‘Husker blood’ brings
Cook back to Nebraska
rm ill from page 9
with questions about die possibility
of Pettit’s retirement
“I think he’s going to leave it that
he wants to focus on this season for
this team that is coming up and he
doesn’t want the focus to be on him,”
Cook said.
Pettit, who finished his 22nd sea
son as NU’s head coach last
December, briefly mentioned his
eventual retirement a number of
times last fall. The Huskers finished
the season with a loss to Penn State
in the national semi-finals of the
NCAA Tournament
l m not at tne stage m my nte
where I want to go fishing and play
golf all the time,” Pettit said. “I
believe I have the best job in the
country.
“I might leave coaching at some
point, but certainly, I’m not going to
retire.”
Forty minutes after sitting down
at Tuesday’s press conference, Pettit
answered the final question regard
ing retirement with a smile.
“That’s a question like asking
your daughter when she’s going to
get married,” Pettit said. “I’m going
to answer it the same way she would:
‘None of your damn business.’ ”
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I
I
BS
L ,
NU hits the weight room
Earlier workouts help Husker linemen gel as a unit
By Darren Ivy
Senior staff writer
The goals of making Nebraska
football players stronger and faster are
still the same, NU Assistant Athletic
Director Boyd Epley said. But this
year, a hidden benefit may come out of
the winter program.
In die past, a football player usual
ly lifted weights on his own in the after
noon after the team running drills. This
year, however, players were broken
into lifting groups based on their posi
tion.
The leaders of those groups asked
individual members when their classes
were and then set up a time for the
whole group to work out, said Epley,
who is also the director of athletic per
formance.
The offensive linemen chose 7 a.m.
for their time to work out
NU offensive lineman Russ
Hochstein said getting up early was
tough at first. But the 6-foot-3, 280
pound junior is adjusting and said the
sacrifices will pay off. So will the
camaraderie that is being built from
lifting together.
“In a game, we each have our indi
vidual jobs and responsibilities, but the
offensive line is a unit,” Hochstein
said.
“(Lifting together) relates back to
that Each one of us lifts hard and tries
to get bigger. It goes hand-in-hand with
what you do on die field. The more you
are around someone, the better you get
to get to know them.”
Epley said more than 100 players
opted for the earlier workout times.
Junior rush end Brandon
job, Epley said. “He’s gained seven
pounds already.”
Other top lifters include Mike
Brown, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Matt
Davison, Russ Hochstein, Jason Lohr,
Chris Kelsay, Jeremy Slechta, Ralph
Brown, Tony Tata, Jeff Perino, Aaron
muuucny saiu
his group opted
for the earlier
workouts,
because they felt
workouts would
have better quali
ty without run
ning drills before
lifting weights.
Results of the
new setup are
already evident,
Epley said.
“Now it’s
kind of a peer
pressure thing,”
it
Overall, the work is
as good its ever
been. The results are
going to be just what
we want.”
Boyd Epley
NU assistant athletic director
wins, uominic
Raiola, Matt Baldwin,
Tyler Rauenzahn and
Jason Schwab.
Mooberry, who
had shoulder surgery
a few weeks ago and
just started working
out this week, wants
to be part of that
group. He knows he
will have to work
hard, not only for him
self but also to keep
his teammates happy.
“If they see you
slacking off, they will
npiey saiu. wnai we are imaing is
that they are doing a little bit better job
with the warm-up and exercises. Even
some of the supplementary things that
players might have said T don’t have
time to do it’ - they are getting it done.”
Getting the sets done is critical,
because the strength staff grades each
workout.
Through evaluations, Epley and
the strength staff have identified top
lifters.
“Tracey Wistrom is doing a great
jump aown your oacK ana narass you,
Mooberry said.
Epley said the players were disap
pointed with last season, and he can see
that in their lifting
“I’m sure there is motivation to
improve on that (record),” Epley said.
“We’ve always had hard workers in the
winter at Nebraska. This year is no dif
ferent.
“Overall, the work is as good as it’s
ever been. The results are going to be
just what we want”
Huskers hit a season in women’s
, gym; Oxford wins the all-around
By John Gaskins
Staff writer
By 11:30 p.m. Monday night, the
die-hards at the Bob Devaney Sports
Center, who had traversed through snow
and ice to see the No. 10 Nebraska
women’s gymnastics team’s triangular
meet with No. 14 Oregon State and No.
22 Brigham Young, looked ready to hit
the pillow.
But despite having to bum a little
_U-' Li • i a.1_
“This team showed a lot this
evening,” said Kendig, who earned his
200th career victory in 16 years of
coaching.
“We came out and performed well
on all four events. To score a 196 this
early in the season is a great accom
plishment”
Nebraska individuals scored victo
ries in three of die four events. Senior
Misty Oxford captured the all-around
title with a season-high 39.2, edging
teammate and junior Nicole Wilkinson
UllUlliglll Ull, 111W
Huskers weren’t
putting anyone to
rest except the
Beavers and the
Cougars.
Without junior
All-American
Heather Brink, out
for die third straight
meet due to an
I Achilles injury, NU
1(10-2) used heavy
artillery to score a
I season-high 196.075
to shoot down OSU
. (194.575) and BYU
1 (193.4).
■ TKo OAAfO iiroo ^
u--—
I’m happy with the
win, don’t get me
wrong, but it was
weird when you
look back ”
Misty Oxford
NU gymnast
Jakroclro ’c Pi fVV» a Uam
□y. l points.
“I’m happy to
win, don’t get me
wrong,” Oxford
said, “but it was
kind of weird when
you look back. I
just didn’t feel like
I was with it
tonight”
A deadpan atti
tude about a solid
performance is
typical for a team
that has depth; no
one is safe in the
lineup.
“I think it’s def
' highest in school history. NU recorded
scores of 49 or better in three of the four
1 events and set a season high with a
48.85 on the vault, which left Coach
Dan Kendig pleased with his team.
UUiVlJ U glVUV UVliiVIV OUUUUVU IV vv
in,” Kendig said. “These girls feel so
bad when they miss in practice, because
they know every routine is crucial.
“But because of that, we’re a
stronger team and we’re already starting
to work on the little things much sooner
than we usually do.”
Senior Courtney Brown continued
her assault on the beam and floor exer
cise with victories in both events, and
scored her career high (9.875) on the
vault, where she finished runner-up to
OSU’s Lara Degenhardt (9.9).
Freshman Bree Dority captured her
first career-event title by scoring a
career-high 9.9 on the uneven bars,
while sophomore Amy Ringo (floor -
9.825) and junior Laura Ohlendorf
(uneven bars-9.825) also scored career
bests, displaying the team’s depth.
The meet’s length was doubled
compared to normal due to the absence
of two of the four scheduled judges.
Because there were only two judges, the
meet was competed in Olympic order,
with one event after the other, a situation
that caused some long faces and a long
night
“They were complaining a little at
die beginning about the length,” Kendig
said “but after that they made die best of
it After all, (die other two teams) had to
wait too.”
Oxford said that the never-ending
night was actually beneficial to the
team, a perfect preparation for the
NCAA Championships in April, where
several teams and gymnasts will com
pete and the wait between events will be
just as long or longer.
“We stayed together as a team, kept
everybody up,” Oxford said.
| NU sees urgency in K-State game
HOME from page 9
But Kansas State has been on a
slide since beating the Huskers a
month ago. KSU has lost three
straight games.
Kansas State’s recent demise may
come from the absence of junior cen
ter Angie Finkes. Finkes, who aver
ages 11.2 points per game, has not
played in the Wildcats’ last four
games and may miss tonightk game.
“I think it hurts Kansas State
some,” Sanderford said. “But they
I have played four straight games with
out her.”
The game is not only significant
because of tournament ramifications,
but it also marks the final game for
four seniors at the Devaney Center.
Kate Benson, Cori McDill, Lisa
Reitsma and Monet Williams will
play in front of the Devaney Center
crowd for die last time.
“It is pretty amazing,” McDill
said. “These four years have gone by
pretty dang fast”
Reitsma played only one year of
basketball, and Williams played two.
Benson and McDill have been at NU
for their entire careers.
“Our seniors have done a pretty
good job leadership-wise this year,”
Sanderford said. “We are going to
miss those four seniors.”
But if Nebraska is to reach its
tournament goal, Sanderford said,
those same seniors must step up in the
last few weeks of the season.
Against Texas Tech, seniors Angie
Braziel and Rene Hanebutt combined
for 55 of the Red Raiders’ 75 points.
In Sunday’s game, McDill did not
attempt a shot in 10 minutes of play.
Reitsma did not score and Williams
contributed eight points.
“(Tech’s seniors) basically con
trolled the game,” Sanderford said.
“This is the time of year where you
look for experienced players to make
the big plays.”
