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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 1997)
i Mike Kleck Fans should appreciate wrestlers You can’t blame Nebraska Wrestling Coach Tim Neumann if he wants to be a little selfish. All Neumann asks is to be able to spend a little time with his team this weekend while they are com peting against some of the nation’s best talent. But in between the Comhuskers’ duals during the Cliff Keen National Duals, Neumann will serve in an other role, as the tournament’s as sistant director. That job doesn’t leave Neumann with much time to sit and watch the other 15 teams, 11 of which are ranked in the top 25, that are par ticipating in the tournament. “I think Nebraska and Tim Neumann would like to go to this meet once, instead of hosting it,” Neumann said. “It’s a great event. The only time I get to be with my team is while we’re wrestling and the rest of the time is dealing with things.” So instead of sitting with his team and getting the opportunity to watch No. 2 Oklahoma State wrestle, Neumann will be answer ing questions about what officials work on which mat. Instead of scouting an attack for top-ranked Iowa, NU’s possible second-round opponent, the 12th year Husker coach will be trying to make sure everybody is happy. It’s a job that has worn on Neumann over the past five years, but his work is an important part in what has become a major compo nent to the continuing success of the sport. Profits from this weekend’s tour- i nament will help to pay the National Wrestling Coaches Association ex ecutive director’s salary for the up coming year. Neumann said keeping an ex ecutive director is vital to the growth of wrestling. “Why do we need an executive director?” Neumann asked. “We need it not to fight against gender equity, but to fight for wrestling. Basically the main focus of the ex ecutive director’s job is to promote, lobby and fight to continue to add wrestling programs.” Over the past five years the NWCA has fought for wrestling programs. But the off-the-mat distractions will all be secondary to Neumann come Saturday morning when he makes sure everything is in place for the final National Duals in Lin coln. I will be in attendance all week end, and not as a mat cleaner. And although Neumann will be unself ish with his time, I will be very self ish and appreciate the best wrestling in the country. Kluck is a graduate student in journalism and a Daily Nebras kan senior reporter. NU wants Coliseum magic Wrestlers are a big underdog in National Duals. ByAntone Oseka Staff Reporter The Nebraska wrestling team is looking for a little NU Coliseum magic this weekend. The last time the Cornhuskers wrestled in the Cliff Keen National Duals at the coliseum, they pulled off the biggest upset in school history. In 1993* Nebraska beat top-ranked Iowa in the semifinals of the National Duals before losing the next day to Penn State in the finals. This year, Nebraska, the eighth seed in the 16 team tournament, has a chance to meet the No. 1 Hawkeyes, this time in the quarterfinals of the bracket. The Huskers must win in Saturday morning’s first round if they want to meet Iowa. Nebraska’s op ponent for the 9 a.m. dual will be selected by a draw tonight. Last year, the Huskers lost to the Hawkeyes 20-15 in the finals. Nebraska Coach Tim Neumann said NU needs all the coliseum magic possible to even place in the touma ment. “We may have to open the whole can of Coliseum magic just to win in the first round,” he said. The tournament includes the top five teams in the nation and 13 of the 16 teams are rated in the NWCA top 25. The three other teams are national champions from smaller divisions. Iowa is the tournament’s top seed, with No. 2 Oklahoma State seeded sec ond. The Cowboys and Hawkeyes have each won three National Duals crowns with the other two going to Penn State. The rest of the seeds are: No. 3 Iowa State, seeded third, No. 4 Penn State is fourth, fifth-ranked Minnesota is fifth, No. 8 Michigan is sixth and No. 9 Michigan State is seventh. Ne braska, ranked 13th, received the eighth seed Wednesday. The eight unseeded teams are: No. 15 Oklahoma, No. 16 Fresno State, 19th-ranked Pennsylvania, No. 21 North Carolina, No. 23 Clarion, NCAA Division II champion Pittsburgh Johnstown, NCAA Division III cham pion Wartburg College and NAIA champion Missouri Valley College. Neumann said any one of those eight teams poses a difficult challenge to his team. ... . . ‘We hope to place in the top eight,” Neumann said. “If we do, that means we’ll beat somebody we’re not sup posed to beat. “I’m not worried about anything, I’m excited to get out there.” NU closes homestand with Tigers By Mitch Sherman Senior Reporter Cookie Belcher enters Nebraska’s meeting with Missouri on Saturday night looking for a little personal sat isfaction to end what could be a per fect four-game homestand. A true freshman guard on the 10-5 Comhusker basketball team, Belcher rejected Missouri Coach Norm Stewart last November, signing with NU over his home state Tigers. “They really thought they were go ing to get me,” said Belcher, who grew up and played high school basketball in Mexico, Mo., 30 miles northeast of the MU campus. “Coach Stewart pres sured me a lot and kind of forced me to get away from there.” Belcher said Stewart told him, “Why don’t you just get it over with and sign? You know you’re going to go here.” But Belcher wasn’t so sure. “I didn’t want someone telling me what I had to do,” he said. Starting all of NU’s 15 games this season, Belcher averages 11.3 points per game and leads Nebraska with 42 steals. He faces Missouri and Stewart for the first time Saturday at 8:36 p.m. Matt Miller/DN JAMI (left) AND NICOLE Kubik have played basketball together for most of their lives and now both are starting at Nebraska. Nicole and Jam! have been in the starting lineup the past two games for NU. Sisters bond on court Relationship makes Kuhiks better performers By Mike Kluck Senior Reporter Before the Nebraska women’s basketball season started, Coach Angela Beck had a meeting with each member of her team to discuss their goals for the season. Most of the meetings were pretty basic. Discussing goals for a suc cessful season and concerns over playing time were the usual re sponses players gave to Beck. That was until it was time for true freshman Nicole Kubik to meet with her. Beck and Kubik talked about the possibility of Kubik starting in the season opener at Illinois State. What surprised Beck was when she asked Nicole who she should be starting in front of and Nicole re sponded, “Jami.” Jami Kubik is Nicole’s older sis ter — also a member of NU team — and last year the elder Kubik started six games and averaged 4.9 points per contest. “Nicole felt real comfortable starting in front of Jami and felt she ♦ could help'the team more as an out side shooter,” Beck said. “That sur prised me because they are two of the most even-tempered team players I have been around. You can always count on them working hard.” Nicole, a 5-10 guard, got the nod over her sister and started against Illi nois State. For the first 13 games of her NU career she has been in the start ing lineup, and Nebraska has benefited going 12-1 and 2-1 in the Big 12 Con ference. But Jami, a 5-11 guard, has not been satisfied with her role coming off the bench. In the past two games against Texas A&M and Kansas State she has started beside her younger sister. Both are expected to start again in Saturday’s 2 p.m. game with Missouri (6-10, 0-4) at the Heames Center in Columbia. “It’s really been a lot of fun for us because we never fight,” Jami said. “It’s also a lot of fun for our family because they can come down and see us play.” A fun attitude was a little harder for the two while Jami was playing in col Please see KUBIK on 8 immmmmmmHP' ' Matt Miller/DN MM KIM goes op for a shot agaiast KStl’s Brit Jaeohsea MMaaidav nioht — Please see TIGERS on 8 Men's Bash Starters , Saturday, 8:30 pjn. Devaney Center _J IMfltkl 10-5 (2-1) Poe Name Hi Wl Yr. F 5 Larry Florence 6-5 ^25 So. G 30 Cookie Belcher 6-3 200 Fr. „■/■■■■'V ;v ' ’ ” ' aaa____■ j| ----—--—...