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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 2001)
Husker's season starts injury-free MEN from page 10___ was also ranked 15th in the nation in 1999 in the still rings. “As co-captain, Grant is a great leader for the team,” Kelly said. The Huskers will look to junior Martin Fournier as another all around competitor. As a freshman, Fournier showed considerable potential, Allen said. However, he was also doomed to injuries last season. Despite suf fering from wrist and ankle injuries, Fournier performed consistently in the all-around while winning three titles in the parallel bars, his best event “FOumier scored a 56 his freshmen year which is pretty dam good,” Allen said. “But he hurt his wrist and shoulder last season, and he never really recovered from it” In the background for NU are Kelly, a ring specialist, and sopho mores Ryan Sneed and Nick Batliner. NU will see a new face in freshman Steven Friedman, who was a member of the South African National Team. "Friedman is a very talented rings guy. He will be competing in the all-around,” Allen said. In order for Nebraska to be a top contender this year, one thing is for certain: they must stay healthy. “We cannot make a mistake and get hurt, especially after last year,” Allen said. “If we lose one of our top guys then we are going to be in a lot of trouble.” Nebraska will look to show off its injury-free team as they start the season Jan. 19 at die Rocky Mountain Open in Colorado Springs, Colo., starting at 8 p.m Kendig:Team will be fine sans Brink WOMEN from page 10 said. "You can't replace her as a person, but there are plenty of people that are just as good in individual events as she was.” The Huskers have plenty of talent to replace the loss of Brink. They xeturn three All-Americans in A.J. Lamb, Ringo and Julie Houk. Ringo said the team has the possibili ties for a lot more. Kendig said the Huskers may not have the one or two outstanding performers, but as a team, they are better. “Granted, we may have lost the top scor er in a couple of events, but we feel that the bottom level has moved up,” Kendig said. The team will also have to adjust to a major rule change that will alter the mental ity and strategy. Gymnasts will only be allowed one vault instead of two. “That is going to have a huge impact on gymnastics this year, in particular our team,” Kendig said. "We’ve got potentially out of our lineup four out of six who could be doing new vaults. The consistency level might not be at an all-time high initially, but it is something down the road we have the potential to have a real good vaulting team.” The Huskers will depend on a sopho more class that stepped up big for the team last year. “Last year when our freshmen walked in the door, they were ready for everything. I think that they will only get better this year as sophomores,” Ringo said. One Husker that was expected to have a large impact is Bree Dority. She returns after sitting out a year after knee surgery. She will be able to contribute tremendously if she can return to the same level before the injury, when she claimed the Big 12 new comer of the year title in 1999. However in last year's first meet she injured her other knee and is questionable for the immediate future. Along with the sophomores there are four freshman that hope to have an immedi ate effect on the team. This group of fresh men was touted to be one ofthe best recruit ing classes in the nation. “They just need a chance that everybody gets to show how good they are,” said Ringo. Kendig said Tami Harris could be the real surprise of the team. "She is aggressive, has great presenta tion and I think she is going to be fun to watch,” Kendig said. Nebraska has already received great contributions from the freshmen as they played a key role in the second place finish at the Maui Invitational on Jan. 5. Freshman Alecia Ingram won the all-around competi tion as she helped NU finish behind defending national champion UCLA. The team did it without Lamb, who did not compete because of a back injury. She leather was only one person on this team, but she wasn't the team. ” Amy Ringo __senior gymnast i will undergo further tests this week to determine the severity of the injury. It won’t get any easier for the team as the Huskers travel to West Virginia, Arizona State and play host to Florida among oth ers. The highlight of the schedule is that the Huskers will hold one of the six NCAA Regionals. They played host to a regional two years ago and enjoyed the experience. “I am excited they are here again,” Ringo said. "Obviously it is to our benefit because it is our home turf. Just knowing the equipment definitely helps you out.” Although the team has suffered several early season injuries, Kendig said that he was keeping his fingers crossed that the injuries aren’t too serious. “The bottom line in the success of this team (will be) how healthy we stay as a team,” Kendig said. “If we stay healthy and remain healthy then I see nothing but good things on the horizon for this team.” Football player dons a new uniform THOMAS from page 10 from there,” he said. His jump to the college bas ketball scene is not totally shock ing. Thomas received feelers from ' highly touted schools, such as Ohio State and Missouri, during his playing days at Omaha North. He led the Vikings to the state tournament his junior year but was also proving himself as a potential football recruit as a star defensive end and wide receiver. Despite only playing two years of high school football, Thomas was offered a full-ride scholarship to play receiver for theHuskers. Thomas said it was difficult to turn his back on the Nebraska footbaU program. "Opportunities arose, and I took them,” Thomas said. Thomas took advantage of his football opportunity, gamer ing considerable playing time at the wide receiver position the last two seasons after redshirting in 1998. NU’s newest basketball play er now hopes to see his second team improve on its 7-7 early season record. Thomas already has two loss es in two games as a part of the basketball team, after only losing three contests through his first two seasons of putting the foot ball pads on. Thomas said the two pro 7 told him I was going to come out and work hard” Wilson Thomas roundball guard grams' situations differ, and he respects the rebuilding task Collier is taking on after NU’s 11 19 campaign last season. “Coach Solich’s program is already built and the system is there, so all he does is-run the sys tem,” he said. “Coach Collier is trying to start with something that wasn’t even established and build it up.” Super Bowl all that's left for Carter ■ The Vikings'Cris Carter has done everything there is to do in theNFl except get to the big game. TOE ASSOCIATED PRESS EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — One goal remains in Cris Carter’s illustrious career. But a puzzled look crossed the likely Hall of Famer’s face when he was asked whether that 14-year career will be unfulfilled if the Minnesota Vikings, who play the New York Giants in the NFC champi onship game Sunday, don’t play in the Super Bowl. “My career's been great,” said Carter, who has decided but not revealed whether he will retire after this season. “There is that one goal, but it has nothing to do with my career.” The distinction is critical to Carter, whose career has encompassed far more good than bad. He became the second receiver in NFL history to catch 1,000 passes. He will play in his eighth consec utive Pro Bowl He turned his life around after nearly squandering his pro football opportunity during his first few seasons, which were marred by drug and alcohol abuse. After last season, he was selected the NFL’s Man of the Year for his charitable contribu tions. A Super Bowl appearance would polish off such a career, but he argues that his absence from football’s greatest showcase should not detract from it “You're not going to tell me that what I’ve done ... because my team didn’t... is any less,” Carter said. “No. I’ve done all I can do. It’s a team sport. It’s not golf. It's a team sport It’s not tennis. If it was an indi vidual sport, then yeah. But it’s a team sport. You’re trying to get 52 people in one year to be focused. That’s tough to do.” Carter and 41-year-old teammate Gary Anderson, the NFLs career scoring leader, are two of the league’s most accomplished players never to play in a Super Bowl. To Carter, they are no more deserv ing than any first-year player in the league. “I think that’s selfish to think that way,” he said. “That’s a crazy way to think.” Carter came within a game of the Super Bowl once before, two years ago, but was denied by the Vikings’ gut-wrenching 30-27 overtime loss to Atlanta in the NFC championship game. “What happened two years ago, a lot of guys never even got that opportunity,” Carter said. “Everything I've done supersedes one game. It's far beyond that. “I’ve done enough in my 14-year career. Was it a bad day in ‘99? Yeah, but the sun still came up the next day. I still moved on. I’ve still got a beautihil family, and I’ve still got a lot of things to be thankful for.” He replayed that game in his mind for a few days, but was fine by the time he played in the Pro Bowl three weeks later. He will be fine agairyafter Sunday's game, no matter what happens. So he can handle all die emotions welling up inside or the pressure that can build with the finality of a tide game^ “My goal is to play as hard as I can, block, make all the plays,” Carter said. “I don’t worry about anything else. “Everything else will be fine.” Ravens gear up to face Raiders in AFC title game THE ASSOCIATED PRESS OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Shannon Sharpe walked up to a shelf at the Baltimore Ravens’ training complex, selected a handful of video tapes and pre pared for an evening in front of the television set “Time to leam a little bit about die Oakland Raiders,” he said The Ravens knew virtually everything about the Tennessee Titans, their bitter rivals in the AFC Central. Haying the Titans for the third time this season Sunday, Baltimore rolled to a 24-10 victory to advance to the AFC champi onship game. The Ravens aren't nearly as familiarwith Oakland, a team they haven't faced since 1998 and have never played on the road. The Raiders and Baltimore play for the AFC championship this Sunday in Oakland. “It's more of a challenge,” Ravens coach Brian Billick said Monday. “It will take a little longer to scope what it is they’re doing. But football is football. You can overanalyze, too.” This much he does know: The fans in Oakland are vociferous, relentless and perhaps a little bit dangerous. “I'm not going to walk from my hotel to the stadium, let’s put it that way,” Billick said. Having played for the Denver Broncos for 10 seasons, tight end Sharpe is probably the Ravens’ best authority on the Raiders. The Denver-Oakland rivalry was established long before Tennessee and Baltimore became antago nists. Sharpe learned something about the Raiders on Saturday, when he watched them pin a 27-0 defeat on the Miami Dolphins. “They dominated Miami. There’s no question that we’ve got our work cut out for us,” he said. Words of respect about the opposition? There wasn’t much of that in the Ravens’ locker room in the days leading up to the Tennessee game, but the Raiders represent an entirely different type of opponent “The thing is, we don’t know much about diem,” Sharpe said. “We knew so much about Tennessee, but it’s hard to talk trash about somebody you don’t know anything about. With the exception of me and (former Bronco) Harry Swayne, there’s not a whole lot of guys who played the Raiders before.” The last time Baltimore faced Oakland, Ted Marchibroda was the Ravens' head coach and Jon Gruden was launching a rebuild ing operation as Oakland’s first year coach. Gruden has since turned the Raiders into a power house, while Billick has trans formed Baltimore into a brash team that stands one win away from the Super Bowl. The Ravens confidence hasn t wavered, but at least they’re being a little more cautious about what they say leading up to Sunday's game. In the wake of Baltimore’s win in Nashville, Ravens owner Art Modell suggested that Billick and his players were a bit too bold in their comments about the Titans last week. Modell, who has never had a team in the Super Bowl, sat in on Billick’s weekly press conference Monday for the first time. “As you can tell, I've brought my muzzle with me," Billick said with a grin. Actually, the fact that Oakland represents a relatively unknown entity is reason enough for the Ravens to temper their state ments. “It will be more low key because we don’t know them,” said linebacker Jamie Sharper. Parcells quits Jets, may head to TV booth. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWYORK —The NFLs most dysfunctional family is at it again. This time, Bill Parcells, the man hired to save the New York Jets, is leaving the franchise with out a coach or general manager, and with a novice owner. Parcells quit as Jets director of football operations Tuesday, say ing he’s not ready to make the commitment needed to turn the team into a consistent title con tender. “People don’t know how con suming this job is the way I do it,” said the 59-year-old Parcells, who took over the Jets in 1997, led them to the AFC championship game the next year and was 30-20 in three seasons as coach. He stepped down as coach after the 1999 season, catapulting the team into a coaching mael strom that still is unsettled. "There’s no time off, no time away. With the season over and now faced with hiring a new coach, I don’t feel I want to do all that again. It’s time for somebody else to do it,” Parcells said. “This is a good opportunity for someone eke to run the organization.’’ That someone else will inherit a team that lost Bill Belichick, Parcells’ hand-chosen successor, after one day as coach last January. A team that lost its final three games under coach A1 Groh, who resigned six days after sea son’s end to become coach at Virginia. And now a team that lost the one man who seemed capable of turning such an underachiev ing club into something special. Woody Johnson, who bought the franchise a year ago, relied heavily on Parcells’ football knowledge. Now, he must find a new leader; Parcells said he will help in that search, but only on a limited basis. Parcells indicated he will be heading to his Jupiter, Fla., home by the weekend. “There may be a question or two about how we did things or why we did things or what’s this and what’s that,” Parcells said, “and I'm more than willing to try to assist the guy in the transition, however they deem appropriate. But I’m not looking to do that “If they want me, that’s fine. But if not, that’s OK, too.” Johnson wanted Parcells to make as much as a four-year com mitment to run the organization. Parcells preferred to go year by year, but both sides realized that wouldn’t work. “We are obviously disappoint ed that Bill Parcells has made his decision not to return to the New York Jets next season,” Johnson said in a statement. “Over the years, Bill has played a dynamic and brilliant role with the New York Giants, New England Patriots and the New York Jets. “During his tenure at the Jets, he resurrected a franchise that had been struggling for a number of years.” Parcells coached the Giants to two Super Bowl titles (1986 and 1990) in his eight seasons as coach. He resigned because of health problems, but returned to coach die Patriots from 1993-96. He guided them to the 1996 AFC title, but lost to Green Bay in the Super Bowl, amid rumors he was leaving the franchise because of a feud with owner Robert Kraft over control of personnel After a messy confrontation you know what, fellas, you never know what's going to happen. So my intention is not to coach. That’s how I feel. Bill Parcells former director of football operations for the Jets between the Jets and Patriots over his availability, Parcells wound up as coach in New York and the Patriots received four draft picks as compensation. This time, Parcells had total control. He also took a team that hadn’t won as much as a division title since the merger in 1970 and brought it to the top of the AFC East in 1998. The Jets lost at Denver for the conference cham pionship, then went 8-8 during an injury-ravaged ‘99 season. One day after that season ended, he quit as coach. A year later, he quit altogether. Where will Parcells go? Some believe he isn’t completely through with coaching. “That’s how I felt last year and I feel that way now," he said about not wanting to coach again. You know what, fellas, you never know what’s going to hap pen. So my intention is not to coach. That’s how I feeL I felt that last year. If I wanted to cOach, I could have come back and coached the Jets. Obviously, I must feel pretty strongly about it “My intention is I am moving on to another venue, and I don’t know what that is yet, but I don’t have any way of knowing what will come my way and I'm not really out there looking for anything.” Parcells spent two years as an analyst for NBC, and his represen tatives already have contacted Fox Sports and ESPN. Fox has an opening, because Matt Millen left to become CEO of the Detroit Lions. But Parcells would not come cheaply, and he prefers not to travel much. Aspirations or Aspirin. (Your choice.) Go with the leader. Cell Kaplan, the test prep experts, and your MCAT headaches will disappear. With 60 years of proven success getting students into the medical schools of their choice, we're the #1 name in test prep. Classes are filling up fast so caM today. World Leader in Test Prep NU sends three to dual invite BY VINCE KUPPIG Nebraska’s three returning All-Americans, Todd Beckerman, Bryan Snyder and NCAA Champion Brad Vering, have been invited to participate in the NWCA All-Star Dual on Jan. 29 in Lancaster, Pa. Just two top-ranked wrestlers from each weight class are chosen to participate in the event The three invites from the undefeated and ninth-ranked NU wrestling team are the second most of any school, trailing only Iowa, who will likely send four. “That’s a nice statement to have for our program,’’ NU Coach Mark Manning said. “It's a pretty prestigious thing.” inis season marks the hrst time since 1993 that NU has sent this many competitors to the dual, which went on to a school best third-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Vering is currently ranked first by both InterMat and Amateur Wrestling News at 197 pounds with a 15-0 record. The senior is scheduled to take on rival Marie Munoz of Oklahoma State. During Vering’s national champi onship season last year, Munoz was the only wrestler able to defeat him, coming out victorious all three times. Snyder, ranked second in <3 both polls at 157 pounds with a 15-0 record, will likely take on 1999’s 149-pound NCAA Champion TJ. Williams of Iowa. At 133 pounds, Beckerman is expected to battle defending NCAA Champion Eric Juergens of Iowa. Juergens is first in the AWN rankings, while Beckerman occu pies the top spot in the InterMat poll Both Vering and Snyder have competed in the event before. Beckerman, who is 14-0, will be making his first appearance. “They’re all very deserving of that honor,” Manning said. “They’ve earned their way there. “Their goal is to be a national champion. They’re going there from the perspective not to learn something, but to win it”