NEW R ULE HUR TS MICHIGAN: The Michigan Daily-Wednesday October 24, 1979-Page 11 ::: :5;::.::.;: .::>"s>r.<:.+. :'v . "' ".. r: ?+r'': ." :v~ ro,: .:.;::: .1 Gymnasts gear up for Koreans AFC Standings By LEE KATTERMAN When the men's gymnastics team takes to the floor this Sunday against the Korean National Team, it will be for its third judged performance of the season. But for all . of you gymnastics fans who are pulling out your schedules, scratching your heads, and wondering why those "other two" meets weren't listed, don't worry. THE APPEARANCE with the Koreans is the Wolverines' first public meet. But to get his squad ready for this early meet with a world-caliber team, Michigan Coach Newt Loken has held judged sessions in the team practice room the past two Sunday afternoons. "We feel privileged to be able to meet with one of the top teams in the world," said Loken of the Korean team. He' went on to explain that he has pushed the team a little harder this fall, just so they will compare favorably against this stiff competition. BUT DON'T GET the idea that the Wolverines .are lacking in talented athletes. "We will be sending up at least one gymnast on every event who will crowd the Koreans," said Loken. Jim Varilek, team captain and 1979 Big Ten floor exercise champion, is one= gymnast likely to "crowd" his com- petition all year. And joining him in floor exercise is freshman Kevin McKee, one of Loken's prize recruits. Coming to Ann Arbor from Toledo, McKee will include double twists and somersaults in his floor routine, tricks rarely seen in a rookie's repertoire. Another returning Big Ten champ is ringman Darrell Yee. In capturing the league title as a sophomore, Yee relied on consistency and strength. Hoping to repeat for the title this year, Yee plans to include a new part in his routine before season's end. Termeda planche, this stunt calls for the gymnast to suspend his' body horizontally while keeping his arms straight. OF THE FOUR remaining events; vaulting, side horse, horizontal bar and parallel bars, it's this last one that could trouble the Wolverines this season. Michigan''pi-bblem stems from the twelve-man limit and a rule change to gointo effect this year. Of the twelve gymnasts Loken can suit up, four must perform all-around; that is, compete in all six events. The remaining eight are "specialists", who only perform one or two events. IN MICHIGAN'S case, distributing these eight gymnasts among the six events leaves only one, senior Gordon Higman, to join the all-arounders on the parallel bars. Now, that might not sound like a problem, until you consider a new NCAA rule for gymnastics. In previous years, a team sent six men to perform in each event, counting the best four scores toward the team total. Starting' this season, the team score will be taken from the best five scores. And with only five men to per- form on parallel bars, a poor routine or fall could put a dent in the team's tally. ANOTHER EVENT which will weigh heavily on the Wolverines' chances to place at or near the top of the Big Ten this season is the all-around. With the graduation of Nigel Rothwell, team spark plug and Big Ten runner-up in the all-around last year, Loken has put his hopes on grad Bruce Schuchard, junior Chris Van Mierlo, sophomores Al Berger and Marshall Garfield, and freshman Milan Stanovich. All-arounders face a grueling project each season by having to perfect 12 routines (six optionals and six com- pulsories). The ability to stay healthy during the next four months despite the wear and tear of working so many events will be an important factor when the league title is up for grabs. But Captain Varilek points out that the long season can work to Michigan's advantage. "We have a lot of potential," said Varilek, "and the long season will help the freshmen get some exposure. A Central 1Division' W I Pittsburgh....... ..................... 6 Cleveland.......................... s Hlouston......... ..................... 5 Cincinnati..........................I Eastern D~ivision W I New England .............................. 6 Miami ................... ............ 5 New York...... ...................... 4 Buffalo ................................ 3 Baltimore...........................2 Western Division W San Diego........................... 6 Denver . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . 5 Kansas City....... .................4 Oakland. ... ....... ................. 4 Seattle............. ................. 3 L 2 3' 3 7 4. 2 3 4 6 I. S3 {4 4 T 0) 0) 0) 0) T 0) 0) 0) 4) 0) T 0) 4) 4) 0. NFC Standings Central Division W E. Tampa Bay.......................... 6 2 Minnesota........................... 4 4 Chicago........... ..................3 5 Green Bay...........................3 5 setroit............................. 1 7 Eastern Division W 1 D~allas............... ......7 t_ Philadelphia.... .....................6 2 Washington ..........................6 2 New York .............................. 3j St. Louis ..... ....................... 2 6 Western Division W 1. Los Angeles ............................ 4 4. New Orleans............................ 4 4- Atlanta................................35 San Francisco .......................... 1 7 "r ,o1 T4' 5 0 r. 11 THE SPORTING VIEWS Summer game ends... .a sad goodby By SCOTT M. LEWIS IN PERSON s Local runner stars I in Motor City race BELINDA CAMPOS POCKET BILLIARDS CHAMP-ION THURSDAY at 4pm and 8pm FREE exhibition at the Union Pendleton Room W HEN PITTSBURGH relief pitcher Kent Tekulve retired Baltimore's Pat Kelly las~t Wednesday for the final out of 1979, clinching the Pirates' World Series victory, multitudes from Pittsburgh's "Fam-A-Lee" bur'st into ecstasy. Oriole fans, who had watched Baltimore breeze through the regular season and the playoffs, commiserated over their team's ter- minal hitting drought. I felt neither joy nor regret over the outcome. I.had no partisan interest in the Series. Yet, I experienced a moment of melancholic reflection as the Pirates rushed to celebrate with Tekulve on the mound and later in the clubhouse. Even President Carter joined in the merriment, as I sadly said goodbye to baseball for another year. Such sentimentality I reserve for baseball because I love this game. I do not swell with emotion when the NFL and NBA champions are crowned, unless, of course, one of my'home teams is involved in the title contest. (And being from Cleveland, my emotions are well in check by playoff time.) The seasoh's conclusion is received with relief; all its ups and downs are filed and largely forgotten. But baseball is different. Despite repeated claims that football has become our new national pastime, baseball remains the sport most dear to the largest segment of fans. And, after a decline in interest during the late 1960's and early 1970's, its popularity is now increasing steadily, as this year's record attendance figures indicate. An American institution To what factors can one attribute this popularity? The most obvious and oft-cited explanation is that of the four "major" sports-baseball, foot- ball, basketball and hockey-baseball'is the'only ."truly Atnerican'"game For over a century it has been an American institution. Names like Ruth,, ' Gehrig and Cobb were as well-known to the publies Coolidge, Hoover and Harding. In subsequent decades, nearly everyone recognized the names of Mantle and Mays, Feller and Ford, DiMaggio and Dickey. A second explanation takes on a socio-psychological tone. Baseball, unlike its three major counterparts, has been described by Pete Axthelm as "a simple pastoral game," not under the constraints of time. It is relaxing, not boring as critics suggest. In an age where the clock dictates our daily lives, the grand old game is an ephemeral reprieve from the tumult which surrounds us. Football and hockey, on the other hand, serve as catharses for pent-up violence and unrest, while basketball, particularly at the professional level, plays on our fascination with the sensational. A love affair The love affair between America and baseball is more than just a psychological outlet or a preservation of tradition. Tradition in spor- ts-make that in life-is broken with each generation. We do not acquire a passion for baseball because Grandpa says, "It's a great game. You shoulda seen how Babe Ruth used to... Babe Ruth is long gone; so are many of the grandpas. But today's youth can identify with the contemporary players just as its predecessors related to a pot-bellied Ruth, an ornery Cobb or an effervescent Mays. Notice the kids on the schoolyard field next summer.jt's a sure bet some' of them will imitate Ron LeFlore stealing a base, Mark Fidrych talking-inimitably-to the ball or John Wockenfuss assuming his stance at the plate. Ballplayers are idolized, for better or for worse, much as they were in the past. Close player-fan relationships, albeit unilateral, will not be found in football, where the combatants takedpart in an almost supernatural confron- tration. This rapport, in turn, produces a strong attraction for baseball itself. What sports fan-save the Baltimore faithful-could not share Willie Stargel's great moment when the massive Pittsburgh first baseman slam- med three home runs and, at age 38, earned the Series' Most Valuable Player award? Wasn't it moving when venerable Manny Sanguillen livered a game-winning pinch hit, then dedicated the Series to his friend, te late, great Pirate Roberto Clemente? We relate to baseball because nearly all of us have participated in the game at one time or another. Football, basketball and hockey require either a special talent or certain physical characteristics. Baseball presents op- portunities for the slowest and smallest, the widest and tallest to excel. The game envelops the lives of a few zealots who follow their heroes everywhere. I am not a zealot, even though I did travel 150 miles from Cleveland to Pittsburgh for a Pirates' game. I will confess, however, to having contracted "Baseball Fever" at an early age, and I hear it's an incurable affliction. By DAN CONLIN The University of Michigan and the surrounding area has taken to jogging, as is easily seen by the bundled-up run- ners puffing down city streets. Karen Blackford, who is a rising star in the Ann Arbor area, won the State AAU, 20-kilometer race at Briarwood Mall inJuly. BLACKFORD IS said to be the 15th best woman in the world in marathon running. She proved herself by winning two other races this year. In September she won the ten-kilometer Complete Cuisine race, while her most recent vic- tory was in the Free Press Marathon. In that event, Blackford ran the 26- mile course in 2:44.29, beating the state record by more than eleven minutes. Winning a 26-mile race would seem to take an awful lot out of a runner. Just running 26 miles drains the body of its energy, but add on the mental strain of winning and the body needs weeks to recover. "I'm not real sure whether I've recovered yet orwhen 1'll be ready to go again," said Blackford; a technical librarian at the Michigan Social Work Library. "Most people get sore sppscles.pt np l pt ,en1 tally recovered yet," she said. The local runner was flattered by thet attention of the press and proud of the, other 120 area marathoners who' finished the race. These runners seem) to be a close-knit group concerned thatt everyone gets their recognition. Black- ford pointed out that 17 men and four women qualified for the Boston Marathon and that some sort of congratulations was appropriate. Standing above the crowd in the Free Press Marathon, along with Blackford, were Dave Hinz and Jim Forshee. Hinz ran the course well enough to qualify. for the Olympic trials, while Forshee won the 50 years and older group. What's in the future for Karen Black- ford? How about the Boston Marathon? Blackford grinned and proudly replied, "Of course. That's what the prize for winning the Free Press Marathon is." By Patriots Day in April, Blackford will surely be ready to go. 'SCORES Field Hockey Michigan 3,Central Michigan 3 NBA Atlanta 121,Cleveland iii Newl'York'136Jn'udiana 112 $100 off Mon.-Sa i Invil Join Past tes You To Him For: ta Dinners ed., Oct. 24 p.m.-12 a.m. 1140 S. University 668-841 2 A.M. Sun. 3 P.M.- 12A.M. "1 0., Sa w 6 km91()f .rpa4$to rt. II A.M.4 A,. _ 4 l' S. s .K%:~i) A' ,:. -. 11 1... ?t m There's a big difference. The MITRE Cor- poration has two major locations, with 11" technical divisions and 63 departments. Our 1573 members of the technical staff provide systems solutions to Federal, state, regional and local governmental agencies. There's plen- ty of opportunity to grow in responsibility. Many companies offer you a job which can broaden your career. But when the challenge is gone, most professionals seek a new com- pany with a new job and a new challenge. At MITRE we recognize this need for new chal- lenges and new opportunities. With dozens of sponsors and scores of projects in a wide variety of technologies we, offer the oppor- tinity to CHANGE JOBS WITHOUT CHANGING COMPANIES. The direction of your career at MITRE is up to you. We'll help you stay on track through our staff development programs. We offer 10017 tuition prepayment and company paid professional growth seminars. At our facility in Bedford, Massachusetts (just outside Boston), we're looking at all kinds of command, control and communica- tions problems as technical advisor to the Air Force's Electronic Systems Division. At our McLean, Virginia facility (just out- side Washington, D.C.), we're not only work- ing on defense and military systems but also on significent problems in air traffic control; energy resources and the environment; civil information systems; information manage- ment and communications systems; ground transportation and more. Much more. 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