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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 1989)
Sports Accident slows, doesn’t stop NU runner _ n' L.>J I 'nAiwr WhnnCInnJ. > . . _ ® OJf -- Stiff Reporter __ An automobile accident cast a dark shadow on the running career of Tracy Smith, and also took her from Florida to Nebraska. The sophomore from Milton, Ontario, said she was set on accepting a scholarship from Florida An mac ctmrk hv a _I until -- -L car three years ago. The accident caused doubt on the future of her career, as she was confined to a bed for two months after break ing her pelvic bone and Smith suffering severe back injuries. Smith said she didn’t lake the accident seri ously at first. But as she spent more lime away from running, life became more difficult. “Those two months were the most difficult lime in my life,” Smith said. ‘‘I was scared, but I knew that someday I would run again.” —nuiiicu s uatKcoacn Deverty Kearny learned about her condition, the Gators withdrew their scholarship offer. That move added insult to the injury, but Smith said she does not blame Kearny for doing it. I have no hard feelings toward her because a«jholarship is a big investment,” Smith said. She marked me as damaged goods. But col lege athletics is a big business and I respect her decision. Smith said Kearny’s decision prompted her to become more determined than ever to re cover. The road to recovery was difficult, she said, because she couldn’t run until almost six months after the accident. When she was allowed to run, she said, she began working out in a pool. She said that was beneficial because it strengthened her muscles while keeping pressure off her back. Smith said she decided to compete for Nebraska because of Comhusker cross country coach Jay Dirksen. She chose Nebraska over Alabama, Washington and North Carolina State. “Jay stood right beside me the whole time,” Smith said. “He seemed like a very dedicated coach and a honest person. Thai’s what I wanted from a coach.” Dirksen said he originally doubted Smith would contribute during her first year. “When Tracy came to Nebraska, she was still recovering from the accident,” Dirksen said. “She wasn’t at 100 percent, but she was very determined and motivated. It was like she had something to prove to everybody.” Dirksen said Smith surprised him during her first season by making a substantial contribu tion. She finished among Nebraska’s lop five runners last season, and wrapped up her fresh man year by finishing 70th at the NCAA cross country championships. But that good fortune came to an abrupt end during the indoor track season. Smith was bothered by a sprained ankle and an aching Achilles tendon. Smith tried everything toolIset her injuries, she said, including sleeping with her leg in a bucket of ice. She said that tactic only made things worse. The pain increased after she continued to compete. Dirksen said Smith’s injuries forced her to rcdshirl during the outdoor season. “Her injury situation was just getting worse,” Dirksen said. “Her doctor told her if she didn’t take some time off, her Achilles tendon would become chronic.” Smith said she was frustrated throughout the outdoor season. She said that reaching the outdoor season was one of her goals when she came to Nebraska. “Outdoor track is usually the most competi tive season of the year because everybody wants to make it to nationals,” Smith said. Dirksen said Smith has the potential to fin ish high in this year's Big Eight Champion ships. He said his only worry is she will push herself loo hard and the aches and pains will come back. Jay hawks coach has high-flying goals for new season By uarran rowier Senior Reporter Kansas football caoch Glen Ma son’s aspirations arc like those of every other coach in the Big Eight: He wants to win the conference championship. “I hope we achieve a level better than respectability,” he said. “It takes fortitude to hang in there and I’m not discouraged one bit We’re trying to make as mud progress as we can.” Mason, who is entering his second season with the Jayhawks, said meas uring his team’s progress will take more than one year. ‘‘1 don’t think you ever have an idea whal kind of condition a pro gram is in until you literally lake it over,” he said. “We’re dealing with youth and we’re dealing with inexpe rience right now.” Kansas lost by an average score of 43-16 last season en route to compil ing a 1 -10 record. The Jay hawks have not had a winning season since 1981, when they finished 8-4. But, Mason said, most Kansas fans remain optimistic. "They saw a lot of young guys play their hearts out last year,” he said. Mason said some fans are critical, "but I don’t care what they think.” “I’m only interested in one thing and that’s the improvement of this football team,” he said. Mason said he is confident Kansas will improve this season because it returns nine starters on offense and seven on defense. A majority of those returners arc underclassmen, he said. Seven sophomore, three junior and six senior starters return for Kansas. Those players make up the bulk of the Jayhawks’ 39-man roster of returning lettermen. ‘‘We’re a tremendously young team,” Mason said. Starting quarterback Kelly Donohoe, wide receiver Quintin Smith, tight end John Baker, tail backs Frank Hatchett and Tony Sands return on offense. Four linemen - including center Chip Budde, left guard Smith Holland, left tackle Chris Perez and right tackle Bill Hundclt - also arc back. The returning defensive starters include tackles Mark Konez and Dave Walton, noseguard Matt Nolen and linebackers Dan Newbrough and Paul Friday. Defensive backs Jason Priest and Dcral Boykin also return. Mason said youth is the strength and weakness of the Jayhawks this season. Kansas displayed the finer points of its youlhfulncss on Satur day, as it opened its season by blast ing Montana Slate 41-17. Unlike the situation at Nebraska, Mason said, Kansas players “know they arc going to get to play.” But, motivation of players some times is difficult, he said. “I’m not going to say it’s easy,” he said. “We work just as hard here as the players do at Nebraska. They just don’t get the same respect, same rewards.” Mason said a story last year that had several Jayhawks quilting the team was erroneous. Actually, seven players were injured and another seven were declared academically ineligible, he said. Three players quit and one trans ferred, he said. New and returning talent ignites team Player adjusts to NU lifestyle By Darran Fowler Senior Reporter Nebraska freshman Debbie Brand has not had much lime lo adjust to the American life style. Brand, an outside hitter on the Nebraska volleyball team, was in the United States for the first time when she arrived in Lincoln three weeks ago. With injuries sidelining outside hitters Cris Hall and Linda Barsness, Brand and freshman teammate Eileen Shannon have played promi nent roles in the Comhuskers’ first two victo ries against Drake and Iowa. Shannon started both matches in place of Hall, who has been sidelined by back spasms. Brand replaced Barsness in the first set of the Iowa match after the junior went down with a season-ending knee injury. oranu, wno played on tne Australian na tional team, said volleyball has kept her busy since arri v ing here. She said the amount of time spent training back home was less than the time spent preparing with the Huskers. Brand said athletes in Australia work during the day and train at night It never was quite as concentrated,” she said. Australia docs not have a college system, so athletes get notoriety by playing on state teams and also on the Australian National Team, Brand said. She said volleyball gets more recognition in the United States. Wc don’t have the crowds and we don’t get as much media attention,” she said. Brand said extra attention is why she wanted 10 play in the United States. She said she heard about the Nebraska program via the grapevine. She said a friend, who attended Florida State, gave her a list of 37 colleges. Brand said she wrote all of those schools and afterward she received letters from several colleges who requested videos of her in action. “Nebraska was one of them. (It) was one of ihc best that offered me a scholarship,” she said. “I heard things about them like they always won the Big Eight and that they always try for the Final Four.” Brand played for the South Australian State team and was a member of the Australian National team. Shannon, of Elmhurst, III., was named the Illinois Player of the Year and most valuable player of the AAU Volleyball Championships last season. She was also a Rcebok and Junior Olympic All-America selection. Brand and Shannon said they feel comfort able playing at the collegiate level, a statement which sits well with Nebraska volleyball coach Terry Pettit. “I think we’re fortunate in that all our freshmen arc comfortable on the court,’ ’ Pettit said. “We think we have an exceptional fresh man class this year.” Stephanie Thater, of Union, Mo., and Val erie Vcrmeulcn, of Wantagh, N.Y., complete Nebraska’s freshman class. “We counted on Eileen playing a lot this year and thought that all of them might contrib ute in some way,” Pettit said. With Nebraska’s depth, experience and tradition, Husker freshmen arc less pressured, he said. “Many ways it’s easier to start as a Iresh man in our program because you don’t have to do everything,” he said. “If you arc freshman in a mediocre school you might have to pro duce all the time. There’s a lot more stress in that situation.” Going into the season, Pettit said that health would play a major role in Nebraska’s “ulti mate goal” of reaching the Final Four. That has not changed, he said. “I think it’s still possible, but health is even more critical,” Pettit said. “We’ll make ad justments and have a very good learn The Final Four is still reachable as long as we don t lose anybody else.” . . . Pettit said if there was going to be crisis, it would have happened during the Iowa match after Barsness was injured. “If we were going to fall apart I think yoj* would have seen it during that game, he said. Volleyball action worth seeing Some Nebraska fans fail lo realize a good thing when they have it. While wailing for my colleague in front of the NU Coliseum Saturday before Nebraska’s volleyball match against upset-minded Iowa, I overheard a woman express dismay to her husband and son that the match was even taking place. As their red-cladded attire would suggest, this family definitely was supportive of Com husker athletics - or at least Husker football. “Too bad there was a game going on,” the woman said. This family obviously wanted a “free” unguided tour of the student recreation center, but any tour at that lime would have included a small fee charged for admission. But, too bad? Why not pay the four dollars ~ or one dollar if you’re lucky enough to have a Husker foot ball ticket stub - and have the luxury of both amenities and watch the talented Huskers play and take the tour afterwards? Nebraska has built a strong reputation over the course of 15 years as is evident by the Huskers winning nearly 80 percent of their games, all 13 Big Eight titles and seven con secutive appearances in the NCAA tourna ment, including a runner-up finish in 1986. So what’s bad about the seventh-ranked team in the country playing volleyball on a Saturday afternoon before 1,257 screaming fans? Unlike the football team's home slate this season, the volleyball team’s schedule con tains a myriad of top-notch teams. Hawaii, which finished second last year and is ranked third this season, and Illinois, which finished third last season and is ranked fourth this season, arc among the teams which will challenge the Huskers in the coliseum this year. In addition, second-ranked Stanford and I2lh-ranked Kentucky visit, as well as powers Houston, Oklahoma and Colorado. Also, players and coaches arc bold to admit that this year’s team has “Final Four’’ inten tions. You’ll never hear the same kind of con fident and assuring comments from any mem ber of the Nebraska football team. Attendance at Husker matches is good and Coach Terry Pettit is the first to compliment the support the team receives. “I think we have one of the best volleyball crowds in the country,” he said. But considering Nebraska’s national promi nence, the support and recognition could be better, especially from university students. Student support has increased over the last two years, but with free admission for those with student identification cards, even the most frugal individual can afford two hours of con stant, fast-paced action. It’s the best entertain ment money doesn’t have to buy. Sure, Nebraska football paranoia is un cqualcd, but it’s not the only game in town. And if Pettit is to be believed, it may not even be the best game in town. “It’s as good an atmosphere at an athletic nvnnl ms ihnn* knn r.MmniK ” Pi'll it utid iihnni Huskcr matches in the coliseum. “I think one of the most exciting things going on in sports is happening in our situation. It’s just a great atmosphere.” Subjective, yes, but it docs convey truth. Volleyball matches in the coliseum arc not boring. The coliseum’s layout gives a spectator the sensation that one is a part of the action and the psychological impact that a boisterous crowd can have there is unrivaled. Volleyball fever in the coliseum is conta gious and an individual, student or non-stu dent, docs not have to sacrifice much to share in the epidemic. But then again, most would not hesitate to surrender their first-born in exchange for a ticket to watch the football team play Northern Illinois only to be bored stiff by the first quar ter, leave at halftime and repeal the process all over again the following week. Now that’s too bad. Fowler is a junior news-editorial major and a Daily Nebraskan senior reporter.
