7 loved my job at Nebraska. I wish that I still had it. ’
Neumann resigns as NU coach
■ The coach of 15 years leaves
program amid allegations; wrestlers
and friends express disappointment.
By David Diehl
Staff writer
Shockwaves reverberated through the Nebraska
wrestling program Tuesday as 15-year Coach Tim
Neumann submitted his resignation over unspeci
fied violations.
NU Athletic Director Bill Byrne issued a 102
word press release Tuesday afternoon saying
Neumann had resigned “in accordance with
University personnel regulations.”
Because of UNL personnel policy, Byrne said
he couldn’t elaborate and has not returned phone
calls made to his home. Neumann^ direct superior,
Nebraska Compliance Director Bob Burton,
- declined comment, referring all questions to Byrne.
Neumann, who had been suspended with pay
since April 6, was reached at his home Tuesday night
and did not reveal any specif cs about his resignation
or the violations other than “it wasn’t anything bad.
But it was bad enough that...” as his voice trailed
off.
Neumann said the wrestling program was not
looking at any more danger, and Nebraska was “on
solid ground.
“Iloved myjob at Nebraska,” Neumann said. “I
wish that 1 still had it”
Neumann said he had met with Assistant
Coaches Mark Cody and Jason Kelber before the
release of his resignation and after he had talked
with Byrne. Neumann had not met with die team as
of late Tuesday night
“And that’s what really sucks,” Neumann said.
The Huskers did hold a meeting Tuesday night at
Cody’s residence, which Neumann did not attend.
Cody said he led the “bittersweet” gathering, not dis
cussing the resignation, but focusing cm the future by
staying in shape and doing in-class work.
That future also includes a search for a new
coach that will begin “immediately,” Byrne said.
While Neumann said he won’t have any direct influ
ence in the selection process, the program already
has two great candidates inside it.
“Bill Byrne is going to find the best person
around. And he’s got two great coaches there
already,” Neumann said, referring to Cody and
Kelber. “So I hope that he uses that.”
Cody said he’s “definitely interested” in the
position and that “it’s something 1 am going to go
after.” 1
Nebraska captain Brad Vering said the team will
push for Cody to succeed Neumann.
“He’s the guy I want in there,” said Vering, a
national champion at 197 pounds this season. “If
they bring in somebody else, it could kind of screw
up Has chemistry erf the team, and we’ve got a good
thing going.”
NU loses only three starters off a team that fin
ished eighth at die NCAA Championships this sea
son, with two wrestlers at 165 - Tony Denke and
Please see NEUMANN on 18
t-numuers
Melanie Falk/DN
■ ■■■■■■■—I—HUH i ^i
Nate Wagner/DN
NEBRASKA’S MATT HOPPER hit two bone nuts in the second inning In the first of two genes with Western Illinois. He drove In a total of five
runs with four hits. Ho Is the second Nebraska player In history to hit two hone nun In ooe hilling. Nebraska palled out a triumphant victo
ry over Western Illinois 16-5.
NlPs Hopper gets homer happy
The designated hitter knocks two out of the park in the same inning
By Matthew Hansen
Staff writer
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Nebraska
designated hitter Matt Hopper hit two home
runs in one game. The slugger hitting home runs
in consecutive at-bats would raise some eye
brows.
Those two home runs by Hopper in one
inning? Come on.
But that’s exactly what Hopper did in the
second inning of the Huskers’ 16-5 win over
Weston Illinois cm Tuesday.
With the Huskers trading 1-0, die cleanup
hitter hit the first pitch of the inning over the
right-field fence to tie the game. Eight batters
and four runs later, Hopper again cleared the
fence, this time with two runners on.
With that second blast, Hopper became only
the second Husker ever to go deep twice in one
inning. Marc Sagmoen did it in the first inning
of a 1993 game against St. John’s.
Hopper is the first player to hit two home
runs in one inning at Buck Beltzer Field.
“Wow, I feel special now,” Hopper said after
being told of the rarity of his feat.
The designated hitter, who finished the day
with the two home runs, two singles and four
RBI in five at-bats, said he didn’t even realize
what he had done until he had crossed home
plate twice. ,
“When I went up there for the second time
in the inning, I didn’t even think about it,” he
said. “When I got back to the dugout after the
second one, all the guys were talking about how
I had hit two in one inning. That was the first
time I had thought about it”
Coach Dave Van Horn, who said he couldn’t
remember seeing two home runs by one person
in one inning, nevertheless was not amazed by
what Hopper had done.
“You should come out here early and watch
” You should come
out here early and
watch him in batting
practice.”
Dave Van Horn
on designated hitter Matt Hopper
him in batting practice” Van Horn said.
The coach pointed to trees across die street
from the left-field fence.
“He hit one up there in batting practice
today,” he said. “That’s a blast”
While Hopper might have been the only
record-setter Tuesday, the rest of the Huskers
Please see HOPPER on 19
Price throws
her way into
spotlight
ByJillZeman °
Staff writer
Imagine coming to college 1,500 miles, from
home, being handed a large, heavy object you’ve
never thrown before and asked to hurl it as far as
possible.
Sounds like a difficult adjustment, but
Nebraska hammer-thrower Melissa Price has
adapted well, as she has learned to throw that
large, heavy object far enough to rank her among
the nation’s best.
With the first four / / f
outdoor meets of the * • J ’fft ftQ
season under her belt,
Price, a junior from Inncrpr
Anaheim, Calif., is ^
now looking beyond JjappV With
collegiate competition. trrs
She has her sights set jjj af
on the 2000 Olympic J
GTnce already has qualifying
qualified for the
Olympic trials with a 1
throw of 210 feet seven AT/”1 A A c **
inches on Mar. 18, and 1V AsSlSlb.
she now looks at
becoming one of the Melissa Price
United States’ com- NU hammer-thrower
petitors in the games.
Price needs to throw 213-3, the qualifying
mark for the Games, in order to be one of the three
Americans sent to Sydney, Australia.
“I’m no longer happy with just qualifying for
the NCAAs,” she said.
However, becoming an Olympic competitor is
not an easy feat, said Assistant Coach Mark
Colligan.
Only three American women have ever
thrown 213-3 or beyond, he said.
But Price is on their heels, as she sits in the
fourth-place spot with her throw of 213-1 from
her sophomore season, an NU record.
That throw, which helped her claim the top
spot in the Husker record books by more than 14
feet, came as a surprise to Price.
“It took a long time to sink in,” she said.
But becoming one of die best did not happen
overnight.
Price threw the discus and shot put in high
school, because the hammer throw is not allowed
in most competitions, she said.
She became interested in Nebraska after her
Please see PRICE on 18