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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 9, 2001)
Women's gym facing tough Spring Break ■Hrevy oi ranxea reams awaits the Huskers in two tournaments next week. BY JASON MBgWEW As the student body flees from die stress of day to day rig ors, the fifth-ranked Nebraska women's gymnastic team will work twice as hard during spring break. To start the break, the Huskers will host Big 12 foe and llth-ranked Iowa State on Monday. In head-to-head action ear lier in the season, the Cornhuskers took care of ISU, defeating the Cyclones 195.50 to 195.075 in Ames. The ISU meet marks the final time Nebraska will com pete at home. It will also be Senior Day, as Amy Ringo will make her last home appearance as a Husker. “It’s more like another meet,” Ringo said. “It will be kind of sad because it is the last time I will compete at the Devaney.” Ringo, a Phoenix, Ariz., native, will get the opportunity to compete in front of a home town crowd twice this week. Nebraska travels to Tempe, Ariz., for the Arizona State Invitational. The Invitational, which will be held next Friday, brings four ranked teams together. As well as NU, seventh-ranked Arizona State, 10th-ranked Iowa and ZO^-ranked Arizona will battle for the team tide. Despite the stiff competi tion, the Huskers are very confi dent of their chances this week. “Lately we haven't been thinking about beating other teams," Ringo said. "We’re more concentrated on hitting our routines and doing our very best" Coach Dan Kendig feels that the challenge of having to face four ranked teams in two meets in one week will have a positive effect on the Huskers because the NCAA championships involve back to back meets. “We’re quickly approaching our championship part of the season," Kendig said. Seniors'help needed against Gophers BY KRISTEN WATERS The No. 13 Nebraska men’s gymnastics team will face tough competition against No. 10 Minnesota this weekend as NU hosts its last meet of die season at the Devaney Center on Sunday. “This meet will be a big con test for us,” Nebraska Coach Francis Allen said. “Minnesota’s a good team.” The 4-3 Huskers are coming off a 206.100-196.65 win against No. 16 Air Force last weekend that included a strong showing from the Husker underclassmen. “In the Air Force meet, the younger guys really stepped up to the plate,” Allot said “They really didanicejoh.” Nebraska breezed by the Falcons after junior Martin Fournier placed first in the all around while freshmen Steven Friedmen finished second, and senior Jason Hardabura placed third. Despite NU’s slaughtering of Air Force, Allen expects the upperclassmen to step up to play a big role on the team this week end “If we can get some of the older guys to kind of do what they're suppose to do, which they have all week in practice, we can score a 210," Allen said. “That would be a pretty big landmark for us." However, things won’t be so breezy for NU this weekend. The 5-7 Gophers are ranked in the top ten in four events, and boast die top all-arounder in the nation in sophomore Clay Strother, who recorded a 55.55 against Minnesota’s win over No. 3 Michigan Feb. 23. "This meet will be a big contest for us.” Francis Allan Nebraska coach Nebraska will need have a strong performance in the first rotation in order to keep up with the Gophers. “If they get ahead of us after pommel horse, it’s gonna be a long night,” Allen said. “If we get ahead of them, we can stay ahead of them." Football fans to see NU in one more game rmjiuii Trom page iu his first full season as the Homed Frogs' coach. The co-Western Athletic Conference champions are coming off a 10-2 season but have lost record-breaking tail back LaDainian Tomlinson, a Heisman Ttophy finalist, to grad uation. "This will be a good measur ing stick for us,” Patterson said. “We have been working to build our program to get to that higher level, and Nebraska represents that level which we are trying to ICdUl. Husker notes: In the final activity before spring practice, the 2001 Huskers wrapped up winter conditioning with a battery of physical tests in Cook Pavilion on Wednesday afternoon. Several testing records were broken, including two by defen sive back Willie Amos. Amos recorded a 3.75 time in the pro agility run, the quickest mark ever by a Nebraska defensive back. This led Amos to his posi tions’ record-breaking overall penormance rnaex score oi points. Fellow defensive back Lannie Hopkins set a new defensive back-record score with 675 points in the 10-yard dash. Other records set were by defensive back Carl Scholting, who scored 720 points in the pro agility run, and Curt Tbmasevicz, who broke his own fullback record with 685 points in the ver tical jump. NU Director of Athletic Performance Boyd Epley was pleased with the team’s results. overall, were in good shape,* said Epley. “*We had quite a few guys that did their very best on every single test. We're fast, and our vertical jump is outstanding (averaging 29.68 inches per athlete). That's proba bly the best it’s ever been." The Huskers were led in the total performance index by defensive lineman Jon Clanton (2,774 points). Amos and his record-setting finished second followed by the 2,563 points net ted by linebacker TJ. HollowdL NU Softball gets breakfrom ranked foes FROM STAFF REPORTS Finally, a breather. Nebraska will play its first tournament of the season with out facing a ranked team this weekend. The 17th-ranked Huskers (10-9) will play four games at the Creighton Spring Softball Classic, only one of which is against a team with a winning record. Nebraska has faced at least one top-10 team in every tour nament so far, and 11 of its 19 games have been against ranked foes. The Huskers are 2-9 in those games. The tournament, which was moved to Kansas City, Kan., because of expected cold weath er and precipitation in Omaha, opens today. NU’s first game is against Minnesota (12-7-1), which has lost four of its last five. The Gophers have only faced two ranked teams this sea son. Later today Nebraska takes the field with UMKC (0-5), who scored only two runs in its first four games. Nebraska plays the last two games of the Classic on Saturday. In the early game the Huskers play Drake (3-7). Nebraska leads the all-time series 21-6 over the Bulldogs, who have won two of their last three games. In the late game NU faces Buffalo (2-7). The two teams have never played before. Before the Classic moved, Nebraska was scheduled to play Creighton, but the game was canceled because of time con straints. NU's season ends on last-second shot riifiu. irum page iu Hie Wildcats also owned the interior down the stretch, outre bounding Nebraska 41-33 for the game with 10 rebounds belong ing to Reynolds and 13 to senior center Kelvin Howell. After Belcher gave Nebraska its last lead at 58-56 with 2:19 left, KSU received a put back by Reynolds to even die score. ms nexi DasKei, me game winner, would be more dramatic, sending die pro-KSU crowd into euphoria while sending Nebraska bade to Lincoln. A last-ditch pass by Nebraska’s Craig Wortmann was intercepted by KSU’s Quentin Buchanan. As players milled slowly around the locker room, NU Assistant Coach Reggie Rankin Dime me silence. “Let's get out to the bus and get outta here," he saicL It would be the last bus ride for Belcher, a teary-eyed trip with memories of five years gone by. “I had a great career at Nebraska,” Belcher, who scored a team-high 20 points, said. “I did n’t want it to end tonight, but someone's career had to.” Chandler gets sec ond chance at 60 Trom page io lb compound his problems, Chandler broke his wrist "play ing around with friends” last spring. This season, Chandler has struggled with his work ethic and finishing races. Nebraska Coach Gary Pepin has called him the "mystery guy.” It's not always easy for the school's fastest sprinter of all time. But when Chandler hits cen ter stage on die track, all die out side issues seem to fade away. He doesn’t have to protect him adfc "You got this person that’s trying to be outrageous,” Chandler said. "I’ve just been trying to hold that person back. That's die troublemaker. "But on the track it’s differ ent Nothing's holding me back.” Maxwell said Chandler was actually a shy person deep down. Maybe so, but he blows his cover when he steps into the blocks. The dreadlocks on his head begin flying, and he becomes a new man - a man that’s tough to beat “In a race, confidence is the biggest factor,” Chandler said. "I guess it's like attitude - you always gotta go out there think mg you re me Dest. you gotta stick your chest out” Chandler's chest was defi nitely out after the Big 12 Indoors when he came back form a “horrible” start to capture gold in the 60. After checking his time (6.63), Chandler stared down certain competitors one last time “There was a lot of trash talk ing going on, and when 1 won, I just looked at them,” said Chandler, who repeated in the 60 and placed second in die 200. “They knew what (the time) was." Chandler's best days may be ahead of him this spring. His rel atively large size for a sprinter makes him a naturally slow starter. The longer he has to catch up, die better off he is. For that reason, die 100-meter in the outdoors is his best event, Maxwell says. “I’d certainly be very disap pointed if he didn’t run under 10 seconds,” Maxwell said. But for now, this weekend is the focus. If things fall into place and Chandler finds himself in the finals in die 60, the past may all be forgotten. He may be sticking that chest out again. One thing is for sure. With Chris Chandler, you never know. EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION When mistakes happen, EC within 72 hours can help! [Planned Parenthood® of Lincoln |2246 "O" Street dink: ♦ 441-3300 3705 South Street Clinic • 441-3333 Education & Administration • 441-3332 I own actual size Shown actual price Get a StarTflC for 99<£ Plus 2000 minutes with free long distance, $39*99. t You really don't want to miss this one. A totally tiny Motorola StarTAC 3000 for just 99$. 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