The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, January 24, 1979--Page 7
GYMNAST SHOWS CONSISTENCY:
Axon quietly leads team
By ALAN FANGER
Her mornings are spent playing the
harp, a musical expression of herself,
while her afternoons consist of working
on gymnastic routines, an athletic ex-
pression of herself.
Mia Axon thrives on self-expression,
and the co-captain of the women's
gymnastics team does it her own way -
withquintessence and honest effort.
ON THE VARIOUS tumbling ap-
paratus, Axon works with power and in-
tensity, focusing mind and body on the
appointed gymnastic task. And whether
her routine is dynamic or hear-
tbreaking, the Ann Arbor native keeps
a quiet but stable temperament.
"I might not be as vocal as some
others," said Axon, "but I get down
when I don't hit a routine well. I just
don't show it. As co-captain, I feel that I
have a responsibility to set a good.
example for everyone else."
Axon augments her leadership
qualities with consistent performances,
a prized characteristic in a sport full of
inconsistencies. In all but one meet this
season, she has totaled more than 30 all-
round points.
"I DON'T HAVE one event where I
consistently score the highest, although
vaulting is usually stronger than the
others," said Axon.
A product of nearby Huron High
School, Axon initially shunned the idea
of tumbling on an intercollegiate level.
"I came here for the academics," she
said. "I wasn't even considering the
team, but then I went to practice one
day, and that convinced me."
With a background in the fine arts,
Axon views gymnastics from a more
artistic angle than her counterparts.
"Gymnastics is an art form, like dance.
You have to work with small sections at
a time, then piece it together. You get a
real sense of self-satisfaction from
doing it."
IN THREE years of tumbling at
Michigan, Axon has seen the winds of
change sweep through the program.
"They're putting more money into it
now," she commented, "especially
with scholarships. I think that's impor-
tant to the program."
Axon feels right at home with her new
coaches, Scott Ponto and Ginger
Robey. "They seem more like friends
than coaches. "It's so easy to trust their
judgement." Robey was a teammate of
Axon's last year. "Ginger has a great
eye for dance," she said. "She's helped
our floor exercises tremendously."
With the state championships only a
month away, Axon is optimistic about
the Wolverines' chances of winning
both the meet and a berth in the
regionals. "The judges in this state are
more strict in their scoring than judges
in other states, so we can't tell how we
stand in the region. But I think we cari
make it there."
ah e t
Say ey, it's Mays
in Hallof am e
By The Associated Press
NEW YORK-Willie Mays, the "Say Hey Kid," let the cat out of the bag
yesterday after being elevated to baseball's Hall of Fame.
He's essentially a ham. All of that hat-falling, basket-catching stuff that
marked his centerfield heroics was strictly theater-aimed at pleasing the
fans.
"Early in my career, my cap went flying when I raced to catch a ball
and the fans howled," Willie said. "After that, I decided to play my cap
loose. I guess it just became a trademark."
So did the unorthodox basket catch.
"It seemed natural," Willie explained. "The fans liked it, so I continued
it. I never cared about making sensational plays. I never played for myself. I
always played to please the fans."
A reporter at the Hall of Fame announcement ceremonies asked Willie
how he got the nickname, "Say Hey." "Where you from? You couldn't be
from New York," Willie said.
"No, Iowa," the man replied.
"If you were from New York, you would know," he explained. "When I
first came up to the Giants, I didn't know anybody's name. So I would just
holler, 'Say, hey, over there.' Sports writers picked it up."
Mays becomes the year's only inductee, the lone player to receive the
required 75 per cent of the votes of the qualified members of the Baseball
Writers Association of America.
He was picked on 409 of the 432 ballots cast for a 94.5 percentage-the
highest since the first year, 1936, when Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and Honus
Wagner were inducted with higher figures.
Attired in a light blue plaid suit and wearing a red tie, the 47-year-old
native of rural Westfield, Ala., charmed baseball executives and reporters
with his frankness in addressing a broad spectrum of his career.
The one word to describe his success: "Love."
"I know that sounds funny," Willie said, trying to restrain himself from
choking up. "Love to me means dedication and sacrifice. My wife was
always saying to me-it isn't true, of course-'Willie, you love baseball more
than you love me."'
The best player he ever saw: "Me."
"I never thought anybody could play the game better than me," he said.
"Next to me, Roberto Clemente."
Mays, a hitter with magnificent bat control, finished his illustrious
career with 660 home runs, the third leading total in history, behind only
Hank Aaron and Ruth.
He won the National League home run title four times, with 51 in 1955,
with 49 in 1962, with 47 in 1964 and with 52 in 1963.
He compiled a lifetime batting average of .302, hitting over .300 10 times,
including 1954, when he won the National League batting championship with
a .345 average.
Daily Photo by CYRENA CHANG
Michigan gymnast Mia Axon holds a straddled handstand.on the uneven bars in last Thursday night's meet at Crisler Arena.
Axon, a junior and co-captain of the women's team, notched a fifth place as the Wolverines scored 125.00 points to Central
Michigan's 116.60 and Western Michigan's 96.70 in their first home meet of the season.
Wayman n:
The forgotten deker
By BILLY NEFF
Okay, trivia buffs, this one will really
test your memory. Which Michigan
hockey player scored the goal that
knotted the 1977 NCAA championship
game at five and propelled the
Wolverines into overtime, which they
eventually lost to the Wisconsin
Badgers?
Well, here is a clue: He was a
sophomore defenseman then who wore
number two. The answer is John
Waymann and one would guess that if
he were the hero on that NCAA finalist
team two years ago, he should be one of
the spearheads this year of a defense on
a floundering team.
THIS HAS NOT been the case for
Waymann as he has been relegated to
strictly an observer's status, playing
only sparingly in six games for the
Wolverine dekers.
"I think we have people who are
playing better; they're also young. We
had to rmake a decision. It's my view
that he (Waymann) can't help us at this
point," commented Michigan hockey
coach Dan Farrell.
Waymann sees the situation,
however, in a different way. "When I
entered as a freshman, I had to earn my
position. The returning lettermen had
their positions until they were taken
away. Today, freshmen are given an
earlier opportunity to prove them-
selves."
"I WAS TOLD last spring that I
wasn't in the team's plans for the
future. I figured it was a psychological
move on his (Farrell's) part. At the
time I figured he was down on the team
(that had lost 17 of their last 20)" con-
tinued Waymann, a Quebec native.
"I was not given a chance. The time I
was given a chance to play was October
21st in Bowling Green. I was one of the
four defensemen who started,"
Waymann noted.
The blond economics major summed
up his situation best with the word of
"frustration. I'm a victim of transition.
He (Farrell) was looking for a change
of blood," he said.
tober and November where my concen-
tration capacities were at an all-time
low for everything else I was doing. It
was haunting me (not playing). Hockey.
would creep into everything," interjec-
ted the affable six-foot senior.
The former icer does not travel with
the team so he only has an opportunity
to view home games. "It used to be
. ....... . . .......v. . . .*.*.*.* .:*4...
............................ . . ...... .......::. ,::::............ ...........::i.....:.:........,..''.
"When I entered as a freshman, I
had to earn my position. The
returning lettermen had their
positions until they were taken,
away. Today, freshmen are given
an earlier opportunity to prove
themselves." ..
-John Waymann
. .z
Michigan since "It's been a great ex-
perience and I've met some tremen-
dous people." Several Ivy League
schools, including Princeton and
Boston University recruited him.
If Waymann had any hopes for
professional hockey, this season dashed
them. "On a scale from one to ten, it's
in the negative. Really though, I never
had a hockey future. I dreamed of
playing until I got on the ice with guys
and then I realized they were a step
ahead of me," he said.
Waymann's future lies in business
management, although at the present
time he is uncertain. He has written to
some business schools in that field, in-
cluding the University of Western On-
tario.
THE SENIOR ICER also plans to
help other young hockey players since
"as a youngster, many people donated
their time to helping me and in return, I
feel I will reciprocate," he said.
Although Farrell has said that he will
not see any more action this year unless
there are some injuries, Waymann is
still itching to play. He was hoping to
play in the Minnesota series in which
the top-ranked Gophers tallied eight
goals in one period because "They
might bring out the best in me," noted
Waymann.
When reflecting upon his current
situation, Waymann still fondly
remembers his goal against Boston
University in the NCAA semifinals and
his game-tying tally against Wisconsin.
"I'll never forget the sensation that- I
had from the blue line. All that hard
work had paid off," concluded
Waymann.
It doesn't always though, does it?
NOT CE
New Hours at
MONDAY: 9:30-6
TUESDAY: 9:30-6
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FRIDAY.: 9:30-8:30
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303 S. Stote-668-7652
WAYMANN IS quick to note that he
was not necessarily better than another
player. Instead, he pointed out, "The
freshmen have improved steadily. On
the whole, they've (the freshmen) have
done a great job."
Waymann, however, has had trouble
accepting his demotion in his own mind.
"I had about a five-week stage in Oc-
tremendously hard (to watch games). I
was so wrapped up; I was totally ab-
sorbed. It was almost as though I was
playing. The hardest thing is answering
to friends at the games because I did
not know the answers," continued
Waymann.
INTERESTINGLY enough,
Waymann does not regret entering
MEET ILLINI TOMORROW:
Iowa loses three key players
By The Associated Press
IOWA CITY, Iowa-Iowa's hopes of
staying in contention in the Big Ten
basketball race have been severely
jolted with the loss of three
players-two for indefinite periods due
to injuries and one for the season
because of academic problems.
Clay Hargrave, a 6-foot-4 forward
who led the conference in rebounding
last season, has been ruled
scholastically ineligible for the second
semester, university officials said
yesterday.
Hargrave was ineligible last
semester, and Coach Lute Olson was
debating whether to red-shirt the senior
or bring him back for the remaining
games, if he had been eligible.
Also, starting forward Vince
Brookins broke his left hand in practice
Monday night and will be out for at
least two weeks.
And Olson said it's "highly doubtful"
starting center Steve Krafcisin will
play tomorrow night against Illinois.
Krafcisin, a 6-10 sophomore, was hit
while going up for a rebound in Satur-
day's overtime loss at Michigan State,
and suffered a concussion.
Officials said they expected a
capacity crowd of 13,700 in Iowa Field
House for the Illinois game. Iowa, 11-4,
is tied for second in the Big Ten with
Illinois and Michigan State at 4-2, two
games behind Ohio State.
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