emerald
sports -
Optimism remains for lady gymnasts
By Doug Levy
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If you are the type of person who can see a bright
spot under every dark cloud, and vice-versa, then you
will love this year's version of Oregon women's gymna
stics.
For the eternal optimists, there is a new coach —
31-year-old Gary Vanderhoef. Vanderhoef was a
gymnast himself at Brigham Young University, and he
comes to Oregon after coaching stints .at Sonoma
(Calif.) State University, Western Oregon State College,
and Bend High School. He also owned and operated a
gymnastics school while in Bend "I was ready for a
change and this (coaching position) opened up," says
Vanderhoef, who adds that his main goal is to keep
Oregon competitive within their region.
Unfortunately, Vanderhoef may not stay at Oregon
He is currently under a one-year contract His salary is
on a half-time rate, yet Vanderhoef has consistently
been working 60 hours a week with the team and on the
recruiting trail
"A long stay — I'd love that, but I can't really
sportfolio
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bobby Jonas scored six ol his 21 points
in the final 2:24 to rally the Philadelphia 76ers to a 115-110 victory
over the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday night in a National
Basketball Association game
With the victory, the 76ers snapped a three-game losing streak
and avoided losing tour straight for the first time since 1974
Julius Erving led the 76ers with 27 points Rookie Franklin
Edwards contributed 16. all in the second penod. when Philadelphia
overcame a 13-point deficit to lead by 60-54 at halftime
Portland led 108-105 with 2:58 on the clock when Jones went to
work He sandwiched two field goals around a pair of free throws by
Verhoeven to leave the Sixers trailing 110-109 with 2:01 left
Jones missed a free throw that would have tied the game but
atoned with a field goal at 1 27 to send Philadelphia ahead 111-110
Kelvin Ransey led Portland with 26. but Billy Ray Bates scored 10
of his 14 points in the final period to key the Trail Blazers comeback
PONTIAC, Web. (AP) - National Football League officials are
keeping a watchful eye on a clattering weather service printer in their
makeshift Super Bowl office.
Record low temperatures are greeting the army of fans
descending on this city for the Super Bowl XVI match between the
Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday
But snow is what the NFL really tears as rt stages its first Super
Bowl in the snow belt
Despite all the preparations in the world, a blizzard could keep
fans away from the sold-out 80.000-seat Pontiac Silverdome in
snow-prone southeastern Michigan
"If we have a blizzard. everybody s going to have a big problem
said Paul Van Roekei. Oakland County highway engineer
The National Weather Service is predicting a 20 percent chance
of snow Sunday, with partly cloudy skies and afternoon temperatures
between 17 and 22 degrees
The Oregon table tennis dub ripped Northwest powerhouse
Portland Community College 8-5 and also defeated Portland State
9-3 last weekend in Corvallis It was the first time in five years that
Oregon had beaten PCC
Oregon takes on both schools and Oregon State Friday. Feb 20
at 10 a m in 352 Gedinger Annex Oregon must defeat all three
schools to come away with the trophy for the year
A number of Oregon back and Bald athletes will be competing
this weekend Freshman Kathy Hayes and sophomore Ranza Clark
(competing unattached winter term) will run in the Edmonton Journal
Games in Alberta on Saturday Jan 24 Hayes will run the 3.000
Clark, the 800
The Oregon Track Club will hold their annual meeting Sunday
January 24. 6 p m at the Valley River Inn East and Middle Willamette
Room The program will include a panel discussion of the state of
track and Leld in the U S Bill Dellinger. Tom Heinonen and Peter
Thompson will also speak Nike will show a video production of the
1980 Olympic Trials The Oregon Track club Board of Directors will
be elected as well
speculate on the future,” says the first-year coach. "I'm
just coaching day by day.”
On the bright side, the Ducks have talented young
freshmen to carry the team in the future There is Jeri
Frazer, who comes to Oregon from the National
Academy of Artistic Gymnastics in Eugene, and Julie
Tennenhouse. a prep All-American from Salem, along
with a promising walk-on in Laura Demmons, who hails
from Missoula, Montana. Early-season injuries to
Jeannette Stewart have given Frazer and Tennenhouse
a chance to contribute right away.
However, freshman talent in the future for Oregon
could be in the form of slim and none The gymnastics
team is operating on a meager budget that does not
include any scholarships for next year.
Vanderhoef has already had to deny the requests of
several promising high school performers who have
inquired about scholarships at Oregon
"It's tough to go out and recruit," admits
Vanderhoef "Other coaches in the region know the
situation — it's a couple of blows against me."
Vanderhoef is hoping to sell the program on pride and
integrity within the team and the community
Oregon does have plenty of good gymnasts on
hand to make the 1981-82 season a successful one The
list starts with Sara Gustafson, a senior from Portland,
who is a two-time AIAW qualifier, a fifth-place finisherin
the 1980 Western Hemisphere all-around, a school
record holder in the floor exercise (9 40) and bars (9 30)
and is a two-time state prep AA champion
Backing Gustafson is Stewart, a junior from
Eugene, who competed for the National Academy of
Artistic Gymnastics and finished first in the 1978 state
prep all-around competition The Ducks also have three
sophomore all-arounders: two-time prep All-American
Lynn Fenton, Maureen Nolan, who notched scores of
34.35 in all-around and 9.25 on bars last year before
mid-season knee surgery, and Holly Holmes, a top bars
performer who also placed sixth in the vault in Region 9
last year
The problem for the Ducks is that the rest of the
region is loaded Utah, a part of the Western Region due
to the NCAA take-over of women's athletics, was last
year's AIAW champ. Oregon State had a dual-meet win
against Utah last year on the way to a third-place AIAW
finish; they are ranked second this year, and currently
own the nation's best dual meet score Also predicted to
be tough is the University of Washington, a team
Vanderhoef believes is really coming on
The Huskies feature Suzy Sun, who the Ducks saw
quite a bit of in last weekend's Washington Open Sun
took first on the floor and won the all-around competi
tion as the Huskies captured the nine-team meet
Oregon took third in the meet.
So far, things have gone about as expected for
Oregon this year The Ducks have defeated Seattle
Pacific in dual-meet action and Seattle Pacific and
Montana State in a three-way competition There has
also been the loss to a powerful OSU squad and the
third-place showing in the Washington Open
The third-place finish, however, was by no means
disappointing — the lady flyers scored 132.05 points,
their highest total of the season, had more competition
finalists than any other team, and got a big boost from
Nolan, who hit a 9.3 on the bars
Certainly, the far future could be a dark cloud for
Oregon women's gymnastics With a coach on a half
time salary, a meager budget and the absence of
scholarships, a promising program might cave in. But
with only one senior on the team, and plenty of
replacements ready, the Ducks should shine this year,
and for a few years to come
Junior Jeanette Stewart (above) and aenlor Sara
Guatufaon will provide much ot the spark tor the
women’s gymnastics team this year.
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