Photo by Jody Sly Photo by Jody Sly
GYMNASTS MARTHA WARNER (LEFT) AND LINDA STUBER IN FLOOR EXERCISE
Oregon hosts Pac-8 women’s meet
By JUDY SLY
Of Hie Emerald
Women gymnasts from five Pacific-8
schools will be in Eugene Saturday when
the University of Oregon hosts the first
woman’s Pacific-8 gymnastics cham
pionships.
Teams from the University of
Washington, Washington State University,
Oregon State University, Oregon and
UCLA will participate in the one-day event
to be held in Gerlinger Hall on campus
beginning at 1 p.m.
The championships mark the first time a
California school has competed against the
northern school in such a regional meet.
The four northern schools, as well as small
universities and colleges in Oregon,
Washington and Montana, all belong to the
Northwest College Woman's Sports
Association and participate in the events
within the three-state region.
Oregon coach Marilyn Fitch says she is
not expecting mad) competition from
UCLA but views the meet as “a head-on
confrontation with Washington.”
Washington took the NCWSA gymnastics
title last year, but has been defeated by
Eastern Washington State College, a team
that Oregon beat early this month. Both
Oregon and Washington have lost in
competition against Oregon College of
Education.
Oregon’s only loss of the season was to
OCE and the team has defeated Oregon St.
twice in regular competition. Oregon and
WSU have not met.
Fitch predicts a first or second placing
in Saturday’s meet.
Freshman Ann Olson, a Sheldon High
graduate who was first in all-around
Oregon high school pladngs in 1972,
promises to be an important factor for
Oregon in the championships. Olson
competes in all four woman’s gymnastics
events and in two of the four Oregon meets
to date has won the all-around com
petition. She has won the balance beam
competition three times.
Three other freshmen have also been
consistent point contributors for Oregon:
Lynne Aiken from South Eugene, Jyl Rice
from Churchill High and Linda Stuber
from Lake Oswego.
Oregon’s three seniors have also been in
the top six places in some of the meets:
Patty McArthy, Rozann Shipley and Linda
Isaacs.
Shipley specializes in the uneven
parallel bars and qualified for last year’s
Division of Girls’ and Women’s Sports
nationals.
Martha Warner, a transfer student from
Portland State University, competes in all
around and also qualified for last year’s
national when she competed for PSU.
Individual and team results from
Saturday’s Pac-8 meet will not determine
who goes to the DGWS finals, however.
Representatives to the April national
championships are selected at the NCWSA
championships set for Feb. 23 and 24 in
Seattle. The top six individuals in each
event qualify for the nationals, being held
this year in Des Moines, Iowa.
Admission to Saturday’s Pac-8 meet is $1
for adults, 50c for children and free for UO
students. Tickets will be sold at the door.
It’s lots of workr-and no recognition
By JEANINE NAVARRA
Of the Emerald
Women’s collegiate sports get next to no
publicity, little funding and small fan
support, and women gymnasts get even
less. Then what’s in it for coed gymnasts?
“Individual accomplishment and lots of
hard work,” agreed University of Oregon
gymnasts Martha Warner and Linda
Stuber.
The women practice over 15 hours a
week but claim it doesn’t intrude too much
on their social lives. “You learn to budget
your time and set your priorities,” says
Martha.
“Practice does cut into the day,” says
Linda, “but it all pays off when we com
pete and we come out the winners.”
Unlike male team sports, women
gymnasts don’t have a crowd cheering
them on, or a captain calling the shots, or
anyone to blame for making a wrong
move. All they have is their skill, training
and experience.
Natural coordination, genuine interest in
the sport, self-discipline and what Martha
describes as “a will to win and a will to
work for that win,” are the requirements
the women establish for succeeding in
gymnastics.
Any woman can make it if she’s willing
to put enough time and effort into it, they
agree. Gymnastics is more grace than
strength, so success does not depend on
how strong you are but more on how poised
and graceful you are, Martha and Linda
say. Strength and flexibility come with
practice.
Now a freshman, Linda’s interest in
gymnastics “started on the front lawn,”
and developed into competing for
Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego.
Martha, a junior, is a veteran of eight
years. She started her gymnastics career
at 12 with lessons at the YWCA. She was
twice girls State Champion on the balance
beam while attending South Eugene High
School and for the last two years qualified
for national competition representing
Portland State University.
Both women have had a fair share of
accomplishments so far in their careers
but don’t believe in getting big headed
about them. Linda believes women’s
sports don’t limit women but encourage
them to try out. There are more interested
girls and women trying gymnastics and all
sports now than when she started five
years ago, she points out.
Martha says she can sympathize with
egotistical athletes but doesn’t condone
them. “Sure it’s an ego trip. It’s an in
dividual’s accomplishment and lots of
hard work goes into winning. It’s
something to be proud of when you’ve won
and you did it all yourself.”
Much more recognition is deserving of
women athletes but neither woman feels it
will come about through the women’s
liberation movement. Men don’t give
women athletes much recognition and
Linda feels it’s probably because “they
don’t know we exist.”
Martha is currently taking a coed
physical education class and says, “Hie
guys are amazed and fascinated with our
abilities. Coaches are beginning to realize
we are serious and do just as much as the
guys.”
As members of the Oregon women’s
gymnastics team, both Linda and Marthy
will compete Saturday in the first Pac-8
championships for women being hasted by
Oregon.
The one-day meet begins at 1 p.m. in
Gerlinger Hall on campus.
IM weightlifting, cross-country
Trying to expand an already involved
Intramural schedule, which includes
basketball and handball, the IM depart
ment has released information on
preparations for the upcoming
weightlifting and cross country seasons
ahead.
Cross country is scheduled to be held on
Thursday, March 1 at 4 p.m. and weight
lifting will be competed on three different
nights near the end of February.
Weigh-in for the weight lifting com
petition is scheduled for from 5:45 to 6:45
on Tuesday, Feb. 20 and the bench press,
the first of three events, is on tap to begin
at 7 the same day. Seven weight classes
are involved, including 123, 132, 148, 164,
181 and 198. Over 198 pound limits and the
two other events include the deep knee
bend or squat, to be held at 7 p.m. on
Tuesday, Feb. 27, as well as the two hand
dead lift on Thursday, March 1 at the same
time. i
Rosters for all weightlifting teams must
be turned into the meet officials prior to
the weigh-in for all competing individuals,
and after weigh-in is completed a four
pound excess is permitted during all
phases of the competition.