3 Huskers qualified for 200-meter finals
By Kelly Anders
Suff Reporter
Nebraska’s Mark Perry, James
Cobb and Bobby Jelks met their ex
pectations during the Big Eight
Championship:
this weekend a
the Bob Devane)
Sports Center.
Perry, Cobb
and Jelks all
qualified for the
200-meter final*,
during the meet’s
preliminary com- Cobb
petition on Friday. Cobb won his heat
with a time of 21.62 seconds, while
Perry finished with a 21.63 clocking.
Jelks finished in 21.66.
The trio of Nebraska athletes
raced together in the finals on Satur
day against Kansas State’s Ray Hill,
Oklahoma State’s Harrold Greene
and Iowa State’s Pat Cadichon.
Hill won the race by finishing with
a time of 21.29. Perry finished 2nd
with a time of 21.36, while Jelks was
4th in 21.65. Cobb finished 5th with a
21.69 clocking.
Perry, who hasn’t won an individ
ual title in the 200 dash this season,
said the race is never decided until
close to the end.
“Anyone can win, depending on
the last curve,” Perry said.
He said he was well-prepared for
the race; he spent two weeks training
for it.
Perry said although the competi
tion at the Big Eight championships
was good, the opponents he faced
during the Frank Sevignc-Husker
Invitational earlier this year were
more challenging. He said the com
petition at the Husker Invitational
was better because it drew athletes
Irom a wider range of geographical
areas.
“More of the country came to the
meet, which made it more compcti
live,” Perry said.
Cobb agreed.
‘‘The Big Eight is competitive in
its own right, but it’s only the Mid
west,” he said. ‘They re fine ath
letes, but the nationals oiler more
variety.”
Cobb said he wasn’t surprised by
his 5th-placc finish. He said he didn t
expect to win the 200 because ol a
lack of experience.
‘‘Being a freshman, I need a lot
more training and experience, ’ Cobb
said. ‘‘Mark and Bobby are fine ath
letes, and I’ve got a long way to come
to be like them. I hope to gradually
get better and better.”
After Friday’s preliminary com
petition, Jelks said he wasn’t nervous
about the finals even though he was
suffering from an irritated right heel
and his parents drove from his home
town of Decatur, 111., to watch him
compete.
Jelks said his heel became irritated
in late August. He said the injury
occurred because his heel constantly
rubs against his shoe. The injury still
bothers him, he said.
Jelks said his parents presence was
a boost.
“They’re helping me push a lot,”
he said. “Friends help, but my par
ents driving here gives me an extra
incentive to win.”
A •
Cornhuskers continue championship reign
William Lauar/Dall^CbraaEan
Nebraska's Renita Robinson waves to the crowd after win
ning her Big Eight triple jump title Saturday.
r——————————————————————i
CHAMPIONS from Page 8
”1 spent two hours in the training
room, hut the only thing I could do
afterwards was jog,” van der Kolk
• said. ‘‘I wanted to run so badly. I've
beaten all those girls by 10seconds.”
Van der Kolk said she had never
experienced problems w ith cramps in
the past. She said because of stomach
pains earlier in the week, she was
unable to stick to her normal diet and
that may have contributed to her
woes.
Van der Kolk said she was glad to
see her teammates compete well and
score points in her absence.
Junior Juliet Prowse and freshman
Fran ten Benscl each picked up poinLs
by finishing 2nd for Nebraska.
Prowse finished 2nd in the mile,
while ten Benscl was the runner-up in
the 800.
wiki van uei isoik uui, uic_)
became doubly imporiani to us,”
Dirksen said.
Gome/, an NCAA qualifier in the
triple jump, failed to place, but fresh
men Patricia Nadlcr and Maureen
Dunn picked up the slack. Nadler,
who Pepin said had never competed
in the triple jump, finished 3rd with a
jump of 38-fect, 7-inchcs, while
Dunn placed 4lh with a distance of
38-6 3/4.
Nebraska three-time All-Ameri
can Renita Robinson won the triple
jump with a NCAA qualifying mark
and meet record leap of 42-1 1/4.
Teammates Toyia Barnes and
Angela Edwards finished 1st and 2nd
m the shot pul competition. Barnes’
best throw of 47-5 1/4 captured her a
second conference indoor shot put
title.
”1 came into this meet just want
ing to repeat as Big Eight cham
pion,” Barnes said. *T didn’t care
how far I threw as long as I won.”
Nebraska also swept the lop two
spots in the high jump. Sophomore
Mcredy Porter qualified for NCAA
championships with a winning jump
of 5-11 1/4, while Nebraska’s Shania
McGlothan placed 2nd with a leap of
5-9 3/4.
“I didn’t plan on winning the Big
Eight,” Porter said. ‘‘I was just hop
ing to place, because I didn’t last
year.”
Pepin said Porter’s victory will
help restore the confidence she lost
during a frustrating season last year.
‘‘Last year was really tough for
her because she didn ’ t jump as wel I as
she did in high school,” Pepin said.
‘ ‘This year I thought it would be very
hard to get her confidence back up.
So she not only helped the team out,
but helped out herself as well.”
Nebraska All-American Linclta
Wilson won the 400, placed 2nd in
the 200 and anchored Nebraska’s
1,600-relay team to a 3rd-placc fin
ish. Her time of 52:98 in the 400 set a
meet record.
wnson said snc was tireo aucr nor
eventful day. She said her perform
ance in the 400 run was “nice and
easy.”
“After running in all the other
events I couldn't give a lot in the
relay,” she said. “I’m disappointed
with my performance in the relay.”
Although the Nebraska men en
tered Saturday’s competition with
the most qualifiers, tallying 16, Pepin
said he was concerned. He said he
was worried about the Husker men’s
chances of repealing after he scored
the men’s meet in the same manner as
he did the women’s.
“I saw it as a three-team race
between us - Kansas, Kansas State
and Iowa State,” Pepin said. “Kan
sas Slate in particular scared me be
cause I saw a lot of 10-point lsl-placc
finishers.”
Nebraska ended the meet with just
one individual champion compared
to six for the Wildcats. Kansas had
five champions and Iowa Slate had
four.
Pepin said the difference was in
the number of quality athletes.
“We had so many who came
through for us,” Pepin said.
Nebraska’s only champion was
sophomore Dieudonne’ Kwi/.era in
the 1 ,(X)(). He won the title with a time
of 2:30.17.
Kwi/.era said he was confident
about his chances of winning.
“I was ready to win it,’’ Kwi/.era
said. “It’s exciting to win my first
Big Eight championship. Also, the
fans were great. I think they enjoy
watching me run.”
Kwi/.era, a Bujumbura, Burundi
native, said Nebraska’s lack of indi
vidual champions may have been due
to the pressure coaches put on the
athletes.
“They concentrate loo much on
winning and scoring points,” Kwi/.
era said. “But I guess the conference
is the most important thing in college
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uiiu mat o ii) iiiv. iv. iv; 111uv.11 pivi
sure.”
Nebraska assistant and middle
distance coach Dave Harris said sen
ior Regis Humphrey cost the Huskers
a second individual title when he
suffered a “mental lapse” while
competing in the 800. Humphrey
finished 3rd in the event with an
NCAA-qualifying time of 1:50.39.
Harris said Humphrey spent too
much time circling the track in the
lane 2 - a mistake he didn’t expect
from such an experienced runner.
“He wanted to win another cham
pionship and he just fell asleep at one
point in the race and lost his concen
tration,” Harris said.
Nebraska’s Mark Perry qualified
for his second NCAA event this sea
son. Perry finished 2nd in the 200
with an NCAA-qualifying time of
21.36 seconds, and finished 2nd in
the 55. Perry qualified for nationals in
the 55 earlier this season.
Perry said his concentration was
mostly on the 200.
“I was keyed up for this one all
last night,” Perry said. ”1 couldn’t
slop thinking about it.”
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NU jumper shines, breaks meet record
By Mike Andreasen
Staff Reporter
The beat goes on.
Thai was an appropriate theme for
Nebraska triple jumper Rcnila
Robinson, as she shined at the Big
Eight Championships this weekend
at the Bob Devaney Sports Center by
winning her third consecutive triple
jump title. The senior from Los An
geles, Calif., broke her own ntict
record with a leap of 42-fcet-l/2.
Robinson’s feat propelled the
Nebraska women to their 10lh-con
seculive Big Eight indoor champion
ship. The Nebraska men, behind a
victory by Dieudonne Kwizera in the
1,000-metcr run, also claimed their
third-consecutive title.
Robinson said she would have liked
to have had tighter competition. Her
performance easily outdistanced that
accomplished by Kansas State’s
Carla Shannon, who finished 2nd
with a leap of 40-leci, 5-inchcs.
‘‘I wasn’t that enthusiastic going
into the final round,” Robinson said.
4 41 even called one of my friends over
to talk to me and get me pumped up.”
Robinson said a motivational
speech by Nebraska track coach Gary
Pepin also didn’t hurt her cause.
“It’s always good to know you
have a coach backing you,” Robin
son said. “Sometimes you start feel
judson automotive
factory trained
foreign car epecialiaU
. 57th 4 T
Lincoln, Ne break a
ing like this is a job and you’re nol
appreciated.”
Pepin said Robinson’s record-set
ting performance was nol a shock to
him.
“She’s one of those people who
you think will always come through
for you,” Pepin said. “I’ve felt she’s
been one of the best triple jumpers nol
only in the conference, bui in the
country as well for the last three
years.”
Nee says victory
keeps hopes alive
NEE from Page 8_____
1:37 left.
The Huskers then had to withstand
missed free throws down the stretch
to hold off Iowa State. Johnson’s six
free throws in the game’s closing
seconds sealed the win for Nebraska.
Scales led Nebraska with IN
points. Van Foelgeesl added 1
poinls, while King and Pete Manning
contributed 11 and 10 points respec
lively.
King pulled down a game-high
nine rebounds for Nebraska.