The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, April 08, 1996, Page 8, Image 8

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    Injuries
hurt NU
in meet
By Gregg Madsen
Staff Reporter
Nebraska men’s gymnastics coach
Francis Allen predicted that the
Cornhuskers would be in trouble this
weekend if sophomore all-arounder
Jim Koziol wasn’t healthy for the
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
Championships.
Allen was right.
Koziol was slowed by a lower
back strain on Friday night, and the
No. 4 Huskcrs limped to a fourth
place finish with a score of 224.2.
With a 228.965, No. 2 California
won the meet, which ran Friday and
Saturday in the Events Center at the
University of Califomia-Santa Bar
bara. Oklahoma was second (226.835)
and 1995 national champion Stanford
was third at 224.75.
Senior all-arounder Jason Christie
placed fourth in the all-around with a
season-high 56.225.
Koziol was held out of the floor
exercise, forcing Nebraska to com
pete with only four of its possible six
gymnasts in the event.
In the individual event finals on
Saturday, Christie placed second on
the parallel bars (9.6375) and fourth
on the horizontal bar (9.775).
Husker junior Ted Harris finished
second on the rings with a 9.575.
Freshman Marshall Nelson was
fourth in the pommel horse (9.625),
andjunior Ryan McEwcn finished fifth
with a 9.55.
Allen called Nebraska’s injury situ
ation “unbelievable” and said the
Huskcrs must focus on the April 13
NCAA West Regional at the Bob
Dcvancy Sports Center.
All nine teams at the MPSF cham
pionships arc in the West region, and
the six with the top three-score aver
ages will compete in the champion
ships.
Nelson
decides
to leave
From Staff Reports
Nebraska center Leif Nelson
has been given an unconditional
release from his scholarship and
plans to transfer from Nebraska.
Nelson, 6-foot-ll, 290
pound redshirt freshman from
Riverside, Calif., averaged two
points and 1.9 rebounds in 21
'games last season for the
Cornhuskers. His career-high
point total of nine came on Dec.
20 in Nebraska’s 88-41 win over
Delaware State. Nelson owns a
4.0 grade-point average.
Nebraska coach Danny Nee
released a statement, in which
he said Nelson decided to trans
fer because he wanted to receive
more playing time.
“Obviously, I am sorry to see
him leave because he is a tal
ented player,” Nee said. “Leifs
decision came down to playing
lime, and it was his desire to play
30 or 35 minutes a game. Leif is
a great person and an outstand
ing student.
“We arc going to do every
thing we can to help him find a
school that he will be comfort
able at, both athletically and aca
demically.
Nebraska now has two schol
arships available to award in the
spring signing period, which
begins Wednesday. This week
end, Rodney Fields, a 6-3 guard
from Tampa Bay, (Fla.) Tech
High School, visited Lincoln.
Fields, a Tampa Tribune first
team all-state selection, averaged
20.9poinls, 14 rebounds and 6.3
assists per game as a senior.
Nebraska signed one player.
Cookie Belcher, a guard from
Mexico, Mo., in the fall signing
period.
Sweep
Continued from Page 7
which include a victory over Okla
homa last week. Oral Roberts fell to
23-15.
“We arc taking it one game at a
time,” Sanders said. “I am seeing a lot
of positive things, especially with the
young guys. But we still have to work
harder.”
With one out in the bottom of the
fourth and the Cornhuskcrs leading 4
2 with Craig Moore and Scott Schultz
on base, Francis Collins extended his
hitting streak to 17 games with an RBI
double, scoring Moore.
Schultz also scored on the play af
ter an error by Golden Eagle let! fielder
Diego Rodriquez. Josh Dalton then
scored Collins with an RBI single. The
next batter, Matt Meyer, was hit by a
pitch and advanced to second on Mel
Motley’s single, which scored Dalton
and gave Nebraska an 8-2 lead.
Oral Roberts mounted a comeback
in the eighth, scoring si x runs on seven
hits. Nebraska starter Seth Williams
was relieved by Brian Zubor and Jus
tin Gomes, who couldn’t retire a bat
ter.
Corey Miller came in with no outs
in the inning and ended the inning,
facing only three batters.
With one out in the ninth, Miller
walked Brian Rios. Rios stole second
and reached third on an error by Dalton.
Oral Roberts then took its first lead of
the game when Rios scored on a sacri
fice fly by third baseman Adam Hust.
But with one out in the bottom of
the ninth, Husker freshman Jason Fry
Matt Miller/DN
Nebraska center fielder Francis Collins slides into second
base as Oral Roberts’ Mike Hill cannot handle the throw. The
Huskers won 10-9 in 10 innings.
singled and scored on Moore’s single
to tie the game at nine and send it into
extra innings.
Two Golden Eagles reached base
in the 10th, but Miller got Rodriquez
to ground out to end the inning.
Francis Collins singled to lead off
the bottom of the 10th inning. Dalton
popped up for the first out, but Oral
Roberts pitcher Dusty Barrett was then
called for a balk, advancing Collins to
second base.
Collins, who was 2 for 5 with three
runs scored and an RBI, moved to
third on a wild pitch. Barrett intention
ally walked Meyer and Motley to load
the bases for Todd Sears, who was hit
by a pitch to drive in Collins and end
the game.
“It was an easy one,” said Sears,
who was 1 for 5 with three RBI and a
run scored.
The four-game winning streak
should greatly improve Nebraska’s
confidence, said Meyer, who finished
the game 2 for 4.
“This is a great win for us since we
have struggled all year,” he said.
The Huskers, who won 9-5 Friday
and 7-6 Saturday, play at Kansas State
on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Frost
Continued from Page 7
“I would really feel more uncom
fortable coming out here and having
the first olTcnse move the ball easily
against the first defense,” Osborne said.
‘Td rather have it be the other way
around if I had a choice.”
Good choice.
Whenever the first-team defense
was on the field Saturday, it domi
nated. The top defensive unit gave up
just 67 of the ofiense’s 723 total yards.
The first-team defense even scored
against the first-team olTense. Frost’s
first interception of the day—and first
for any Nebraska quarterback this
spring—was returned 66 yards for a
touchdown by Mike linebacker Jay
Foreman.
Frost’s second interception bounced
off tight end Vershan Jackson and
landed in the hands of free safety Eric
Warfield.
The defense also added two more
scores. Defensive tackle Jason Wiltz
picked up a fumbled reverse and
rumbled 32 yards for a score, and free
safety George Dittrick took a fumble
87 yards for a touchdown.
Scoringthrce defensive touchdowns
is a big confidence boost for the de
fense, senior right rush end Jared
Tomich said.
“That makes the final score seem
interesting,” Tomich said.
Green, who led all rushers with 54
yards on seven carries, said the final
two weeks of the spring would be
important to prepare the team for the
season opener Sept. 7 against Michi
gan State.
“We’vebeen workinghard for these
first two weeks,” Green said, “and I’m
sure we are going to work hard the
final two weeks to get ourselves ready
for the fall.”
FOCUS ON FAMILY VIOLENCE
Domestic Violence: Breaking the Cycle
Presented by Denise Brown
Offered through Bryan Community Health
Education & Resource Center
Bryan Memorial Hospital brings Denise Brown to Lincoln to share her
experiences and promote the message: there is no excuse for abuse.
| Denise Brown, Chairperson
of Nicole Brown Simpson
Charitable Foundation
• 7 p.m. Thurs. May 9
Pershing Auditorium, 226
Centennial Mall South, Lincoln.
$7.50 Tickets on sale now at
Pershing. Or call Ticketmaster
475-1212. (Ticketmaster tickets
are subject to a convenience
charge.) _
“Domestic Violence: Breaking the
Cucle”
Denise Brown discusses the
urgent need for communities to
help both victims and aggressors
involved in domestic violence.
Bryan Memorial Hospital
1600 South 48th Street • Lincoln. NE 68506-1299 • 402-489-0200
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