Sports
Arizona Invitational to open Huskers’ spring season
By Darran Fow ler
Staff Reporter
The Nebraska women's softball
team is loaded with talent, Coach
Ron Wolforth said, but that isn’t the
only ingredient necessary to be suc
cessful.
Wolforth said a team's mental
attitude is just as important when
competing in NCAA sports.
This year 's team is the most physi
cally talented group he has seen at
Nebraska, he said.
“We have outstanding athletes,”
Wolforth said. “We’ve never had 17
better athletes on one team as we do
this year, but mentally we need expe
rience.”
Nebraska, which has won five
straight Big Eight titles, is 14th in the
nrc-season national rankings. The
Comhuskers’ rosier includes five
seniors, two sophomores, one junior
and nine freshmen.
Wolforth said the success of this
year’s team hinges on the adjustment
of the younger players to the demands
and pressures of competing at the
collegiate level. He said Nebraska’s
long practices that are combined w ith
academics and social lives are a big
difference when compared u> high
school.
“Division I is real intense,’’
Wolforth said. “The mental maturity
of the freshmen concerns me the
most.”
Wolforth said the younger players
gamed some experience during the
fall season when the Huskcrs finished
with a 10-4-1 record. But, he said, the
time between the fall and spring sea
sons was more beneficial.
“We matured more mentally in
the off-season,” Wolforth said.
Wolforth said the fall record isn’t
a good indication of the team’s
strength because of the lack of com
petition. He said Nebraska spent its
fall playing against upset-minded
teams that it is expected to beat.
Wolforth said Nebraska’s 14th
place ranking is a welcome relief
because the Huskers have started
their previous three seasons ranked
2nd.
“It’s a breath of fresh air,”
Wolforth said. “If you’re No. 2
you’re expected to be there at the end.
There’s just one way to go.”
Big Eight rivals Oklahoma Slate
and Iowa State are also ranked in the
Top 20. Oklahoma State, which is
ranked 3rd, returns almost every
player from last year’s team that was
undefeated in the Big Eight ’s regular
season. Iow'a State is ranked loth.
Wolforth said Nebraska will have
a difficult time defending its Big
Eight title. He said Big Eight soltball
has reached a competitive level that
is similar to the balanced nature of the
conference’s basketball.
Wolforth said Nebraska will be
challenged because it has to replace
four of its lop players from last year s
team. Those players include pitchers
Lori Sippel and Donna Deardorlf,
infielder Margie Ogrodowic/. who
was the Hushers’ top offensive
threat, and l.eeanna Miles, who was
their lop base-stealing threat.
Inlielders Jennifer Biallas, Ruth
Chat win, Jane Kremer, Katie Wolda
and outlicldcr Jancllc rrcsc all return
for their senior seasons. Junior Jill
Kishcl also returns.
Nebraska opens its spring season
today at the Arizona Invitational. The
tournament, which will run through
Sunday in Tucson, Ariz., includes
three nationally ranked teams -
Nebraska, 6th-rankcd Arizona, and
Xth-ranked California Slate-Fullcr
ton. The remaining teams that will be
competing are Northwestern,
Toledo, U.S. International, Bowling
Green, California State-Berkeley,
Kansas, California Stale-Long
Beach, New- Mexico State, Oregon
and Utah.
Wolforth said he knows the tour
nament will be tough.
“We could come back 4-4 and not
have played badly,” he said.
Tall newcomers give swim team
championship boost, Bentz says
By Jeff Apel
Senior Hdilor__
A pair of lall newcomers have helped give
Nebraska men’s swimming coach Cal Bentz
high hopes for the rest of the season.
Bent/ said Scddon Kcyter, a 6-foot-7 back
stroker from Cape Town, South Africa, and
Mark Nicuwenhuis, a 6-8 frccslyler from
Duran, South Africa, should make strong con
tributions when Nebraska competes in the Big
Eight and NCAA championships.
The Cornhuskers will compete in the Big
Eight championships Feb. 23 through 25 at the
Bob Devaney Sports Center and the NCAA
championships will be held March 30 through
April 1 in Indianapolis.
Bent/ said Kcyter and.Nieuwenhuis possess
an immediate advantage because of their
height. He said the height is an asset because
both swimmers have excellent coordination.
“Size is not always an advantage if you do
not have skill and coordination, which both of
those guys have,” Bentz. said. “It’svcry much
as it is in many other sports -- you have to
have strength and power.”
Bentz said Kcytcr’s and Nicuwenhuis’ slen
der builds mean they have more surface area
that comes into contact with the water. He said
it also means they have an advantage when
they reach for the walls.
Bentz, who swam at Nebraska prior to tak
ing his coaching position in 1978, said he
expects to sec more tall swimmers in the future.
He said lall swimmers represent a trend that is
increasing in popularity.
Nicuwenhuis said he likes to use his 6-8
frame in an intimidating manner. He said
swimmers feel intimidated when they line up
next to him on the starting blocks.
”1 know l feel intimidated when l sec some
one who is taller than me,” Nicuwenhuis said.
Bentz said Nicuwenhuis used his height and
Hashed his potential last Saturday during Ne
braska’s 63-50 victory against Kansas.
Nicuwenhuis, who was filling in for injured
teammate and fellow South African Peter
Williams, won the 100-yard freestyle in 45.13
- the best umc ever recorded in the (>0-ycar
history of the Husker program.
Nieuwenhuis said he credits his record lo
the individual attention he receives from the
Nebraska coaching staff. He said he could not
find that attention at Alabama, where he spent
the first thiec years of college.
Nieuwenhuis said he transferred from Ala
bama because he had a ‘ ‘pretty poor” season as
a junior. He said he also left the Tuscaloosa,
Ala., school because Alabama swimming
coach Don Gambril revoked his scholarship.
Gambril said he revoked Nicuwcnhuis’
scholarship because the senior swimmer had a
‘‘lack of contribution” as a junior.
“A lot of it had lodo with missing practices
and study halls,” Gambril said. “I’m sure he’s
probably not real happy with me, but I was
trying lo do him a favor.”
Bentz said he did not have any second
thoughts when Nieuwenhuis contacted him
about transferring. He said Nieuwenhuis has
been a positive addition.
”1 think he adds to our team,” Bentz said.
‘‘He’s fun and he docs an excellent job.”
Bentz said Kcytcr has also done a good job.
He said Kcytcr, a freshman who arrived at
Nebraska in January, “has the potential lo be
among the best swimmers in school history.”
Keylei said he dries not feel pressured by
such accolades.
“I don’t feel any pressure because I’m not
one of the better swimmers,” Kcytcr said.
Kcytcr said the biggest change he has en
countered since arriving at Nebraska is adjust
ing from long course to short course competi
tio' He said the long course competition,
which is swam in meters instead of yards,
usually required him lo execute one turn while
the short course competition requires as many
as three.
“It’s a big change,” Kcytcr said. “There’s
so much more emphasis placed on starts and
turns.”
Key ter said he is looking forward to the
upcoming Big Eaght and NCAA competitions
even though he has never competed in them.
‘Everybody is talking about them,” he
said. “I’ve heard all about them. We want lo
win (the Big Eight championship) again this
'-ear.”
David Fahloson bally Nebraskan
Nebraska men’s swimmina coach Cal Bentz stands between 6-foot-7 Seddon
Keyter (left) and 6-8 Mark Nieuwenhuis.
Today is opening of Fonner season;
simulcast wagers are expected to rise
By Steve Sipple
Staff Reporter
Grand Island’s Fonncr Park will
open its thoroughbred racing season
today, and Lincoln race fans can view
the opener via simulcast.
State Fair Park, along with Ne
braska’s three other thoroughbred
tracks, will simulcast Former Park’s
entire season.
Intrastate simulcasting in Ne
braska provided a big boost for Fon
ncr last season. Off-track betting
raised the track's crowd 64 percent to
7,983 daily and wagering 65 percent
($837,906). Meanwhile, on-track at
tendance dipped 23 percent to 4,185
and handle 14 percent to $392,938.
Last season while simulcasting
Fonner’s races, State Fair Park aver
aged 1,021 patrons per day who
wagered an average of $ 124,000, said
Stale Fair Park General Manager
John Skold.
Those figures surprised Skold, he
said Wednesday.
“We had estimated beforehand a
mutual handle of between $50,000
and $70,000,” Skold said.
Skold said the figures may im
prove this year.
“We certainly hope we can equal
what we did last year,” Skold said.
* ‘ Maybe even up it a little - now that
more people arc aware of simulcast
ing and it s caught on.”
Skold said Slate Fair Parks splits
the mutual handle, after common
expenses, with the live track - in this
case Fonner. State Fair Park funds go
into its racing operation and the slate
fair.
Fonner Park will run on a Thurs
day through Sunday schedule, with
one exception. There will be racing
Wednesday, March 22, but none on
Easter Sunday, March 26.
Post times are 2 p.m. weekdays
through March 24 and 3 p.m. begin
ning March 30.
Saturdays and Sundays will have a
1:30 p.m. start.
Simulcasting at State Fair Park
will be held in the enclosed grand
stand area. Patrons can enter through
either ihe giandstand’s east or west
entrance. General ttMHssion is free.
Patrons can also purchase a $5
table in the Winners Circle - a cur
latncd-off area in the east end of the
grandstand. The $5 table is good for
up to five persons. Each table has its
own television
By Craig Christienseo
^^^^^^^^OC^RclaUonsDirccUjr
r 1. MOSERS (4-0)
2. ATO A-1 (3»G)
3. RUNNING REBELS (3-C
4 UNLTOBC(S-O)
5. CHI PHI A1 (3-0)
6 SPANISH FLYERS (3-0;
7 SIG EP 8-2 (4-0)
8 SAE B-1 (4-1)
9. FIJI A (2-1)
^10 BETA SIG B (3-1)
(1) HOSERS vs.(4) UNL TOBC
9:40 PM.. FEB. 16
AT ML 301 2 GYM
Coach Melton has
bypass operation
Nebraska assistant football coach
John Melton underwent coronary
bypass surgery Tuesday afternoon at
Bryan Memorial Hospital.
Melton, 61, has been a member of
the Comhusker coaching staff since
Bob Devaney came to Nebraska in
1962.
Melton has spent the last 16 years
as the Huskers’ linebacker coach. He
also coached the tight ends and w mg
backs for four years along with his
linebacker duties. During his first
five years at Nebraska, he served as
the freshman coach.
Don Bryant, Nebraska sports in
formation director and an assistant
director of the athletic department,
said Melton's surgery followed a
routine physical in which doctors
discovered complications that neces
sitated immediate surgery.
After surgery, Melton was listed in
fair, but stable, condition in the hos
pital’s intensive care uniL