Women’s golf
aims toward
national shot
By Tim Pearson
Senior Editor
The Nebraska women’s golf team may be as
talented as any team in the country, Coach
Robin Krapfl said.
And it’s a shame that the Huskers didn’t get
the chance to showcase that talent before the
home crowd at the Firethom Intercollegiate,
scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, Krapfl
said.
The tournament, which
was to be played at Firethom
Golf Club, was canceled be
cause of rain.
“It’s really disappointing,”
Krapfl said. “We had a great
field, and for us, it was the
first event at Firethom.
„ “The fans and family were
Kraptl excited to come watch the
team. People don’t get that opportunity to watch
golf at home much.”
But not playing in the tournament won’t
affect the team’s chances of winning the Big
Eight Championships, she said.
The Huskers finished fourth at last year’s
Big Eight meet. The highest individual finish
was Kim Lefler’s sixth-place score.
But the Huskers’ finish last year doesn’t
matter this year.
“Our whole focus is to prepare for Big Eight
and Regionals,” Krapfl said. “We have a great
chance to win. We expect to win, but there are
four teams, including ourselves, who can win
it.”
And Nebraska also expects to make a repeat
trip to the NCAA Regionals after last year’s
16th-place finish.
But the Huskers want more than that, Krapfl
said. They also want a trip to the NCAA Cham
pionships, something the team has never ac
complished.
TTie top 11 finishers at Regionals advance to
the NCAA Championships.
“Our goal is to qualify for nationals,” Krapfl
said. “We fully expect to be there.”
And once the Huskers make it to the national
meet, Krapfl is confident her team can make a
good showing.
“We have the attitude that we’re as good as
anyone,” she said. “If we go in confident, we
could finish in the top 10 in the country.”
Devaney’s birthday celebrated
Bob Devaney shovels the first dirt on a red oak tree given to him in his honor.
Devaney celebrated his 80th birthday Thursday in a ceremony on the south
side of Memorial Stadium.
By Trevor Parks
Staff Reporter
For his 80th birthday, Nebraska Ath
letic Director Emeritus Bob Devaney
was presented with a red oak tree.
And that tree is fitting, considering
that Devaney put in 32 years to make the
“Big Red” what it is today.
Devaney, who led Nebraska to two
national titles, was presented with the
tree by his family, friends and the Ne
braska Athletic Department.
The tree was planted Thursday in a
private ceremony just south of Memorial
Stadium by the columns. The columns
were erected in honor of Devaney and
Tom Osborne’s back-to-back 100 school
victories.
Devaney, who suffered a slight stroke
on March 4, arrived at the ceremony in a
Cushman cart and had the honor of put
ting the first dirt on the tree with a golden
shovel.
Osborne opened the festivities with a
brief speech.
Osborne told the audience of more
than 40 athletic department personnel
that Devaney had been a big influence.
He said he hoped Devaney would remain
in good health for a while.
“We hope that he’s around when this
tree is another eight feet taller,” Osborne
said. “He’s a great guy to work for, and
he certainly gave me every opportunity
I’ve ever had, and I want to thank him for
that.”
Among the 40 people at the event
were Devaney’s wife, Phyllis, former
Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers,
lifelong friend and former Nebraska
Chancellor Woody Vamer and several
Husker coaches.
Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Byrne
then officially presented the tree—grown
in Nebraska—to Devaney and read the
inscription, which read:
“This Red Oak was planted on the
occasion of Bob Devaney’s 80th birth
day. May this tree grow and flourish in
the same manner that the Nebraska foot
ball program and athletic department did
under Devaney’s tutelage and care as
head football coach (1962-1972) and
Athletic Director (1967-1993).”
The dedication message will be placed
next to the tree on a marker.
After the ceremony, various athletic
department personnel and the Devaney
family celebrated the birthday with lunch
in the South Stadium lounge.
Track team to compete
at four different meets
By Tony West
Staff Reporter
The Nebraska track and field ath
letes may face some of the toughest
competition of the season this week
end, Coach Gary Pepin said.
But Pepin will be sending athletes
to four different locations for this to
happen.
The Comhuskers will be repre
sented at the Sierra Medical/UTEP
Invitational in El Paso, Texas, the Jim
Duncan Invitational in Des Moines,
Iowa and the Mt. Sac Invitational at
Walnut, Calif., on Saturday.
The Huskers also will have ath
letes at the Visa/Califomia Invite at
Azusi, Calif.
Pepin said athletes were compet
ing in different meets because of the
levels of competition in particular
events.
“All of these meets have different
purposes,” he said. “We just hope to
improve our performances and get
some more people qualified to die
national meet.”
Nebraska will send the majority of
its sprinters and field athletes to the
Sierra Medical Invitational, while the
distance runners and some field ath
letes will make the trip to die Jim
Duncan Invitational.
Four of the Huskers’ multi-event
All of these meets have
different purposes. We
just hope to improve our
performances and get
some more people
qualified to the national
meet,
m
GARY PEPIN
Nebraska track and field coach
athletes will compete at the Visa Invi
tational.
In addition, senior high-jumper
Petar Malesev andjunior steeplechase
runner Brady Bonsall will compete at
the Mt. Sac Invitational.
“This meet is one of the biggest
events in the U.S. ” Pepin said, “It will
be better for them in their particular
events.”
But Pepin won’t be able to see
everybody compete, and that’sthe only
disadvantage, he said.
Pepin will make the trip to El Paso
for the Sierra Medical Invitational.
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