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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 1992)
Sports ‘Enforcer’s’ physical play suits coach by jen binger Senior Reporter Nebraskans tend to be character ized as hard workers who don’t al ways receive the recognition they deserve. So it shouldn’t be any surprise that of the four regular starters on this year’s Comhuskcr men’s basketball team, Bruce Chubick, the lone Ne braska native of the foursome, fits the anonymous label well. Chubick, a 6-foot-7 forward from Atkinson, is known as a physical player who worries more about helping his team pul numbers in the win column than aiding his own personal statis tics. And this “team” attitude is what the Huskers arc counting on from Chubick throughout the season, in cluding their final exhibition game against Marathon Oil at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at the Bob Dcvancy Sports Center. Chubick said he wanted tocontrib ute in his own way, not only Saturday night, but throughout the year. “I hope that when people sec me, they sec someone who’s aggressive and docs the little things,” Chubick said. “In two words: blue collar.” This year’s Nebraska media guide calls Chubick “a hard-nosed power forward from the northern Nebraska plains.Xhubick said he wants to live up to this billing. “Hard-nosed to me means that you’re not afraid to get a little dirty some of the lime—then if that’s hard nosed,then yeah,that’sme,”Chubick said. Nebraska basketball coach Danny Nee said Chubick blended in well with the other players on the Husker team. “We call him our enforcer,” Nee said. “He’s o6r rebounder and our screcncr; he’s our most physical player and he’s a very important part of our program.” - a I hope that when people see me, they see someone who’s , aggressive and does the little things. In two words: blue collar. Chubick NU forward -99 ~ This year’s Nebraska team, which made school history by earning a pre season ranking at No. 25, is com prised of many budding collegiate superstars. Center Derrick Chandler is thp Big Eight’s top shot blocker, forward Eric Piatkowski is a f nalisl for the Wooden Award, point guard Jamar Johnson was the team’s MVP last year and a trio of freshman recruits have been called Nebraska’s best freshman class ever. So does Chubick worry about not receiving a lot of publicity? “I don ’t care about the spotlight— I don’t need it, I don’t want it,’’Chubick said.‘Tmncvcrgoingto bcaguy who somebody picks out as the star of the team — and that really doesn’t bother me.’’ He said good play, not attention, was most-gratifying for him on the court. “The satisfaction I get is that I did my job and that I helped the team,” Chubick said. “As long as I do what’s expected of me and as long as I’m satisfied with what I did after a game, then that’s what’s pleasing to me.’’ Chubick pleased many Husker fans last year by averaging 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game to accompany his 23 blocks in the 1991-92 cam paign. ButChubick’sbiggestachievemcnt last season came when the Huskcrs Nebraska forward Bruce Chubick attempts a dunk in the Cornhuskers’ exhibition game against the Cuban National Team. Last season, Chubick averaged 7 points and 5 re bounds for Nebraska. played No. 3 Kansas in his first career start. Wi th one second left in a tied game against the Jay hawks, Kansas’ Alonzo Jamison drove for an apparent win ning basket when Chubick came from behind Jamison and used his team best 32.5 inch vertical jump to block the Shot and send the game into over time. The Huskers went on to upset the Jayhawks 81-79. Chubick said those arc the only situations that you’ll usually sec him gaining notoriety. “I doubt you’ll see me in the spot light,” he said. “If you do, it will be by chance.” N U wrestlers bring home nine titles Talent-rich teams ready to collide at Vegas tourney By Derek Samson Staff Reporter The Nebraska wrestling team look another necessary step toward its goal Saturday at the Omaha Open. The Cornhuskers took home nine individual titles and won six of the nine weight classes in the open divi sion. Nebraska, which won 11 individual titles the week before at the Cowboy Open in Laramie, Wyo., looked better in its second meet of the season, said Huskcr coach Tim Neumann, “From Wyoming last week, we improved 25 percent,"Neumann said. “We made the improvements dial were necessary over the week. “We arc just about where I thought we needed to be heading into a big, national meet like Las Vegas.” Neumann will take his team up against many of the country’s best Dec. 4-5 in Las Vegas. At the Omaha Open, held at the UNO ficldhouse, Husker senior Rick Coltvct earned his First tournament win in his career at Nebraska. Coltvct captured the 150-pound title with a win over Brent Loken of Augustana. Another win thatplcascd Neumann was senior John Buxton, who won at 126 pounds. Buxton beat Kerry Bauman of the University of Mary to cam the title. “It was nice to see Buxton come back to form and at a good lime,” Neumann said. Other winners included 158-pound senior Malt Lindtand who pinned Keith Massey in 45 seconds, Tommy Robbins at 167 pounds, Corey Olson at 177 pounds and heavyweight Rulon Gardner. Olson, the two-time All-Ameri can, pinned all four opponents and received the award for the most falls in the least time, with four pins in 8:27. “1 was really pleased,” Neumann said. “Our starters went 44-4, so it was a good day.” The Huskers also fared well in the freshman/sophomorc division of the tournament. Jason Reitmeier won the 134-pound weight class, Justin Ware took the 142-pound crown and Tolly Thompson won at heavyweight. “That whole freshman class gets mad if they don’t win it,” Neumann said. He said he was happy about where his team stood after Saturday’s com petition. ‘‘The guys took the positive steps forward to be where we want them to be,” he said. Now, Neumann said, the Huskers would turn their attention to perform ing well at Las Vegas, a tradition-rich tournament filled with good wres tlers. Huskers sidestep = ISU upset, win title By Jeff Singer Senior Reporter It wasn’t pretty, but the Nebraska volleyball team swept through an other Big Eight season unscathed. The No. 7 Cornhuskers beat Iowa State 15-13, 18-16, 15-11 in Ames, Iowa, Saturday to finish their confer ence season a perfect 12-0. The Cyclones outhit the Huskers .159 to .149, and Iowa State held Nebraska’s senior tandem of Stephanie Thaler and Eileen Shannon to .097and .111 hitting,respectively. Huskcr outside hitter Allison Weston had one of the best Nebraska hitting pcrcentagcs at .231 with seven kills in 26 attacks. Weston said a combination of good Cyclone play and Huskcr anxiety kept the match close in all three games. “(Iowa State) played tremen dously,” Weston said. “We came out a littLe tense and we couldn’t get calmed down in all three games.” Fellow Nebraska outside hitter Kim Tonnigcs agreed. “We didn’t play very well,” Tonnigcs said. “They outplayed us and they were working harder than we were.” The Huskcr players said the four hour trip to Ames might have affected their play. seems like when we lake a bus ride and play the same day, it’s some times harder for us to get up to play,” Weston said. Tonniges said it was tough playing away from the NU Coliseum. “You don’t want to look Tor ex cuses, but that probably had some thing to do with it; it’s the not the same as playing at home,” Tonniges said. More than 300 fans watched the match at Iowa State’s Physical Edu cation Building, making it one of the Cyclones’ largest home crowds of the year. Even though the Huskers were held to a season low in hitting percentage, they were able to win their 57th straight Big Eight match and go through a fourth consecutive conference season without a loss. One of the players that helped Nebraska increase its streaks was freshman outside hitter B il lie W insett. Winsctt, who entered Saturday’s match hilling .034 on the season,came through against Iowa State by regis tering nine kills in 22 attacks for a .273 hitting percentage. The Huskcrs ended the regular sea son with a 20-4 overall mark, but Tonniges said she expected Nebraska to play better than it did against the Cyclones in time for this weekend’s Big Eight tournament in Omaha. “It’s frustrating for us, because this is the time when we want to play well for the (Big Eight) tournament,” Tonniges said. “We’re definitely not going to let this happen again.” Jyu coach hopes for surprises at NCAA Championships oy i im rearson Staff Reporter_ Nebraska cross country coach Jay Dirksen said he was surprised that his women’s team won the District V meet last weekend. Dirksen is hoping for the same kind of surprise at today’s NCAA Championships. “I think, realistically, we should place 15th, give or take a few places,” Dirksen said. ‘‘You never know. I didn’t think we would win districts, but we did.” Last year’s women’steam finished 12th at the NCAA Championships. Dirkscn said this year’s team had the potential to do the same. “We could be just as good as last year,” he said. “We’re not a contender for the national title, but we’re a good team. We’ve achieved a lot this sea ♦* son. Dirkscn said he hoped that runn ing in meets against a lot of runners dur ing the season would bcnefilthc Husk ers at the national meet. “This team may do well because of their experience of running against a lot of people,” he said. “Our athletes may be able to handle running in the big meets better.” Fran ten Bcnscl will try to improve on last year’s 17th-place finish at the national meet. Dirksen said ten Bcnscl had a shot at winning the individual title. “Fran is one of six that have a chance to win the individual title,” he said. Ten Bcnscl, an All-American the past two years, will be shooting to be the highest Nebraska finisher ever. Dirksen said the fact that ten Bcnscl had run at the national meet twice before could only help her. “Experience is vital,” he said. “She’s been there before, and she’s physically good enough to win." Dirksen also said that Theresa Stclling had a chance to make All American this year. Beyond ten Bcnscl and Stclling, Dirksen said, the rest of his team is inexperienced in NCAA meets. “We’re a little short on experience in the fourth and fifth running posi tions.” David Iteffa was the only Husker men’s runner toqualify for the NCAA meet. Dirksen said lleffa had a good chance to be an All-American this year. To make All-American, Iteffa must be one of the lop 25 American finish ers. This will be Iteffa’s first race at the national meet. Even though it is his first race, Dirksen said, he expects Iteffa to run well. “He runs the second half of the race really well,” Dirksen said. “He’s run ning at his best right now, and he runs so intelligently. “Potentially he could be the best we’ve had here.”