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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1988)
Sports Alien: Future Olympians to battle for title By Chuck Green Senior Reporter Two-thirds of this year’s 1988 U.S. Olympic men’s gymnastics team could be present at the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships April 14-16 at the Bob Devancy Sports Center. At least Nebraska men’s gymnas tics coach Francis Allen thinks so. “I’d say that 66 2/3 percent of the team will be competing out there next weekend,” Allen said at a media luncheon Wednesday. “Some of these young studs arc going to take over those old dogs for Olympic spots.” Dave Mickelson, a member of the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Commit tee from Iowa State, said this is the best championship field ever. “1 believe this is the deepest field the NCAA has ever had,” Mickelson said. “On paper, we’ve got a tremen dous championship.” The 10-team field was selected Tuesday during a telephone confer ence between the regional committee members. The members selected the top team in each of the four geo graphical regions, then selected six additional at-large teams. Stanford was the champion in the West Regional, Nebraska captured the Midwest title and Illinois, the top ranked team in the nation, earned the Mideast Region’s automatic berth. Penn State was the East Region cham pion. The at-large selections were Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio State from the Mideast, Houston Baptist and Okla homa from the Midwest and UCLA from the West. Regional champions were deter mined by average scores of each team’s five best meets after Jan. 1. Only two home meets were allowed to be counted, and any meet after March 26 could not be tabulated. The at-large teams were deter mined by the same method. The teams with the six highest scoring averages received at-large berths. Nine of the teams arc currently ranked among the nation’s top 10. Penn State is ranked No. 11. Arizona State, ranked No. 10, but was knocked out because Penn State won the East Regional championship. The Sun Devils arc the first alter nate and will compete if one of the other 10 have to forfeit. Allen said four teams have a legiti mate shot at the national champion ship. “I’d bet on Nebraska, UCLA, Illi nois and Oklahoma,” he said. “I say that because we’ve competed against those teams, and I know what they’re capable of doing.” Competition will begin with ath letes from all 10 teams performing optional routines April 14. After the end of that competition, the top three squads will be seeded for the team finals, which will be Friday night, and will compete in a triangular meet. The top 24 performers — the top eight in each event— will be seeded according to their scores from Thurs day night. The individual champion ships will be Saturday night. Allen said the Cornhuskers are capable of winning their sixth NCAA title next weekend. “Our team’s geared up, psyched up, and I think it’s going to be one heck of a Friday night,” he said. The meet will mark the first time since 1986 that the championships have been in Lincoln and the sixth time in the 1980s the finals have been at the sports center. Mickelson said the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Committee is excited about having the finals in Lincoln again. “I know the fans in Nebraska have always been supportive and knowl edgeable of gymnastics,” Mickelson said. “I hope we’ll get agreatcrowd to cheer on all the teams. I know we’ll have a crowd there to cheer on Ne braska.” NCAA consider keeping championship meet in Lincoln By Chuck Green Senior Reporter Attendance records that were set during the 1981 NCAA Gymnastics Championships in Lincoln could play NCAA GYMNASTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS a key role in the Boh Devaney Sports Center becoming a permanent site for the annual meet. Meet director John Scheer said Wednesday that if this year’s atten dance at the NCAA Championships April 14 -16 at the sports center equals or surpasses the 7-year-old record of 28,417, the meet might be in Lincoln permanently because the NCAA suf fered financially when it moved it in 1983. “Thai’s a record that might stand forever,” Scheer said. “But this year, we’re estimating that if we got 15 to 20,000 people out, that would be excellent.” Scheer said the members of the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Commit tee have discussed making the sports center a permanent home for the championships, much as Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha is for the College World Series. After the third consecutive cham pionship meet in Lincoln in 1982, the championships were absent from the sports center until 1985. The 1983 meet was at Penn State University in College Park, Penn., and the 1984 meet was in Los Angeles at UCLA. “I think the NCAA made a mistake leaving Nebraska in 1983,” he said. ‘‘Had we continued with the champi onship there, I don't think we ever would have dropped below 18,000 or 20,000 in attendance. But when we left for four years, the momentum was gone.” Schcer said the meet likely will be in Lincoln seven of 10 years of the 1980s. It has been here five limes, from 1980-82 and 1985-86, before this year. Former Comhusker gymnast and U.S. Olympic gymnast Jim Hartung, who is working with Nebraska coach Francis Allen to promote the champi onships, echoed Schccr’s comments. “There’s nothing more satisfying or ihrilling than competing before a packed house,” Hartung said. “After five years of mediocre crowds, we’re hoping for a packed house.” The three-day totals for the 1985 and 1986 meets in Lincoln were 11,972 and 11,704. Hartung said he thinks a sold-out sports center would definitely send a message to the NCAA. “If we can get 20,000-plus, a strong case would be made to make UNL and the sports center its perma nent home,” he said. Dave Mickclson, a Men s Gym nastics Committee member from Iowa State, said the deciston from the NCAA Executive Committee is pending. “We’ve already recommended that the nationals return to Lincoln next year,” he said. “I see no reason why it wouldn’t.” UCLA men gymnasts ‘feel no pressure5 B\ Richard Cooper Staff Reporter A low scoring average will keep the pressure off the UCLA men’s gymnastics team when it competes in the NCAA Championships April 14 lb at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, said UCLA gymnastics coach Art Shurlock. The Bruins do not feel the pressure of being the defending NCAA Cham pions because they have been plagued by injuries all season, Shurlock said. Senior Tony Pineda has had a dislo cated shoulder since midscason, and David Morrial is recovering from chicken pox. Shurlock said those injuries have led to UCLA’s 281.11 scoring aver age. But he said the Bruins, who are 20-4 and ranked ninth, responded to pressure and earned an at large berth in the meet by tallying a >eason-high 286.65 score to win the Pacific Ten Championship in March. That score was the highest mark the Bruins have had since they recorded a 287.30 en route to winning the NCAA Champi onships in 1984. The team really came through when it needed to, Shurlock said, but at the NCAA Championship the pres sure isn’t going to be on them, it will be on Illinois and Nebraska. Four Bruins tallied all-around scores above 57 at the Pacific Ten Championships. Juniors Curtis Holdsworth and David St. Pierre took the top two spots in the all-around with scores of 57.55 and 57.35, and Morrial and Pineda scored 57.35 and 57.20. Shurlock said the three teams that qualify for the team finals Friday night will have to score at least 286 points. The only teams that have broken the 286-point barrier this sea son are Illinois, Nebraska and UCLA. Shurlock said Nebraska and Illi nois are the teams to beat at the NCAA. Illinois, which has been the first-ranked team all season, has a scoring average of 285.25, and Ne braska is second with a 284.18 aver age. Shurlock said the Fighting Illini deserve to be the first-ranked team even though they dropped a 284 282.15 decision to UCLA earlier this I. I *4 ■ j --rr season in Los Angeles That victory' avenged the Brums’ 282.75-280.85 loss to 111 inois ear 1 icr th is season at the Califomia-Santa Barbara Invita tional in Santa Barbara, Calif. “Illinois is a good team. They’ve been consistent all year, and in gym nastics that’s the name of the game,” Shurlock said. “But there arc at least three other teams that have a chance to win the NCAA Championship, and we’re one of them.” Shurlock said this year’s NCAA meet promises to be a good one be cause all of the top individuals are training for the Olympic Trials Aug. 4-7 in Salt Lake City. Impatience, anxiety to help Huskers compete for NCAA championship title By Mark Derowitsch Senior Reporter Impatience could be a big factor when the Nebraska men’s swimming learn travels to Indianapolis to com pete in the NCAA Championships this weekend. But Nebraska coach Cal Bent/, said the Comhuskers’ anxiety will be a positive factor because they quali fied seven athletes for the NCAA Championships at the Husker Invita tional in December and have looked lorward to the national meet ever since. The meet begjns today and runs through Saturday at the Natatoriuni at Indiana-Purduc University in Indian apolis. The meet begins at 11 a.m. each day. with the finals slated for 7 p.m. Because of all of the focus on the NCAA meet, II Huskers who will compete in all but four of the 15 events will make the trek to Indian apolis — the largest number from Nebraska to qualify for lhe national meet. Bent/, said all nine 1 luskers have a good chance of placing. “They have all focused their atten tion on this meet and arc ready to swim fast,” Bent/ said. “We want to improve on what we’ve done in the past, and their altitude gives me every indication that we will do just that.” Leading the Huskers will be re turning All-America performer Mike Irvin. L.ast year' Irvin placed seventh in the 2(X)-yard individual medley and ninth in the 400-1M. I his season, Irvin, a junior front Riverside, Calif., qualified for both of the IM events as well as the 4(K)-freestyle relay, the 800-frecstylc relay, the 200 breaststroke, the 200-backstrokc and the 200-buttcrfly. Bent/ said Irvin provides good leadership for Nebraska. “He’s worked hard the whole year,” Bcntz said. “He’s had some hard limes this season during his training but I think he’s firmly deter mined to perform well and swim fast. There’s no question — he’s shown that he plans on improving on last year’s performance.” Freshman Peter Williams also qualified in all three relay events and in the 50- and 100-yard frcestylcs. Ed Jowdy and Scan Frampton will compete in both the 100- and 200 yard backstrokes and the 400-yard medley relay. The remaining Huskers compet ing in the meet arc Tom Stus in the 200-yard butterfly, Ed Rief in the 400-yard medley relay, Rick Havek ost in the 50-yard free and the 400 yard free relay, Dan Novinski in the 400- and 800-yard free relays, Alan Hobbs in the 800-yard free relay, and Lewis Meyers and Lawrence Rod dick, who w ill compete in the 1- and 3-mcter diving. Bentz said there is no telling how far the No. 10-ranked Huskers will go this season. “We aren’t selling any specific goals,” Bentz said. “We arc just look ing to improve. I think we have the talent, but we have to optimize our performance in order to gel the job done. If we can do that, the scoring will take care of itself.” Bentz. said the top two teams in the meet will be .Southern California and Texas. ‘‘One thing 1 think you will see is that so many different schools are going to score,” he said. “The talent is so spread out that you won’t sec such dominant scoring by one or two teams.” _^ ■ 7, L Doug Carroll Daily Nebraskan Nebraska’s Ed Jowdy competes in the 100-yard backstroke.
