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OU coach says NU has chance at title
By Nick Hytrek
Senior Editor
Greg Buwick may be as familiar
with the Nebraska men’s gymnastics
team as Coach Francis Allen is.
After all, Buwick’s Oklahoma team
has competed against the top-ranked
Comhuskers seven limes this season.
Oklahoma was one of two teams to
beat Nebraska this season. Minnesota
was the other.
So Buwick is well-qualified to say
Nebraska has a good shot at winning
its eighth national title this weekend
at the NCAA championships at the
Bob Devaney Center.
“They’re certainly a contender for
the national championship,” Buwick
said. “But I wouldn’t call them the
odds-on favorite.”
Buwick’s Sooners are the defend
ing national champions but didn’t
qualify for the team championship
competition this season.
Buwick predicted a four-team race
between Nebraska, Stanford, Ohio
Stale and Minnesota.
“I think it’s going to be real close,”
Buwick said.
But if championships were
awarded on the basis of talent alone,
Buwick said Stanford would be the
logical choice.
“Stanford has the best talent in the
country,” he said, “but they’re not as
consistent. If you’re going to chal
lenge, you need to be consistent.”
Throughout the season, the Husk
ers have proven to be the most consis
tent, he^aid.
“Nebraska’sbeen real solid, which
gives them a clear advantage,” Buwick
said. “||d other team’s been as solid.”
Nctroska has scored more than
280 pokus nine meets in a row, an
unofficial NCAA record for scores
above that mark.
But, Buwick said, it’s hard to tab
anyone as the favorite anymore.
See BUWICK on 10
Nebraska’s Dennis Harrison competes on the pommel horse earlier this season. Harrison leads the Comhuskers in the all
around this season, with an average score of 57.12 per meet. Harrison tied the school record in the floor exercise this season
with a »w90.
*. '.-v . > ^»•>*-.? v-*'' v*-u. :* -;.ue 41 * 4* % 4 .i
_ _ _ _ ^ a •«
8*1 in duals and triangulars, 33*2 overall
Top two teams listed in meets
Nov. 30 Rocky Mountain Open-Colorado Springs, Cdo.
1. Nebraska 279.90,2. BYU 278.60
Dec 6-7 Big Eight Invitational-Uncdn
1. Oklahoma 278.30,2. Nebraska 27820
Jan, 25 Big Eight Triangular-Norman, Okla.
1. Nebraska 284.00,2. Oklahoma 279.80
Feb.20doState-Lincdn
1. Nebraska 283.60,2. Ohio State 280.05
Feb. 21 Minnesota-Minneapolis
1. Minnesota 280.95,2. Nebraska 280.40
March 1 Big Eight Triangular-Lincoln
1. Nebraska 284.65,2. Oklahoma 281.25
March 8 New Mexico-Lincoln
1. Nebraska 286.20,2. New Mexico 276.85
March 14 UCLA-Los Angeles n
1. Nebraska 284.35,2. UCLA 274.50 /
March 27-28 Big Eight Championships-Ames, Iowa | (
1. Nebraska 286.50,2. Oklahoma 279.80 J \
April 11 NCAA West Regkmal-Albuquerque, N.M. m \
1. Nebraska 286.175,2. Stanford 285.27 JH L
Men s tennis team splits matches
Competition snows
Husker women
* **» 7«' '■ 1/
By Jeff Singer
Staff Reporter v f " y **
The Nebraska men’? tennis team
barely escapcd-jrfie clutches of both
their B ig Eight rivals and the weather,
while the women’s tennis team fell
victim to both in weekend action.
The men split their weekend
matches, losing to Kansas 6*3 and
rebounding tb bear Missouri 9-0, While
leaving Columbia, Mo., just in lime
to escape Monday’s blizzard.
The women weren’t as fortunate.
The Comhuskcr women’s slim Big
Eight title hopes were dashed by losses
to Kansas State 5-4-and Kansas 9*0?
And just whon the Huskcrs thought
things were going their way follow
ing a 5-0 win over Missouri Monday,
they were snowed in at St. Joseph,
Mo., on their way home.
On the men’s side, Nebraska played
even with the Big Eight champion
Jayhawks after splitting singles
matches 3-3. Wins from No. 2 player
Karl Falk land, No. 3 M ike Garc ia and
No. 6 Troy Bray enabled the Huskcrs
to have a chance to blemish Kansas’
perfect conference record.
But momentum in doubles play
swung to the Jayhawks’ favor, as they
swept all three matches and ended
Kheir season with a 6-0 Big Eight
record and the top seed in this week
end’s conference tournament in Kan
sas Cify, Mc$
Nebraskafcoach Kerry McDermott
said he was proud of his squad’s ef
fort against the 22nd-rankcd Jayhawks.
“We won mentally against them,”
McDermott said. “We played really
good singles and had a chance lo win
until the end.”
Bray said he was impressed with
Garcia’s upset over his Kansas counter
part.
“He had to menially stand up and
face the challenge,” Bray said. “Being
a freshman and being able to stand up
lo that senior was the highlight of the
weekend.”
Monday’s dual against Missouri
went as expected for Nebraska, as the
Huskers swept all nine matches in
straight sets. That continued Missouri’s
drought of conference losses, as the
Tigers ended the year 0-6. Missouri ?
hasn’t won a Big Eight match since i
re-establishing its program in 1986.
McDermott said the Missouri match }
went as planned.
“They just weren ’ t that lough of a i\
team,” McDermott said. “I was real
See TENNIS on 11
J
NU assistant a finalist
for Western Illinois job
By Thomas Clouse
Senior Editor.
Western Illinois University’s
search for a new head basketball
coach includes a Cornhusker assis
tant coach, but no decision has
been made, one of the school’s
officials said.
Gil Peterson, Western Illinois
athletic director, said Gary Bargcn,
Nebraska assistant basketball coach,
is a finalist for the head coaching
job at the Macomb, III., school.
Peterson said a screening com
mittee was set up about a month
ago to fill the vacant coaching
position.
“I’m not involved with how
Bargen became a finalist,” Peter
son said. “But his chances are very
good.”
Peterson said the committee
would give him its rccommcnda
See BARGEN on 11
Baseball, softball
games postponed
From Staff Reports
Nebraska’s baseball and softball
teams both were forced to postpone
games Tuesday because of the weather.
The baseball game against Ne
braska-Kcamcy scheduled for last night
was postponed indefinitely.
The softball team was supposed to
play a doublchcader against Creighton
today. The schools discussed another
playing date, but Nebraska officials
said the Comhuskcrs’ schedule was
full until the Big Eight Tournament
May l -3. No decisions had been made
by Tuesday afternoon. »
