Big Eight Open looms as indicator
Kirk Gardner
Kirk Gardner, Atchison junior, is perhaps the top individual performer on this year's gymnastics team. Gardner has scored a 9.45, an all-time KU best, on the still rings and is defending Big Eight Open champion in that event.
8 KANSAN
Nov.14 1969
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By STEVE SHRIVER
Kansan Sports Writer
Coach Bob Lockwood thinks this year's gymnastics team has the potential to go all the way in conference competition with 10 lettermen returning from last year's squad that won 8 of 10 meets and placed third in the Big Eight meet. He feels the first meet of the year, the Big Eight Open this Saturday in Robinson Gym. "will be a good indication of just how well, we will do this year."
Lockwood lists this meet as one of the most important of the year for the team. Although no team scores are taken, competition is expected to be stiff with all conference teams involved. Only individual scores will be taken, but the results will give Lockwood and the gymnasts a good look at what to expect in later conference competition.
Last year at the Big Eight Conference meet in Ames, Iowa, the team finished third behind Iowa State and Oklahoma. The Cyclones finished the season rated as third best team in the nation.
The loss of Stan Clyne, Wichita junior and top performer as a sophomore, hurt the Hawks chances in that meet. Clyne suffered a compound fracture of his right wrist warming up, and had to undergo surgery for the correction. The injury was expected to ruin his career but he has been
working out with weights during the off season and is building up his strength. He had hoped to compete second semester but the bones have been slow in healing and he will almost certainly be lost for the season.
Lockwood has high hopes for Lawrence freshman Marc Joseph to help take up the slack from the loss of Clyne and last year's senior captain Pete Firson. Competing in the all-around category, Joseph was a top performer for Lawrence High.
"If Joseph comes around, I believe we'll have a definite shot at the Big Eight title," Lockwood said. "We have four good performers in every event and only one senior. This is a young team that needs experience, but it should be KU's best ever by conference time.
"Right now, this is one of the best teams I've had in my seven years at KU, as far as desire and ability are concerned. We've been working hard on conditioning and we've got a good attitude. The thing about it is, we're going to improve as the season progresses. I can't put a limit on the potential this team has." Lockwood said.
Defending Big Eight champion, Iowa State, is listed by Lockwood and most other conference coaches, as the team to beat. The Cyclones were third in the nation last year behind Iowa and USC and this year return more letter-
men than either of those teams. "They have a good chance to earn top national honors," Lockwood said.
"The Big Eight is so well balanced, we might decide the national champion in our own conference meet," added the KU conch. He lists Colorado and Oklahoma as darkhorses contenders.
Besides Joseph, several other good prospects may help the team depending on how well they progress through the regular season.
The strongest event for this year's team is the high bar where Roger Hemphill, Lawrence junior, and Gerald Carley, Wichita junior, return. Hemphill's personal best is 9.20 and Carley's is 9.10. Carley was ninth in the national meet last year.
Kirk Gardner returns on the still rings and is the defending Big Eight Open champion. The Atchison junior has scored KU's all-time best mark on the rings with a 9.45 in 1968.
On the sidehorse is veteran Rich Schubert, Lawrence sophomore, who last year scored a personal best of 9.10. All-around competitor John Brouillette is expected to take up where he left off yast year when he scored a 50.10. That score put him second on KU's all-time list behind Pierson who scored a 51.90 in 1968.