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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 1996)
Gymnast soars despite youth By Gregg Madsen Staff Reporter Misty Oxford sprinted down the runway and jumped onto the spring board. Her outstretched hands pushed off tne vault and pro pel led her into the air, where she turned 2 1/2 som ersaults in the blink of an eye. But the true fresh man Comhuskcr gymnast missed the landing and Oxford ended up on her backside. Oxford glanced nervously at Coach Dan Kendig, who told her to try the vault again. “If I land on my feet,” she said, “then I don’t have to do the circuit?” The circuit is a rigorous 12-station course the Husker women’s gymnas tics team goes through on Mondays and Tuesdays that tones upper-, lower and mid-body muscles. Kendig agreed to the bargain, and on the next vault Oxford stuck the landing — but changed her mind. “Oh, well,” she said,“I think I’ll do the circuit anyway. I need to.” Oxford’s desire to complete the cir cuit matches her desire to reach maxi mum potential in everything she does. She has competed in the all-around in seven of the Huskers’ 12 meets this season, taking on a key scoring role for Nebraska despite her youth. At the Big Eight Championships last month in Ames, Iowa, Oxford placed second in the all-around with a career-high 38.9. Alsoat the meet, she was given the conference newcomer of-the year award. She placed third in the vault (9.85) and fourth in the un even bars (9.8). “It’s really been more than I ex pected,” Oxford said. “And I’m so honored by the newcomer award. It gives me so much more confidence knowing people think that I’m on that kind of level.” Junior all-arounder Kim DeHaan won the award in 1994, and Oxford said she hoped to become the same caliber gymnast DeHaan is today. DeHaan holds the Nebraska record in the floor exercise at 9.95 and is a three time All-Big Eight performer and a three-time academic All-Big Eight se lection. Kendig said he was not surprised by Oxford’s success. “We felt she had the potential early in the year, but we weren’t sure,” he said. “She was only able to hit three out of four events for a while. But once she hit all four, her confidence improved and she knew she could do it every meet.” Although her consistent improve ment this year was fueled by support from coaches and teammates, Oxford said, her own attitude was the biggest factor. * “I’m my worst critic,” she said. “I’m so hard on mysel f. But I think my determination, a desire to learn and motivation have been the biggest things that have helped me.” An honorable mention academic all-conference performer, Oxford has compiled a 3.64 grade-point average in child development thisyear. In 1994, Oxford graduated from Kelso (Wash.) High School. She spent the next year training at the Naydenov Gymnastics Center in Vancouver, Wash. The biggest di ficrenec between club competition and the collegiate level, Oxford said, is the team atmosphere. “Here, everyone is a lot closer,” she said. “It helps a lot because you know everyone is going to be understanding. Everyone sticks together and fights to bring up the score if you miss or some thing.” On Saturday night, Oxford and the No. 13 Huskers will compete at the Midwest Regional in Salt Lake City. Kansas City gets Big 12 men’s, women’s tourneys KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Big 12 Conference men’s bas ketball tournament will be played in Kansas City for at least the next four years. Chief executive officers of the Big 12 institutions voted by mail Wednesday to keep the tournament in Kansas City. Athletic directors had recommended the tournament be played at Kansas City’s Kemper Arena, longtime home of the Big Eight Tournament. The officers also voted to hold the Big 12 women’s tournament in Kansas City through at least 2000. The Big Eight women ’ s tournament was previously played in Salina, Kan. “I think we can stage two terri fic tournaments there,” Big 12 Com missioner Steve Hatchell said Wednesday. “It gives us a chance to plan, and gives a chance for the city to do things they want to do.” The Big 12, which is being formed in August by a merger of the Big Eight with four Southwest Con ference schools from Texas, had earlier said the tournament would stay in Kansas City in 1997 and 1998. Keeping the tournament is im portant for Kansas City, which lost the headquarters of the new confer ence to Dallas earlier this year. The final Big Eight men’s basketball tournament last month drew a record total of more than 80,000 fans for the three-day event. “It’s great news,” said Kevin Gray, cvccutive director of the Greater Kansas City Sports Com mission. “Our feeling all along was that we needed to have a good show ing for the (league) office to main tain the tournament, knowing how competitive it is out there in today’s marketplace.” The city Is considering enlarg “I think we can stage tivo terrific tournaments there. ” STEVE HATCHELL Big 12 commissioner ing seating capacity at Kemper Arena and making improvements at Municipal Auditorium, where the Big 12 will hold the women’s tour nament in conjunction with the men’s tournament. The 1997 women’s tournament is contingent on $4 million in im provements being made at Munici pal Auditorium. But the con Terence is not requiring Kansas City to ex pand Kemper Arena beyond its seat ing capacity of 17,513 seats. “The Kansas City people have been talking to us about things they want to do, all of which are fine with us — expansion and fix-up,” Hatched said. “The first two years were without any kind of strings, but we understand they are going to move ahead with these other things. It’s not a demand we’re putting on.” The City Council is scheduled to vote today on an ordinance that would appropriate $6 million to start the project at Kemper. It will be the first time a vote has been taken to appropriate money for the project. About $20 million is expected to be needed to enlarge Kemper by up to 2,000 seats to a capacity of 19,700 seats, and to renovate Mu- ( nicipal. “Hopefully, this will go a long way toward helping the Council do the right thing on Thursday,” Gray said. “We’re optimistic it’s going to happen. The improved Kemper will go a long way toward solidify ing our ties to the Big 12.” The Greater Kansas City Cham ber of Commerce continues to study the feasibility of building a new arena to replace Kemper in the downtown area. Twenty-four teams will play 22 games in Kansas City over six days during the men ’sand women ’ s tour naments. The Big 12 also announced a ticket plan for the men’s tourna ment that involves di vidingthe num ber of seals into 14 shares. Each of the 12 schools will receive an equal share. The remaining two shares will go into a lottery for longtime buyers of tickets to the tournament. NOTE: • Oklahoma has named Sherri Coale its new women’s basketball coach, rcplaci ng Burl PI unkett, who resigned last season because of health problems. Coale has been the girls’ basketball coach at Norman, (Okla.) High School since 1989, coaching the school to a state championship last season and in 1992. She has a record of 147-40 at Norman High School and has re-^ ceived many coaching honors, in cluding the state coach of the year in 1993. Coale,anativcofHealdton, Okla., graduated from Oklahoma Christian University of Science and Arts in 1987. ! : time... ... you worked for a company who truly pays you for your time. $7.50/hr. Full-time $7.00/hr. Part-time That company is Matrixx Marketing. We’re a telemarketing industry leader offering the most flexible scheduling options around. As a member of our rapidly growing team, you’ll enjoy: • Paid Training • Great Benefits • Convenient Location • Casual, Smoke-Free Environment Ik--3 i Call NOW! 466-8293 an equal opportunity employer 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