y
_ Mike Warren/DN
WILL BOLT takes out University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee infielder Matt Houck to break up a double play In the bot
tom of the eighth inning. Houck’s throw went over the first baseman’s head, but the runners did not advance. NU
defeated the Panthers 11-0 In the first game of a double header.
Pole-vaulter looks toward
competing against old foe
■ lhe Huskers
Johnathan Henley quietly
works toward being an All
American-caliber vaulter.
By Jamie Suhr
Staff writer
Nebraska pole-vaulter Johnathan
Henley sits back in the shadows and
waits.
He knows it’s only a matter of
time before people take notice.
“I’m trying to tweak some tech
nical stuff, and after I do that I can be
an All American,” Henley said.
Henley has had that type of suc
cess before. He was the No. 2 high
school pole-vaulter in the country
last year, behind only Eric Eshbach.
Henley didn’t always look up at
Eshbach. While in high school, the
two Were teammates at Orangefield
High School in Orange, Texas.
“All through high school we
were even,” Eshbach said. “We kept
beating each other by inches.”
Each had cleared 17-3 - the best
mark in the country for high school
athletes. But as a senior, Eshbach set
the national high school pole-vault
record of 18-2 %.
During the indoor track season,
Henley set a personal indoor-best by
leaping 17-3 at the NIAC
Invitational but was out-done again
u You have to work hard to be the best.
If it wasn’t for Eric, I wouldn’t work
as hard. No matter how I jump, in the
back of my head Em thinking about
beating Eric.”
Johnathan Henley
NU pole vaulter
by Eshbach, who vaulted 17-8 Va.
Earlier in the season, Eshbach set the
school-record with a vault of 18-0 Vi.
“You have to work hard to be the
best,” Henley said. “If it wasn’t for
Eric, I wouldn’t work as hard. No
matter how I jump, in the back of my
head I’m thinking about beating
Eric.”
Pole-vault Coach Tom Williams
said he was happy to see Henley and ■
Eshbach feeding off each other.
“It’s real good as ah individual to
be in a competitive environment,”
Williams said. “It’s positive.”
Henley said the biggest transi
tion to the collegiate level was the
competition. In high school, he and
Eshbach would enter at a height
where all other pole-vaulters were
eliminated.
Back then, Henley relied mostly
on his physical ability and pure tal
ent. Now, Williams said, Henley
needs to refine the rough edges of
his technique.
“He has the talent and skills to
compete with anyone,” Williams
said.
Henley said he was pleased with
his indoor season but admitted his
outdoor season has been a little
rough.
He has yet to clear 17-feet in
-competition, despite consistently
reaching heights in the mid-17-feet
ran in practice.
illiams said this was the time
of the season when most freshmen
hit a lull because of the transition
from the short high school season to
the long and rigorous college season.
Henley. Said he was looking
toward next year to break out.
“It gives me something to work
at,” Henley said. “If I don’t work, I
won’t get any respect.”
NU blasts UWM,
extends streak
By Matthew Hansen
Staff writer
Since April 2, the Nebraska base
ball team has done nothing but win.
On Monday, the string of wins
reached record proportions.
HUSKERS 11 8~
PANTHERS0 5
By taking both games of a day
night doubleheader against the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee,
NU tied and then set a Big 12 record
for consecutive victories.
The wins couldn’t have been more
different. Jamie Rodrigue shut down
the Panthers in Game 1 as the Huskers
coasted 11-0. In the finale, NU had to
come from behind in the late innings
to eke out an 8-5 victory.
While the wins were opposite, the
result was the same - a record-break
ing 15-game winning streak.
Husker designated hitter Matt
Hopper said the team would take as
many notches in the win column as
they could. However, the goal wasn’t
to set records.
“We’re extremely happy right
now,” Hopper said. “We really could
n’t be happier with the way we are
playing. But it’s not about 15, or 18 or
20 wins in a row. We just have to keep
coming out and keep playing baseball.
“We have to do the small things
right. We did that tonight.”
Rodrigue did everything right on
the mound in the first game of the
doubleheader.
The freshman hurler had been
knocked around in recent outings and
had lost his spot in the rotation.
Rodrigue redeemed himself, though,
allowing only three hits and striking
out five in a complete game shutout.
NU Coach Dave Van Horn said he
was impressed enough with his pitch
er’s performance to think about giving
him a start in a weekend Big 12 series.
“He really bounced back nice for
us tonight,” Van Horn said “He hit his
spots, kept their batters off balance
and allowed us to relax a little in the
first game.”
The Huskers couldn’t relax at all
in the second game, as the Panthers
led for much of the contest.
But NU, behind some clutch slug
ging by Hopper, prevailed to extend
the winning streak to 15.
Hopper hit two home runs in the
contest. His first was a three-run shot
that flew over the scoreboard in left
field, tying the game at 4.
Hopper’s second may have been
even bigger. With the Huskers cling
ing to a 6-5 lead in the eighth inning,
the designated hitter blasted a shot
down the left-field line that landed
across Avery Avenue and put the
Huskers up 8-5.
Hopper said that, in terms of dis
tance and of importance, the homers
were among the biggest.
“Those two were definitely huge
for us tonight,” he said. “They both
helped us to get the momentum back.
It was the difference between being on
top and losing.”
Hopper was far from the only
offensive star in the doubleheader.
Will Bolt had four hits and two RBI in
the first game and spray hitter Josh
Hesse got into the act, belting his first
career home run.
It all added up to two more wins
for NU (33-11) and kept Van Horn
happy.
“We got big hits tonight and found
a way to win,” he said. “I want to keep
this going. We want to play well and
find a way. Tonight we found a way.”
Collier lands first
in-state commit
By Joshua Camenzind
Staff writer
In fewer than 20 days at his new
job, Nebraska Basketball Coach Barry
Collier has landed his first recruit, and
an in-state player at that.
Omaha Burke’s Rcy Enright orally
committed to the Cornhuskers on
Friday, after working out for Collier in
Omaha on Monday night.
The 6-foot-9, 240-pounder said
many things swayed his decision to
stay close to home.
“I visited the campus and really
liked the facilities,” he said. “I like
Collier, and I kind of wanted to stay
close to home because I didn’t think
my parents would be able to see me
play a lot otherwise.”
But Enright, who is a sophomore,
won’t be wearing a Nebraska uniform
next season or the one after that. He
can’t even sign a letter of intent until
November 2001.
Enright averaged four points and
three rebounds per game this season
for Burke Coach Gary Graner after
transferring from Creighton Prep, also
in Omaha, where he averaged 12
points and seven rebounds.
The sophomore said he needs to
work on his rebounding and outside
shooting in his two years left of high
school before coming to Lincoln,
where he expects to play thepower for
ward position. IBs father expects him..
to grow another one to two inches
U I visited the
campus and
really liked the
facilities. I like
Collier, and I
kind of wanted to
stay close to
home.”
Roy Enright
NU basketball recruit
before his playing days come at NU.
Graner said Enright came to Burke
from Prep at the start of the second
semester and played in roughly eight
games for the Bulldogs.
“It was a unique situation,” said
Graner, who stressed that Enright is
relieved to have the recruiting process
out of the way. “He came in, and our
team was playing very well, and we
told him that our guys were together,
and we weren’t going to mess with that
and he said he understood”
Big 12 Note: Iowa State received a
commitment frwn Bellevue West point
guard Zach Fortune for next season.
Fortune is expected to back up All
Big 12 point guard Jamaal Tinsley next
season.
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