Hodge salutes
grandfather
By Nick Hodge
Staff Reporter
As another Comhuskcr foot
' ball reason winds down, my
thoughts have drifted to a man
who symbolizes the meaning of
a “real’* and “true,’ Husker
fan.
Numerous people claim to
be Nebraska fans, but are they
really loyal supporters?
I’m not saying he was the
last of a dying braid of Husker
fens, but he definitely had the
characteristics of a “real*" and
“true** Husker fan.
He never took the succe ss of
Nebraska’s program for
granted. He appreciated what
he was watching. He wasn’t one
to brag when Nebraska won or
to bad-mouth the coaches and
players when they lost. He sup
ported the Huskcrs through
both the good and bad times.
This man owned Nebraska
season tickets for 53 years. The
first Husker season he attended
was back in 1934 when Ne
braska finished 6-3, including a
6-0 victory over Oklahoma. In
those 53 years, he witnessed 17
losing seasons - not once boo
ing or turning his hack on the
Huskers.
I sal beside him in Memorial
Stadium as the Huskers wal
loped Syracuse 63-7 in 1983,
and I sat beside him and
watched the Orangemen upset
Nebraska 17-9 on television the
following year. His altitude and
expressions remained the same
for both games - he was a
“real’' and “true” Husker fan.
Many people lend to become
negative towards the Huskers in
defeat, but immediately jump
back on the Husker bandwagon
after a victory - like diis year’s
7-3 win over Oklahoma. He was
never hesitant or embarrassed
to show his suppon of the Husk
era.
This “real’* and “true’’
Husker fan never booed Ne
braska for trailing a team 6-0 at
halftime, like some people in
the Memorial Stadium crowd
did during the Oct. 29 Missouri
game. He realized what a tough
opponent the Tigers have been
for Nebraska over the years.
Throughout history. Ne
braska has won 47 of 82 games
played against Missouri. The
Tigers have won 32 of those
games. The teams have tied
three times.
Nebraska had racked up 25
straight years of winning sea
sons until his death in June
1987. The Huskers have since
ran that winning-siring to an
NCAA-record 27-caosccuUve
seasons of winning football.
What possesses people with the
neive to boo that is beyond me.
5ure, i realize in&i rtusner
coach Tom Osborne gets paid
big bucks and is in the public
spotlight by being the coach of
the Maskers, but he deserves
respect.
Since Osborne became
coach in 1973, he has won 158
games, lost only 35 and tied
two. He has won at least nine
games every year, including
nine years of winning more than
10 games. His teams have fin
ished in the Top Ten every
single year of his 16-year reign.
That deserves respect
This “reaT and “true”
Husker fan I’ve been telling you
about appreciated Coach
Osborne’s efforts and dedica
tion to UNL and the State of
Nebraska
See HODGE on8
* • *4 } f $; '• : * H,1;»j * • # J / i
Cornhuskers try
to forget, rebound
weekend loss
By Mike Kluck
Staff Reporter
When the Drake and Nebraska
women’s basketball teams meet
tonight in a 7:30 p.m. game at the
Bob Dcvaney Sports Center, both
teams will be trying to rctound
from weekend losses.
The 3-1 Cornhuskers, currently
ranked 25th in the nation, lost to
Montana 79-61 Saturday in the
championship game of the Dom
ino’s Pizza Classic at Missoula,
Mont. Also on Saturday, the 1-2
Bulldogs lost 75-72 to Syracuse in
the consolation round of the Felp
ausch/Michigan Slate Holiday
Classic at East Lansing, Mich.
Huskcr coach Angela Beck and
Drake coach Susan Yow said to
night’s game will be a difficult
game for their respective teams.
It s going to be a pretty lough
basketball game and will be pretty
tight,” Beck said. “They have
Iowa girls who play Iowa girls
basketball, so we arc going to have
to crank up our defense a little
bit.”
Iowa high schools play a three
on three style of basketball in
which three girls play offense and
three different girls play defense.
Nebraska’s high schools play the
regular five-on-five style.
Yow said the Bulldogs will
work on trying to solve Nebraska’s
disciplined style of basketball.
‘‘They arc a very sound basket
ball team and very well
coached,” Yow said. ‘‘They
understand the game and are a very
disciplined team We need to be
prepared. It is going to be a very
good game and it will be especially
good because it’s at Nebraska.”
Breaking Nebraska’s disci
pline, Yow said, will involve slop
ping Husker guard Amy Stephens.
Stephens, a 5-foot-8 senior from
Alliance, is averaging 20.5 points
per game.
Stephens said that tonight she
See HUSKERS on 8
Nebraska senior center Kim Harris goes over Minnesota’s Cindy Bradley for a shot during
Nebraska’s 90-77 win against the Gophers Nov. 25 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The
Cornhuskers play Drake tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the sports center.
Champaign trip part of celebration
By Mike Kluck
Staff Reporter
Nebraska’s five-game victory
against Weber Stale last Friday in the
first round of the National Collegiate
Athletic Association volleyball tour
nament was extra special for Val
Novak.
Novak, a 5-fool-10 sophomore
outside hitter for the 28-4 Com
huskers, will be looking forward to a
return trip to Illinois. She is from Oak
Lawn, 111.
With Friday’s victory, the Husk
ers earned a trip to Champaign, III.,
to face Oklahoma in the semifinal
round of the Midcast Regional Tour
nament Friday at 8 p.m. The winner
of the Nebraska-Sooner match will
face the winner of a Notre Damc
Ulinois match. That winner will
advance to the NCAA Final Four in
Minneapolis, Minn., Dee. 15
through 17.
“Ivm very much looking forward
to the return trip,’’ Novak said.
“We’re used to playing there now.
This is going to be our third lime and
it’s not that big of deal anymore."
Nebraska has a 7-2 record against
Illinois but Illinois has won the last
two meetings - both in Champaign.
The Illini defeated Nebraska last
season to cam a berth in the Final
Four.
Last Sept. 17, Illinois defeated the
Huskers 16-14, 8-15,15-1,15-9.
Novak said she will miss the sup
port of Nebraska fans this weekend
in Illinois. She said Nebraska’s home
crowd has been instrumental in the
Huskers’ success. A crowd of 1,554
saw the Huskers defeat Weber Slate
in a two-hour, 10-minule match.
“Our crowds have been great,”
Novak said. “If it wasn’t for them,
we wouldn’t have won some of the
matches we have, including the ones
against Texas and Oklahoma. Those
games stick out in my mind because
of the crowds. And I love playing in
front of huge crowds. It’s the best.”
Nebraska defeated the Sooners
13-15,15-9,14-16,15-4,11-15,15
13 on Oct. 15 after losing to the
Sooners in Norman on Oct. 1.
After losing 15-5, 15-4, 15-12 to
Texas Nov. 4, the Huskers bounced
back the next day to defeat the Long
horns in a two-hour, 42 minute, five
game match. The score: 12-15, Il
ls, 15-5, 15-13,15-9.
Despite not enjoying a homc
See NOVAK on 10
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Novak
Women swimmers lose in Alabama
By Jeff A pel
Senior Reporter
Two losses at the National Dual
Meet Invitational Championships
did not discourage Nebraska
women’s swimming coach Ray
Huppert.
Huppert said he was pleased with
the Comhuskers' performance last
weekend even though two dual-meet
losses dropped thetr record to 2-4.
Nebraska opened the three-day meet
at Tuscaloosa, Ala., by losing to
Arizona 83-56 on Thursday, then
defeated Indiana 86-53 on Friday.
The Huskers also suffered a 79-61
setback to Alabama on Saturday.
i'.Mtut*'. mtttutH \ i
Huppert said the losses were not a
fair representation of how Nebraska
performed. He said Nebraska per
formed extremely well because nine
Huskers combined to record 38 life
time best limes.
“I’m real encouraged,” Huppert
said. “I believe we lit a flame - a
spark -- where now the athletes be
lieve they can compete at a high
level. We’ve got some people who
believe in themselves.”
Huppert said the top performers
for Nebraska were Lynne Braddock
and Jcncll Garcia. He said Braddock
and Garcia, a pair of former walkons
who earned scholarships at the end of
last season, both became “elite type
,♦,* . . *., .
athletes” with their performances.
Garcia recorded a 2 minute, 2
second clocking in the 200-yard but
terfly and finished the 100-yard but
terfly competition in 56 seconds.
Braddock recorded a 23.85 clocking
in the 50-yard freestyle.
“Their performances arc real
encouraging,” Huppcrtsaid. “They
stood out, but you almost have to
single out everybody.”
Huppert said he is glad Nebraska
traveled to Tuscaloosa rather than
join the Husker men’s swimming
team and compete in last weekend’s
Husker Invitational. He said lough
road meets will benefit Nebraska
bccayst; this year’s National Colic
giatc Athletic Association Champi
onships and U.S. Senior National
Championships will not be held in
the Bob Dcvancy Sports Center. The
NCAA Championships will be
staged March 16 through 18 in Indi
anapolis while the Senior National
competition will be held March 21
through 25 in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Huppert said he is confident Ne
braska can use its performance last
weekend as a momentum-builder for
thd rest of the year. He said the Husk
ers will be an improved team by the
time the Big Eight Championships
arc staged March 2 through 4 in
See NU on 1Q