The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, March 14, 1978
Tall Tumbling
eighth in conference; Men roll fourth
Women
By JEFF FRANK
On the surface, -nothing seemed-
unusual about last weekend's MAIAW
gymnastics championship. Underneath
was a different story.
As expected, the battle for the team
title raged between Southern Illinois,
Michigan State and Kent State, with
SIU emerging victorious. The three
teams finished within one point of each
other in the tightly judged meet.
The team totals told more than one
story as they showed SIU with 138.95,
MSU second with 138.15 and Kent's
third place score, 137.15. Michigan
placed eighth with a score of 130.4.
Controversy revolved around the low
scores for the top teams as each of the
three teams had hoped to qualify for
nationals March 31 in Seattle. Scores
from this meet are used to determine
qualifiers and seedings for Nationals.
Scores for the top teams were about
three points under the averages for
each.
Michigan State coach Mike Kasavana
wouldn't comment on the judging, but
expressed satisfaction with his team's
performance.
"I was somewhat pleased with the
team, they came through with their
best performances," he said. "Of cour-
se we hoped to win, but we knew SIU
would be tough. We're hoping that our
score is high enough to qualify for
nationals."
Michigan, working in the early
session, managed to climb into the up-
per division by beating out Illinois and
West Virginia from the late session and
capturing eighth place.
The team total of 130.4 was the third
highest of the year for the tumblers, but
with the tougher scoring present at
regionals, this might have been their
best showing.
Coach Anne Cornell called it "the
best team effort as far as supportive
performances. I'm pleased wit~ where
we ended up and with our 130 score."
For the tumblers it was a balanced
effort, with only Sara Flom's 8.8 score
in floor exercise high enough to qualify
for the individual finals held Saturday.
Flom tacked on an 8.95 in the finals to
finish third in the competition.
A personal best all-around score of
32.7 by Mia Axon, and season best
scores by Ginger Robey and Katie
Zobler in uneven bars contributed to the
tumblers' fine performance.
It was more than just a team com-
petition however, as the tumblers spent
three days in Columbus renewing
friendships and establishing others.
A semi-rousing chorus of "Hail to the
Victors" was sung to businessmen out-
side a hotel banquet room, bringing
predictable results from the Ohio
residents present. .-
The Kent State Golden Flashes (who
deny they're called golden because of
the predominance of blondes on the
team) broke up the monotony and
relieved their disappointment by
throwing a birthday party for one of
their teammates.
A regional representative to the
AIAW was elected in what had to be one
of the most informal elections ever
held. Sue Kozub of Chicago-Circle top-
ped a field of four candidates, including
Sara Flom; for the position.
But the real story of the weekend was
an Ohio State tumbler who captured the
eyes and minds of the crowd with her
daring routines.
Donna Silber, a freshperson from Mt.
Prospect, Illinois, astonished both tum-
blers and spectators alike with a mount
of the balance beam that consisted of a
running front-flip onto the team.
During Friday's team competition
Silber slid along the beam as she moun-
ted, but on Saturday she stuck her lan-
ding of the flip, performed a perfect
side aerial and turned in a near flawless
beam routine as she registerd a 9.5, the
top score of the meet.
Along with the first place that she
captured with her total score of 18.3,
Silber received a standing ovation from
the enthusiastic crowd of spectators
and gymnasts who had gasped at the
first sight of her unique mount.
"It's not really as hard as it looks,"
explained Silber about the mount,
which was her own invention. "The
hardest part is the landing. I've got to
make sure to get my feet on the beam to
land it and not fall off."
Silber taught herself the trick by
piling up mats to the level of the beam
and removing them as she gained more
confidence.
After landing her aerial, a trick that
she fell on during Friday's competition,
a large smile could be seen on Donn's
face and it was apparent that this
routine was under control.
"I knew I would stay on after I hit my
mount and aerial; getting past the first
half of the routine is the hardest," en-
thused a very happy Silber who added
victory in floor exercise and the all-
around championship to her list of
honors. "I had to make up for falling in
yesterday's (Friday) routine."
"She's doing things out of the class of
the Big Ten. I don't know anyone who
does that mount on beam, or a back'
somersault with two twists (floor exer-
cise) in this region," said Cornell.
"She's a gutsy performer for sure.
She's such a strong performer she could
take the difficulty from her routines
and still win. I'm very impressed with
her'
Silber may have been the flashiest
performer of the meet, but she cer-
tainly wasn't alone as far as talent. She
scored 36.25 in winning the all-around
and added a 36.6 in the individual finals.
(No all-around scores were kept.)
Theknowledgable crowdrhad plenty
to cheer about with Silber's twisting
moves. Event winners Cindy Moran of
SIU on uneven bars and Patty Dn-
nemiller of Kent St. in vaulting scored
over nine consistently.
Dannemiller gave credit to the crowd
for spurring her on as the Kent en-
tourage included nine tumblers and
eight coaches. "I had to do good," said
Dannemiller who hit two Tsukahara
vaults to compile her 18.5 score, "with
all these people rooting me on I'd be
embarrassed if I did badly.""
By PETE LEININGER
Saving their best for last, Michigan's
gymnasts scored a season high optional
score of 208.15 in the Big Ten finals held
this past weekend at Illinois. Unfortun-
ately, a relatively low compulsory
score (194.40) kept the Wolverines from
placing any higher than fourth.
"The team did a great job of firing up
for the optional session . .. we almost
caught up to Ohio State by gaining
nearly three full points on them in the
optional session," commented
Michigan coach Newt Loken.
MICHIGAN'S John Corritore
(parallel bars) and Carl Badger (vault-
ing,) placed first and third respectively,
both qualifying for the nationals at
Oregon in three weeks.
All-arounder Nigel Rothwell placed
fourth on floor exercise and highbar,
missing national qualifications by less
than .15 of a point on each event. The
top three in each event qualified for
nationals.
Other Michigan gymnasts who placed
fourth, just missing qualifications,
were Brian Carey (pommel horse) and
Jim Varilek on floor exercise.
"IT'S KIND OF disheartening being
only one-tenth of a point away from
going to nationals," said Varilek. "But
I had my best compulsory score this
year."
Corritore, Big Ten champ and NCAA
runner-up last year, ended up with the
widest margin of victory of any first
place finisher. Despite the evidently
easy win, Corritore found himself in an
unfamiliar spot after the first night.
After failing to hit his compulsory
routine, which placed him fourth, he
was forced to come back with a solid
optional routine in order to finish in the
top three. "I over-adrenalized for my
compulsory and got out of control."
"THE THING I learned was to keep
control of myself." Corritore controlled
himself enough to score a 9.45, tops in
the event.
Bob Creek, who has been the most
consistent performer for Michigan this
season, had the misfortune of breaking
on his mount, which ended any chance
of qualifying for nationals. '"He was
only .025 from first going into the
finals," said Loken.
As expected, it was a two-team battle
for first place between last year's
champion Minnesota and host Illinois.
Minnesota topped the Illini 423.00 to
419.45 with Ohio State a distant third
with 406.30.
THE GOPHERS were without an in-
dividual winner except for Tim LaFleur
in the all-around competition. LaFleur,
last year's all-around champ, turned in
an impressive 106.05 score.
In -addition to Corritore and Badger
being in the nationals, other Michigan
gymnasts will be able to compete in the
AAU's held in Houston on May 18.
Loken, proud of his team's final per-
formance, looked forward to next year.
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High Steppin'
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Tracksters stride
undefeated
By JAMIE TURNER
Clutch performances late in the meet
gave Michigan the Big Ten Track and
Field Championships this year,
avenging a one point loss last season
and capping a successful and un-
defeated indoor season.
The two-day championships, held
March 4-5, saw the Wolverines and In-
diana battle throughout the meet, with
Michign having just enough to pull it
out at the end.
"WE THOUGHT we'd be in com-
petition for the title, but we also thought
that Indiana was the team to beat,"
said Michigan coach Jack Harvey.
Harvey went into the meet hoping
that the Wolverines would qualify ten to
twelve for the finals, expecting that the
Hoosiers would do the same and that
Michigan would have a good chance for
first place.
But it didn't happen that way. Purdue
sand Ohio State performed far better
than anyone thought, knocking out
some performers from both Indiana
and Michigan.
"Purdue and Ohio performed real
well," ' commented Harvey, "They
broke up the finals that normally we
would have been in.
"AFTER FRIDAY'S preliminaries
we didn't look good," he added, "we
figured that we'd finish in the top three,
but it could have been third instead of
first."
The struggle continued to the final
three events. pole vault, three mile and
mile relay, with the Wolverines holding
only a one-point margin over Indiana
with Wisconsin close behind. Harvey
was expecting an advantage in those
three events, but the results exceeded
his expectations.
Michigan totally dominated the final
three, winning the relay, Jim Stokes
winning the pole vault, and three run-
ners placing in the top six in the three
mile. The final result had Michigan
winning the meet by 19 points - distor-
ting the closeness of the competition.
"EVERYBODY there did a real good
job," commented Harvey, "they scored
well and worked hard. A real surprise
was the three places in the three mile.
We had to do well in the final three
(events) and they came through."
Along with the relay and Stokes, Tim
Thomas won the 880 with a time that
qualified him for the NCAA's and
James . Henry and James Grace
finished second in the long jump and 440
respectively.
A strong performance was also tur-
ned in by'Bill Donakowski, who claimed
second place honors in both the mile
and two mile, giving Michigan much-
needed points early in the competition.
"Everybody ran well and that's what
put us over the top," added Harvey.
MICHIGAN SENIORS Jim Stokes,
Bill Donakowski and James Grace
placed high enough in the NCAA Track
and field championships last weekend
to propel the Wolverines to a surprising
sixth place tie, one of the Wolverines
best finishes in recent years.
Grace finished second in the 440 to
defending champion Willie Smith of
Auburn by only .03 of a second and
might have beaten Smith if he had not
drawn the outside lane - forcing him to
start the first 100 yards on a curve.
Stokes had the misfortune to be in the
same event as UCLA's Mike Tully, and
the latter's world record jump of 18-5%14
overshadowed Stokes second place
finish, putting him ahead of Tully's
teammate, Charlie Brown.
"I WAS PRETTY satisfied with my
performance," said Stokes, whose 17-0
took second, I thought I could have
cleared 17-4, but I was just missing."
Donakowski was the last Wolverine to
place in the finals, grabbing fourth
behind surprise winner Gerald Deegan
of Ireland in the two mile.
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"A
Rcratonal Sports
U
Trackwomen place a satisfying
seventh in
By JAMIE TURNER
Competing in its first ever Big Ten
Championships, the women's track
team placed seventh in the competition,
one point out of sixth - a satisfactory
performance for Coach Red Simmons.
"We could have finished as high as
fifth," commented Simmons; "but con-
sidering that we only had five girls, it
isn't bad."
The young Wolverines' hopes for a
higher finish were dashed when a
mixup on the final leg of the 880 relay
slowed the baton exchange, causing
Michigan to eventually finish sixth and
lose valuable points.3
Wisconsin won the overall champion-
ship, breaking a string 'of titles that
have previously been monopolized by
Michigan State. "I thought that
Michigan State would win but Wiscon-
sin did," stated Simmons, "the power
has been State's, but they're (Wiscon-
sin) really loading up."
Wisconsin has announced a doubling
their initia
of scholarship monies being allotted the
women athletes, and that is expected to
improve its future performance.
Good performances were turned in by
Michigan's Pam Moore and Darlynda
Key as all five Wolverines were able to
score points in the meet. Moore set a
I Big Tens
school record in her third place finish in
the 200 meter with a time of 25.5, while
Key was narrowly edged out of a first
place in the long jump when the last two
competitors beat her on their final
jumps.
VITAS GERULAITIS
(World Ranked #5)
Reached qua r er ina s of
Wimbledon in 1976
Won Italian Open in 1977
Reached senmi-inals at
Wimbledon in 1977
Reached sioles finals in
seven WCTI
Tournaments 1977
Reac hed si-finals of
WC T Chao n s hips. 1977
Won Austral.in Open. 1978
If
KEN ROSEWALL
P(World Ranked #13)
Four-time Australian Open
Champion. 1953. 55. 71 & 72
Winner of the French Open.
1953 & 68
Four-time runner-up at
Wimbledon 1954
I56. 70 &74
Won the U S Open at
Forest Hills in 1956 &' 70
S Won the WCT in Dallas
1 t971c&72
'4 Won WOF in Jackson and
Hong Kong in 1976
Summer Positions at
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CIVITAN TENNIS CLASSIC
STARRING
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for Special Olympics
7:00 P.M. Monday, March 20,1978 Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor
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Patron Sponsors:
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