The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, March 12, 1999, Page 8, Image 8
Gymnasts battle Penn St. ■ After road defeats, the NU gymnastics team is ready to come back. By John Gaskins Staff writer A dual with the top-ranked team in the nation and the leading national championship-winner in NCAA Gymnastics history has come just at the right time for Nebraska gymnas tics Coach Francis Allen. The No. 8 Huskers will face Penn State in a double men’s and women’s dual at the Bob Devaney Sports Center at 1 p.m. Sunday. Allen said his team will be ready, if not pumped, to take on the Nittany Lions after two straight road defeats. The Huskers started the season 7 0, capped by a victory in their last home meet, three weeks ago against No. 3 Iowa. Since then, NU took a tough, three-point beating at th^ hands of No. 6 Oklahoma, then were clipped at No. 9 Brigham Young by .05 points. “We thought we had won that one,” Allen said. “We performed well enough to. We were closing in on them fast. So we’re not too worried about this weekend.” But in the backs of their minds, the gymnasts know what kind of chal lenge is on their hands. Penn State beat the Huskers last year 231.15-230.05 in a shoot-out at State College, Penn. Penn State and Illinois are the only two schools that have won more national championships than Allen and Nebraska (both with 9 to NU’s 8). Separating the two teams are 17 NCAA team titles and 80 individual NCAA titles, but Allen said this year everything is up for grabs. “I don’t see a dominant team in college gymnastics this year,” Allen said. “If there is one, I’d like to see them. I believe we’re just as bit as good as they are, and this weekend, we’ll see.” The Nittany Lions are ranked in the top seven in every individual cate Playing Your Froritt Reel, Bluest Mrs Songs. 9 pm -1 am each night «A» i Penny Pitchers buy. one at regular price, W.O. the secona one is a penny 1228 "P" St Friday, March 19th, The 9's from Omaha. 477-4006 _Mention this ad & receive $.50 off your first drink purchase. TiOO 425 University Terrace (Behind Pound Dorm) ... 1BI 436-7177 • Be Impacted by God’s Word ^ • Worship with Live Music • Develop Meaningful Friendships Spend your _ . w „„ FRIDAY P]M NIGHT (A 1 W,H Ever since you were a toddler mom has been preparing you to save. And even though your little ‘bank’ can’t buy you many things - it can sure get you in our doors. Our movies are only $1.75 - no matter what time of day it is or who you are. So sit back, relax and take a load off because at that price - you won’t be able to resist Call 475-9991 for listings. Sbrfhfc9 ww.fcidmtrH raw 13tfc aai % Uncata mMw441-4022 <- *> - > ; v ,\ ?.1 :> t i >, i _ ,< t I i 1,3 t 1 t_ gory; the Huskers are in the top 10 in five of six. NU’s leading all-arounder, sophomore Jason Hardabura, is cur rently the fifth best in the nation. NU junior Derek Leiter is the nation’s leading vaulter and is forth in the floor exercise. The No. 8 women’s meet against No. 4 Penn State will be every bit as big, as they will play host to their sec ond top-10 team in three weeks. It’s especially big for one Husker gym nast. Laurie McLaughlin, last week’s Big 12 Gymnast of the Week and cur rent winner of both the uneven bars and balance beam two weeks in a row, hails from State College, but said her main concerns are her routines, not her hometown opponent. “The only real big thing about fac ing them is I’ll be competing against my first coach (Penn State’s Steve Shephard) and my last coach (Nebraska’s Dan Kendig),” McLaughlin said. “Other than that, I’m just trying to hit my routines and get better.” Kendig said despite Penn State’s power, the Huskers are doing nothing out of the ordinary to prepare for the dual. “This team, unlike maybe last year’s team, is not going ‘Oh my God, it’s Penn State,”’ Kendig said. “It’s just business as usual. We’re just working on the little things, we’re healthy and looking forward to the weekend.” London $289 Amsterdam $438 Rome $490 Barcelona $457 Farm ara bom Lincoln, aacfc wy bmad on • RT purcbasa. Farm do not loctuda tana*. which can total burntta SS and tM.laC’l Scadant ID NMf ka hfdrti Faioa ara vaM far daparturm In April and ara tafc|att to ditnpt. Rattricttont apply. Call far oar law dammtlt farm and farm to otbar wi4f d§iUiig|io4if, Don't forgat an ordar year Earallpmal I -800-2Council NIU ERASE YOUR COLLEGE LOAN. If you’re stuck with a (federally insured) student loan that's not in default, the Army might pay it off. If you qualify, we’ll reduce your debt—up to $65,000. Payment is either 1/3 of the debt or $1,500 for each year of service, whichever is greater. You'D also have training in a choice of skills and enough self-assurance to last you die rest of your life. Get all the details from your Army Recruiter. (402)467-2221 ARMY BEAU YOU CAN BET www.goanny.coin Nil tennis team faces tough break itinerary By Jake Bleed Staff writer While everyone may be looking to leave Lincoln’s work and weather for spring break, the Nebraska men’s tennis team won’t be on break. But it will be leaving - with a vengeance. The Huskers (4-6 overall, 1-3 in the Big 12 Conference) have an itinerary for spring break that has them playing five matches in venues that range from the deep South to the Atlantic coast to Southern California. Coach Kerry McDermott said the odd schedule could be blamed on spring break being one week earlier than it has been in the past years. “We normally go to UC-Irvine and get to one place and play a few match es,” McDermott said. “Normally, I wouldn’t want to do all the traveling we’re doing.” The first leg ofNo. 66 NU’s “break” is south to meet Northeast Louisiana in Monroe, La., on March 14. Two days later, NU will be in Richmond, Va., to meet No. 73 Old Dominion and Richmond. Then it’s across the nation to San Diego to meet Yale and San Diego on March 20 and 21. The Nebraska women’s tennis team, while also meeting five teams next week, woi$hyave to cover as much ground. ^ % % The No. 69 Huskers yrill start the break athoriie, meeting an improved Missouri team Friday and teams from Gustavus Adolphus and Northern Iowa on Saturday. Missouri wait 0-15 last year, but is 6-6 thus far in the season. After that, NU will leave the Woods Tennis Center’s indoor courts to spend seven labor-intensive days in the wind swept tundra of Hilton Head, S.C. “We’ll get a chance to hopefully play outside a lot,” Coach Scott Jacobson said. “I think the kids are going to have a good trip.” The Huskers will meet Vermont and George Washington in Hilton Head. The name of game all week, though, is staying healthy. With the bare minimum of six players, the Huskers will be forced to field the entire team in all five of the week’s matches, opening the door for the possibility of injury. But under die circumstances, the team has stepped up. Amy Frisch and the No. 1 doubles team of Sandra Noetzel and Indali Ijomah will both go into Friday’s match on five-game win ning streaks. Huskers get stronger during conditioning HUSKERS from page 8 your group are going to cause you some grief.” Senior-to-be rover Mike Brown said working in groups by position seemed to be effective. “There was a lot of intensity,” Brown said. “There was a lot of moti vation. Maybe it’s because I’m a senior - it seems a little more urgent” Comerback Ralph Brown, a 5-9 senior-to-be agreed, but also said last year’s finish has added some fuel to the fire. Nebraska finished its 1998 cam paign at 10-4, losing four games for the first time since 1968. “I feel we have a lot to prove,” Brown said. “A lot of people are doubt ing the program. That’s why everyone is working hard. We are the same Nebraska.” Seventeen performance records were broken Wednesday as 23 Huskers, including Mike Brown, scored 500 points or above in all four performance tests. Leading the way was junior rush end Kyle Vanden Bosch, who recorded 2939 performance index points, a daily high and a position record for rush ends. Vandal Bosch ran a 4.78-second 40-yard dash en route to 744 points in the event - the third most Wednesday. The 6-4,268-pounder finished among the top three in pro-agility points, 10 yard-dash points and 40-yard-dash points. With the loss of senior rush ends Chad Kelsay and Mike Rucker, Vanden Bosch will likely play a major role on the defensive line this fall. “He’s definitely a leader in the weight room,” Epley said. “He doesn’t say a lot He leads by example. He’s a tremendously hard worker.” Also breaking performance-index position records Wednesday were defensive lineman Jon Clanton, free safety Clint Finley and center Dominic Raiola. Clanton’s mark of 2788 points was an all-time position best. Other performance notables include walk-on I-back Tyler Rauenzahn, who ran a 4.48-second 40 yard-dash. Rauenzahn also recorded the fastest 10-yard-dash time Wednesday in 1.52 seconds. “He’s a guy to keep your eye on,” Epley said. But speed, size and strength aren’t everything, Epley said. Body composi tion - losing fat and gaining muscle - was the key to this winter’s condition ing program. “It’s like putting a bigger engine in a smaller car,” Epley said. “It gives you more energy for production. Munson, DeAnda to see tournament play, finally WRESTLERS from page 8 Jordan Center, NU Assistant Coach Mark Cody is confident DeAnda and Munson will be able to handle the mental pressures of a tournament with the magnitude of the NCAAs. “They’ve both wrestled in high pressure situations before,” Cody said. “I think it’s 99 percent mental by the time you get to nationals, and both of them can deal with that” Along with DeAnda and Munson, NU will send five other wrestlers to NCAAs - Paul Gomez, 125; Joe Henson, 149; Bryan Snyder, 157; Brad Vering, 184; and J.R. Plienis, heavyweight Being a team that has climbed from a preseason No. 21 ranking to a curfent No, 4,ranking*thp Huskers are expecting nothing less than a top five finish at this year’s nationals. “We’ve all been training hard, and each one of us expects to be an All American,” said DeAnda, NU 141 pounder. “I know that can happen.” And in order for Nebraska to get seven All Americans and a top-five team finish, Cody said the Huskers must do one thing. “The guys have to focus on one match at a time,” .Cody said. “They can’t be thinking about the finals when they’re in the semis.” And DeAnda and Munson know that. For them, this tournament will marie the end of their athletic careers, and they don’t intend to leave silently. “I’m really not satisfied with just getting to nationals,” Munson said. “Since I’m going to be there I’d like to go in, relax, win a few, and be in it until the end of the tournament.” I