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Page 10- The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 11, 1984

Seufert's wait pays off

By MARK KOVINSKY
She went out without a big splash.
And if you're a diver, like former Michigan athlete
Chris Seufert, that is the way to go out.
THE 27-YEAR-OLD Seufert retired from com-
petitive diving following a trip to China last month,
but managed to turn in a bronze medal performance
first at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in the
women's 3-meter springboard competition.
"I know I could have gotten the gold," said Seufert.
"I dove better at the Olympic trials (held in July in
Indianapolis) than I did at the Olympics." She con-
ceded, however, that her third place finish at the
Games was "not bad at all."
For the 5-foot 9-inch, 135-pound Seufert, the medal
comes after several years of hard work and an-
ticipation. After graduating from Michigan in 1978
with a degree in elementary education, Seufert
devoted all of her time to making the 1980 Olympic
diving team that would go to Moscow. She made the
squad, but the U.S. boycotted the Games that year
and denied her the opportunity to compete.
SEUFERT THEN had a tough decision to make.
She could continue to dive full-time with no guarantee
of making the 1984 Olympic team, or pursue her
career in teaching and coaching.
The decision was much easier than expected for
Seufert, thanks to one man - Dick. Kimball, her
college and personal coach, now in his 26th year at
Michigan. Following the U.S. diving trials in 1980,
Kimball convinced her that she had not yet reached
her peak and that she should continue diving. "I
wasn't going to stop until he felt I had done all I could
do," said Seufert.
Seufert originally iet Kimball following her senior
year in high school at his summer camp in Florida.

She liked Kimball and his camp, and continued to at-
tend during summer breaks from Clarion State
University in Pennsylvania, where she was
chronically unhappy with the diving program. "I felt
like I was putting out 100 percent, but I wasn't getting
back 100 percent," reflected Seufert.
FOR THAT REASON, after spending two years at
Clarion, she transferred to Michigan to dive under
coach Kimball. "The school scared me to death,"
said Seufert of her initial reaction to the much larger

Michigan campus. The transition was easier for her,
however, since she knew many of the Michigan
divers from the Florida camp, including Kimball's
son Bruce, a silver medalist at this year's Olympics.
During her collegiate career, Seufert was an All-
American three times on both the 1M and 3M
springboard (once at Clarion), as well as a national
collegiate champion in both events in 1977, making:
her the first woman to ever win a national champion-
ship at Michigan.

Yet, coach Kimball was right. Even though
Seufert, who did not begin diving until she was 14, had
accumulated many national and international title4
during college, she had not really reached her peak.
HAVING MADE the U.S. National Diving Team in
1977 and 1978, Chris never slowed down the pace as
she kept her spot on the team for the next six years -
the last time being this year at age 27. Said Seufert,
"As I matured as a person, my diving matured also."
In fact she kept getting better with age right up un-
til the Olympics, mentally as well as physically. In
other words, she was in top physical condition, but
she was also confident in her own ability. "I knew I
was, if not the best, one of the best divers there," sai
Seufert. "If I was good enough for the top three, fine.
If not, maybe it just wasn't meant to be."
Even though Seufert did not win the gold medal,
her new career as a coach may give her the chance to
help someone else get it. Now living in Ypsilanti, she
has started an age-group diving team out of Brighton
that currently includes 25 divers from ages 8 to 17.
The group, which will travel all over the nation, is the
first of its kind in Michigan.
Having taught middle school and high school in
Chelsea prior to training for the Olympics, Seufert i
also applying for some substitute teaching jobs in or
der to validate her teaching certificate.
Unlike many of the Olympic athletes that you see
doing commercials now, Seufert was not hounded by
advertising agencies after her performance at the
Olympics. She said that the only person who might
get anything out of the sport of diving is Greg
Louganis, the men's gold medal winner.
"I got a bronze medal, but for some people, it's not
good enough," said Seufert. "For me, it's fine."
In fact, Chris, it's not bad at all.

Sports Information
Chris Seufert, shown readying herself for a dive off the 3-meter springboard,
won a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics. She now spends her time
teaching part-time and coaching an area diving team.

CLUB IN SEARCH OF MONEY, MEMBERS:
Fencing Club points to the uture

By DEBRA deFRANCES
Foil, epee and saber are not part of
most people's everyday vocabulary,
but they are all that the Michigan Fen-
cing club is working to perfect. The fen-
cing team practices their "thrusting"
and "slashing" skills and competes in
these three events at meets and tour-
naments.
In only its second year as a club sport
at Michigan, the group has grown to

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twenty members. The club, directed
and captained by senior Dan Alberts,
has one of their first scrimmages this
Saturday. The fencers will travel to
Oakland University where they will
square off against both Oakland and
Schoolcraft College.-
ALTHOUGH THE intercollegiate
season does not begin until January 1,
1985, the club practices two hours a
Club .Sports
night, three nights a week. The club,
which has had some problems in
recruiting this year, hopes to get more
practice time in the sports coliseum as
the season continues. "We got off to a
bad start this year because most of our
good, experienced fencers graduated,"
said Alberts.
The fencers have a low budget and
not much equipment to work with. "We
would like to get varsity status, but that

isn't in the near future. We have a
budget of $300 but need $2000 worth of
equipment," Alberts said. The senior
captain also said the club would like to
host some intercollegiate meets this
year, but due to the lack of equipment
and judges, there will be no home
matches on the schedule.
During the winter season, the fencers
will compete in four large tournaments
involving thirteen schools. They will
have their work cut out for them as
their competitors will include schools
from the Big Ten and Great Lakes Con-
ferences, some of which have varsity
squads.
The club has a tenative schedule of
meets this fall and always welcomes
newcomers to join. The fencers make
their point with their motto, "fencing is
touching."
Crew competes in Canada
"Ready, Ready all ROW!!!
And the Michigan crew team was off,
off to the Head of the Thames Regatta
in London, Ontario Sunday, September
30.

At this Canadian regatta, the
Michigan men's and women's varsity
crews compared their strength and
skills with the University of Wester
Ontario crew team, the London Rowin
club, and the South Niagara Rowing
club.
IN THE MEN'S lightweight eight,
Michigan, with a time of 18:11, trailed
behind Western Ontario who won with
16:54 clocking. In the men's open four,
the Wolverines eaily grabbed first
place with 18:37; London Rowing Club
followed at 21:12.
And finally, in the women's open
eight race, South Niagara who had a
time of 19:01 cruised past both th
Wolverine "A" team with,19:53, and the
"B" team with 20:10.
Although it was an exciting regatta,
this race was more of a warm-up for the
crew team's upcoming race on October
21. These varsity rowers will be
working hard (running, rowing, and
other forms of bodily abuse) in the next
couple of weeks to prepare themselves
for their biggest challenge this fall, the
Head of the Charles Regatta, in Boston.
"Way enough!"
-SUSIE WARNER

YO' MAMA
Would not want you to miss seeing
THE ORGASMICALLY GIFTED, HERCULEAN
NIHILISTS OF GOMBERG
-DRAG -
THE EFFEMINATE FETID SCUM
OF TAYLOR
THROUGH THE MUD OF THE MIGHTY HURON RIVER
The teaming masses are invited to witness the public humiliation
of the sterile psuedomen on
Saturday, the Thirteenth Day of October,
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Four at 8:00 a.m.
All beautiful women between the ages 15 and 25 are
cordially invited for an intimate post-Tug victory
celebration with the Men of Gomberg.

I

C

Early shower Associated Press
San Diego pitcher Ed Whitson heads for the showers after lasting only two
thirds of an inning against the Tigers, leaving Detroit with a 3-0 first inning
lead in World Series action last night.

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