The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, April 15, 1998, Page 9, Image 9
Sports Wednesday, April 15,1998 Page 9 Sam McKewon Tennis team helps writer regain love There are countless reasons that America is in love with sports. Some love the thrill of the champi onships. Others like the joy of winning or competition. Still others love sports for its statistics. I've always told myself that 1 loved sports for the beauty of it. Athletics is the quintessential practice of move ment in space, an occupation where men or women must use their bodies to reach an advantage. Little things in sports strike me as beautiful. Watcliing six offensive line men work in perfect harmony to open a hole for Ahman Green on the Nebraska football team is incredible to me. A Tvronn Lue floating jumper on the baseline is. too. But sometimes, you lose sight of what makes you love athletics. This spring. 1 think 1 did. With all the games I had covered, sports got a little boring, and watching them, a chore. 1 didn't bother to watch the NCAA finals in basketball, the sport that 1 loved the most, because North Carolina bowed out two days before. 1 was in a sports funk. On Easter Sunday, at the most unlikely of places, 1 broke out of that funk. I rediscovered the beauty of ath letes, courtesy of the Nebraska men's tennis team. I used to love tennis as a kid. Watching all the big professional grand slams on television was a big deal. But I hit about 15, and it faded away. Sunday, I found myself as the only person on the Daily Nebraskan sports staff able to go watch Nebraska take on Texas A&M. Driving to the Woods Tennis Center felt like driving to prison. And then I started watching. And since I had never been to a live tennis match before, 1 found it interesting. Then, I found myself having fun. I didn’t really care about the score, but rather the movements and the speed of the game. It’s incredible. Tennis is a power game to be sure, but it is finesse, too. To be 10 feet away from a ball going 100 miles an hour was something I had never done. I found myself remembering why I watched tennis as a kid. It’s a contest of endurance, inches, skill, guts, angles and everything in between. Best of all, I rediscovered the beauty of sports and how incredible it is to compete, especially in tennis. Oftentimes, sportswriters get jaded and cynical about sports. That was happening to me a little bit. Because of that match, I shook off the spring sports blues. So I’d like to thank NU tennis for bringing back my vision of what sports should be. Come April 23-26, they’ll have another fan in the stands for the Big 12 Championships, whether I’m covering them or not. Sam McKewon is a sophomore news-editorial and political science major and a Daily Nebraskan senior reporter. DeForge opts for WNBA Draft By Shannon Hfffflfingfr Senior Reporter For the past month, Anna DeForge has listened. She has sat patiently, con sidering the advice of agents, coaches and friends. Tuesday, she reacted. DeForge, the fourth-leading scorer in Nebraska women's basketball history, inked a contract with the Women's National Basketball Association, declaring her eligible for the WNBA Draft April 29. “I got phone calls from agents about a week after my season ended,” DeForge said. “It was overwhelming, crazy, time demanding. ... But once I got through the decisions - which agent to go with, which league to go with - it was fine.” i DeForge chose the WNBA over the American Basketball League because of its sound marketing strategies and high visibility. The league’s TV con tract, she said, will allow her family to watch her play more often. The WNBA’s four-month sched ule format (the ABL teams com pete for eight DeForge months) also attract ed DeForge. A short er schedule, DeForge said, will allow her to complete her degree and seek a career in sports marketing. Angela Beck, who was DeForge’s a It was overwhelming, crazy; time demanding ... But once I got through the decisions ... it was fine” Anna DeForge Nebraska guard coach at NU for three years before she left for the ABLs San Jose Lasers, said she has no hard feelings about DeForge’s decision. ‘Tm real proud of her,” Beck said. “I invested three years in her career, and I think she made a mature decision that was best for her. It’s neat, and I really respect her for that.” DeForge, who is one of 35 college seniors to sign with the league, will trav el to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago for the WNBA pre-draft camp, held April 16-18. Players who attend the pre-draft Please see DEFORGE on 10 i Dan Luedert/DN NU SENIOR CENTER Josh Heskew is the only returning starter on the Huskers’ offensive line. The relatively inexperienced group hopes to maintain the level of success achieved by last year’s line, which paved the way for the nation’s leading ground attack. Linemen grow into starting roles By Sarah Dose Staff Reporter As Nebraska’s only returning starter on the offensive line, Josh Heskew would prefer to be leading by his actions on the field this spring. But a back injury has forced the senior to observe from the sidelines. “It’s no fun,” Heskew said. “Especially when they’re all out there scrimmaging and cracking heads. It’s frustrating, especially if the team is struggling.” The inexperience of the linemen has shown on the field so far this spring, said NU Offensive Line Coach Dan Young, but he didn’t expect the Comhusker ground game to suffer next season. Heskew, along with four departing seniors, paved the way for the nation’s leading ground attack (392.6 yards per game) last year. Senior Ben Gessford said Nebraska fans should expect nothing but the best from the offen sive line in the fall. Gessford moved from left guard to right guard this spring. “Expectations are always high,” Gessford said. “The offensive line runs deep. That won’t change just because the people who are on it change.” Young said each player has shown good work ethic. “They’re inexperienced, but that’s what spring ball is all about,” Young said. “Right now, we have five completely new linemen because Heskew isn’t practicing.” Heskew had surgery on a bulging disc in his back and will not return to practice until August. Young said Heskew’s experience would help the line improve for the fall. “He’s been out there,” Young said. “He knows how to anticipate the block.” But the linemen have adapted without Heskew at their side. “I think we’ve played with Josh long enough to know what he does,” said junior left guard James Sherman. Young said Sherman, sophomore right tackle Jason Schwab and junior left tackle Adam Julch are working on losing weight for better agility. Sherman, at 6-feet-2 and 295 pounds, backed up Outland Trophy winner Aaron Taylor at left guard last season. “He’s lost weight and is having a good spring,” Young said. “Plus, he has a good attitude. He’ll be a real player for us next season.” Young also said he saw promise in Schwab, Returning offensive linemen Players listed two-deep according to the spring depth chart (statistics from 1997) Left tackle Ht Wt. Yr. Games AdamJulch 6-5 315 Jr. 9 Kyle Kollmorgen 6-4 290 Fr. N/A Left guard Ht Wt. Yr. Games James Sherman 6-2 295 Jr. 11 Brandt Wade 6-2 300 Sr. 5 Center Ht Wt Yr. Games Josh Heskew 6-3 290 Sr. 12 Matt Baldwin 6-1 290 Jr. 7 Right guard Ht Wt Yr. Games Ben Gessford 6-2 290 Sr. 8 Russ Hochstein 6-3 280 So. 5 Right tackle Ht Wt Yr. Games Jason Schwab 6-1 300 Jr. 10 Jeff Clausen 6-6 305 Jr. 5 who backed up Eric Anderson last season. “He always goes 100 miles per hour,” Young said. “He isn’t always right, but he has the ability and the attitude needed to refine those skills.” Heskew said he also noticed a positive attitude from all the linemen. “They all know what they need io do,” Heskew Please see LINE on 10