Illinois wins gymnastics title, ends NU magic
By Mike O’Malley
Stall Reporter
Cornhusker magic came to an end
Friday night when the Nebraska
men’s gymnastics team finished 2nd
to Illinois in the team finals.
The Fighting mini, with a score of
283.40, won their first national cham
pionship since 1958 when they
claimed this year’s NCAA title at the
Bob Devancy Sports Center.
After coming from behind Thurs
day night to qualify for Friday’s fi
nals, Nebraska experienced several
mistakes, including a fall on the hori
zontal bar by Patrick Kirkscy, to fin
ish with a score of 282.30. Minnesota
was 3rd with a 280.55 total.
Kirksey was trying to perform a
high-level routine to make up for the
1.15 point deficit that Nebraska had
entering the final rotation when he
fell.
Nebraska coach Francis Allen
said that even if Kirkscy had not
(alien, the Huskers would have come
up short.
“It was over with anyway,” he
said.
Allen said Nebraska was not re
laxed during the meet.
“They were uptight,” Allen said.
“The team was being harassed from
the stands (by UCLA team mem
bers). I said to them, Of course
they’re going to root against you
when you beat them every year.’”
After failing to w in the national
championship, Allen complimented
his gymnasts for their performance
despite losing the nation’s top high
school recruit, Lance Ringnald.
Ringnald announced last fall that he
would be attending Nebraska, then
backed out of his commitment so he
could concentrate on Olympic train
ing. “This was my all-time tough,
competitive team and dial’s saying a
lot,” he said. “These guys were
competitive all year. 1 should have
known when we beat UCLA. It
should have slapped me in the face.”
Illinois won the title despite post
ing low scores in the pommel horse
competition. Three of the Fighting
mini's six scores on the pommel
horse were below 9.0.
Illinois Coach Yoshi Hayasaki
said things were going fine until the
pommel horse came up.
“I felt that the first two events
were good. The pommel horse is
where we had problems. That’s
where we put pressure on ourselves,”
he said. “We had to start all over
again. We went after the high bar and
that’s where we started to come
back.”
Behind Nissen Award winner
David Zeddics’ 9.85 and Emilio
Marrero’s 9.70 scores on the high bar,
the Illini moved into 1st place after
four routines.
All six Illinois gymnasts scored
above a 9.0 on the vault to stay in 1 st
place.
“We have five guys who can do a
9.60 on the vault,” Hayasaki said.
“That’s the turning point of the meet.
The last event, we just tried to get
through. This year 1 fell maybe we
were a little bit overconfident. We
had everybody back and David
Romero coming in.
“I’ve been waiting for this (cham
pionship title) for 16ycars. I feel very
good. I’m proud of all these guys. It
was up to us. If we performed well, I
knew we would w in. We did a pretty
good job.”
Zeddies was the key performer for
Illinois. In addition to his 9.85 on the
high bar, he scored 9.80 on the floor
exercise and the pommel horse.
Zeddies said saving his energy on
Thursday helped him on Friday.
“Yesterday, I was trying not to
burn out and I put all my energy into
today,” Zeddies said. “Last year I
went all out in the first and second
sessions and was worn out.”
Hayasaki was pleased with Zed
dies performance.
“He’s been the key individual
performer on all the events,”
Hayasaki said. “Wecan counton this
guy. It’s nice to have a gymnast like
this.”
Illinois’ winning performance
came in front of many vocal Illini
supporters in the crowd.
“The fans were fantastic,” Zed
dies said. “You could hear them.”
Hayasaki said Illinois’ perform
ance left no doubt in his mind as to
w ho had the best team.
It’s not easy to win in Lincoln,
Hayasaki said.
“We knew we had to have a better
team than Nebraska. I think we had
better gymnasts,” he said.
David Frana/Daily Nebraskan
Nebraska's Patrick Kirksey (left) and Bob Stelter wave
to the crowd at the completion of the all-around compe
tition at the NCAA men’s gymnastics championships
last weekend at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
New Mexico senior wins 4th vault title
By Chuck Green
Senior Editor
Chad Fox’s four-year plan has
been completed.
Fox, a senior from New Mexico,
captured the national championship
in the vault for the fnurth-consccutive
year to become the first gymnast in
NCAA history to win four individual
titles on the same apparatus.
Fox also won the vault in 1986,’87
and ’88.
“It feels fantastic,” Fox said.
‘ ‘When I was a freshman, I wanted to
be the first to win four on the floor and
four on the vault, and be the first
gymnast to win eight (NCAA titles).
The floor didn’t go so well, but at
least I won the vault.”
Fox won the floor exercise title in
1987.
The scores of two vaults were
combined in the competition. Fox’s
score of 9.625 was good enough to
pass Keith Rooks of Iowa, who fin
ished 2nd with a 9.575. Houston
Baptist’s Mike Williams was 3rd
with a 9.5.
Fox also scored a 9.30 on the floor
exercise to finish 7th in that event.
Jody Newman of Arizona Slate
won the floor exercise with a 9.85,
edging Iowa Slate’s Ted Hayes
(9.825).
In the pommel horse event, Chris
Waller of UCLA and Penn Slate’s
Mark Sohn both scored 9.85 to tic for
1st. Waller, whose Buiins missed
qualifying for Friday night’s team
finals, said his title was a separate
goal.
Curtis Holdsworth, Waller’s
teammate, finished 3rd with a 9.75
mark. Nebraska’s Patrick Kirksey
finished 6th, earning All-America
status.
On the rings, Houston Baptist’s
Alfonso Rodrigue/ and New Mex
ico’s Paul O’Neill scored 9.95 each,
tying for 1st. Houston Baptist’s
Miguel Rubio finished 3rd with a
9.90.
O’Neill, who began his collegiate
career at Houston Baptist, earned a 10
from one judge during his perform
ance. “With guys like Miguel and
Alfonso, I knew it would take a hel
luva rings set to win,” O’Neill said.
“I just wanted to hit my set without a
major error and let it happen just like
in practice.”
Rodrigue/, who along with Rubio
was held out of the all-around compe
tition because of injuries, said he fell
a lot of pressure after O’Neill scored
a 9.95 - the highest score in the 1989
championships.
“He’s pretty tough,” Rodriguez
said of his former teammate. “He
took a little step on his dismount and
that allowed me to tie with him. But
his routine is better than mine. He has
the originality to score a 10.
“I’m OK, but Paul is the stud on
rings.”
Rodriguez also won the parallel
bars competition, scoring a 9.80. It
was the first time a Husker gymnast
has not won the NCAA parallel bars
title. The last time was in 1986, when
Arizona State’s Dan Hayden won.
Rodriguez said he isn’t tired of
finishing 1st.
“Not really,” he said. “It’s al
ways a great feeling. Last year, I
didn’t even make All-American in
this event because I screwed up my
back, so this is extra special.”
Kirksey and Stanford’s Tim Ryan
scored 9.70 to tie for 2nd.
Rubio finished the evening by
capturing the high bar title with a 9.95
score. Nebraska’s Mike Epperson
scored 9.45 to lie Penn State’s Adam
Carton for 3rd. Kirksey finished 5th
in the event.
Rubio was the defending cham
pion in the event.
Kirksey 4th Husker
to win all-around title
By Chuck Green
Senior Kditor
Before coming to Nebraska,
Patrick Kirkscy looked up toCom
husker gymnasts like Jim Hartung,
Tom Schlcsingcr and Wes Sutcr.
He doesn’t have to look up
anymore - he’s reached their
level.
Kirksey, a junior from Tucker,
Ga., became the fourth Nebraska
gymnast to win the NCAA all
around title during Saturday’s
championships at the Bob Deva
ncy Sports Center.
‘‘I feel like I’m following in
their footsteps,” he said of his
idols. “But I don’t try to make too
much of a big deal about it.”
During Saturday’s compulsory
competition, Kirkscy scored a
54.95 - his best compulsory score
of the season -- which was com
bined with his score of 57.65 in the
optional round Thursday night.
His combined total of 112.60 was
his best combined score of the
season, surpassing his 111.55
score in this year’s Big Eight
championships.
Mike Racanclli of Ohio State
was 2nd in the all-around with a
combined score of 111.65, while
UCLA’s David St. Pierre finished
3rd with a 111.55.
Heading into the sixth and final
rotation, Kirkscy had a 1.20-point
lead on Racanclli. But Kirksey
faltered on the high bar while
trying to execute a giant swing.
“I told myself to relax, but I
guess I relaxed a little too much,”
Kirkscy said.
Because he failed to complete a
full turn, no score was awarded on
the move. Racanclli saw his
chance.
He needed a 9.75 to capture the
all-around title. His previous best
on the high bar was a 9.60 during
this year’s Big Ten champion
ships.
But his score Saturday was an
8.90, which ensured Kirksey of a
lst-place finish.
‘‘Ijusldidn’t hit it like it needed
to be hit,” Racanclli said.
Other Husker finishers in
cluded Bob Stelter (4th), Mike
Epperson (9th) and Mark War
burton (22nd).
See KIRKSEY on~8
Husker women crank out five tourney wins
By Darran Fowler
Staff Reporter
It is safe to say that the Nebraska softball
team is on a roll.
After defeating 14th-ranked Arizona State
2-0 and 19th-ranked Florida State 4-2 in a pair
of games Sunday at the Nebraska Softball
Complex, the unranked Huskers finished 5-0 to
win the three-day Husker Power Matchup.
Nebraska coach Ron Wolforth said the
Huskers are definitely on a roll after winning
10 of their last 11 games to improve its record
to 23-20.
“I hate to say something like that but if
there’s ever a time to say it, it would have to be
after the kids played so well,” Wolforth said.
‘‘This is my third year here and I don’t think
we’ve ever... put together five straight fantas
tic ball games where we did everything as well
as we’ve done.”
Wolforth said he attributes the Huskers’
winning streak to better hitting, especially that
of seniors Ruth Chatwin, who went 9-15 in the
tournament, Jane Kremer and Janelle Frese.
The trio bat in positions three, four and five
respectively in the Huskers’ line-up.
“I think the number one thing I can lead to
is the resurgence of our veteran players,”
Wolforth said. ‘‘The number two factor is just
incredible pitching throughout about 15 games
or so. We’ve just been getting some shut
outs.”
Nebraska scattered eight hits in the win over
Arizona Stale and six hits against Florida State
while playing errorless defense.
Nebraska pitcher Marie Bowie registered
both wins for the Huskers to raise her record to
10-9. Bowie went the distance in throwing a
three-hit shutout over Arizona State and than
relieved teammate Stephanie Skegas, 13-11, in
the third inning of the second game against
Florida State.
Against Arizona State, Nebraska’s Jennifer
Biallas scored in the fifth inning on a single by
C hatwin. The Huskers picked up an insurance
run in the seventh inning when Kristin
Davidson scored on a wild pitch thrown against
Chatwin by Arizona State pitcher Donna Ste
wart
Nebraska opened the scoring against Flor
• r1?? in . inning when F-ese
singled home Amy Killman, who was running
for Kremer. Chatwin then knocked in two runs
wilh adoiible in the third inning and a single in
the fifth, each scoring right fielder Jill Rishel.
Suzi Adams, who pinch-ran for Chatwin, also
scored in the fifth on a single by Kremer.
Nebraska also broke the single season rec
ord for stolen bases by topping the old mark of
48 set last year.
“We’ll shatter it,” Wolforth said. “We’ll
get it around in the 60’s. It’s a running team.”
The wins over ranked Arizona State and
Florida State should also push the Huskers up
from fifth to third in the power ratings for the
West region, Wolforth said.
“We’ll have gained 24 power points in
three days and I don’t think you can do much
better than that,” he said. “We’re obviously
better than fifth and obviously before the first
Citch was thrown in this tournament we were
ettei than fifth but unless you start winning
you don’t say anything as a coach.
“Our level is picking up towards when it’s
our goal is to win the Big Eight Championship.
In the last five years it hasn’t changed.’’
Nebraska opened the tournament with a 1 -0
win over Florida State on Friday, followed by
consecutive 3-0 scores on Saturday over Ari
zona State and Kansas.
-^Florida State ended the tournament with a 3
2 record beating Arizona State 3-2 and Kansas
twice by scores of 3-2 and 1-0. Kansas and
Arizona State both finished with 1 -4 records in
splitting a pair of games. Arizona State beat
Kansas 7-6 in a nine-inning game Friday, fol
lowed by a 1-0 win by Kansas Sunday.