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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1988)
Sports Basketball, wrestling gain recruits By Mark Derowitsch and Tim Hartmann Senior Reporters All the uncertainty surrounding letter-of intent day started to clear up Wednesday when University of Nebraska-Lincoln coaches an nounced they had signed seven recruits. Basketball coach Danny Nee and wrestling coach Tim Neumann signed recruits Wednes day. The other lOComhusker coaches in winter and spring sports said they would announce their recruits later on. Hugh Watson, basketball coach at Hiwassee Junior College in Madisonvillc, Tcnn., said Nee signed Ray Richardson, a 6-foot-6 guard who was also recruited by San Diego State. Nebraska also signed Eric Dolezal, a 6-foot-3 guard from LaPorte, Ind., who gave an oral commitment to the Huskcrs earlier this year. UNL assistant wrestling coach Mark Perry said the Huskers signed five athlctes.Wcdncs day. He said Nebraska hopes to sign two more recruits soon. Watson said Richardson signed with Ne braska early Wednesday morning. He said Nee was leaving Richardson’s room with a letter of intent when Jim Brendcnburg, San Diego State basketball coach, arrived. “I was surprised that he signed with Ne braska,” Watson said. “He told me a couple days ago that he was going to San Diego State. He had been sold on San Diego State for the past two months.” Richardson, who averaged 19 points per game to lead Hiwassee to a 27-4 record this season ; »ginally signed with Auburn as a high school senior but didn’t meet the school’s academic requirements. Watson said Richardson, who was included among the nation’s top 40 players as a high school senior, chose Nebraska because of the Huskcrs’ offense. He said Nebraska assistant coach Lynn Mitchem, who is from Richardson’s hometown of South Bend, Ind.. also influenced his decision. “He was very impressed with Nebraska,” Watson said. “He had a good visit and was very comfortable with everything.” Richardson, who moved from South Bend to Oak Hill, Va., after his junior year in high school, earned McDonald’s All-America hon ors after his senior season. Watson said Richardson’s biggest asset is his ability to score in any situation. “Once he crosses the half-court line, he’s in range,” Watson said. “He shot 51 percent from three-point range this year.” Watson said although Richardson has had trouble with defense in the past, he has the potential to become a good all-around player. Perry said this year’s wrestling recruiting class also has potential. He said the Huskcrs will fill all the weights they want if they sign two more athletes they are pursuing. The recruits include: • Darren Dtogcmuller, the brother of Ne braska wrestler Dave Drogemuller. Darren Drogemuller, a two-time state high school champion from Maple Grove, Minn., will wrestle at 142 pounds. • Paul Herrera, a 150-pound wrestler from Golden West Junior College in Huntington Beach, Calif. Herrera was a Colorado state high school champion and is a two-time California Junior College champion. • Butch McFec, a 118-pound wrestler from Garden City Junior College in Garden City, Kan. McFee was an Oklahoma stale high school champion as a senior. • Gerred Nelson, a heavyweight from Fort Lupton, Colo. Nelson was a three-time Colo rado high school state champion, •Cory Olson, a 167-poundcr from Hay field, Minn. Olson was a three-time Minnesota high school state wrestling champion. Perry said all five of the wrestlers with the possible exception of Herrera will redshirt next season. He said the recruits will use the extra year to increase their strength. Coaches predict tight meet for NCAA gymnastics title By Chuck ureen Senior Reporter Of six coaches present at the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Champi onships premeet press conference, three picked Nebraska as the favorite to win this year’s national champion ship. But Comhusker coach Francis Allen wasn’t one of them. Stanford’s Sadao Hamada, Penn State’s Karl Schier and Illinois’ Yoshi Hayasaki all agreed Nebraska has the inside track to the title be cause the championships arc at the Bob Devaney Sports Center tonight through Saturday. Nebraska has won five national championships since 1979. “I’d have to pick Nebraska,” said Hayasaki, whose Illinois team has been rated No. 1 throughout the sea son. “I have a great deal of respect for them. They’ll have all their fans there cheering for them, and that will defi nitely help.” But Allen wasn’t so sure. “The crowd factor really can work both ways,” Allen said. “If you have an athlete that can’t perform very well in front of a large crowd, the home crowd can hurt you.” He added a home-floor advantage is non-existent in NCAA Champion ship competition. “There might be an advantage to a team that used their equipment day in and day out,” Allen said. “But these kids are pretty good. They can adjust to just about any kind of eq uipment in a couple of days. They all know what they’re doing.” One evident pressure that will be placed on the Huskers, Allen said, is to not finish second this season. Nebraska has finished second in the last three NCAA Championships. “We don’t want to set a national record at the meet for finishing sec ond,” he said. “We don’t want to finish third, either. But this team, over the three that got second place, is a far better team, depth-wise. We can throw the (the Huskers) out on the floor in any event and they could set a national scoring record in that event.” Thursday’s competition will be gin at 7 p.m. All 10 teams and indi vidual qualifiers will compete in optional exercises. The top three teams alter the opening night ot competition will advance to the team championships Friday at 7 p.m. The scores in the team champion ship competition will count toward the team title only — not toward all around or individual event titles. The top 24 all-arounders from Thursday’s competition will com pete Saturday at 1 p.m. in the 1988 Olympic compulsory. The combined optional and compulsory scores will determine the all-around champions. The top eight performers from Thursday’s competition compete for individual event titles Saturday at 7 p.m. Allen said that during Saturday’s individual all-around champion ships, fans will be treated to a pre view oi tne u.b. uiympic leam. “In the all-around finals Saturday afternoon, you're going to see 75 percent of the Olympic Team for 1988,” Allen said. “It should be ex citing ” Illinois, Nebraska, Oklahoma and UCLA are the teams with the best chance at the title, Allen said, “but if one of those teams doesn’t perform well and has a bad meet, they won’t finish in the top three.” “That includes my team,” he said. Hayasaki agreed. “If someone is going to miss (not perform well), they can only afford to do it one time per event,” he said. “If two guys miss in one event, there’s no way you’ll make the top three. Our attitude is to hit 36 of 36 of our routines.” Schlesinger emerges from shadows to win Nissen By Mark Derowitsch Senior Reporter Nebraska’s Tom Schlesinger said he has spent the last four years per forming in the shadows of former Comhuskcr gymnasts Jim Hartung and Scott Johnson. But on Wednesday night, Schles inger stepped into the limelight. Schlesinger moved out of the shadows by winning the 23rd annual Nissen Award, honoring the nation’s outstanding senior collegiate gym nast. He was the third Huskcr to do so, following Hartung’s win in 1982 and Wes Suter’s in 1986. Johnson and Hartung compiled several awards during their Huskcr careers and helped the U.S. Men’s Gymnastics team to a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. “I came in here in the shadows of Hartung and Johnson and they won Five national championships (be tween them),” said Schlesinger, who has helped the Huskers to three sec ond-place finishes at the NCAAs. “I just wanted to keep that going.” Nebraska coach Francis Allen said he never expected Schlesinger to be another award-winning gymnast when Schlesinger First arrived in Lincoln. “He came in here with a bad knee,” Allen said. “He was a pretty good athlete but he was not a great gym nast. But through personal work and the athletic training he received at Nebraska, he brought himself a long way. “There’s not a better award that he could have received because he typi fies what the Nissen Award stands for.” Schlesinger, the defending NCAA all-around champion, said he wasn’t shooting for the Nissen Award when the season started. “It’s not something I thought about,” Schlesinger said. “I just want to be a good gymnast.” Schlesinger said winning the award won’t put very much addi tional pressure on him for the NCAA championships. The meet begins Thursday at 7 p.m. and continues through Saturday night. “Coming back (as) a defending champion, people expect a lot any way,” Schlesinger said. “It puts a little pressure to do well but not that much.” But Schlesinger of Boulder, Colo., said only one thing spoiled his nigni. “It’s an injustice that (Nebraska’s) Kevin Davis wasn’t nominated for the awaid,” he said. Davis, a senior from Lithonia, Ga., is a four-time All-America performer and the 1987 co-champion on the parallel bars. The other six finalists for the award were Mike Dutelle of Wiscon sin, Tigran Mkchyan of Illinois, UCLA’s David Moriel, Keith Pettit of Michigan State, California’s Robert Suridstrom, and Jim Thome of Iowa. Huskers drop two games to Creighton By Tim Hartmann Senior Reporter and Mike Kluck i Staff Reporter — If it wasn’t for the play of Creighton’s Jody Schwartz, the Ne braska softball team might have swept the Bluejays. Instead the Comhuskers were swept by scores of 4-2 and 2-1 Wednesday at the Nebraska Softball Complex. Schwartz’s three-run home run in die top of the sixth inning of the first game erased Nebraska’s 2-1 lead and propelled the Bluejays to the victory. Schwartz pitched in the first game, and earned the win by holding the Huskers to two runs and five hits. Nebraska’s Donna Deardorff took the loss and dropped her record to 7-7. In the second game Schwartz’s sacrifice fly in the 10th inning scored left fielder Judy Fitzgerald with the winning run. “In my mind Jody is the best first baseman in the country and today she proved it on the field,” Creighton coach Mary Higgins said. ‘‘She’s a great hitter and she also lead us as a pitcher, which is not really her best position.” Nebraska coach Ron Wolforth said Schwartz beat the Huskers men tally at the plate. Schwartz had two hits in four at bats on the day, with four walks and four runs baited in. ‘‘She (Schwartz) is a good girl but not good enough that we should walk her four times,” Wolforth said. “Our two pitchers should beat her eight out of 10 times.” The Huskers had several chances to win the second game. In the ninth inning Lori Sippel doubled to lead off the inning, and moved to third on second baseman Jennifer Biallas single. However, a pop fly by Katy Wolda and two ground outs ended the inning. With Nebraska batting in the 10th, Husker Jill Rishcl began the inning on second base because of softball s late game rule. Once a game goes to the 10th inning the last batter out from the previous inning begins the next in ning at second base. Rishel moved to third on a sacri fice bunt by Jane Kremer. Rishel was stranded as Ruth Chatwin grounded out and Janelle Frese flied out to center field. “We didn’t get the hits like we needed to,” Wolforth said. “Also our pi tchers walked so many of their play - »» ers. Nebraska’s pitchers gave up nine walks in the two games. Creighton pitcher Jeni Ruzich got the win in the second game while Nebraska’s Lori Sippel took the loss. The wins raised No. 13 tanked Creighton to 21-8 and dropped No. 19 Nebraska to 21-12. Higgins said she was confident that Ruzich would slop Nebraska in the tenth inning. “We feh that Jeni would do a good job,” she said. “We were just con cerned because you don’t know if one run is enough in an extra inning game.” Prior to yesterday’s game, Sippel had pitched four consecutive shut outs against the Bluejays. Higgins said beating Nebraska is always a thrill for her team. “There is always a natural rivalry, plus they’re ranked in the top 20,” Higgins said. I ■BTMMgn; Busch Ireland/Dally Nebraskan Creighton’s Mary Panagos tags out Nebraska’s Katy Wolda as she attempts to steal second base during the first game of yesterday’s double header. Creighton defeated Nebraska in both games 4-2, 2-1.