The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, April 09, 1997, Page 7, Image 7
Former Nebraska defensive lineman Neil Smith could have a new home in a place Kansas City fans would least expect it. Smith, a member of the Chief s since his NFL career began in 1988, met with Denver Broncos personnel on Fri day. Eugene Parker, Smith’s agent, accepted a contract proposal from Smidi’s long-time rival team. The 31-year-old Smith is an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team. The two sides are close to reaching a one-year incen tive-filled contract. The Broncos hope Smith makes his decision by the end of this week. ■ ' The Big 12 Conference named Nebraska’s Shelly Bartlett as its women’s gymnast of the month. Bartlett led the Comhuskers to a third-place finish and third straight NCAA Championship bid Saturday night at the NCAA Midwest Re gional in Salt Lake City. The senior from Spokane, Wash., narrowly finished in second place (just five-hundredths of a point) in tfiC'all-artHihd competition. ' ■ Texas Tech first baseman Joe Dillon and Oklahoma State right handed pitcher Jon Adkins earned Big 12 baseball’s player- and pitcher-of-the-week honors. Dillon, a senior from Santa Rosa, Calif., ripped five home runs in three games to help the Red Raiders to a series sweep over Mis souri. Dillon finished the week witl| six home runs and 10 RBIs Healso became the third Red Raider in school history to surpass the 20 homer mark in a season. He has 21 round trippers this year. Adkins fired a complete game, 10-2 triumph over offensively pow erful Texas in the second game of a doubleheader last Saturday at Stillwater, Okla. Adkins, who is from Wayne, W.V., scattered six hits and struck out a half-dozen Longhorn hitters. ■, More than7,500 Iowa State fans attended an exhibition basketball game Saturday at Hilton Coliseum featuring ISU’s nine incoming re cruits against a squad of Big 12 and Big Ten all-stars. The future Cy clones, who will be rehed on to re place all five starters next fall, lost 107-103. ■ Kansas got used to high drama last weekend as the Jayhawks swept a doubleheader from Baylor. Right fielder Les Walrond ripped a three run homer to lift KU to a 10-9 win in the opener to overcome a 9-7 deficit. In the nightcap, first baseman Chad King nailed a game-winning RBI double in the bottom of the ninth to lift KU to an 8-7 victory. Big 12 Notebook compiled by staff reporter Vince D’Adamo. Iowa shooting star joins the list of Husker basketball recruits. By Mitch Sherman Senior Reporter At least two high school seniors plan to sign letters of intent with the Nebraska basketball team today, and Comhusker coaches remain interested in several others. Cary Cochran, a 6-foot-2, 175 pound scoring machine from Tri-Cen ter High School in Neola, Iowa, will officially become a Husker today at an 8:30 a.m. news conference, his father and coach, Carl, said Tuesday. Today is the first day of the month-long spring signing period. Cochran, the No. 1 all-time high school scorer in Iowa history, joins 6 3,190-pound guard Rodney Wiliams from Houston, who committed to Ne braska last month. With only seven NU scholarship players returning next fall — assuming no current Huskers leave this spring — Nebraska needs a large recruiting class to avoid major depth problems next season. Brant Harriman, a 6-11 center from Mason City, Iowa, signed last Novem ber, and NU still holds hope of inking 6-10 forward Antoine Broxsie of Tampa, Fla., 6-4 guard Todd Smith of Milledgeville, Ga., and 6-10 center Steven Eldridge ofiyier (Texas) Com munity College. Cochran, who chose Nebraska over Southern Methodist, Colorado and Missouri-Kansas City, averaged 33 points per game this season and 28.5 points over his 93-game high school career. A 3-point specialist, he connected on more than 350 long balls in four years and made more than 40 percent of his 3-point attempts, Carl Cochran said. “Everybody that recruited him lacked 3-point shooting,” the elder Cochran said. “And with the 3-point shot as valuable as it is in college bas ketball, I think anybody can use a 3 point shooter. He also has the ability to make the people around him bet ter.” Cochran visited Nebraska several times over the last few months, most recently last weekend, and enjoyed his meetings with the Husker coaches and players, his father said. “The Nebraska staff has really shown a very strong interest,” Cochran said. “They’ve come to a number of games and practices. There was a promise of more play ing time at some of the other schools, but Nebraska offered him the chance to compete, and Cary’s a competi tor.” _ .. - f Matt Miller/DN JEMMY VOSS has become Nlft staff ace Is her first seasoa with the Husker softball team. Jenny Voss has ah the outward appearances of any energetic 19 year-old Nebraska athlete. The freshman pitcher for the Nebraska softball team, who played four sports and was on a weightlifting program while in high school, is in great physical condi tion and enjoys doing many normal freshman college activities. voss aiso possesses tong legs and fingers, which are both quali ties that have helped make ho- die young ace of the ComhuskenT pitching staff. Voss has appeared in 28 of NU’s 30 games this season, started in 23, pitched 20 complete games — in cluding a no hitter-^ and has a 13 11 record. In the fall, Vbss made an impact posting a 0.83 eamed-ran average and compiling a 10-3 record. But it’s not Voss’s athletic skills that have made her the Huskers’ No. 1 pitcher this season, it’s been her maturity in such a short time. “I’ve heard a lot oftimes people are surprised with some of the things that I say,” Voss said. “They think that’s not die perspective of a normal 19-year-old. I just laugh and say, 'Well, that’s how I am.’” It was Voss’s pitching and physical skills at her high school in Ankeny, Iowa, that got her noticed by the Husker coaching staff. Her maturity and mental approach to the game made her a player NU wanted on its team, Assistant Coach Lori Sippel said. Sippel said Voss has excellent control of her pitches and owns every part of the strike zone, which is usually not seen in freshman pitchers. However, Voss is still try ing to develop an assortment of pitches. u raxes a toe oi mammy to per form well at this level,” Sippel said. “It’S going to take a lot of learning and experience gained, but you ha ve to be mature to take our lumps as well as mature in taking your successes too.” But Voss’s maturity was tested even more by a series of questions that NU Coach Rhonda Revelle asked die Fastpitch World Maga zine first-team All-American. “When Rhonda recruited me, she asked me all kinds of questions to just to get into my head,” Voss said. “She would be really surprised by some of the things I would have to say, like, ‘Oh my gosh that’s what I really want to hear.’ “She asked me how I dealt with pressure situations and how did I feel when I was throwing well and did I feel jumpy with die game on the line. I would say no because that is my favorite part of the game. I just love knowing that the ball is in M |It takes a lot of maturity to perform well at this level.” LoriSippel NU softball assistant coach my hand.” - Voss, who begin tossing the softball around at age 5, said she remembers her aunts who were at tending NU and taught her to say “go big red” J As Vos* prepared for high school graduation she still sent out 20 recruiting videotapes, including one to Nebraska, to help jump start her college career. But ft was hard getting noticed ,inthe small town just north of Des Moines. “I love where I grew up, and I love how I developed as a pitcher,” Voss said. “Who’s to say that if I grew up pitching in California, I would be the same type of pitcher and have the same mental aspects about the game. I don’t think I re ally lost anything, and I enjoy be ing where I am at.” Huskers finish one stroke out From Staff Reports The Nebraska women’s golf team blew a 10-stroke first-day lead to fin ish second at the Utah-Dixie Classic at St. George, Utah. Oklahoma State, which traded NU „Jhy*Xl «shots,„ ralkejJt tp b#t the Tgbfitfnfikse by bug sribke. OiU fin ished with a three-round totalbf 918, and Nebraska carded a 919 for the tour nament Wyoming, which trailed NU by 10 shots entering Tuesday’s round, finished 20 strokes back. NU freshman Hanne Nyquist won the individual title by two strokes with a score of 224, Brigham Young’s Susanne Gillemo was second with a 226, the Cowgirls’ Jenny Bartley was third with a 227, and Nebraska’s Shirin Homecker finished fourth with a 228. After rounds of 74 and 71 on the first day, Nyquist ballooned to a 79 in the third round but made a 20-foot downhill putt to clinch the win. NU’s Maureen Regan finished eighth with a 232. NU men finish 3rd at invite From Staff Reports The Nebraska men’s golf team made a late charge to finish two strokes off the pace at the Arkansas State In dian Invitational cm Tuesday. The host Indians won die event by defeating Iowa State in the sudden death playoff. NU carded a two-round total of 592 to finish third. It was the fourth time in five tournaments this spring die Corahuskers have finished third or better. Sophomore Josh Madden led NU, finishing in a tie for second place. Madden shot rounds of 71 and 72 to finish with a 143, two shots behind winner Arkansas-Little Rock’s Alex Maynard. Joining Madden in the Top 10 was Husker senior Trent Morrison. Morrison finished tied for sixth after scores of 70 and 75. Scott Gutschewski and Steve Friesen finished tied for 30th with two-round totals of 152.