
When Jim Hartung was 10,
Francis Allen gave him a Nebraska
gymnastics T-shirt. From that
moment on, Hartung said, he knew
he wanted to become a Corn
husker.
When that time arrived in 1978,
Hartung said, he decided he was
going to help Nebraska become the
best in gymnastics. During the four
years Hartung competed at Ne
braska, he helped the Huskers win
four consecutive NCAA champi
onships.
Hartung, now in charge of ath
letic fund raising at Nebraska, said
he was used to being on the No. 1
ranked team when he first came to
Nebraska.
“I had always competed for the
best,” Hartung said. “My gym club
was the best, my high school was
the best. I wanted to slay No. I. I
never expected us to win four con
secutive NCAA championships,
but 1 expected us to be the best.”
Allen, the Nebraska men’s
gymnastics coach, said Hartung’s
credentials were impressive before
he came to Nebraska.
During his Junior Olympics
career, Hartung won the all-around
title four years in a row. During
Hartung’s senior year of high
school, he was the top-ranked prep
gymnast in the nation and was a
member of the U.S. Senior Na
tional Team.
Hartung said that when he
graduated from Omaha South H igh
School, every college that had a
gymnastics program recruited
him. He said his No. 1 choice was
Nebraska.
“I chose Nebraska for several
reasons,” Hartung said. “First of
all, it was close to home. My par
ents had supported me a lot since I
started competing in gymnastics
and when I finally did come to
Nebraska, my parents went to ev
ery meet within a 5(X)-milc radius.
“Also, they had the new' Bob
Devaney Sports Center and it was
one of the premiere gyms in the
country,” he said. “And finally, 1
had known Francis since I was 10
years old, and ever since that day he
gave me theT-shirt, I had wanted to
compete at Nebraska.”
Allen said Hartung is the best
gymnast to ever compete on the
college level.
“I’ve never had a freshman that
has had the kind of impact that Jim
Hartung had on us,” Allen said.
“He just stepped into the leadership
NCAA
22 All-America rankings
11 NCAA Gold Medals
(7 indiviual, 4 team)
7 NCAA Titles
All-Around (1980, 1981) US Olympic Team
Rings (1980, 1981,1982) 1980 Did no! compete due to boycott
P-Bars(1981 1982) 1984 GOLD Medalist (Team)
Vaulting Finalist
26 Medals in 28 Events UJ5 World Championship Team
11 Big Eight titles 1979 All-Around 9th
All-Around (1980, 1982) 1981 Vault 7th, Rings 9th
Rings (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982) 1983
High Bar (1980, 1982)
Pommel Horse (1980, 1982)
Vault (1979)
role of the team which I’ve never
seen a freshmen do.”
Hartung said he endured a lot of
pressure when he first came to
Nebraska.
“It was hard to break the belief
that all freshmen are going tocrack
under pressure,” Hartung said.
“But 1 pretty much laid that to rest
and nowadays when 1 talk to the
freshmen, I tell them not to worry
about making mistakes and to just
go out and perform.”
In his first Nebraska meet Har
tung helped the Huskers score a
national-high of 436.35. He fin
ished in first place in the all
around. The 436 earned the Husk
ers the No. 1 -ranking in the nation.
But the day after the Big Eight
Invitational, Hartung was in the
gym cutting some foam for the new
Tom Lauder'Daily Nebraskan
tumbling pits, when he cut his left
hand. The cut required several
stitches which would keep Hartung
out of the all-around competition
for three weeks.
Nebraska assistant coach Jim
Howard said during the time Har
tung was injured it was hard to
replace him with an all-arounder
See HARTUNG on 10
NU’s Keeler tries to shed
‘false’ tough-guy image
By Mike Kluck
Staff Reporter
An offensive lineman is supposed
to be a tough guy on the field, but
Nebraska guard Andy Keeler said he
likes to leave that image behind when
he’s nol playing football.
Keeler, a 6-foot-3 junior from
Omaha Burke, said he earned his
tough image after playing in the 1984
Shrine Bowl.
But Keeler said the image doesn’t
fit his true person
ality.
“People started
to do a little talk
ing, saying that I
was a mean guy,”
Keeler said. “One
person says some
thing and it builds
into that I am a Keeler
tough guy and a rebel, which is not
true at all. That kind of reputation
doesn’t help, but it doesn’t really
matter because I am a tough guy on
the football field.
“1 am just a regular guy and stu
dent, and all the other stuff is not
true.”
Keeler, who spent last season
backing up former Comhuskcr guard
Stan Parker, said some of the older
players on this year’s team have
helped him become a better player.
“Playing with people like John
McCormick, John Nichols and Kcven
Lightner really has helped me to
become a better player,” Keeler said.
“Last year’s line was a good line
because they were really equal in
ability.
“This year’s line may not have the
standout players that other teams
have, but our first unit is as good as
anybody else. Wcall give 1(X) percent
every game. We have grown and
meshed together as the season has
progressed. We have unity and team
spirit this year, and you have to have
that on the line. Wc all get along real
good, and each game wc have been
playing a little better.”
Keeler started for the 1984 fresh
man team and then redshirted his
sophomore year. He said the redshirt
year helped and hurt his play.
“I think coming off my freshman
and redshirt year, I got a little stronger
and bigger by working out with the
weight coaches,” Keeler said. “Com
ing off my redshirt year, I didn’t know
the system that well and I had a hard
lime picking the plays up. Finally last
spring something started to click and
I started picking them up.”
Keeler said that although the plays
are a major part in an offensive
lineman’s assignments, consistency
is also equally important.
“Our biggest thing is going out
there and being consistent every
week,” Keeler said. “The play won’t
work if somebody misses an assign
ment and is not consistent.”
Keeler, whose brother Mike was a
starting defensive tackle and co-cap
tain for Nebraska in 1983, said the
offensive line stays the same through
out the season.
“Our offense varies from week to
week on the type of plays wc run, but
we have basically the same rules for
every play,” Keeler said.
Oregon coach frustrated
by injuries to Ducks’ team
DUCKS from Page 7
ing because of the key injuries,’’
Monson said. “It’s really visible on
the road.”
Monson said Oregon’s injury
problem was very evident in the
Ducks’ 75-53 loss at Lamar Tuesday.
“We started Live kids, and only one
of those had any major college expe
rience,” Monson said. “It really
showed by the amount of turnovers
we had.”
Monson said one bright spot about
his team’s injury misfortunes has
been the development of junior-col
lege transfer Frankie Johnson.
Johnson, a 6-loot-1 guard from
Fresno City College in Fresno, Calif.,
has averaged 12.3 points per game.
The Ducks’ roster also includes
Brett Coffey, an Omaha North gradu
ate who attended Barton County
Community College in Great Bend,
Kan., before signing with Oregon.
Nee said Oregon’s McArthur
Court is a hostile place to play for
visiting teams.
“The fans arc really close to the
playing floor and there will be a good
crowd on hand, much like
Creighton,” Nee said.
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