Flying Ducks’ goal: Tops in the nation
By STEVE McCAULEY
Of the Emerald
Gymnastics Coach Bill Balles
ter will never be remembered as
one without lofty goals. This year
he d like to (1) win the NCAA gym
nastics championship, (2) win the
Pac-8 title and (3) fill McArthur
Court to its 10,500 seat capacity.
Ballester does not hesitate to
claim this could very well be the
best ydar ever for gymnastics at
Oregon.
"I really, sincerely, feel that we
are going to win it (the league title)
this year,' he said. I d definitely
pick California to finish second
behind us."
Oregon s only possible draw
back this year could be a lack of
depth. There are only two com
petitiors (excluding all-around per
formers) in the pommel horse,
rings, and high bar Mike Blumen
stein is the only specialist in the
parallel bars. Potential injuries in
any of these areas could cost the
Ducks their potential conference
championship
Raul Rodas, Scott Phillips,
Steve Roskam and All-American
Bob Rikli are the all-around gym
nasts this year.
Raul Rodas. a sophomore from
Los Angeles, is still nursing an
early season bicep injury.
Junior Scott Phillips, finishing
fifth on parallel bars and fourth on
high bar in the Oregon Open,
proved he is one of Oregon s four
promising all-around com
peititors With an average of 9 1 to
9 2. Phillips strong events are the
rings, and the parallel and high
bars.
Scott matured considerably in
his weaker events last year His
performance is crucial to
Oregons success, said Balles
ter.
Steve Roskam is currently
Oregon's record holder for total
all-around competition with a
combined score of 53.70, set last
year against a team from Japan. A
senior this year, Roskam has
been one of Oregon's most con
sistant performers. His strongest
events are the high bar (9.3) and
rings (9.3).
Bob Rikli is one of Oregon s
most outstanding gymnasts. Cap
turing four of the six events and a
close third in all-around at the
Oregon Open this year. Rikli has
exceptional potential. Now in his
senior year, Rikli is a two-time
All-American performer in floor
exercise and vault and currently is
the school record holder in vault
ing (9.64) and parallel bars (9.50).
Mark Stone, a junior from High
land Park, III., holds Oregon s high
bar record of 9.55 and was among
the top six horizontal bar
specialists in the country in 1975.
He is truly a dynmamic per
former, said Ballester. Steve is
working on a unique dismount and
could become the first in the coun
try to use it. He and Randy Lary
should make the strongest high
bar team in the country," said Bal
lester.
With a 9.15 2nd place in the
Oregon Open, sophomore Tom
Truedson is definitely a possible
contender for the Pac-8 champ
ionship on pommel horse, along
with teammate Curt Rodgers.
Specializing in pommel horse, his
best score came last year against
Canada with a mark of 9 3. Trued
son also won the Juflior National
AAU Championship last year in
his event.
Greg Dreher is the only fresh
man on the 1976 Oregon team.
According to Ballester, Drehers
only setback is his inexpenence.
Leonard Henderson, who cur
rently holds Oregon s floor exer
cise record 9.65 is currently
nursing injured knees. Along with
Blumenstein and Rikli, Henderson
is expected to be a team leader, if
he can fully recover in time for the
Pac-8 meet. A senior floor excer
cise specialist, Henderson
finished second in the national
championship last year after win
ning optionals.
Randy Lary, a senior from
South Eugene High School, will
probably be the number one or
two man in vaulting, challenging
Rikli. Lary said that his goals this
year are, “To make it to nationals
on high bar and vaulting and be an
All-American or national champ
ion, especially in vaulting.
Mike Blumenstein, also one of
the five seniors on this years
team, is a three year letterman
from South Eugene High School.
According to Ballester, Blumens
tein is considerably stronger this
year, and is capable of functioning
at All-American caliber on the
parallel bars.
Gerald Bush is a sophomore
from Cottage Grove with one year
of varsity experience. His per
sonal best as a freshman last year
was 8.35 on rings, set against San
Jose State. However, his first
meet of this year, the Oregon
Open, Bush scored a 8 5 to place
sixth on rings.
Don Lester is returning to the
Oregon line-up after a year s
leave. Two years ago he beat Rikli
in the UCLA Invitational as a
freshman, which indicates the
quality he is capable of. Lester is
expected to return in the floor ex
ercise event, where he's capable
of scoring in fhe 9.3 to 9.5 range.
Scott McEldowney. a sopho
more, will be Oregon's number
one competitor on the rings this
year. He currently holds the Uni
versity record of 9.5, set last year
in the Pacific-8 championships
and at the Oregon Open this year.
Marvin O Neal, another
sophomore, will compete in the
floor exercise event and vault this
year. He is a graduate of the same
school which produced Leonard
Henderson, Waukegan, III.
All-American Bob Ftikli
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