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. Proprwve bifocals, lens
options, tints and coatings available at additional charge on second pair Offer excludes hyeBuys* Collection and any
other frame and lena combination pricing. Vahd through October 1,1994 at participating Pearle locations © 1994 Petrie Inc.
BUY ONE GET ONE FREE
Buy a complete pair of prescription glasses
(frame and leases) at regular price and get
a second pair from our specially tagged
collection free Includes most CR-.19 plastic
single vision flat top 28 bifocal lenses.
l*roRressive lenses, lens options, tints and
coatings available on second pair at
additional charge No other discounts
apply Valid through September 10, 1994
PcjwVisionCemer
$99 SOFT CONTACT
LENS AND EYE EXAM
Gel a pair of daily wear. toft, clear spherical
contacts and a complete contact lent exami
nation for $99.00. Coupon mutt be pie
tented at time of order. No other discount*
apply. This coupon cannot he applied lo pre
vious orders. 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.”
