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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 1999)
SamMcKewon Departures hurting NU basketball Far be it from me to .judge “Nebraska’s Danny Nee when it comes to his evaluation of talent Nee knows talent. If Venson Hamilton goes in the first round of the NBA draft, which he might, it would be the fourth Husker whom Nee has coached in his career who has done so. That’s not bad. But the recent incident with Danny Walker going from NU to Texas to Nevada-Las Vegas to who knows-where-next brings up some importantquestions: When Nee does n’t have slam-bang talent, just what kind of guys is he recruiting? Remember that last year, Lamont Perry, a point guard, pulled out of a scholarship with NU much in the * same fashion as Walker. Another big loss to the program. Recently, Brant Harriman left the team, basically, as he told the Daily Nebraskan at the time, because he was told he wouldn’t play much any more. This was a player who commit ted to NU after his junior year. Thai there’s Todd Smith, suppos edly one of the best players from Georgia when he was recruited for the class of 1997. He got hurt, never played and now he’s gone. How about Joe Holmes? Here’s a player who essentially came to NU because his junior college teammate, Rodney Fields, came here. How do we know that? Well, Rodhey told die DN in the Nov. 12,1998, issue that essentially said Fields “put in the word.” Holmes is no longer playing because of chronic back problems. Back problems that plagued him before he came to NU. Walker is the latest in the line of strange departures from the program, which just leads you to think: What’s going over there? It’s simply an inquiry, and not an accusation. But Nebraska hasn’t had,a breakout sea son, certainly nothing like its 1990-91 year when NU went 26-8. It must have something do with a relative lack of chemistry. There are players who stay for four years (Hamilton and Andy Markowski, for example), but there are many who stay for one or two. Teams such as Connecticut and North Carolina can and will survive because of talent. NU must do it with veterans. Somewhere along the way, either all these players got screwed up and made mistakes or Nee told them their role and they didn’t like it. Walker said he had changed his mind (the first time) some time ago, which leads one to wonder if Nebraska had talked to Walker in the near past Either way, * too many players are slipping through •the cracks. Nee, who just got his contract rolled over, and his Nebraska team are forced to change plans and lineups monthly because of this. When are the problems going to aid? At what point do we care? Sam McKewon is a junior polit ical science and news-editorial major and a Daily Nebraskan senior editor. i Noetzel primed to set tennis records No. 1 singles player closes in on 75 wins By Jake Bleed Staff writer In collegiate tennis, one player can score only one team point, no matter what number singles or doubles they play. Nebraska women’s tennis team No. 1 singles Sandra Noetzel has scored more than her share of points. While only a junior, Noetzel is cur rently one win short of tying Iidiko Guba’s career winning record at 75 matches. She entered this season ranked 57* in the nation, the highest ranking ever awarded to a Husker. But Noetzel doesn’t wear her suc cess on her shoulder. If anything, she might even avoid the attention her play has created. “I don’t pay attention to the rank ings,” Noetzel said. “If I don’t pay atten tion to them, I usually play better.” An intensely individual sport, tennis puts pressure on a player, not a team, point after point after point To succeed, a player must be able to handle that pres sure. And the pressure has built up on No. 66 Nebraska’s No. 1 singles player. Noetzel is 27-7 so far this year, her best record yet. This is her third year in the top spot. Handling the pressure has often meant handling herself. “One thing college tennis taught me was controlling my temper,” Noetzel said. “If I really want to play well, I’m always positive. I’m always in a good mood” Tennis players are prone to display ing a wide variety of emotions on the court. Collegiate competitors can be quite verbal on the court, taking out their frustrations on apparently anything and often themselves. John McEnroe’s infamous tantrums are a good example of how even the greatest deal with the pressure. “I have friends that you can’t talk to a couple of hours after a match,” Noetzel said. “For me, it’s different.” But Noetzel doesn’t look to lead the team aggressively. JUNIOR SANDRA NOETZEL plays in her double match on Sunday at the Woods Tennis Center. Noetzel and her dou bles partner, Dina Pelazini, defeated Oklahoma’s Raluca Gheorghe and Danielle Knipp 8-4. Noetzel also won her singles match, defeating Gheorghe, 6-4,7-5. The Huskers went on to defeat Oklahoma 5-4. - “Tennis is an individual sport,” Noetzel said. “You lose on your own and you win on your own, and at the end everything comes together.” Noetzel said it wasn’t obvious who played what position for Nebraska, a quality she enjoyed. “That’s what people say when they come here on recruiting trips,” Noetzel said. “They can’t tell who’s No. 1 and who’s No. 6.1 really drink this is the way it should be. Everyone is really their own person.” Coach Scott Jacobson said the atmosphere of equality on the team helped individuals perform and has also help recruiting. Jacobson said one of the reasons No. 3 singles Indali Ijomah came to NU was the sense of equality she got from the players. “I think that says a lot about Sandra,” Jacobson said. “I think she just wants to be one of the members of the program and be treated as an equal.” Noetzel virtually grew up on tennis courts in her hometown of Hannover, Germany. Noetzel said her parents, Gudrun and Klaus Dieter, were regular players. Her first lesson was at age 5. By high school, Noetzel was ranked in the top 60 in Germany. After gradua tion, she followed hometown friends Jennifer Thoste and Frauke Hachtmann toNU. She started at No. 1 singles, picking up 18 victories her first season and becoming the only Husker to win All Big 12 honors. Her sophomore season added an additional 19 singles victories. Combined with Lisa Hart, Noetzel fin ished among the top 20 doubles teams in the nation. Noetzel went into this season after an excellent fall. She went 10-3 and won the Wichita State Shocker Classic. “I had a really good fall,” Noetzel said. “The only really outstanding tourna ment was the regionals” Despite the promising entry, Noetzel faltered initially, losing four matches in the first month of play. The losses placed Noetzel out of the top 100 nationally. But March 5 against Witehita State, Noetzel began a run that still hasn’t ended. Thursday’s match against Iowa State will give Noetzel a chance to pick up her 13“ consecutive victory. « I have friends that you can’t talk to a couple of hours after a match. For me, its different.” Sandra Noetzel tennis player i ne team may neea ner sireax to continue. This week’s three matches are against top opponents, including Big 12 rival Colorado. ; While die team has walked a knife’s edge avoiding injuries all season, suc cess this weekend could require more mental strength. “Of course, you have to have some talent,” Noetzel said. “But really impor tant matches you win or lose in your head.” Senior golfer on par for strong season ■ Steve Friesen helps raise the Huskers’ rank to 13th as part of what’s called ‘the best team in school history.’ By Jason Merkihew Staffwriter With cold winters and unpredictable springs, many assume Nebraska would n’t have an elite golf team. That assump tion is totally inaccurate. Senior golfer Steve Friesen has helped the Comhuskers transform the once-mediocre program into a national power. Friesen and his Nebraska team mates have enjoyed a lot of success this year. Friesen is currently ranked 41st in the Mastercard Collegiate rankings. Senior teammate Jaime Rogers is cur rently ranked 35th and Scott Gutschewski is ranked 94th. When Friesen altered the program as a freshman, the Nebraska golf team was ranked somewhere in the 60s. But things have changed. Now, the Cornhuskers are ranked 13th in the nation. “This is the best team in school his tory,” Nebraska Coach Larry Romjue said. Nebraska has been able to conquer the unpredictable weather by traveling to warmer areas for tournaments. The men’s golf team has played in Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina and California. The Huskers have placed in the top three in the four tournaments they have participated in this spring. ' Friesen also attributes the unusual nice spring weather to allow the team to practice at home. Nebraska has yet to face Texas or Oklahoma St^te this season. Texas boast die second-racked player in the country, freshman David Gossett The Huskers are looking forward to the Big 12 Championship and the Perry Maxwell Invitational, where NU will get tor prove itself to the southern teams. “We’re getting a lot more respect now, and we get a chance to prove to them that we’re just as good as (Texas and Oklahoma State),” Friesen said “Our whole team is playing really well. It is exciting to get ready for the tournaments were we know the compe tition is as good as it gets.” Friesen first played golf at the young age of 7, but did not become an everyday golfer until junior high Geoff Friesen, Steve’s older brother, took him golfing, helping out with Steve’s game early on. “I looked up to him because he was so skilled, and he was one of the top junior golfers in the nation,” Friesen said Graduating from Lincoln High School, Friesen was looked at only by Nebraska. Friesen considered going to Colorado State because of the moun tains, but the coach didn’t guarantee him a spot on the team, even as a walk on. Nebraska faces Colorado State in many golf tournaments, and Friesen loves the opportunity to prove the CSU coach wrong. “Ifs kind of neat because the coach has to be kicking himself a little bit because I have succeeded a little more than he thought,” Friesen said. “He (Friesen) came in (college) as a pretty good player,” Romjue said. “He has really elevated his game the last cou ple of years.” Friesen has improved by gaining distance of the tee and working on his putting, and his best characteristic is his strong work ethic. “He is a very hard worker, he is highly organized, and is he is a good goal setter,” Romjue said about his senior golfer. Friesen wants to pursue a profes sional career aha: he graduates from the Nebraska. “I want to try professional golf for die next couple of years to see if I can succeed.”