scenes at College World Series
By Amy Mischo
Staff Reporter
The pink jacket, red dress and
high heels of the Sweethearts of the
College World Series have been
replaced with the shorts and T-shirts
that the men would be more inclined
to wear.
Five students from the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln, who all happen
to be from Chi Omega sorority, were
part of the eight-member team of
College World Series Ambassadors.
The other three were two students
from University of Nebraska at
Omaha and one from University of
Nebraska Medical Center. These
eight were chosen out of the 50 to 60
who applied.
Andrea Grant, a senior business
administration major who has been a
CWS Ambassador the last three
years, was the veteran of the group
and encouraged her sorority sisters to
apply.
She got involved because she
likes baseball. Her father coached
baseball and she has two brothers
who played. But a previous interest in
baseball is not necessarily required,
however it may help, she said.
Brenda Passmore, a senior com
munication studies major and one of
Grant’s sorority sisters, said she
wished she knew more about base
ball, though.
“I wish I knew more when I talked
to the players,” Passmore said. “But I
learned more every day.”
Grant also encouraged Natalie
Brown to apply. Brown, a junior
advertising major, said her first year
had been the “best experience of her
life.”
Students from Chi Omega have
been involved with the Ambassadors
from near the beginning, Grant said.
“It’s great knowing our sorority is
so involved,” Brown said.
The students selected, including
the UNL students, were the first faces
the CWS teams saw when they got off
their planes May 27-28. The
Ambassadors made sure the fans and
the players enjoyed their stays in
Omaha, and they attended all of the
games and worked at the booths set
up by the service organizations. They
also worked as runners for the
NCAA.
The Sweethearts were disbanded
in 1991 and replaced with the CWS
Ambassadors. The Sweethearts were
each assigned to their own teams and
were all women. Men can now apply
to be Ambassadors.
“They decided to change the
image,” Grant said.
Every student who applies has an
interview, and 16 are chosen. Those
16 take part in modeling Younker’s
clothing and answering three ques
tions from three judges. Younker’s is a
sponsor of the Ambassador program.
Each team playing in the CWS
was assigned a service organization,
such as the Kiwanas, that made sure
the team made its charter bus after
getting off the plane, arrived at the
motel, ate and had everything it need
ed. The Ambassadors aided those ser
vice organizations.
“We help in any way that we can,”
Grant said.
The program is voluntary, but
there are benefits. This year, one stu
dent won a scholarship. Robert Green
of UNO received $1500 from
Younker’s based on his participation
in the program, the number of tickets
he sold and other factors. The stu
dents also attended the games and
received one extra ticket each day.
The Ambassadors attended events
planned by the service clubs for the
players. One team toured Offutt Air
Force Base, and Mississippi State
players visited the children in
Methodist Children’s Hospital.
“That just made the kids’ day,”
Grant said. “And the players didn’t
want to leave.”
Another Ambassador duty was to
help with promoting the College
World Series. They went on radio
shows, such as Gary Java’s Sports
Talk on the Sports Pinnacle Network,
and were on Lite 96 and Sweet 98.
Brown said she enjoyed her radio
debut.
“I was on KFAB,” Brown said. “I
didn’t think I’d like it because I was
new, and this was before the Series
started, but it was really great.”
Friesen finishes 2nd at regionals
GOLF from page 8
proved they could compete. We’re a
legitimate team.”
Rogers, who was named to the Golf
Coaches Association of America hon
orable-mention All-America team,
came back from a first-round 73 to
shoot a second-round 65, a score that
tied the school record of 65 held by for
mer Husker standout Knox Jones.
“It was great,” Rogers said. “What
better place to do it than at Regionals?”
Romjue said he knew his top player
was capable of big things, it was just a
matter of time.
“Jamie is a good player,” Romjue
said. “I've been expecting it all along.
He is probably the best player we’ve
had at our school.”
Rogers wrapped up the tournament
with a third-round 69, good enough for
second place, making him the highest
NU finisher at a Regional tournament
with a six-under-par 207.
Friesen, also turned in a career
showing, placing 15*, his highest at a
regional tournament
Tressa Thompson wins 3rd
title at track nationals
ByAdamKlinker
Staff Reporter
For Nebraska senior shot-putter
Tressa Thompson, the third time wasn’t
just a charm, it was the gem.
Thompson took home her third
national title from the NCAA Outdoor
Track and Field Championships held in
Buffalo, N.Y., June 3-6, capping off a
senior season that also inducted Big 12
championships in shot and discus.
“I came out of my career with three
national championships, and I couldn’t
be happier,” Thompson said after beat
ing out rival Teri Tunks of Southern
Methodist University with a throw of 61
feet-2 Va inches—good enough to break
heir own NCAA Championship meet
record of 60-8‘/2, set in 1997.
Led by Thompson’s shot put win and
eighth-place discus throw, the Nebraska
women’s track team finished eighth
place at nationals with 26 points. Big 12
champion Texas also won the NCAA
Championship, finishing with 60 points.
Competing with Tunks, a two-time
national champion from Crete,
Thompson said she was eager to see who
would come out on top for a third title.
“After I won, I was feeling a great
relief" die said C T - <
-j Also scoring was sophomore Kim
Stewart, who finished second in die
first-ever women’s pole vaulting com
petition at die national championships.
With a vault of 12 feet-514 inches,
Stewart matched die mark of champion
Bianca Maran of Cal Poly-San Luis
Obispo and third-place Leslie Henley of
Tennessee. However, due to fewer miss
es, Maran was crowned champion.
NU’s other scorers were senior
Meka Rembert, who finished eighth in
the 400 meter hurdles, sophomore
Dahlia Ingram, who claimed seventh in
the triple jump, and the 4 x 400 relay of
Rembert, Leslie Owusu, La’Tisha
Croom and Stella Klassen.
The Husker men were paced by
Shane Lavy in the high jump and Chris
Wright in die long jump, They scored
12.5, well behind Arkansas’s 58 points,
to help NU to an 18th place finish.
Lavy, a junior, jumped 7-3 1/4 to
finish in a tie for fourth place with
Kenny E vans of Arkansas. Nathan
Leeper of Kansas State won the event
Wright, in his final national cham
pionship meet, placed second in the
long jump with a bound of 26-1014,
shattering his personal best of 26-0.
Robert Howard of Arkansas won the
title with a jump of 27-514 inches.
Wrigjbt said that after his first jump
of 26-0, he prayed for an increase of
three to four inches in his next jumps,
which he got, and then some.
: “It was just incredibleWright said.
“I have nothihg to be ashamed of. I
came back and I competed.”
Sheldon
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