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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (July 28, 1994)
Coach finds challenge in building program from scratcn By Trevor Parks Staff Reporter Things have been very hectic re cently for Nebraska women’s soccer coach John Walker. Walker has been busy working on everything from organizing a practice schedule and ordering equipment to trying to find the right furniture for his office. But he doesn’t mind being so busy one bit. Walker who has the monumental task of starting the Comhusker wom en’s soccer program from scratch said he has been busy getting things ready for this season. “There are some good things about starting a program,” Walker said. “I can build things as I think they should be built... there’s no history good or bad, so it is a real positive challenge.” Walker will get a chance to create his own history when the Huskcrs begin training camp in preparation for their season opener against in state rival Creighton on Sept. 6. For the past seven years, Walker was the head coach of the men’s soc cer team at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. In 1993 he was named national coach of the year. Walker left his job at Queen’s in April to take the chance at coaching andcreatingNebraska’s22nd NCAA sanctioned sport. Recruiting players to help start the soccer program get on its feet was a little easier than Walker thought. “You can look at a new program in two ways,” Walker said. “A negative way would be it might take a few years to build and that could be tough. In a positive way aplayer might say,‘here’s an opportunity to start a program at a school with a strong athletic tradi tion.’” Walker said he tried to recruit play ers from within the state — the Comhuskers’ first recruit was Brenda Sieczkowski of Omaha Duchesne — and from out of the state, as well as players from his former home coun try, Canada, to create a good mixture. As for starting a program at this time, now was a great time. Walker said, since American interest in the sport has increased because of the World Cup. “There should be some carry over from the World Cup,” he said. “You couldn’t start a program at a better time.” Walker Join the Party WC's Downtown Featuring... Distractions Friday, Aug. 5, & Saturday, Aug. 6 (9 pm - 1 am) F.A.C. Party with the Blaze 4:30 - 7:30 1228 P Street 477-4006 - Pearle VimCmer — Buy One. Get One Free! Buy one complete pair of pre scription glasses (frame and lenses) at regular price from our huge selection of famous brand names. Then get a free pair of the same prescription from our spe cially tagged collection. Offer includes most single vision and FT28 bifocal prescriptions. Pearle VisionCenier Gateway Mall 61st & O 464-7416 Downtown Uth & O 476-7583 No other coupons or discounts apply Some lens restrictions or prescription exclusions may apply. 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Offer valid only at participat ing locations through September 10. 1994 PEmiVismtaim• i NU signs recruits despite departures By Mitch Sherman Staff Reporter When John Sanders and Ihc Ne braska baseball team report to prac tice next January, there will be more new faces than usual in camp. In fact, Sanders will be the only returning member of the Cornhusker coaching staff. Assistant coaches Paul Meyers and Tim Seaton unexpectedly resigned earlier this month, leaving Sanders in a rush to find two new assistants. Meyers, who had been with the Nebraska program for nine years, served as the Huskcr recruiting coor dinator and hitting instructor. He was an All-American outfield er while playing under Sanders in 1986, before beingdrafted in the fourth round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. “First of all. Paul is a good friend and an outstanding coach,” Sanders said. “Paul is somebody who we are going to miss. He’s a real true Huskcr.” Sanders, who has coached Nebras ka for 17 seasons, said he would try to turn the changes into a positive expe rience for the team. Seaton, who played shortstop, third base and second base for the Huskcrs in 1991-92, had been with the pro gram since the fall of 1992. “It’s obviously a little letdown to lose both of the coaches, but I am confident we can find two capable coaches to fill the positions.” Sanders 1995 Nebraska Baseball Recruits PLAYER POSITION SCHOOL Brian Zubor LHP Fenwick (III.) High Amy Schmidt / DN said. Sanders said he had set an Aug. 3 deadline for candidates to contact him about the coaching vacancies. “So far, there has been a lot of interest shown.” Sanders said. Meyers and Seaton, who arc both from Omaha, have remained on the Huskcr staff throughout the summer in order to help Sanders with recruiting. Sanders said Seaton would leave on Aug. 1. and Meyers would stay in Lincoln until Aug. 15. Even as the two assistant coaches’ tenures at Nebraska were winding down, they have helped to create a legacy for the future. The Huskcrs have added 14 new players to a team which finished the 1994 season at 32-28. Among the list of new Huskers are four native Nebraskans and six jun ior-college transfers. Five of the 14 recruits were drafted in the major league amateur draft in June. Sanders said he was pleased with the quality of the recruits signed this summer. “We feel it’s a good class.” he said. “It should be nationally ranked, just like our last two.” Nebraska’s recruiting class was ranked 19th by Collegiate Baseball in 1991 and 21st last year. Four of the Huskers’ recruits come from Riverside (Calif.) Community College. Current Huskers David Crain and Scott Wulfing also attended Riv erside. “It’s a positive group of young men,” Sanders said. “Potentially, there’s a lot there.” Husker Muhammad considers redshirtins: By Derek Samson Staff Reporter Some expected players will be miss ing from the Husker sidelines this year, one of which could be starting wingback Abdul Muhammad. Muhammad, a senior this fall, would not comment any further than to say he was considering redshirting this year. Coach Tom Osborne said he had not yet talked to Muhammad about the decision. “1 know he’s been talking about it and right now we just need to sit down and talk to him about it,” Osborne said. “It is something that may not be decided until the first game. We’re trying to look at what the best situation is for the team. With Abdul being a returning starter, redshirting him be fore his senior year would be unusu al” Muhammad was the Huskers ’ lead ing receiver in 1993 with 25 catches for 383 yards, but suffered a lacerated liver and cracked ribs in the Orange Bowl. Four other Huskers—Joel Gesky, Shane Wells, Jon Pedersen and T.J. Scribner — will not return this fall. Gesky, a senior offensive tackle, was recovering from a shoulder injury and called it quits after graduating. Pedersen, a senior center from Grand Island, and sophomore light end Scribner also were hampered by injuries which led them to not return. Wells, a sophomore kicker from Odessa, Texas, is leaving Nebraska and plans to play at another NCAA Division I school. “Each one was a different situa tion,” Osborne said. “Joel Gesky had trouble with that shoulder injury and when he graduated he decided it was timetomoveon. Scribner and Pedersen had trouble with injuries, and with Shane Wells it was a parting of ways. He just decided he needed to go to another school.” Osborne said it was too early to say if any of the four would have seen much playing time. “The amount of action they would have seen is hard to say,” he said. “I don’t know how much they would have recovered from their injuries. The one thing that would’ve kept them from seeing playing time would have been the injuries.”