The Courier from Waterloo, Iowa • 19

Sports I CIO Hudson rumbles into state football finals IRISH TUMBLE C2-C3 IOWA FALLS WINS C4 Courier Sunday November 13, 1994 Sports Kevin Evans, Sports Editor Doug Newhoff, Assistant Sports Editor Waterloo Cedar Falls, Iowa Spots Sports view Paeffliers complete lap of Rudolph's story one of inspiration The Associated Press Gateway sweep Sept. 17 UN1 12, SW Missouri St. 7 Oct 1 UN1 1 1, Indiana Stats 10 Oct 8 UN1 19, Eastern Illinois 7 Oct 22 UNI 24, Illinois State 17 Oct 29 UNI 36, Western Illinois 27 Nov. 1 2 UNI 39, Southern Illinois 7 first-round Division I-AA playoff game Nov. 26 by lifting their overall mark to 7-3, with a home game against Eastern Washington remaining on the schedule.

The Panthers clinched their fifth consecutive league championship two weeks ago, but this was their first perfect Gateway campaign since 1987. They also ran the conference table in 1985. It was the first undefeated Gateway season for sixth-year UNI coach ing for the first 39 points in a 39-7 drilling of Southern Illinois. It was an ugly affair between the first- and last-place teams in the Gateway Conference and only 3,100 fans came to watch, but what it lacked in artistic value it made up for in significance. With the win, 14th-ranked UNI became the first team to post a Gateway record since Western Illinois in 1988.

The Panthers also gave a boost to their hopes of hosting a Rout of Southern Illinois caps UNI's perfect run through Gateway By MARTY STRASEN Courier Sports Writer CARBONDALE, 111. Northern Iowa came to produce history, not drama. The Panthers took the quick route to the record books Saturday afternoon at McAndrew Stadium, erupt Terry Allen, whose players doused him with two buckets of ice water as Wilma Rudolph, the inspirational sprinter I whose swift lees conquered polio See UNI page C5 Brett O'Donnell and carried her to three gold medals at the 1960 Olympic Games, died Saturday of brain cancer. She was 54. Cyclones hassle Heskers, 28-12 I ft' Rudolph, shackled with leg braces as a child that kept her from walking until age 9, became an international heroine by becoming the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at one Olympics.

As a youngster she was told by doctors she would Wilma Rudolph By JIM SULLIVAN Courier Sports Writer AMES As Jim Walden's career at Iowa State faded away, his football team just refused to die. Barely expected to stay on the field with No. 1 Nebraska, the Cyclones battled the Cornhuskers deep into the second half before dropping a 28-12 decision at Cyclone Stadium Saturday afternoon. "We had nothing to lose," said defensive tackle Troy Petersen. "We hadn't won a single game so we could just go all out.

If we mess up, we mess up." Walden, currently suspended for next weekend's game at Colorado although he has an attorney looking into the matter, strode the sidelines as a head coach here for what probably was the final time. And he saw the Cyclones, a 33-point underdog, stay right on Nebraska's heels. At halftime, ISU trailed by just a 14-6 count. Nine minutes into the third period, it was 14-12, and only a missed two-point play stood between the Cyclones and a tie. Visions of 1992, when ISU stunned Nebraska here, danced through more than a few heads.

"A lot of guys were saying, 'just said linebacker Matt Nitchie. "We believed we could. We thought we had a chance at it." Grudgingly, ISU gave ground in the fourth quarter. Nebraska quarterback Brook Bcrringer sparked the drive that produced an insurance score on Damon Benning's 6-yard run. Once more, the Cyclones tried to sneak off the canvas, but a holding call knocked out an apparent touchdown by Geoff Turner.

The Cornhuskers then added a TD in the final 1:25 to set the final margin. So the Cyclones (0-9-1) took another step toward their first win-less season since 1930. Yet no one here felt that the Cornhuskers had walked all over them. "I'm very proud," said Walden. "For a non-winning team, that's a pretty good effort" Said linebacker Marc Lillibridge, "I just think we played good football.

We showed today what we expected to be all year." After Nebraska raced 80 yards to score on the game's first series, the plot changed to a tale of the unexpected. ISU's defense, ranked 105th nationally against the run, made the best rushing team in the country work for every yard. I-back Lawrence Phillips racked up 183 for the day, but 109 came after the Huskers owned their 9-point lead. "By far, it was our best effort," said Nitchie, who tallied 18 tackles. "We were hitting on all cylinders.

It seemed like we could do no wrong. I really don't see us playing any better." Phillips' one-yard run and Berringer's 38-yard pass to Abdul See ISU I page C5 1 if1' -10 i 1 GREG BROWN Courier staff photographer Iowa State's Cedrlc Unwood makes a Juggling, third-quarter interception of a Nebraska pass intended for Eric Alford Saturday at Cyclone Stadium. towns Sherman leads Hawkeye march past Northwestern Dike-New Hartford reclaims net crown never walk. But they did not account for an indomitable spirit that propelled her to world acclaim. Determined and resourceful, she battled through polio with the help of a compassionate family to become one of the greatest women athletes in history.

She capped her recovery with a triumphant performance in the 1960 Olympics at Rome. First, she won the 100-meter gold medal in a wind-aided 1 1.0 seconds, after having tied the world record of 11.3 in the semifinals. Then, she won the 200 meters in 24.0, after having set an Olympic record of 23.2 in her opening heat. Finally, she combined with Tennessee State teammates Martha Hudson, Lucinda Williams and Barbara Jones to win the meter relay in 44.5, after having set a world record of 44.4 in the semifinals. Rudolph died at her home about 8:30 a.m.

EST. She had been in and out of hospitals for more than five months as the cancer spread throughout her lean frame. "All of us recognize that this is obviously a tremendous loss," U.S. Olympic Committee president Leroy Walker said. "Wilma was very much involved with a number of Olympic programs.

It's a tragic loss. She was struck with an illness that unfortunately we can't do very much about." Walker called Rudolph "one of the greatest sprinters of all times, there's no question about it." "It's a great loss to the Olympic movement and especially track and field," said Ollan Cassell, executive director of USA Track Field. "Wilma was a symbol of what the Olympics really means to this country and this sport. It's a sad day." Bob Kersee, coach and husband of three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, also was glowing in his praise of Rudolph. "Jackie always mentions three people Wilma Rudolph, Babe Didriksen and Rosa Parks as influencing her," Kersee said.

"I don't think other people realize how big of an influence Wilma Rudolph had on black female athletes. "I hope Jackie and her generation will be able to influence young athletes, black and white, the way Wilma Rudolph did." Joyner-Kersee called Rudolph "my idol. "She was someone I could always talk to. She was very inspirational. She was always in my comer.

If I had a problem, I could pick up the phone and call her at home. It was like talking to your sister or your mother, someone you knew for a lifetime. "I always thought of her as being the greatest, and not only athletically. You respected her as a woman." Rudolph was born June 23, 1940, in Clarksville, the 20th of 22 children of Blanche and Eddie Rudolph. At 4, Rudolph was stricken with double pneumonia, followed immediately by scarlet fever.

"We thought she would die," her mother said. Later, Rudolph contracted a mild form of polio. Her family took turns massaging Rudolph's shrunken legs three or four times daily. In time, her physical condition improved and she walked wearing a cumbersome brace on her left leg. "With all the love and care my family gave me, I couldn't help but get better," Rudolph said.

In 1960 and 1961, she was selected as The Associated Press' Female Athlete of the Year. She also won the 1961 Sullivan Award as the nation's outstanding amateur athlete and was elected to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1974. After leaving the sport, Rudolph elegant and well-spoken entered the corporate world with the same persistence that had pushed her to the finish line. terback. The St.

Ansgar redshirt connected on 19 of his 24 passes for 331 yards and three scores, the best set of numbers for an initial start by an Iowa quarterback in Coach Hayden Fry's 17 years in Iowa City. "That just shows what a few healthy bodies can do for our team," said Fry. "Sherman was very poised and calm and did a wonderful job." What Sherman did was pick the By KEVIN EVANS Courier Sports Editor IOWA CITY It really was "just But the Wildcats were just what the Hawkeyes and freshman quarterback Matt Sherman needed. With Sherman making his first Hawkeye start, Iowa recorded a 49-13 win here Saturday and may have found itself a new first-string quar Wildcats apart, quarter-by-quarter. His 331 yards through the air keyed the Hawkeyes to their first 600-yard offensive performance since a 662-yard outburst against Cincinnati in 1990.

"This looked like the old Hawk-eye football team today," said Fry. "We exploded and made some big plays. Hopefully we will continue See IOWA I page C5 their best and did the best they could." Andrea Sherwood and Molly Petersen led Dike-New Hartford Saturday with 16 and 13 kills respectively and Maureen Nielsen finished with 35 assists. "The first game was definitely a momentum switch to their side," said Sumner coach Jo Helmers. "Our kids got rattled and never came out of it." Annie Stoessel led Sumner with 23 kills, including nine in the first game, seven digs and 1 1 blocks.

Sarah Nederhoff finished with 21 assists for the Aces, who ended the season at 28-3-1. Dike-New Hartford closed the year at 38-7-2. The Wolverines won five consecutive championships starting in 1985, and have four runner-up finishes to their credit. CEDAR RAPIDS (AP) The second-ranked Dike-New Hartford Wolverines beat No. 3 Sumner in three games Saturday to claim their first Class 1 A state volleyball title since 1989 and the sixth in school history.

The key to the title came in the first game when the Wolverines fought back from deficits of 14-8 and 14-10 to claim a 16-14 victory. They also came back from a pair of four-point deficits to win the second game 15-11, and won the third game going away, 15-2. Dike-New Hartford claimed all of its 1994 tournament victories in three games. "The important thing is we showed some stamina and we showed we could come back," said coach Barb Bakker, who has led Dike-New Hartford to all six state championships. "The girls played j-j V.V-- n.il'-;r i UNI cagers tip off with exhibition today CEDAR FALLS Northern Iowa tips off the exhibition phase of its 1994-95 men's basketball schedule today at 3 p.m.

when Zadar Croatia visits the UNI-Dome. It'll be the first chance for head coach Eldon Miller to work on his 10-man player rotation in a game situation after several weeks of practices. For Zadar Croatia, it'll be the first game on their American tour. "I like our exhibition game," said Miller. "We're their first game, so they'll come in here not that tired.

They're big and physical. We'll be looking at a lot of different combinations in our first game and trying to limit a lot of second shots "I'd like to have 10 people ready to play, so we'll be looking at that." RYAN GUTZ Courier staff photographer Northwestern's William Bennett tries to slow down Iowa runningback Sedrick Shaw during the first half of Saturday's game at Kinnick Stadium..