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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 1997)
Make a "BIG" hit... with a "Little" brother. Call Big Brothers Big Sisters Today at H64-2227!!! Jolly Rancher Screw Driver i 1L | l THINKS | £ EVfeRY THURSDAY Jj 7T0 11PJI. E Rum Whiskey Gin & Tonitt ** When your schedule isn't flexible, it's nice to know that UNL courses are. UNL's most popular courses in... Accounting Finance Philosophy AG LEC Geography Physics Art History History Political Science Classics Management Psychology Economics Marketing Sociology English Math Are available through UNL College Independent Study: ■ Study and take exams when your schedule allows, when you're ready. ■ Take as long as a year or as few as 35 days to complete a course. ■ Send an average of six assignments per course to your instructor, ana receive rapid turnaround of your materials. Call 72-4321 a free College Independent Study _I____-.1__1 I ■_!• . ti l t Smith brings toughness to field BtMkeKluck Senior Reporter Nebraska softball catcher Jenny Smith has two very distinct sides. One side of the junior from Fort Collins, Colo., is a person who enjoys sitting down at the piano or with a guitar composing music. She also finds enjoyment from sitting at The Mill in the Haymarket drink ing hazelnut cof fee while drawing, and watching people. At her 20-year college reunion, this Jenny Smith hopes to be a suc cessful computer graphics designer for an advertising agency. But then there’s the other Jenny Smith. The one who enjoys outdoor activi ties like hiking, mountain biking, fish ing and camping. This Smith would be an ideal candidate for a Mountain Dew commercial. This is the one who wanted to be a police officer when she graduated but had to be talked out of it by her mother. Now Smith plans on fighting fires af ter college. A combination of the two Smiths is what made the right-hander a first team All-Big 12 member last season and a strong candidate to repeat this year. The rugged Smith has challenged herself to the near impossible feat of not allowing any balls to pass this sea son. It’s that same type of personality and pride Smith takes in blocking home plate and all the bases when she’s playing. “When I’m playing I feel really territorial about the plate and even about the bases,” Smith said. “1 like to play little mind games with myself when a runner gets on first base. It’s like that’s my base, and if they get off too far then they’re dead. “I feel that way with every base, but especially home. I know as a hit ter how important it is to score. So as a defender, I know that it is my posi tion and that it is my plate and I have to defend it. I take real pride in pro tecting the plate and I take it real hard when someone squeaks by.” It’s that pride that evolved last sea son when Smith improved from be ing a good athlete to becoming a good catcher, Comhusker Coach Rhonda Revelle said. After hitting just .297 in her fresh man season, Smith improved to fin ish second for the Huskers last season batting .353 while playing in all 65 games and earning first-team All Midwest Region. “I just really think she has worked hard and has taken a lot of things per sonally,” Revelle said. “You get your self to the highest level when you take it so personally. “She understands what it means if the opponent touches her area. That’s been gigantic. In the last year, she has increased her intensity in taking pride in stuff like that and it has really shown. She needs to have that kind of attitude.” But it’s also the quiet Smith who has helped the young Huskers (7-9). this season. As a catcher she has acted in the u I take real pride in protecting the plate, and I take it real hard when someone squeaks by.” Jenny Smith NU catcher role of field general communicating between the players and coaches and making sure NU is in the proper de fensive alignments. With the youth of the Huskers, es pecially in the infield, Smith has had an added challenge. “I feel like she is soothing to the pitchers, yet demanding,” Revelle said. “Last season, she saw the light as far as what it takes to be a catcher, to be a field general, to work with your coach on the sidelines and communi cate with what’s going on and still maintain your hitting.” But Smith has started slow this season in the batter’s box. She is hit ting just .173 with two home runs. Smith—who is fourth on the Ne braska career home run list with 18 —said she is not concerned about her early-season hitting slump. “I need to keep hitting well but I’m sort of like a late bloomer,” Smith said. “I’m not worried about that.” Tennis teams look to improve By Jay Saunders Staff Reporter The Nebraska men’s and women's tennis teams both have a weekend full of important matches, but for entirely different reasons. The women’s team, who just re turned from a 3-0 trip to Fullerton, Calif., last weekend, heads west again to compete in the Boise Tournament in Boise, Idaho. Last weekend, Women’s Coach Scott Jacobson said his team took a step in the right direction after sweep ing three duals. The Cornhuskers notched wins against Cal State-Ful lerton, Fairfield and Indiana State to improve to 8-3. “That was good preparation for our trip to Boise,” Jacobson said. “Those matches will be great competition for us.” NU will play against three regional foes this weekend. The Huskers will play Montana State, Idaho and host team Boise State. Jacobson said his team is focusing on these regional matches because of their impact later in the season. The men’s team isn’t playing a re gional match, but the team does con tinue its Big 12 Conference schedule. NU dropped a disappointing 5-2 decision to Baylor last weekend. The Huskers are looking for their first con ference win at Texas this weekend. The Longhorns play host to Nebraska on Friday, and the Huskers will then travel to College Station, Tbxas, to face Texas A&M. Harris selected to team From Staff Reports Nebraska men’s gymnast Ted Harris was named to the CoSIDA District 7 1997 GTE All-American Winter At-Large Team. Harris, a former walk-on from Kearney, finished third in the still rings at the 1996 NCAA Champi onships and carries a 3.91 grade point average in finance. He was named to the 1996 Big 12 Academic Honor Roll and earned academic medallions in 199S and 1996. Harris is also a member of the NCAA Student Athlete Advisory Board for 1996 97. Semmoles get NU-UCorm winner Florida State and Arkansas advance to NIT Final Four with wins over WVU, UNLY MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP)— James Collins scored 24 points and injury-plagued Corey Louis came off the bench for 14 as Florida State beat West Virginia 76-71 Wednesday night in the third round of the National In vitation Iburnament. The Seminoles advanced to the NTT Final Four joining Arkansas, an 86-73 winner over UNLV. The Final Four starts Thesday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Mountaineers (21-10) lost a last chance when Brent Solheim was called far an intentional foul with 2.9 seconds remaining. Randell Jackson, who finished with 19 points, made two free throws as the Seminoles held the ball until time expired. Florida State (19-11), planting in the postseason for the first time in four years, advanced to face the winner of Friday's Cannecticut-Nebraska game next week in the semifinals at New York. In Fayetteville, Ark., Tfcrik Wallace and Pat Bradley combined for 21 points early in the second half as the Razorbacks opened an ll^oint lead on the way to an 86-73 victory over the Runnin' Rebels. UNLV (22-10) led by six with a minute left in the half, but Arkansas (18-12) outscored the Rebels 32-15 duringthe next eijhtminute8. The run included three 3-pointers by Wallace, two by Bradley and one by Glendon Alexander. Hie spurt ended with two baskets by Kareon Reid making the score 63-52. Hie Rebels got as close as six four times in the final seven minutes. Only once did they have a chance to get it below six, and on that occasion, Kean Gaik lost the ball out of bounds. Hie threats ended when Rod got into the lane for a basket, Wallace beat the shot clock after Reid’s steal, Reid made both aids of a one and one and Bradley did the same. Hie Razorbacks advanced to New York to play either Notre Dame or Michigan. i k lTj w 7 B *
