Sports
Seven Cornhuskers qualify for NCAAs
By Sara Bauder
Staff Reporter
In a race fast enough to qualify the
top three places to the NCAA Indoor
Championships, Comhuskcr Fran
tenBensel said she knew the finish
would be close.
It was close enough to bring the
Frank Sevignc Husker Invitational
crowd to its feet Saturday as ten
Bensel fought her way to a first-place
Finish over Iowa State University’s
Jacqui Parker and Michelle Taylor of
the University of Southern Califor
nia.
TenBensel said the Finish was so
close, she wasn’t sure if she actually
won.
“I had to ask if I had won,” she
said. ‘‘I was just so happy to sec the
time and that 1 had qualified.”
With her time of 2:07.69 minutes,
tenBensel was one of three Husker
women to reach national qualifying
marks Saturday. Joining tenBensel as
qualifiers to the national champion
ships March 9-10 in Indianapolis were
Ximcna Restrcpo in the 200-meter
dash and Yvonne van der Kolk in the
mile run.
On the men’s side, Husker na
tional qualifiers were Tamas Molnar
in the 400 and the 400 relay (Molnar,
Jerry Marsee, Bobby Jclks and Mark
Jackson).
TenBensel said she knew that if
she wanted to qualify for the national
meet, Saturday was the time to do it.
“This was the meet for me to get a
national qualifying time,’’ she said.
“The best runners were here, and this
was just the place to do it.’’
After running a preliminary heat
in the 800, tenBensel wasn’t sure she
would make the finals.
Jay Dirksen, who coaches the
Husker distance runners, said he was
very pleased with her time Saturday.
“She didn’t run very well Friday
night, but she came back from it,”
Dirksen said. “She’s just a great
competitor, and she is much stronger
this year than last.”
Restrepo ran two qualifying times
in the 200, one Friday night in the
semi-finals and again Saturday while
winning the finals. Restrepo’s semi
final time of 23.75 seconds set both
Husker Invitational and Bob Deva
ney Center Track records, breaking
the mark of 23.89 set by Alabama
University’s Pauline Davis in 1989.
Restrepo also anchored the
women’s 400 relay that took third
place and set a provisional qualifying
mark for the national championships.
Provisional marks are set so that if not
enough athletes reach the Nl ^A’s
qualifying standard, there will still be
a full slate of competitors at the na
tional meet.
Restrepo already had qualified for
the national championships in the 400.
She said she will have to decide which
event, the 400 or the 200, she will
enter at the national meet.
“Our relay team is really close to
going to the meet,” she said. “I can t
run in both individual events at the
national meet because they are too
close together and it would be too
much.”
Restrepo said her favorite event is
the 200.
“I’m a 200-meter runner,” she
said. “The 400 is getting too long for
me.”
Nebraska coach Gary Pepin said
Restrepo may be one of the most
versatile sprinters in the nation.
“I don’t know if another female
sprinter in the country has demon
strated the range that she has,’ ’ Pepin
said. “We started her out this year
with the 600, which she has run very
well, and then she ran the 400, and
now she has a very fast 200 as well. ’’
In addition to the relay team of
Kim Walker, Ethel Edwards, Beth
Webster and Rcstrepo, four Husker
women set individual provisional
marks Saturday. Provisional qualifi
ers were Edwards in the 55-metcr
dash, Walker in the 200. Sammie
Gdowski in the 3,000 and Meredy
Porter in the high jump.
Porter already has qualified for the
national meet in the high jump, and
Gdowski has qualified in the mile
run.
Five Husker men set provisional
qualifying marks Saturday. They were
Stephen Golding in the 55 hurdles,
Kevin Coleman in the shot put, Jac
ques van Rensburg in the 3,000 run
and James Cobb and Bob Jelks in the
200.
Race has many meanings
for NU’s Jelks and family
By Robert Richardson
Staff Reporter
Bobby Jclks looks focused, as he
readies himself for the final in the
200-mctcr dash at the Frank Scvignc
Flusker Invitational.
He paces on the track telling him
self to run his own race, warming up
with his headset playing the latest rap
music.
His whole attitude is that of confi
dence. The front of his shirt reads
“BJ is Live on Stage.” On the back,
the words “Bye-Bye” appear for the
benefit of out ran opponents.
As he lakes off his sweats and his
two gold chains, his last words before
the race arc “this is it.”
“I’m more nervous than he is,”
says his younger brother Chris.
With the sound of the starting gun,
Jclks is slow out of the blocks. He
makes up for it on the second turn.
Down the strctcb.his high-knee style
is smooth as he jets to the finish line.
This was a special race for Jclks.
He ran against Kevin Little, a threc
limc All-American from Drake.
Jclks relishes the rivalry.
“It’s a friendly competition, but
today was a grudge match,” he said.
Little agreed.
“We’ve always been real close.
We’re Tierce competitors,” Little said.
‘ That’s what 1 love about this meet.* ’
The finish was a blur of three indi
viduals crossing the line within .19
seconds of each other. Little finished
first in 21.36, followed by Jelks (21.54)
and Nebraska’s James Cobb (21.55).
Chris knows w hat the loss means
to his brother.
‘‘He’s gonna be pissed the rest of
the night,” Chris said. “You don't
know him like I know him.”
The race is a mirror image for
Bobby.
"Il was the same circumstanccs as
last year,” he said. “Me and Little
were in the same lanes. He passed me
in the same spot.”
Jeiks doesn’t have much time lobe
disappointed. In two hours, the 1,600
meter relay will be run. Jelks is the
third leg.
* ‘ 1 had three other guys depending
on me so 1 couldn’t let that stop me,”
he said.
And he didn’t. The finals of the
1,6(X) relay ended with Comhuskers
in the winner’s circle. Jelks, along
with Tamas Molnar, Ken Waller and
Mark Jackson, qualified for nationals
and set a meet record and an indoor
complc x record withatimcof3:08.72
minutes.
Jelks felt good about his relay
performance, ao good, in fact, that he
more than forgot about his earlier
disappointment.
‘‘This mile relay more than made
up for it,” he said.
The meet was a special one for
Jelks. Hisparents, Robert and Wanda,
traveled from Decatur, III., to watch
him run.
See JELKS on 8
Catcher leads Nebraska
to season-opening victory
By Jeff Apel
Senior Editor
Sean McKenna didn’t waste any
time making a name for himself on
the collegiate baseball scene.
McKenna, a freshman catcher from
Woodbury, N.J., hit two doubles and
scored three runs to lead the Nebraska
baseball team to a season-opening,
18-4 victory against Kearney State on
Sunday before 389 fares at Buck Beltzer
Field.
Nebraska baseball coach John
Sanders said he was impressed by
McKenna’s performance. He said
McKenna’s contribution was a big
one because it shows that the former
USA junior team member is capable
of playing a key role this season.
Sanders said McKenna is one of
three catchers who are competing for
playing time. He said the other two
are juniors Charlie Colon and Brian
Arntzen.
“We’ve got a lot of good catch
crs,” Sanders said. “I’ve been im
pressed by the depth at that posi
tion.”
Sanders said catcher is a good
position to have depth because of the
vigorous physical demands involved
in it. He said he is sure all three
players will get plenty of playing time
this season.
Sanders said McKenna earned the
start Sunday because of his perform
ance throughout the fall.
“He’s been solid,” Sanders said.
“He’s a freshman, but he’s interest
ing in that he gives us some real
pluses.”
Sanders said McKenna’s best as
set is his natural ability, which he
Hashed against Kearney Slate. McK
enna said after the game that he cred
ited his success to confidence.
“I was pretty confident,” McK
enna said. “I’ve been in tougher situ
ations, so I really wasn’t worried.”
See DEPTH on 7
Northern Iowa’s Greg Hertoer displays a toothless grin while competing against Ne
braska’s Chris Nelson. Nelson defeated Herber 3-2.
JN U wrestlers show fatigue,
but edge out Northern Iowa
By Chuck Green
Senior Reporter
It took five years as Nebraska’s
wrestling coach, but Tim Neumann
finally beat Northern Iowa.
But the 26-10 Cornhuskcr win
Saturday night at the Bob Devancy
Sports Center - the first Nebraska
win against the Panthers since 1984
— didn’t please Neumann as much
as he would have liked.
Something still bothered him.
“The biggest thing that both
ered me is that we got tired,” he
said. “We showed a lot of fatigue,
and that’s an easy way out for a
wrestler.
“That’s something we’ve got
to work on this week.”
Still, Neumann said he was happy
to get the win.
y “It was satisfying, because
(Northern Iowa) is an awfully good
team,” he said. “They’re a step
above Notre Dame and some of the
other teams that have wrestled
here.”
Nebraska beat then-No. 13
ninked Notre Dame 30-8 three weeks
ago. The Huskers, ranked fourth in
the nation, have won all four home
duals this season and arc 17-3-1 in
duals this season.
A fifth-consecutive loss for Ne
braska seemed possible after Sat
urday’s first match, when third
ranked Mark Schwab beat John
Buxton 12-6 in the 118-pound
weight class.
The Huskers won the next three
weights, but Northern Iowa’s Jamie
Byrne won a major decision over
Nebraska’s Dan Harrison at 158 to
regain a 10-9 team lead.
Four points arc awarded in major
decisions - a win by 8 to 14 points
- instead of three points for a nor
mal fall.
But that was the last weight the
ninth-ranked Panthers would win.
The Huskers won two major deci
sions and a default in the final four
classes to ensure the win.
The win was only the third for
Nebraska in 32 matches with North
ern Iowa.
Neumann said the Huskers will
begin practicing twice a day Feb.
19 in preparation for the Big Eight
championships, which will take
place at the Sports Center on March
11.
“We’re in good shape, but we
need to tone down and get into the
best shape we can," he said. "Wc
can’t wrestle fatigued in a tourna
ment the way wc did tonight.’’
Nebraska will face Minnesota
on Wednesday in Minneapolis, then
will return home Saturday to take
on Oklahoma at the Sports Center.
Saturday’s results:
118 - Mark Schwab (UNI)
decisioned John Buxton, 12-3.
126 - Jason Kelber (NU) deci
sioned Duaine Martin, 8-2.
134 - Dave Diuegemucller (NU)
decisioned Pal Himilton, 4-2.
142 - Paul Herrera (NU) deci
sioned Steve Hartle, 4-2.
150 - Gary Steffensmeier (UNI)
decisioned Todd Enger, 8-7.
158 - Jamie Byrne (UNI) major
decision over Dan Harrison, 12-3.
167 - Scott Chenowclh (NU)
major decision over Greg White,
12-3.
177 -- Corey Olson (NU) won
by default over Rich Powers, 6:15.
Olson was leading 12-5.
190 - Chris Nelson (NU) deci
sioned Greg Herber, 3-2.
Hwt. - Joe Malecek (NU) ma
jor decision over Greg Berg, 13-3.
