Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1994)
[Husker swimmers sweep titles From Staff Reports The Nebraska men’s and wom en’s swimming and diving teams swept the Big Eight titles Wednes day night. Husker coach Cal Bentz, who was named the men’s coach of the year, led the men to their 15th straight championship by outscoring Kansas 652.5 to 596. Nebraska’s women came from 13 points behind before Wednes day’s action to beat Kansas — the defending Big Eight champion and meet favorite — 662 to 643. Melanie Dodd, Jane Glazebrook and Penny Heyns all set NCAA qualifying marks Wednesday cn route to the women’s first champi onship since 1991. The women’s 400 freestyle relay team set a new Big Eight-meet record. Nebraska’s BriAnna Wilkins was named new comer of the year. Nebraska’s Jonathan Kerr, the men’soutstandingperformerof the meet, led the men by winning the 200-meter backstroke to add to his victories in the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys. Freshman Conny Wennberg was tabbed the men’s newcomer of the year. Win Continued from Page 7 Cornhuskers could keep the Cowboys from hitting more than 59 percent of their first-half field-goal attempts. Bryant Reeves and Brooks Thomp son kept the Cowboys close in the first half, combining for 31 points. Reeves was 6-for-6 from the floor and scored 19 points, while Thomp son hit four first-half 3-pointers. But the Cowboys faltered in one shooting category — free throws. Oklahoma State hit 8-of-12 free throws in the first half and just 2-of-8 in the second half to finish a dismal 50 percent from the line. While the Cowboys struggled, the Huskcrs sank a season-high 91 per cent of their free throw attempts, drain ing 20-of-22 shots. The Husker defense silenced Th ompson in the second half, but Reeves finished with 27 points, which took a little luster out of the win for Chubick. “I don’t like lettingpeople score 15 on me, let alone 27,” Chubick said. “He deserves something, he lit me up. But I guess 1 got the last laugh because we won.” Oklahoma Stata-40 41 — 81 at Nebraska... .46 43 — 89 Oklahoma State— Roberts 3-50-06, Burley 2-5 1 -2 6, Reeves 9-13 9-15 27, Rutherford 4-10 0-0 11, Thompson 6-15 0-0 18, Alexander 0-0 0-0 0, Manzer 5-10 0-2 13, Pierce 0-1 0-0 0, Sutton 0-0 0-1 0, Collins 0 1 0-0 0, Baum 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-60 10-20 81. Nebraska — Badgett 3-9 0-0 6, Piatkowski 10-18 7-7 32, Chubick 2-6 2-4 6, Johnson 4 100-0 8, Boone 6-12 2-215, Newton 0-0 0 0 0, Strickland 2-3 9-9 13, Best 2-3 0-0 5, Brooks 2-3 0-0 4 Totals 31 -64 20-22 89 Huskers turn down invitation to play in Pigskin Classic Osborne afraid of " losing momentum, chance at success By Derek Samson Senior Reporter _ - •• When you’re asking players to miss four days of classes, you had better listen to them because you don’t want to start out with a morale problem. —Osborne, NU football coach Tom Osborne said Wednesday he didn’t want to put Nebraska in a dan gerous situation to start out the 1994 season by accepting an invitation to play Fresno State in the Pigskin Classic in August. Nebraska Ath _ letic Director Bill Osborne Byrne turned down the offer Tuesday after discussing it with Osborne. Osborne said his players were only interested in a game — either the Kickoff or Pigskin classics — that would pit the Huskers against West Virginia. The two teams were the only nonprobation schools to complete the 1993 regular season undefeated. But the players were split about playing Fresno State in the sixth an nual Pigskin Classic in Anaheim, Calif. “It didn’t seem like our players were very interested in it,” Osborne said. “We had talked to the players and I believe it was a little less than 50 percent that wanted to go. Most of those that didn’t want to go were starters.” Osborne said sending players who had reservations about the game would have been risky. He said previous invitations to the Kickoff Classic received much better responses from his players. Nebraska won the first KickofT Classic in 1983 — 44-6 over Penn State. The Huskers also beat Texas A&M 23-14 in the 1988 KickofTClas sic. “When we had opportunities in the past, most of the time the vote was NU football coach unanimous,” he said. “When you’re asking players to miss four days of classes, you had better listen to them because you don’t want to start out with a morale problem. “You could lose momentum and jeopardize chances of a successful sea son and a bowl game.” As late as Tuesday. Pigskin Classic officials had said Nebraska would ac cept the invitation to play Fresno State, who lost to Colorado in the 1993 Aloha Bowl. Osborne said he didn’t know where the Pigskin Classic officials got that idea. “All of these reports that we had accepted were apparently coming out of California,” Osborne said. “There was a lot of misinformation. Looking at the way it all was handled, it was hard to understand.” Two essential ingredients for a perfect date: A date and this. It's everywhere •you -warn to be. © VIM U S A. Inc. 1994 Travis Heying/DN Cornhusker guard Jamar Johnson (left) hugs teammate Bruce Chubick before the seniors’ final home game Wednesday night. Seniors Continued from Page 7 “All the seniors were ready for this one,” sophomore guard Erick Strickland said. “Everybody was fired up for the seniors. We dedicated it to them.” Johnson, who added eight points and six assists, said he reflected on his career at Nebraska before the game. “1 had thought about this before the game,” he said. “1 went up the stairs into the stands, rvcnevcrseenagame from up there. I thought after this season I'd be watching the games from up there. It seems like it went by so fast.” The crowd of 14,605 played a ma jor role in the victory, according to Chubick. “The fans need some credit,” Chubick said. “That is the best I’ve seen them in five years. They were incredible. I wish they would have got organized and started that four years ago. They were our sixth man tonight. At times, tonight was as loud as I’ve ever heard it in here.” Piatkowski also wanted to thank the fans. “I’ve had four great years here, and the crowd, especially lately, has just been phenomenal,” he said. Johnson said the seniors went out in the way he hoped. “One of the main things 1 tried to focus on was that I’ve never lost my last home game,” he said. “Not ele mentary, junior high, high school or w hene ver it was. I’ vc never lost a final home game.” Merger Continued from Page 7 the ability to beat my brains out,” he said. “But if I win, I’ll be in aposition to win a national championsnip.” Nebraska men’s and women’s track and field coach Gary Pepin said the added competition could have a neg ative effect. “It’s going to be more difficult to win the conference,” he said. “Now winning will depend on the quality of your team and not the quantity." wo terrific track and field. “Texas has two of the better pro grams in the United States,” he said. “Texas A&M is on that same level. new conference Baylor has a fine men’s team and Tech offers some good individuals." Men’s tennis coach Kerry McDermott said the level of individu al talent would increase. McDermott said Texas and Texas A&M are ranked in the top 20 every year. “The competition will be much better,” McDermott said. “It gives our guys a great chance to compete against some of the ranked players in the country and ranked teams in the coun try.” Swimming coach Cal Bentz said the merger should elevate all of Ne braska’s programs to new heights. “It really brings what we do in this conference to a national level,” Bentz said. “We really feel this is going to be a plus.”
