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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1994)
Sports Gymnast swinging for all-around By Mitch Sherman Staff Reporter The routines were over. The 952 fans watching the Nebraska wom en’s gymnastics team Saturday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center had all filed out—except for more than 100 autograph-seeking ele mentary school kids. The Huskers had just defeated Southeast Missouri State 191.550 to 182.175, and the children swarmed the floor of the sports center like ants. The kids mobbed Jennifer Hawkinson and other Nebraska gymnasts, shoving posters and pens in the faces of the Huskers. But Hawkinson handled the crowd as smoothly as she handled her performances earlier in the evening. Hawkinson, a 5-foot-4- inch jun ior from Boise, Idaho, performed well but did not reach her late season level from last year. At the Big Eight championships in Norman, Okla., last season, Hawkinson posted personal bests on the vault (9.8) and uneven bars (9.85) en route to winning the all around championship and setting a school record with a 39.15 all around score. “Itwasn’toneofmybiggoalsto go out and win the Big Eight, but I just did my best and it came out on top for me,” she said. Hawkinson, who was named Big Eight gymnast of the month for February and March last year, did not compete in the all-around in the first two meets this season because of difficulties she had with her uneven bars routine. “I’m having problems with my bars right now,” she said, ‘‘but I’m definitely looking forward to get ting back in the all-around. It’s a problem with a trick in my rou tine.” Coach Dan Kendig said he was confident that Hawkinson would correct the problem soon enough to compete in the all-around within the next two weeks. “She’s getting so close to get ting them, there’s no doubt in my mind.” Kendig said. Despite Hawkinson’searly trou ble, other Huskers have had strong performances. Joy Taylor, a junior from New Palestine, 1ml., won the all-around on Saturday with a personal-best score of 38.475. Nicole Duval, a junior from Lin coln, finished a close second with a 38.450, and freshman Kim DeHaan took third place with a 38.275. Freshman Shelly Bartlett finished fourth (36.825). The Huskers also dominated the individual events. Taylor and Duval shared first place on the vault with a 9.725. Kristi Camp won the bal Jon Waller/DN Nebraska’s Jennifer Hawkinson performs part of her routine during Nebraska’s win over Southeast Missouri State Saturday. ancc beam (9.8) and Duval fin ished second (9.725). DeHaan won the uneven bars (9.825) and the floor exercise (9.575). Martha Jenkins finished second in the bars (9.75) and Camp came in third (9.65). Taylor took second in the floor exercise (9.55), while Bartlett and Hawkinson tied for third (9.5). Hawkinson’s teammates have performed so well that in order for her to return to all-around compe tition, she will have to beat (Hit one of the four gymnasts who compet ed in the first two meets. Despite winning the Big Eight all-around championship, Hawkinson did not get a chance to compete at the NCAA Champion ships because the Huskers did not qualify as a team. Hawkinson said she and her teammates would like nothing more than to make a trip to the national meet—a meet in which no one on the team has participated. “We are a team that is capable of Othe top teams a challenge" nson said. “Making nation als is probably our main goal. I think we have the capability." ioma Saturday Missouri 73, Oklahoma State 68 Kansas 78, Iowa State 71 ^ Kansas State 71, Colorado 65 Monday^ Missouri 89, Nebraska 73 DN graphic Big Eight teams succeed on road By Trevor Parks — 44 Staff Reporter The home court advantage has tra ditionally been the rule during Big Eight basketball season, but this year, a home court win is becoming the exc tion. ssouri’s89-73 win over Nebras ka in Lincoln Monday night pushed the record of visiting teams in the conference to 9-6, a 180-degree turn from last year’s 38-18 mark by home teams. “A home game is not an automatic win,” Nebraska coach Danny Nee said during the Big Eight coaches’ weekly teleconference on Monday. “Maybe this could be a year to neu tralize the record.” Few home courts have been friend ly during conference play this season. Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, has historically been one of the most difficult places to visit. Iowa State went 7-0 at home in Big Eight play last season, but Hilton has not been a haven for the Cyclones so far this season. Instead, it has been a home away from home for road teams. Iowa State has dropped its first three conference home games. While the visitors have done well after the first 15 games, Kansas coach Roy Williams said it was still too early to disregard the home court ad vantage. “I think you’ll see the record level ing out,” Williams said during Mon day’s teleconference. “The young players in our conference aren’t ready for this type of intensity. So the more experienced teams have won.” Missouri has proven Williams right so far. The Tigers, who have eight seniors on their roster, are the most experi enced team in the Big Eight. Missouri is the only team that remains unde This is a tough conference to win on the road and we’ve had some good games.... I think it’s possible for us to win two or three on the road. —Harrington CU basketball coach -tf feated at home. In Columbia, Mo., the 14-2 Tigers are 2-0 in Big Eight play and 9-0 overall. But M issouri ’s experience has also made the Tigers the most dangerous team on the road. Nebraska became the Tigers’ most recent victim joining Oklahoma State and Colorado on M issouri’s list of Big Eight road wins this season. But Nebraska coach Danny Nee said losing at home did not come as a shock to the Huskers. “Last year we lost to Kansas State and Oklahoma State,” Nee said. “It’s because of the percentages. When you play someone long enough, you eventually have to beat them.” While it seems like winning on the road has become easier for most con ference teams, Colorado still hasn’t tasted success. The Buffaloes have lost 18 straight games on the road, but Coach Joe Harrington said the success of visiting teams nad encouraged him. “This is a tough conference to win on the road and we’ve had some good games.... I think it’s possible for us to win two or three on the road,” Harrington said. Moonwalk or not, Super Sunday may induce vomiting As I watched Kansas City quarter back Joe Montana’s old bones go snap, crackle, pop against Buffalo last Sunday, my knuckles did the same. As 1 watched Dallas make San Francisco look like an Iowa football team later that afternoon, I waited for the alarm clock to start blaring and wake me from this awful nightmare. But it never happened. This should be Buffalo’s year. After losing three consecutive Su per Bowls, including a 52-17 butt kickmg at the hands of Dallas last year, the law of averages has to be in the Bills’ favor. Then again, the Bills play in the AFC. Although the “Bandwagon Jump ers” (the Cowboys’ fan club) are sing ing praises to their goa, Jimmy Johnson, the rest of the world is hop ing there will be a good rerun of “Simon & Simon" to watch instead of the not-so-Super Bowl. I have already looked into my crys tal ball and seen how the familiar events of Super Bowl Sunday will unfold. With Dallas ahead 28-0 late in the first quarter, a stretcher is being car ried onto the field to remove an in jured player, who appears dazed and disoriented. Please ... oh please ... let it be Michael Irvin. Nope. It’s just Jim Kelly being helped off the field with another fake injury. During post-game interviews, Kelly reveals that he can’t remember a single play in the game after the opening kickoff, when Don Beebe bumped into him while Kelly stood on the sidelines. Mysteriously, doctors can’t seem to find anything wrong with Kelly. Switch over to “Simon & Simon.” After a commercial, the remote turns itself back over to the not-so Derek Samson Super Bowl. The Bills’ Thurman Thomas fum bles, and Dallas’ Leon Lett scoops up the ball and strolls in for a score. But just as Lett gets into the climax of his touchdown dance routine, his team mates tell him that he ran into the wrong end zone. Dallas leads 38-2 iust before half. Back to “Simon & Simon" to see how Rick and A. J. are getting along in trying to catch that nasty jewel thief. 1 can't miss the halftime show, so back to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the halftime show was cancelled because the National Football League wouldn’t let Micha el Jackson bring millions of kids on stage with him the way he did a year ago. I can’t figure out why. The only excitement of the game comes late in the third quarter with Dallas ahead 45-2. With one minute left in the quarter, Emmitt Smith lights up a cigar to show his confidence that Dallas will repeat as Super Bowl Chumps. Although Coach Jimmy Johnson is more than 10 feet away from Smith, Johnson’s hair bursts into flames, but the other Cowboys come to his rescue by dousing the flames with the tradi tional Gatorade dumping a quarter early. Irvin scores to start the fourth quar ter off and give Dallas a 52-2 lead. Before breaking to a commercial, the camera flashes on Irvin, and instead of yelling the popular “Hi Mom,” Irvin screams: “I’m the greatest foot ball player, all-around athlete and human being to walk the planet.” I frantically turn back to “Simon & Simon” only to see the brothers em brace each other after catching the jewel thief. Dadgummit, I missed the chase scene. After watching the not-so-Super Bowl’s final two minutes, the Cow boys add a field goal and another Irvin touchdown to make the score 62-2. Irvin does the moonwalk for the final 1S yards of his last touchdown catch. All I could do is cringe and grip the vomit bucket that has spent the afternoon with me. After the clock ticks down to 0:00, thousands of “Bandwagon Jumpers" gather around a stage at midfield to join Johnson, all the NFL announcers and referees to sing “Whoomp, there it is.” Oh my, it’s going to be a long day. Suiiob It a sopbonore MWHdkbrlil major a ad a DaBy Nebraikaa Malar import er aad columalit.
