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Spotlight’s on
Letter at NCAAs
After two stars’ injuries, gymnast
focuses on upholding tradition
By John Gaskins
Staff writer
For the past few months, no matter
where Derek Leiter goes, his mind is in
Iowa City.
To be exact, the senior Nebraska
gymnast sees himself in the University
of Iowa’s Carver Hawkeye Arena. It’s
the weekend of March 30-April 1, and
he’s competing for the all-around title
in the NCAA Championships.
He’s there when he’s in class. He’s
there when he’s walking around on
campus. Most importantly, he’s there
in every routine he does in practice.
“Every time I go up (to do a rou
tine), I try and think about what it’s
going to feel like,” Leiter said. “I know
what it feels like to be in a national
championship or a big meet. It’s a little
different kind of a pressure.
“I say, ‘OK, this is in Iowa. I know
what it looks like. I know what it feels
like. I’ve competed in the place we’re
going to be in. This is the time. It’s 90
seconds of your life, and a half-of-a
tum, a half-second makes all the differ
ence.’ I say that, and every time I do
that, it’s going to make a difference
next week.
it s nara not to iorget aoout it. it
will be the last time I’m a college gym
Excuse Leiter for the daydreaming.
He’s been doing it since he started
training in NU’s gym as a 10-year-old
and watched quite a few Huskers prac
tice their national title-winning rou
tines.
Now is his time, and the dream is
drawing closer to reality.
Heading into the NCAAs next
week, die All-American, who finished
10th in the all-around last year, is cur
rently ranked No. 2. His last two scores
of 58.2 and 58.3 bettered teammate
Jason Hardabura’s national title score
(58.05) from last season.
Coach Francis Allen compares
scoring a 58 or higher to running a
four-minute mile. Now, the question is,
can he be the first to cross the finish
line?
“I think he can do it,” Hardabura
said. “It takes more than just good
gymnastics to win the all-around, and
he definitely has what it takes.
“It’s going to take confidence, and
he’s got a hell of a lot of it It’s going to
take focus, and he’s one of the most
•• It’s 90 seconds
of your life, and
a half-of-a-turn,
a half-second
makes all the
difference.”
Derek Leiter
senior NU gymnist
focused people I know. And it’s going
to take hitting his routines at the right
time. It’s anybody’s game on the last
day. He’s just got to rise to the top, and
he will.”
His rise so far, very reminiscent of
Hardabura’s dominating run last year,
has been the bright spot during a sea
son full of injuries and all-time low
scores.
ever since season-ending injuries
to Hardabura and three-time NCAA
event champion Marshall Nelson
dashed NU’s national title hopes, the
focus has been on Leiter.
“Think of it this way,” Hardabura
said. “Right now the season is going to
be remembered as the worst season in
Nebraska history.
“And when Derek wins the nation
al championship - and I say ‘when,’ not
‘if,’ - this will be remembered as the
season Derek Leiter won the national
championship”
Allen and Leiter both wish
Hardabura were healthy so the two
gymnasts could have the same rivalry
they had last season, when the two
were competing against each other for
every all-around title.
“They were a great duo,” Allen
said. “They rode each other all the way.
I wish I had two all-arounders fighting
for the national championship. I’ve had
three at the same time before.”
Instead, Leiter will have
Michigan’s Scott Vetere and Penn
State’s Jose Palacios - who outscored
Leiter three weeks ago in a dual - to
push him at the top. Allen said Leiter
has one sure thing going for him -
because of the roll he’s been on, the
judges will know who he is, and they’ll
Please see GYMNASTICS on 18
Swim team aims
for top-10 finish
From staff reports
Some work is to be done at the
NCAA Championships if Nebraska’s
men’s swimming and diving team is to
crack its goal of making the top 10.
Right now, NU finds itself in 15th
place with 29 team points.
Texas leads the meet after one of
three days with 173 points, ahead of
Auburn’s 151.
Michael Windisch had die highest
finish for a Comhusker, with a sixth
place time of three minutes, 47.28 sec
onds in the 400-meter freestyle event.
Ryk Neethling of Arizona won the
race with a U.S. record time of
3:40.47.
NU’s Erik Cook finished 15th, and
Bert Locklin was 19th in the one
meter springboard event with 480.05
and 463.45 points respectively. Troy
Dumais of Texas took home first with
577.80 points.
In the 400-medley relay, Nebraska
took home 10th place with Adam Pine,
Javier Botello, Erik Wiken and Carlos
Oliva competing.
Right now NU stands 21 points
behind 10th-place Florida, which
would be the position the Huskers
would have to reach to match school
best finishes in 1988 and 1989.
Mike Warren/DN
DEREK LEITER, a graduate of Lincoln Southeast High School, Is ranked Mo. 2 in the nation. The NU team will
travel to Iowa City, Iowa, next week to compete in the NCAA Gymnastics National Championship.
Huskers poised for Big 12 climb
” We need to
start winning
them all, and we
need to do it
before we dig
ourselves too
deep of a hole.”
Andy Bent
junior relief pitcher
■ Coach Van Horn says
sweep against Red Raiders
is a must for advancement.
By Dane Stickney
Senior editor
Nebraska Baseball Coach Dave
Van Horn knows now is the time for
the baseball team to make its move in
the Big 12.
The Comhuskers are riding in the
middle of the Big12 pack with a 5-4
record in the conference.
Texas Tech (16-13, 5-4 in Big 12
play) is coming to Lincoln to face the
Huskers today and Saturday.
A sweep this weekend against the
Red Raiders is paramount for
Nebraska (15-7), Van Horn said.
“We definitely need to start
sweeping people if we’re going to
move to the top,” he said. “With this
being our second series at home, it’s
important that we have a good week
end.”
Texas Tech has been an offensive
juggernaut so far this season, hitting
a conference-best .321. Nebraska ?
pitchers must be sharp to get the 1
sweep, Van Horn said.
They are very olrensive, he
said. “To lead this conference in hit
ting, you’ve got to be ripping the
ball.” *
The Huskers face Texas Tech at
6:30 tonight. The two teams will play
a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
tomorrow.
Please see BASEBALL on 18
MMmI
