PAGE STXT THE MICHIGAN DAILY Swim Team Lacks Depth After Graduations By DOUG HELLER At the close of the 1966 swim- ming season, there was almost a feeling of an end of an era for Gus Stager's tankers. After maintaining consistent runners-up spots to seven straight Indiana swimming championships, one of the greatest senior crops in Wolverine history was graduat- ing. It, didn't look like there was much around to replace the men who had led Michigan to either third or fourth place in the na- tional rankings in the past three years. Heading the graduation list was Captain Carl Robie, a 1964 Olym- pic silver medalist who was Big Ten champion in three events and National Collegiate 200-yard but- terfly champion in 1967. Behind him was Paul Scheerer, consist- ently the Big Ten breaststroking champion and last year fifth na- tionally at both the 100 and 200 yards after winning the 100 yards in 1966. Russ Kingery, constantly one of the best backstrokers in the coun- try and remembered for some, of the great battles he gave Michigan State's Olympian Gary Dilley, and Bill Grofy, a leading Big Ten free- style sprinter, were also leaving. Also graduating were Tom Wil- liams and Tom O'Malley, who shocked the nation with a sec- ond place in the 100 butterfly in 1966, and diver Bob Walmsley, who took seventh in the country on the three-meter board in 1967. Completing the dismal outlook was the scarcity of new seniors to give the squad depth-only three will be on the squad this year. Stager, the 1960 Olympic swim- ming coach, does not think that the Wolverines will plummet to the bottom of the Big Ten despite all these losses. "What is happening is the whole conference is getting weaker as the West Coast dominates," he said. He cited the fact that both Indiana and Michigan State will be weaker and wants to see how the team shapes up before pre- dicting anything. Proving that there is no panic at Matt Mann Pool is a relatively simple matter. Despite Robie's phenomenal prowess as a long dis- tance freestyler and a butterflyer, a respectable performer at least can be found for each of his po- sitions. And respectable is certainly an understatement for junior Tom Arusoo. The blond Canadian was fourth behind Robie nationally in the 200-yard butterfly. Behind Arusoo is Lee Bisbee, also a junior, who Stager once called potentially even better than Arusoo, but who was ill for a time last winter and came back for eighth place in the NCAA at 100 yards. Topping the sophomore butter- flyers is Dan Natali, whose best achievement last year was a mem- orable leg in the 400-yard medley relay at the Big Ten freshman meet, whgn he passed rivals from both Indiana and Michigan State to lead Michigan to a win. Long Distances Two men should soften the blow of losing Roble in the 500, 1000 and 1650-yard freestyles. Junior Mike O'Connor could improve enough to be a national threat at any of these distances. Sopho- more Gary Kinkead should al- ready be one, as demonstrated at the Big Ten freshman meet by a 4:51.61 clocking for 500 yards. Stager's chief prospect to re- place Kingery at backstroke is sophomore Bill Dorney; also com- peting for a job is sophomore Ed Zuchowsky. Despite the loss of Graft, it is possible that Michigan could be stronger in the sprints than be- fore. Senior Ken Wiebeck should have a chance to join the na- tion's elite, swimming the 100- and 50-yard sprints or the 200-yard freestyle, which has been a weak- ness. try to give these two "old men" of the team a run for their money. The individual medley races, both 200- and 400-yards, have not seen a respectable competitor en- ter them recently for Michigan except when Robie had nothing better to do. (He was national 400-yard champ as a sophomore.) However, things might be chang- ing. Sophomore Juan Bao is one of those rare birds who can do all strokes well enough to actually be listed, first and foremost, as an individual medley man. And Kin- kead also might test his stamina by swimming the four strokes. In diving, 1964 Olympic Coach Dick Kimball can consider him- self relatively loaded with talent- ed young men. With the loss of only Walmsley, he has the third senior on the swim squad, Fred Brown. Brown was fifth at one meter and eighth at three meters in the nation in 1967, and junior Jay Meaden, who was coincident- ally eighth at one meter and fifth at three meters in the NCAA. Sophomore Divers Kimball has several sophomores under his wing with Paul Mc- Guire and Bruce McManaman ap- parently the best of them. This leaves only one position un- listed so far. That is the breast- stroke, where beyond champ Scheerer, the Wolverines were nothing short of sickening in 1967, chiefly because John Robertson was so disappointing. And to top this off, there doesn't appear to be any new sophomore breaststroker who looks like he even deserves to swim in the same pool with the rest of the Big Ten, It is up to Stager to reach into his magic hat and come out with someone, somehow, before the 1968 season opens. Stager concludes that finding a breaststroker is the key to Big Ten contention, saying "without one, it will be all she wrote." "We want a winning team this year, we don't want to build char- acter...." "Well-we want to build char- acter, but. ..." TWO 'WORLD TRAMPOLINE CHAMPS, the current one, Dave Jacobs, left, and the 1966 champ, Wayne Miller, form the backbone of next year's Wolverine gymnastics team. Jacobs, M er Carry Tradition Of Wolverine Gymnastics Team A - § - . 41 WHY WE - There's more than fabric superiority in Gant. 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We coseGantbecuse heytakeshit maingsen By BILL LEVIS GUS STAGER Joining Wiebeck when he sprints will be sophomores Tim Sullivan, who had the second fastest fresh- man time in both the 50 and 100, Bob Kircher, and Robert Har- mony. With so many candidates, the Wolverines will have depth in the short distances for the first time in quite a while. John Salassa will join fellow senior Wiebeck at the 200 where he will also have a chance to come into his own. Sophomores The string had to end sometime. Last year was the first since 1957 that Michigan didn't win any conference sports crowns and the first season since 1960 that Coach Newt Loken's gymnastics team has not reigned supreme over the Big Ten. Starting in 1961, Loken's gym- nasts captured six straight confer- ence titles before finishing a heartbreaking second behind up- start Iowa last year. Michigan even took home the NCAA team title during the six year stretch, winning in 1963. But 1966-67 was the season of second place finishes for many Wolverine sport teams and it was especially true in the gymnasts' case. While the wrestling, tennis, swimming and baseball teams were getting edged out for conference titles, the gymnasts not only came home second best in the confer- Fred Mertz and Zuchowsky willI Join The Daily Sports Staff IE I HEADQUARTERS for STUDENT and OFFICE SUPPLIES OFFICE FURNITURE, TYPEWRITERS and FOUNTAIN PENS STUDENT SUPPLIES STATIONERY STUDY LAMPS NOTE BOOKS FOUNTAIN PENS LOOSE LEAF NOTE BOOKS TYPEWRITER SUPPLI ES Rubber Stamps made to order NOTARY SERVICE AVAILABLE ------------------------ FOUNTAIN PENS all makes Sales & Service (24 H rs.) by Factory-trained men. ence but also second in the mid- east and nation behind Southern Illinois, NCAA champs for the sec- ond straight year. What makes it so frustrating is the fact that the team that won the Big Ten crown, Iowa, finish- ed third in the NCAA finals and lost to the Wolverines in a dual meet. The 1967 gymnasts were typical of a Loken-coached squad-a team of few stars with tremendous depth on the trampoline. That depth was personified in the presence of Dave Jacobs and Wayne Miller. Sopho- more Jacobs and senior captain Miller finished first and second in the nation, respectively, on the tramp while Jacobs also took home the Midwest, Big Ten and NAAU crowns, and most recently the World Tramp meet crown in Lon- don this June. Jacobs also surprised everyone on the squad last year by com- ing from last man on the Michi- gan floor exercise squad in early January to top man on the Wol- verine team. He also took second in the Big Ten and then an amaz- ing first in the NCAA champion- ships in Carbondale, Ill. Stalwart Twins Michigan's free exercise stal- warts had been Phip and Chip Fuller who were rated the Wol- verines' best before the 1967 sea- son started and for good reason. In 1966, Phip had been Big Ten runnerup and fourth in the NCAA and was rated as one of the top three free ex men in the country for most of the 1967 season. Now with both Fuller twins graduated, Jacobs and Miller will carry much of the Wolverines' free ex as well as tramp load in the 1968 season. The two versatile athletes will al- so participate in the long vault. The 1967 season was a trying one for the whole Wolverine squad, especially Loken, a former stand- out gymnast at Minnesota who had tutored Michigan for 13 years be- fore bringing them their first Big Ten title in 1961. The Wolverines had three ridic- ulously close dual meets during the season that only a horror writer would dream up. The first was the second conference meet of the season when Michigan fac- ed always dangerous Illinois in Champaign. The Wolverines barely came out with their lives, squeaking by with a victory by less than a point over the Illini, who had won the con- ference crown for 11 straight years starting in 1950. Both teams scored over the magic -190 figure in the contest, indicative of a top flight gymnastics team. Aged 10 Years Having aged about 10 years, Loken came back to Ann Arbor looking forward to defeating his old nemesis, Michigan State. In mid-February, the Spartans in- vaded the IM building where the Wolverines had not lost in six years. The Spartans had Inflicted the only dual meet defeat of the sea- son against the Wolverines in 1966. Michigan was ready for re- venge despite painful ankle in- juries to both Jacobs and Miller. Jacobs put on a courageous performance in the meet com- ing through with a 9.7 on the tramp against the Spartans. Still, he wasn't able to compete in the free ex and, with Miller on the sidelines, Michigan State slid past the Wolverines by three-eights of a point, 190.8-190.425. It was a heartbreaker to lose but the Wolverines still felt con- fident that they could go into the finals in Iowa City tied for first place. Michigan State had to face both Iowa and Illinois within a week while the Wolverines only had to tackle the Hawkeyes. The Wolverines got their wish. Michigan State lost to both Iowa and Illinois while the Hawkeyes fell to Michigan by the smallest margin possible in gymnastics, one-fortieth of a point, 188.55- 188.525. Meet Undecided The meet was undecided until Iowa had finished its routine in the final event, the rings. Going into that event, Michigan led the Hawkeyes by .075 and the Iowa ring squad was considered the stronger of the two. But the Wol- verine ringmen came through and both Michigan and Iowa went into the Big Ten finals with identical records. MSU and Illinois both had 5-2 marks going into the confer- ence meet. The Big Ten meet turned out to be a nightmare for the Wolver- ines. Going into the last two events, Michigan seemingly had the meet and, the crown all wrapped up leading Iowa by over two-and-a- half points. Then the roof caved in as the gymnasts buckled under the pres- sure allowing the Hawkeyes to race past them for the title. Mich- igan State finished third withIli11- nois in fourth. Michigan did get its revenge against Iowa though in the NCAA regionals and finals finishing sec- ond in both behind SIU. Iowa finished third in both meets. With the 1968 season still four months away, the gymnasts are looking to the new season with caution, especially since seven let- termen have graduated. Coach Loken put it best himself: "Next year looks like it will be tough, especially since we've lost seven seniors and MSU only lost one and Iowa two. Still, the conference battle seems to be headed by MSU, Iowa, Illinois AND Michigan." Captain Gary Vander Voort, a fine all-around man, runnerup in the Big Ten in 1966 and most valuable gymnast in 1965 and 1966, leads the departure list. "Voort" was especially strong on the par- allel bars, horizontal bars and rings, where he qualified for the nationals last year. The Fuller twins are also gone, along with steady Cliff Chilvers, a consistent 9.0 plus man, and Dick Stone on the rings. The side horse has been hurt by the gradu- ation of Art Baessler, third in the Big Ten as a junior, and Chris Vanden Broek, who also starred on the high bar. Experienced Squad Still, Loken has an experienced squad coming back, especially with his two standouts, Jacobs, most valuable gymnast in 1967, and Mil- ler. Six seniors and eight juniors head the 1968 roster along with 10 sophomores who are vying to make the team. Along with Miller, who was also 1966 Big Ten, NCAA, NAAU, Mid- west and World Tramp champ; re- turning seniors include Scott Par- is who Loken calls "a consistent 8.8 to 9.0 performer on the high bar." Dave Geddes, a Big Ten final- ist last year, leads the side horse squad while Vic Conant adds depth on the tramp. Conant was a Big Ten finalist last year and second to Miller in the conference in 1966. Larry Metnick, a ringman who came on strong near the end of the season, and' spunky Tim Mousseau, a double amputee who scores a respectable 8.2 to 8.8 on the "p" bars, round out the re- turning seniors. Heading up the juniors is the flamboyant and spirited Jacobs. Both Jacobs and Miller represent- ed the United States in the World Trampoline Meet held in London June 16-17 with Loken acting as (Continued on Page 7) j I 4 4 CHAIRS DESKS FILES .4 Since 1908 Dealer for A B Dick Mirneogrophs and Supplies MORRILL'SF 314 South State Street OPEN AT 8:00 A.M. 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