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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1999)
Otters life a quiet, private one OTTEY from page 16 the late Florence Griffith-Joyner, who still holds the world record in the 100 meter and 200-meter dash. Ottey got a chance to redeem her self one year later at the national cham pionships in Houston. The Nebraska sprinter finished second to no one that day. “It was just when Flo Jo (Joyner) was starting to emerge,” Pepin said. “It was a great race.” Pepin said he recalled many instances in which he saw Ottey do things he didn’t think could be done. Ottey even tried to run against men. Pepin said in 1982, when Missouri came to Lincoln for a dual meet, the coaching staff wanted to race Ottey in the men’s 200-meter dash so she could go up against better competition. But the AIAW (the jurisdiction replaced by the NCAA a couple of years later) would not allow Ottey to compete against the men. “She was blessed with talents that not many people ever have,” Pepin said. “She is like a great piano player or a surgeon. She was marvelous for our team.” She was important for Nebraska, but perhaps more so for the country of Jamaica. International star “The Olympics were the most excit ing because there I was competing against the world s best. At first I was scared because the East Germans and Russians were so big.” - Ottey, on her first Olympics in 1980, in the Daily Nebraskan on March 11,1982. Only 20 years old, Ottey competed in her first Olympics in 1980 in Moscow. She finished third in her first major competition before she ever arrived at Nebraska. And she’s been on the international stage ever since. Ottey has won 14 medals at the indoor and outdoor World Championships, including three golds. Several Olympic medals have also adorned Ottey’s neck. In the 1996 games in Atlanta, Ottey won silver medals in the 100- and 200-meter dash es. Ottey also took two bronze medals in 1984, and she also struck bronze in 1980,1992 and 1996. But one thing Ottey never did accomplish was going to die top of the medal stand, listening to her country’s national anthem. Griffith-Joyner served as a thorn in Ottey’s side, beat ing her in the 200-meter dash in both the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. But Ottey never came closer than in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, when she finished second to Gail Devers in the 100 meters. Devers and Ottey both clocked in with a time of 10.94 seconds. But Devers won in a photo finish, as the replay showed her torso touched the line before Ottey’s. Three years later, Devers still runs against Ottey, last running against her in France in February. And while Devers said it isn’t cus tomary for athletes to talk about medals, Devers doesn’t think it both ered Ottey that she has never won a gold medal. “I wouldn’t say she lets it get her down,” Devers said “It might serve as motivation for her. I’m sure it does. “You go into a meet expecting to win, to be No. I. You just have to forget about it.” Devers said that Ottey’s ability to run both the 100 and 200 meters, along with her longevity in the sport, makes her one of the greatest woman sprinters in history, even though she has not won a gold medal. “When you talk about the truly great sprinters, the (Evelyn) Ashfords and the (Wilma) Rudolphs, you’re talk ing about people who can be versatile,” Devers said. “Merlene belongs in that category. “Those races are just straight speed, and Merlene has that. And in the 200m, I’ve always been amazed at how she can keep the speed coming off the curve and keep it going in the straight away. Me, I’ve never felt the ‘whip’ off that curve. Merlene, she obviously does.” Ottey is more than her races. She has become a symbol of pride for the entire country of Jamaica. Jamaican idol “I ve been around for so many years, everybody knows me. My career took off at a very good time.” - Ottey, in a forum with theLAAFon her popularity in 1998 When a call was placed to the Jamaican operator by the Daily Nebraskan asking for a listing of Merlene Ottey, none was given. Why? Back to that in a moment. But the lady on the line knew the star. “Oh,” she said, in the familiar Jamaican twang. “You talkin ’bout the lady who be runnin’ for us. We all love her. We all love Merlene.” To simply say Jamaica loves Ottey is an understatement, said Neville McCook, the Executive Director of the Jamaican Athletic Amateur Association. “Everyone is this country knows her and would recognize her if they saw her here,” McCook said. “She has done so much for the country and the pro gram.” Politicians are usually symbols of most countries. In Jamaica, it is Ottey. McCook said when Ottey visits foreign countries, she traditionally meets that country’s political dignitaries. Ottey doesn’t just represent Jamaica. Last year was called “The Year of Women Athletics” by the International Amateur Athletic Foundation. Ottey was chosen to be the patron for the IAAF’s efforts. “There wasn’t any question about her goals,” Pepin said “She wanted to be the best in the world.” Ottey is now 38 years old, and will be 39 in May. She is still racing. Devers, who is six years younger, said she wouldn’t take Ottey lightly if they were matched up in the starting blocks tomorrow or six years from now. “When she’s 45,” Devers said, “and if she’s is still around, and, God, I don’t know if I’ll still be around, and we’re in a race together, I’m still going to be worried. “As long as her name’s still up there on the sheet, she’ll always be a factor.” On the (way) down low ‘‘It’s kind of tough. I have a hard time having any social life at all.” Heyns still achieving HEYNS from page 16 gold medal since 1952. Almost as powerful as the gold medal, Heyns reset her 100-meter world record at the Olympics with a time of 1:07.02. Heyns said she gets home twice a year now. She is busy training in Calgary, Alberta, with her coach, Jan Bidrman. Leaving South Africa for Nebraska, though, was an important step for Heyns. She said die kind of competition an athlete must face to compete in the NCAA is unlike anything she could have found in South Africa. “The NCAA as a competition is a kind of international meet. I don’t think any other country in the world can compare,” Heyns said. And it was while swimming for Nebraska that Heyns met Bidrman. “He’s more than a coach,” Heyns said. “He’s a friend. We grew together. “It’s more like we’re working together than I’m working under a coach,” Heyns said. Heyns also credited Nebraska for challenging her to aim for high levels. “Nebraska taught me to think big,” Heyns said. - Ottey, on running track, in the Daily Nebraskan on March 11,1982 As famous as Ottey has become, she is nearly impossible to find. No, check that. She is impossible to find if she doesn’t want to be found. When Ottey doesn’t want to be found, it’s likely she won’t be. There is one link from the outside world to her - a combination fax/answering machine - that Merlene’s sister, Beverly, said “probably has hundreds of messages on it.” Ottey lives not in Jamaica, but rather in the Principality of Monaco, a tiny stretch of land tucked in the South of France, best known for Prince Albert, Grace Kelly and a grand prix race. Among its 42,000 or so very rich residents lives Ottey, although she’s rarely there. A call to IAAF, also based in Monaco, concerning the whereabouts of Ottey, prompts this response: “Well, she could be in Slovenia. Or the Spanish Highlands. Or sometimes she trains in Florida. She’s got a coach. But sometimes she doesn’t train with him. But maybe she is. She said she might be. She might even be in Monaco. Do you have her number?” They rattle off the number. It is, you guessed it, the ubiquitous fax number. The Daily Nebraskan has called four countries, three track organiza tions, family members, competitors, former coaches and plenty of other people in between. Not one of them knows where Ottey is. Her accomplish ments might only be surpassed by her ability to disappear. Because, for as many races as she’s won, for as famous as she is, Ottey keeps a quiet profile. Very quiet. And when she wants to disappear, she does. Devers said she hasn’t heard from Ottey since last month. They’ve talked about training together this summer, but Devers might not see her until then. “That’s just the way Merlene is,” Devers said. Pepin and McCook both said Ottey wouldn’t be caught making a scene, (unless it’s on the track, like the time she protested a second-place finish in the 100 meters at the 1995 World Championships) or get too attached to any one particular person. “She is an introvert and an extreme ly private person,” McCook said. “She is serious and puts all of her effort into the task at hand. She is a loner, and it is just the way she is.” McCook points out that Ottey has a book. She makes appearances, but, amazingly, has been able to keep so much of her life private. Little is known about her: she was married once, but no longer. Personal details, so often broad cast about celebrities in America, are few and far between with Ottey. Quiet activist ‘‘Women are important in sport when they are important in society. Of course, sport can be used as a level to change society ...the point is athletics, and sport in general, is an increasingly important channel for women to assert their independence, their cultural growth, their right to choose. — Ottey, in a forum with the IAAF, regarding her selection as the patron to the year of women in athletics in 1998. But, as Devers insists, Ottey is more than just her running. She is active in modeling and designing. She champions women’s rights. But unlike many athletes, her causes just aren’t well known. Although she is quiet, Pepin said, Ottey is someone that was never aftaid to tell people what she thought. “I like her very much and respect her even more,” Pepin said. “When you talk to her, she is going to tell you exact ly what she thinks. She is real special.” Ottey was not short on feehng, and she was also never afraid to work for what she achieved. Pepin said it was commonplace for Ottey to be the first person at practice and the last one to leave. “It was very unusual in the sense she was almost all business all the time,” Pepin said. “Whatever she did, she did it as good as she could do.” There wasn’t much Ottey did, at any level, that was not top-notch. Wherever she has gone, Ottey has impacted lives and the sport of track and field. For that, she was voted the greatest female athlete at Nebraska in the 20th century. And she may not know it yet (she won’t likely find out until she reaches her fax number), but her achievements also factored heavily into this decision. No other Nebraska athlete has been able to match her success on the colle giate level, and beyond. McCook takes it one step further. “Merlene Ottey is the greatest female sprinter the world has ever seen because of her durability, versatility and longevity.” NU’s Davison seeks life after MU ‘miracle* DAVISON from page 8 face lights up. “It’s been a lot of motivation for me to try to make everybody forget about that catch at Missouri,” he said. “Sure, that was a great moment in my career and I wouldn’t take it back for anything, but I feel I’ve had a lot great moments. I always just wanted to do what it takes to win: the blocking, catching a pass, whatever it is.” And for the 1999 season, it looks like more of the same for Davison, who has come into his own as a bastion of the Husker receiver corps. Over the course of the off-season, Davison has improved his strength and his speed and quickness, now posting a - 4.57 electronically timed 40-yard dash speed. ^ “Some guys in life always have an excuse and some guys in life always find a way to get it done,” Brown said. “He’s one of those guys that always seems to get it done. He’s a tremendous competitor. He understands what it takes to win - that’s the kind of player you want.” But by his own estimation, Davison knows that being deemed one of the greats in Husker receiver history is not all glamour, and just maybe that’s where the greatness lies. “I wish they’d throw it to me on every play, but it doesn’t work that way,” Davison said. Last year Davison caught 32 passes for 394 yards for an average of 12.3 yards per catch, but he didn’t have any touchdowns. In fact, he’s only got one TD on his career, and what a score it was. Perhaps it further explicates Davison’s position as the multi-opera tional cog in the Nebraska offense - the transition man, the relief pitcher, or catcher, as it were. “This is why I play the game of football,” Davison said. “So I can have times when we need a big play, and I can try to come through with the big play. You prepare yourself to make plays like that in pressure situations.” Those pressure situations came Davison’s way often, like at Texas A&M where he had 10 catches for 167 yards, or where he hauled in three pass es for 64 yards in last season’s Holiday Bowl. Brown said that in the face of such urgency and tension, Davison has never wavered, but enjoyed the moment. “I saw him smiling in that Missouri game, before the game ended, before he made that catch,” Brown said. “AtTexas A&M he whispers to me, ‘Isn’t this great?’ We were down by three touch downs before we came back. He wants that pressure.” This season, as a starter, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to do what he loves and what he does best. Davison’s career is more than just one moment, one time being in the right place at the right time, and when he’s got the chance to prove that, he’ll undoubtedly take it. “I hope that everybody has the con fidence in me that I can come up with a play when we need it,” Davison said. “I’m ready to step up, play more downs, catch more passes and just be the reli able guy out there.” NU coach’s prophecies coming true By John Gaskins Staff writer When you’ve been coaching for 30 years, it gets easier to make accurate predictions about your sport and your team. It seems that Nebraska men’s gym nastics coach Francis Allen knew what he was talking about before the 1999 season started, and he’s starting to look like a prophetic genius. Before the season started, Allen said of his team, “I think there are five or six teams that can win a national title this season, and we are right up there with them.” Of sophomore Jason Hardabura, Allen said, “I think Jason is more than capable of averaging a 57.5 and chal lenging for an NCAA all-around title this season.” Well, so far, Allen is right on the money. As the team starts the stretch run of the season, with the West Regional coming up April 10 in Provo, Utah, the Huskers are ranked fifth in the nation and Hardabura has moved from third to first place in the individ ual all-around rankings with a 57.517 average. Nebraska started with a No. 4 pre season ranking, but slipped early and hung around the top 10 all season. But thanks to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title they captured Friday, the Huskers vaulted themselves back into the top five and are the highest ranked team in the West Regional. The rankings are determined by team average. All four teams ahead of NU hail from the Big 10 Conference. Michigan is ranked No. 1 with a 229.542 average NU's average is 227.908. Hardabura has won seven all around titles this season, including the last three. Right on his heels all season has been junior All-American Derek Leiter. - ■ I ■< t. _ • -V: ' Stt
