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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1998)
Texas has found a new men’s basketball coach, but it is not Utah’s Rick Majerus, who was rumored to take over in Austin, Texas. Instead, Clemson’s Rick Barnes will take over for Tom Penders, who resigned as head coach on April 2. Barnes compiled a 74-48 record in four years at Clemson. For the last three seasons, the Tigers have gone to the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Barnes declined job offers from both Ohio State and Tennessee. Bob Bender of Washington and Kelvin Sampson of Oklahoma were also considered for the job. ■ Although Texas has found a new men’s basketball coach, a new 3-point specialist is needed. Sophomore-to-be Luke Axtell announced his intention to transfer from Texas to Kansas. Axtell was suspended by for mer UT coach Tom Penders for academic reasons. Even though Penders is no longer the coach, Axtell still decided to leave the Longhorn program. Axtell averaged 13.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and shot 39 percent from behind the 3-point line. ■ Two Big 12 conference championship events have found new homes for the 1998 99 season. At the April Big 12 directors' meeting, sites for next year's football and outdoor track championships were named. The Trans World Dome in St. Louis will once again hold the Big 12 football championship on December 5. The game will match the w inners of the north and south divisions in the Biu 12. In 1996. the TWA Dome hosted the first-ever Big 12 championship game, a 3 7-27 Texas \ ictory over Nebraska. Baylor will host the 1999 men's and women’s outdoor track championships in Waco. Texas. The Bears also hosted the meet in 1997. ■ Nebraska wrestler Brad Vering won the 177-pound national championship in the 1998 University National Championships Greco-Roman division. Vering, a redshirt freshman from Howells, Neb., beat Oregon State’s Chael Sonnen in the final match. Vering’s win may qualify him to earn one of eight spots for the World Team qualifying tournament, which is in June. m The softball doubleheader between Nebraska and Drake scheduled for today has been postponed. The games will be played on Thursday, April 23, at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. in Des Moines, Iowa. Big 12 Notebook compiled by Assignment Reporter Jay Saunders. •Jay Calderon/DN NEBRASKA FRESHMAN UTILITY FIELDER Jessica Draemel watches senior catcher Jenny Smith and fresh man pitcher Lori Tschannen bang on buckets. Supersitions have helped NU to a 32-8 record this season. Superstitions unite NU By Darren Ivy Assignment Reporter Whenever a Nebraska softball player gets a gut feeling about someone getting a hit, she starts buzzing her teammates. Pretty soon everyone on the NU bench is buzzing and putting their hands on freshman Jill Days head because they think it will help the batter get a base hit. I & “It has worked eight out of nine times." said senior designated hitter j Christie McCoy. “We only do it when we have a gut feeling." This act is just one of the many rituals or superstitions the team goes through before and during games. Softball placers, like mane ath letes. believe that a little luck on i their side can't hurt anything. "You play tricks on your mind j so your mind doesn't overcome you." said sophomore second base man Jennifer Lizama. Superstitions are defined as U You play tricks on your mind so your mind doesn V overcome you.” Jennifer Lizama second baseman beliefs resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown and trust in magic or chance. Dr. Jack Stark, NU perfor mance psychologist, said a lot of people don't put much stock in superstitions. However, he said a superstition is kind of like a placebo in an exper iment “A placebo works 35 percent of the time,” Stark said. “It's the power of belie'-, ing. Sometimes it can gi\e you the extra five percent edge that many coaches seek ” For the softball team, supersti tions are almost as big a part of the game as pitching, hitting and defense. The superstitions start with Coach Rhonda Revelle. Between innings, she puts her clipboard in her left hand gets the ball from the third baseman in her right hand and then lobs it to freshman catcher Heather Martin in the dugout. Another superstition she does less often is run down the third baseline to the outfield fence, stand in foul territory and touch the fence in fair territory. "I'm trying to get a rally start ed" Revelle said. Against Iowa State April 4, Revelle did this routine in the first, third and fourth innings. The result: two, three and two runs respective - Please see SUPER on 8 Speedy ‘D’ looks to stop foes By Sam McKewon Senior Reporter There’s a saying in football that team speed kills the opponent. Nebraska has proven that theory true this spring, causing numerous NU offensive fatalities in two spring scrim mages. “We’re fast and we’re tough to stop,” Comhusker defensive tackle Jason Wiltz said. “I think we’re effective against our own offense, and we have the best offense in the nation.” - In last 0rt,z Saturday’s scrimmage, the defense reigned, holding the offense to 2.5 yards per carry and the first-team offensive players to 38 yards on 28 carries. They gave up only 164 yards passing throughout the scrimmage, only 49 to the first-team offense. The scary thmg about the defense, not only for the NU offense but oppos ing teams next fall, is as junior Will line backer Tony Ortiz said, it’s only getting better. “The more experience we get, the faster we’ll get and the more aggressive we’ll get,” Ortiz said. “I don’t think we’ve hit our peak in the spring or over all.” Much of the speed originates with the NU defensive philosophy, which switched five years ago from a bigger, slower 5-2 defense to a faster, more attacking 4-3 defense that the Huskers now embrace. Nebraska Defensive Coordinator Charlie McBride said the main determi nant to getting on the field for the Huskers deals with one element: speed. “Above all. the guy’s got to be fast,” McBride said. “Size probably is the third thing on our list. We teach our smaller guys how to take on a block just like we used to with the big lineback ers.” And fast they are. For proof, look no further than Newcombe, who has spent the majority of spring dodging numer ous NU defenders during scrimmages. “I may be the fastest player on the team according to my (40-yard dash) time,” he said, “but if that’s the case, then the next 15 fastest guys are probably on defense. They just fly around. “Then we have great coaches who know how to put guys in the right place and the right time. That’s what makes us great on defense.” If the defense has one weakness, McBride said, it may be its size. Unlike in the past, when Nebraska consistently had 240-pound linebackers, NU relies more on players like Ortiz, who is about Please see SPEED on 8 Freshmen add depth to lineup By Jay Saunders Assignment Reporter The promotional poster for last year’s Nebraska women's ten nis team was titled, “Fountain of Youth.” Last season, the Cornhuskers had only one senior. With the addition of three freshman this year, the fountain may be over flowing. After impressive high-school careers, Danica Hardy, Ndali Ijomah and Kelli Clark have all made an impact in their first year as Huskers. Ijomah has played primarily at No. 4 singles this year for the Huskers, anci^Hardy has played eight matches at No. 5 singles. “All three of them have a very good work ethic,” NU Coach Scott Jacobson said. “You never know how kids are going to respond. They’re all very into the idea of team and are all very mature individuals.” II_1 . . C_C_\ 4_■ uai 11 uui jan la iviaiia, Calif., came to Nebraska knowing nothing but winning. Hardy com piled a record of 168-0 in four years in conference play. But she said she found out quickly what it was like to lose. This season, Hardy has compiled an 8-5 sin gles record, but she said losing wasn’t a big deal. “It wasn’t a shock,” Hardy said. “I knew it would be impossi ble to keep a record like that going. But right from the begin ning it has started off well.” Things are also going well for fellow Californian. Kelli Clark. Clark, from Redlands, Calif., did not play in any tournaments in the tali but has stepped in to play two matches at No. 6 singles. Clark has made the biggest impact in doubles. With sophomore Gina Pelazini - Clark's best friend on the team the duo has compiled a 7-1 record this year at No. 3 doubles. Clark said she and the other two freshman have adapted well to being at Nebraska. “We are having fun and expe riencing something totally new and different,” Clark said. “As much as the university takes care of us, we have all improved.” Although Ijomah is enjoying herself in Nebraska, things have not gone as planned in her tennis game this year. Ijomah has been suffering from tendinitis since before the Baylor match on March 19. Even though she has had to battle injury, Ijomah said she is pretty confident in her game. “I’m back and I am feeling pretty good,” Ijomah said. “I think if you deserve a spot and can win your matches, it is all yours.” The three freshman have not only responded on the court, but are best friends off it as well. Hardy said some people call them the “Three Musketeers.” Hardy said even though they have to compete against each other, the friendship isn’t affected. “The friendship doesn’t disap pear but we still want to beat each other,” Hardy said. “All three of us being close has really helped me adapt. We cling to each other.”