Huskers plagued
with fall injuries
By Matthew Hansen
Staff Writer
Fall baseball and the Red-White
World Series came to a close on a sour
note for the Nebraska baseball team
Wednesday.
Senior Brant Vlieger, a returning
starter, broke his ankle early in the
White squad’s 9-4 series-clinching vic
tory. Vlieger, playing third base, collid
ed with catcher Matt Lindenmeyer
while chasing a pop-up in foul territory.
He will undergo surgery on the ankle
Friday.
Vlieger’s injury was just the latest
in a long line of setbacks for the
Comhuskers. During fall camp, a num
ber of Huskers missed time because of
injury, including middle infielder John
Cole, who missed the series with a
groin injury. Senior infielder Jim
Bailey injured his shoulder in the fall,
and starting catcher Justin Cowan did
n’t throw because of elbow problems.
In addition, four Husker pitchers spent
the entire fall camp rehabilitating earli
er injuries.
While concerned about the team’s
injury problems, Nebraska Pitching
Coach Rob Childress was upbeat about
the fall.
“If you factor out the injuries, fall
practice went extremely well,”
Childress said. “There were times
when we could barely field two teams
(for a scrimmage) because of all the
injuries, but you have to be optimistic
about it and think that that’s better in the
fall than in the spring.”
The bat of Justin Cowan as well as
the hitting of the entire team are
undoubtedly two reasons for Childress’
optimism. Cowan hit over .500 during
fall camp, while the team compiled a
batting average of over .350.
Childress said that Cowan was the
front man for the Huskers’ offensive
success.
“Justin just had an outstanding
World Series and fall for us,” Childress
said. “He’s a very good hitter, very dis
ciplined. Also, he’s our leader and one
of the hardest workers on the team. We
stressed to the guys that they need to
follow Cowan’s lead and work hard
every day during the winter off-sea
son.
Cowan said that adjustments in his
swing had allowed him to shine during
the fall.
“I pretty much feel a lot more com
fortable at the plate this year,” Cowan
said. “I concentrated on standing up a
little straighter at the plate and lowering
my hands this summer. I got good
results early and gained confidence
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52
Mike Warren/DN^
NIC EWING, a freshman second baseman, bobbles the ball after fielding it. Ewing would recover and throw to first
base in time to make an out during the Red-White game, which served as the final day of baseball’s fall practice.
because of them.”
Describing the winter as the base
ball team’s “off-season” is a bit mis
leading - the absence of practice does
not mean the team will have any time
off.
During the winter, the Huskers will
lift weights four times a week.
Individual and small group workouts
will take place between classes with an
emphasis on improving mechanics.
According to Childress, the condi
tioning period is important for the
team.
“Our team should have the same
intensity during winter conditioning
that they do during practice,” Childress
said. “From a pitching coach stand
point, there’s a lot our pitchers, espe
cially our young guys, can improve on.
Improving during the winter is a must.”
Female grappler battles UWM
■ Threatening a lawsuit,
Jennifer Wong wants to
prove herself on the mat
against men.
(U-WIRE) MADISON, Wise. -
UW-Madison freshman wrestler
Jennifer Wong is already in the biggest
match of her college career. Citing bro
ken promises, she is threatening to take
the university to the mat if she is not
given the opportunity to compete with
the Badger men’s wrestling team.
Wong said she chose to attend UW
Madison this fall after being promised
the chance to try out for the men’s
wrestling team.
According to Wong, a member of
the Wisconsin wrestling coaching staff
said if she “had the skill and the com
mitment that there was no reason she
couldn’t participate.”
But before the season began, Wong
said, she received a one-paragraph let
ter from the university telling her that
according to policy, she was not
allowed to try out for the men’s team.
“I just want to be competitive,”
Wong said. “In order to be the best I
have to compete with the best, and that
is what I am trying to do.”
After receiving the letter, Wong and
her parents contacted the university and
then a lawyer, Victor Arellano, who
helped her file a notice of claim, which
must be filed before someone can file a
lawsuit.
The state attorney general’s office
responded with a letter supporting
Wong’s right to try out.
Wong wrestled throughout high
school on the men’s team with a .500
record her senior year while winning
two national women’s championships,
and last year she traveled to Romania
with the U.S. Women’s World
Wrestling Team.
Doug Reese, Wong’s coach for the
world team and current women’s
wrestling coach at the University of
Minnesota-Morris, said despite her
accomplishments, Wong is not quali
fied for the men’s team.
“For me, it’s a joke,” Reese said.
“No person that goes .500 their senior
year would ever make the Badger
squad. (The male wrestlers) are all
state-level champions.”
Reese said Wong should start a
women’s wrestling club, rather than
force her way onto the men’s team
through the courts.
While pushing the university using
a constitutional basis of equal protec
tion instead of Title IX, Arellano said,
the university should allow women to
develop their skills in men’s sports.
“You’re not going to beat her up;
you’re going to compete,” Arellano
said. “It used to be black vs. white, but
things change. Now we don’t even look
at that.”
According to the state attorney gen
eral’s letter, UW-Madison has agreed to
allow Wong to try out, granting her an
extra week before her wrestle-off, when
she will compete for a spot on the team,
to compensate for the practice she has
missed.
UW Athletics Director Pat Richter
said in a press release that the team is
dedicated to giving Wong a fair chance.
“We welcome Jennifer as an out
standing student-athlete, and we wish
her the best,” he said.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FREE THROW
LADDER
OCTOBER 12,1999
NO. PLAYER #Made
1. #25 Stephanie Jones 41
2. #20 Amanda Went 24
3. #21 Brooke Schwartz 23
4. #32 Nicole Kubik 23
5. #14 Karsen Muller 21
6. #30 Paige Sutton 20
7. #34 Naciska Gilmore 19
8. #33 Charlie Rogers 16
9. #55 Casey Leonhardt 16
10. #5 Jennifer Jaracz 11
11. #11 Amanda Buchholz 5
12. #24 Shahidrah Roberts 5
13. #10 Isha Kelley 4
14. #41 Candace Blackbird 3
15. #4 Melody Peterson 3
16. #22 Margaret Richards 3
