Friday, January 14,2000
Page 16
Editor: Samuel McKewon
(402)472-1765
H I tests
Battle in the paint looms large in KU battle
By Joshua Camenzind
Staffwriter
The Nebraska men’s basketball newcomers
are learning quickly about Big 12 play after open
ing the conference season with two losses.
One day after being educated by Iowa Stated
Marcus Fizer, the Huskers were preparing for
their hardest challenge of the season so far in
Kansas.
The Jayhawks will play host to NU on.
Saturday night at 8:05 p.m. at Phog Allen
Fieldhouse. Last year, the Huskers swept the
Jayhawks in the season series, but Kansas came
back to beat them in die Big 12 Tournament.
Sporting a 2-0 conference record and 13-2
record overall, KU will also be defending its No. 8
ranking. Revenge for last season’s sweep will
undoubtedly be on the minds of KU players.
“They are going to be ready to play because
we beat them last year, and they don’t want the
same thing to happen this year,” NU forward
Larry Florence said.
Florence is one of only three Huskers on this
year’s team who saw significant playing time in
the game last season in Lawrence.
The new Husker players had not studied
Kansas before Thursday’s practice, but many are
already familiar with KU’s success this season.
“I have seen a lot of Kansas personally
because of television,” NU center Kimani Ffriend
said. “I can already identify with the style ofbas
ketball hey play. They are team-oriented and have
a lot of players hat contribute well to the team.”
Ffriend, who will match up with KU’s Eric
Chenowith, said he is sure the 7-foot-l junior will
bring his “A-game.”
“He hasn’t been playing well lately but com
ing into Saturday night when we play them, he
will step up his game,” Ffriend said. “Last game
he stepped up well, so he will be coming into this
Please see KU on 14
NU not afraid to invade ISU’s loud home floor
uy jonn Gaskins
Staff writer
Nebraska women’s basketball coach Paul
Sanderford stared at the floor in his office and
gave an uneasy chuckle when asked if No. 8
Iowa State is the program he aspires NU to be.
It was a fair question. The Cyclones have
struck gold since Coach Bill Fennelly started
turning around the program five years ago.
They’re a top-10 team at the top of the Big 12
standings at 3-0. They made it to the Elite Eight
last season.
ISU averages 9,701 fans per game this sea
son - the fourth-best in the country. More than
7,500 season tickets have been sold. A school
record 13,271 fans attended a win over Iowa on
Dec. 11.
Hilton Coliseum has recently and rapidly
become one of the most feared home venues in
the nation: Not one of ISU’s last 40 regular-sea
son opponents has won there.
That’s exactly the kind of program
Sanderford wanted to build when he came to
NU three years ago. After sniffing such success
his first two seasons, Sanderford has seen his
team struggle to a 7-6 start this season.
But that doesn’t mean he thinks his program
is that far from ISU’s.
“I wouldn’t say that’s a program I admire or
want to be like,” Sanderford said. “I want to
have their success. I think we have as good or
better program as they have. We just don’t have
as good of a team or fan support as they do.”
Sanderford and the Huskers (1-1 in Big 12
play) will find out just how they rate Saturday.
They hit the Hilton floor at 3 p.m. against a
Cyclone team on a seven-game winning tear.
The Huskers will get to do so not only in front
of a possible Big 12-record crowd of more than
13,000, but in front of a national television
Please see IOWA on 14
NU track
kicks off
indoor slate
■ Non-scoring meet will be
good jumpstart for freshmen,
says Head Coach Gary Pepin.
By Jamie Suhr
Stiff writer ,
The Nebraska indoor track team opens the
2000 season Saturday at home against Kansas
and Tulsa.
Nebraska Head Coach Gary Pepin said that
die event will be non-scoring, making the meet
more of an exhibition. It starts at 10:30 am at
the Devaney Center.
“It’s not an important meet in terms of the big
picture, but it’s important to the athletes,” Pepin
said.
Pepin said that the meet will provide die team
with an idea of how the athletes are progressing
with their training.
Steve Smith, sprints and combined events
coach, said it was a chance for the freshmen to
get their feet wet
“A lot of kids are in their first meet,” Smith
said. “It’s part of die training, and competition is
die highest form of training.”
Pepin said the coaching staff will use the
early season meets to help decide who will be on
die national team. Because die team is so large,
choosing spots on the national team will be
tough, he said.
Of the 130 athletes on the team, 55 are new
comers. Pepin said the meet will be an important
confidence builder for the younger athletes.
Eric Eshbach, a freshman pole-vaulter from
Qrangefield, Texas, set die high school record by
vaulting 18 feet, 2 !4 inches last year. That mark
would have been good enough to place second at
the Outdoor NCAA Championships. Saturday
will be his first collegiate event
“I’m not really nervous,” Eshbach said. “It’s
no different than any other program.” v.
af was excited^arthe start of theseasan.
“Wfe’ve been competing against ourselves all
fall season,” Emry said. “It’s been a long time
since we competed against other teams.”
Katherine Livesey, a sophomore pentathlete,
said die extra practice before the scoring meets
will help.
“You get a lot of practice, and there is no
pressure,” Livesey said. “You can go out and
have fun.”
Janet Dutton, a senior pentathlete, is return
ing after an 18-month Mormon mission to Spain.
“I could have redshirted, but I knew I needed
to get back,” Dutton said. “It was tough to leave,
Lydia S. Gonzales/DN
RYAN STAIRS el the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s track team takes a leap In the middle
of long |mnp practice Thursday.
T***-" ' ' .. .... " .i'i'jj. ■ mu«rur*aijrji,,tij,in n1"-*. 1 ■ 1 1 1,1
• . . . i.' ' mvuiuwi.!
but me toughest part is coming back.
Dutton, one of eight returning All
Americans on tile women’s team, set the colle
giate indoor pentathlon record at the Big Eight
Championships in 1996.
“I’m at about 75 percent right now; I hope to
get it back,” Dutton said.
Assistant Coach and Meet Coordinator
Mark Kostek said he believes this team could be
special because of its depth.
“You’re going to get a good look at what the
University of Nebraska is all about,” Kostek
said.
since ;
It s not an important ,
meet in terms of the
big picture, but it’s
important to the
athletes.”
Gary Pepin
NU track head coach
-WOMENS GYMNASTICS
Nebraska
hopes to
stay strong
By Jason Merrihew
StaffWriter
The Nebraska women’s gymnastics team
-will begin Big 12 competition on the road
against Iowa State tonight.
The Comhuskers are coming off a fourth
place showing at the Super Six Challenge on
Jan. 8 in Athens, Ga.
The experience the young Huskers gained at
the Super Six Challenge provides a spring board
for die remainder of the regular season.
“We got a good starting point now,” Head
Coach Dan Kendig said. “It’s just the matter of
spending the weeks of practice to make each
weekend better.”
Freshman gymnast A.J. Lamb led the
Huskers last weekend with a fifth place showing
in the all-around. Lamb’s score of38.90 was die
second best individual debut in school history.
“(Lamb) is doing a great job,” Kendig said.
“She did all we could ask from her in the first
meet.”
Sophomore gymnast Laura Goss had a spec
tacular performance last weekend at die Super
Six Challenge. Goss had a career best in three
events, including a first place showing on the
balance beam.
“Laura worked really hard to get herself in
the lineup,” Kendig said.
Goss has also earned the respect of her team
mates from her excellent performance last week
_1
WilU.
“She has improved so much,” Headier Brink
said. “Last year she came in and didn’t make the
lineup in anything for national and this year wins
an event in die first meet”
Senior All-American gymnast Brink
remains the top gymnast inNU’s lineup. Brink
broke into the top 10 in ninth place in the all
around with a score of 38-625, including eighth
place showings on the vault (9.80) and the
uneven bars (9.85).
“Heather is our most decorated athlete we’ve
had here,” Kendig said. “She can have an out
l 5imior Amy Rihgo placed in die top 10 in an
' event fofNU. Rihgb’s score of 9.75 on the beam
gave her eighth place.
Brink said foe dual against Iowa State will be
a good challenge for Nebraska. '
“I think it will be a key meet for us,” Brink
said. “Its going to help us prepare for the Big 12
Championships.”
The Comhuskers will compete tonight with
out the services of sophomore Bree Dority.
Dority is expected to come back from an injury
next week.
Tonight’s meet is scheduled to start at 7 pm
in Ames, Iowa.