Sports
Monday, January 23, 1995
Page 7
Nee sees Kansas game
as win-win opportunity
uy Derek samson
Senior Reporter
If Nebraska beats the seventh
ranked Kansas Jayhawks tonight
in Lawrence, Coach Danny Nee
might show off some of his hidden
talents.
“I’ll probably do cartwheels
across the court,” Nee joked.
But Nee wasn’t joking when he
talked about the importance of the
conference game.
“We know it’s a big game, and
it’s a really good game to be in
volved in,” he said. “Kansas is a
top-quality team; it’s on ESPN and
we’re playing down in Lawrence
— I think it will be a lot of fun.”
Whether or not Nee wi 11 go head
over heels after the game won’t
change his attitude on playing
Kansas in Lawrence.
Tne players like it, 1 like it, and
it’s just a great situation," he said.
“Away games like these might be
my favorite places to coach. It’s
nice being at the Devaney Center,
but going down to a place like
Lawrence and coaching in that at
mosphere is a lot of fun.
“I really look forward to games
like this, and I know our players
do, too. It’s a lot of fun to be on the
road sometimes.”
The 13-2 Jayhawks lost at Iowa
StateJan. 14, and beat Kansas State
78-74 in Lawrence Wednesday.
Nebraska beat the Wildcats in Lin
coln 78-56 on Jan. 12.
So will 14-3 Nebraska still have
to play its best game of the year to
upset Kansas?
“Damn close,” Nee said “But
See KANSAS on 8
Steele leaves football family
From Staff Reports
After resigning Friday, Nebraska
linebackers coach Kevin Steele left
for Charlotte, N.C., Sunday after
noon.
Steele’s wife, Linda, said her hus
band flew to Charlotte, where he is
being considered for a job in the Na
tionai rooioan
League.
Steele resigned
to pursue other
coaching oppor
tunities, most
likely for the
NFL’s expansion
Carolina Pan
Steele
tners.
The Charlotte
Observer reported Thursday that
Steele was under serious consider
ation for the linebackers’ coach posi
tion with the Panthers.
According to the Charlotte Ob
server, the Panthers will hold a press
conference today to announce Dom
Kapers, defensive coordinator for the
Pittsburgh Steelers, as the team’s first
head coach.
Capers was the secondary coach at
the University of Tennessee in 1980
and 1981. Steele worked with Capers
as a graduate assistant while there.
Steele, whocame to Nebraska from
Tennessee in 1989, said leaving Ne
braska was not easy.
“This is the most difficult career
decision I’ve ever had to make,” Steele
said. “The Nebraska football family
is so unique, in that it starts with
Coach Osborne—the greatest coach
in America — and includes his out
standing staff, the wonderful student
athletes and great Husker fans.
“I would like to thank all my Ne
braska family. I will always hold a
special place in my heart for my expe
riences here and for Nebraska.”
Steele replaced former Nebraska
assistant John Melton in 1989, after
coaching stints at New Mexico State,
Oklahoma State and two at Tennes
see (1981-82 and 1987-88).
The 1981 Tennessee graduate re
cruited the Southeastern portion of
the United States for Nebraska.
He was responsible for recruiting
such Husker standouts as Tommie
Frazier, Dwayne Harris, Tyrone Wil
liams and Leslie Dennis.
Steele is expected to be named the
Panthers’ linebackers coach during
either today’s press conference, or a
press conference Carolina will hold
later in the week at the Super Bowlin
Miami.
Coach Tom Osborne said Steele,
who coached two All-Big Eight se
lections and 1994 All-American Ed
Stewart, had made major contribu
tions to the Husker staff.
“He is an excellent defensive coach,
linebackers coach and a great re
cruiter,” Osborne said. “He is a very
solid person and we will miss him
and his family. We wish him all the
best in the future.”
Nebraska wrestlers win 3rd place at National Duals
By Clay Short
Staff Reporter
It was no surprise that top-ranked Iowa won
the National Duals this past weekend at the NU
Coliseum.
The Hawkeyes won the title, defeating sec
ond-seeded Oklahoma State in the finals 35-3.
Sixth-seeded Nebraska earned a third-place
finish with a 3-1 record in their four duals.
Nebraska met Michigan State Sunday in the
consolation championship and held on for a
21-18 victory. Both teams were deadlocked at
15 before Ryan Tobin lost at 190 pounds,
leaving the Huskers behind by three points.
But Nebraska’s Tolly Thompson pinned the
Spartans’ heavyweight, giving Nebraska a 21
18 victory and a third-place finish in the tour
nament. Thompson’s matches decided the out
comes of three duals over the weekend, all
victories for Thompson and Nebraska.
To get to Michigan State the Huskers had to
get by Iowa State in the consolation semifinals
Sunday. The Huskers lost the first three matches
to the Cyclones, but Thompson again came to
the rescue. Thompson won the final match,
giving the 17-15 victory to Nebraska.
“We beat two teams that have been ranked
higher than us all year,” said Nebraska coach
Tim Neumann. “After seeing Iowa, I’m glad
we lost (Saturday night).”
The Huskers lost to Oklahoma State Satur
day night, putting the Cowboys into the finals
against Iowa.
In Saturday’s first round, Nebraska squeaked
by Ohio for a 22-16 win. Thompson gave the
Huskers the victory by pinning Ohio’s Scott
Durieux. Going into the heavyweight match,
the score was tied at 16.
The Huskers lost their first three matches
against Ohio and were behind 10-0 going into
the fourth match. The Comhuskers won six of
the next seven matches, including the clincher
by Thompson.
“I think we might have been looking ahead
Travis Heying/DN
Nebraska wrestler Erik Josephson tries to keep one of his contact lenses from falling out during his 167-pound
match against Penn State Saturday. Josephson lost the contact but not the match, which he won in a tie-breaker.
a little bit,” Neumann said. “I anticipated this
kind of struggle, but I’m disappointed with our
performance.”
The Huskers then took on Penn State.
The matchup between the Nittany Lions
and the Huskers was decided early.
NU Freshman Brad Canoyer won a major
decision 20-6 against the Nittany Lions’ Eddie
Jayne at 118 pounds.
“Canoyer helped us out a bunch,” Neumann
said. “We’re getting it done ... we’re still not
hitting on all of what we have.”
Nebraska lost two of the next three matches,
but then took five of the next seven, including
an overtime win for 167-pounder Erik Joseph
son over Penn State’s Matt Hardy.
Fortunately the Huskers already had the win
wrapped up when top-ranked Kerry McCoy pinned
Thompson. McCoy earned his seventieth straight
victory in the match against Thompson.
Nebraska lost to Oklahoma State 21-13 in
the semifinals. The Cowboys took six of 10
matches from Nebraska, but Josephson upset
All-American and No. 2 Mark Branch 5-2.
Two Nebraska athletes qualify for NCAA national meet
ay i ony west
Staff Reporter
In only the first track and field meet of the
indoor season on Saturday, two Nebraska ath
letes have automatically qualified for the NCAA
national indoor meet in Indianapolis, Ind., on
March 10.
Senior Petar Malesev finished first and jun
ior Sheldon Carpenter finished second in the
high jump competition at the Nebraska Open at
the Bob Devaney Sports Center track.
Both Malesev and Carpenter cleared the
height of 7 feet, 41/2 inches. However, Malesev
was awarded first because of fewer misses.
“That was certainly two of the finest perfor
mances in the meet,” said Nebraska track and
field coach Gary Pepin.
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with the jump, said automatically qualifying
for the national meet this early in the season
was a great relief.
“It just takes a lot of pressure off, knowing
that I’m already in,” he said. “Now, I can just
kind of take it easy and go for some new
personal records, instead of worrying about
making it to nationals.”
Malesev said he was a little disappointed
that he was unable to set the new Nebraska
school record at the Bob Devaney Sports Cen
ter track.
The record by a Nebraska athlete at the
indoor track is 7-5 1/2 by Darren Burton in
1985.
“I had good jumps today, but at 7 feet, 5 3/
4 inches I choked,” he said. “It’s still a psycho
tugii'Cii uainti.
But Malesev and Carpenter were not the
only Nebraska athletes who turned in good
performances in the meet.
Four other Nebraska athletes provisionally
qualified for indoor nationals at the meet.
On the men’s side, junior Isaac Carson
provisionally qualified in the 55-meter hurdles
with a time of 7.37 seconds to finish first.
Robert Thomas also provisionally qualified
with a second-place finish in the long jump
behind Barton County Community College’s
Joe Laster with a leap of 25 feet, 2 inches.
On the women’s side, junior Paulette
Mitchell and sophomore Tressa Thompson
both provisionally qualified in the shot put
with throws of 51 feet and 49-2 1/4, respec
tively.
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leges and various track clubs and no team
scoring was kept, Pepin said the effort was still
positive.
“I thought we had a lot of good perfor
mances up and down the line,” he said. “I think
that the good outweighed the bad.”
Other Cornhusker event winners were:
Balazs Tolgyesi (1:51.04 in the 800-meter
run), Sean Buckley (16-3/4 in the pole vault),
Tom Fish (22.15 in the 200-meter dash), Julie
Mazzitelli (5:00.03 in the mile) and Sherri
Elwood (2:59.75 in the 1,000-meter run).
Pepin said-the meet was relatively good for
the start of the season.
“Overall, I think we’re pleased with how
this first meet went for most of the athletes,”
Pepin said.