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Wednesday. August 20, 1975
University Daily Kansan
Gymnasts expect improved year
By ALLEN QUAKENBUSH
University of Kansas gymnastics coach Bob Lockwood is an eternal optimist.
Every year, it seems, he expects his team, but he doesn't know in KU history. And this team is not as experienced as he was.
There seems to be reason for Lockwood's optimism this season. He returns all but three members of last year's team, and two others are back. He has with adequate replacements for all three.
"I'm very happy with the personnel we have," Lockwood said. "With all of last year's freshmen having a year's experience, we should have a much improved job."
Leading the returnees is Les Kerr, a freshman standout for the Jayhawks last week. He scored 14 points and provement throughout the season, and scored an A.5.8 in the all-in-around competition which ranked him fourth on the all-time KU list in that event. He should be even better
"Les has been working out five days a week this summer, and he's really improved," Lockwood said. "We've set a goal of $40.0 for him in the all-around an average of $28.0 for him officially improved on the horse and the rings, which were his weakest events last year."
The other two all-around men are expected to be Jody Summers and Myshe Hynes. Both competed in those events at the 2016 Olympics, but neither showed the consistency needed to move KU up in the league standings. Summers was a variability all-around performer before he was injured. Hynes was the only player to replace All Overton, who has graduated.
The performance of those two men could be one of the keys to the Jayhawks' success this season. If they can perform as expected, it will give KU three men who consistently score in the 50 point range in the all-around.
Adding fc1 to Lockwood's optimism are the returns of Dale Bahmineh and Ford Culbertson, both of whom missed last season. Bahmineh was ineligible the second semester. Culbertson bypassed the season to study abroad. Lockwood is now in his first year at Johns Hopkins, parallel bar and horse specialists, Richard Greenlee and John Whitehead.
"Getting Culbertson back is just like recruiting a top-notch high bar, parallel bar and horse man," an obviously pleased Lockwood said. "He was a varity performer for us two years ago. I'm very glad to have him back."
Jerry Daugherty, who performs on the rings, is also expected to be back after his surgery. He said he should injury suffered in a car accident. Daugherty has begun light workouts again, Lockwood said, and has experienced no pain in his shoulder. Daugherty was scoring well on the ringing.
Another top returnee in that event is John Nunley, who came on strong as a sophomore last year to place consistently in the top three at many meet: He is among the top five on the all-time KU list in the rings.
KU's top recruit, Ron Alman of Shawnee Mission South, should provide depth in this event. He was the Kansas high school ring champion last year. With experience, Lockwood said, Alman could become a top performer for the Javahaws.
Two of last year's high bar specialists, Greenlee and Whitehead, are gone, but Lockwood expects Tim Mackie and Culbertson to replace them. Mackie, another member of KU's talented freshman crew last year, was pressed into variety meets late in the season because of injuries to other performers. He came on strong to
Sean Williams
finish in the top three in a few meets. At Shawnee Mission East two years ago, Mackie was the top high bar man in the state.
Culbertson was a varisity performer on the high bar before leaving the KU squad to study abroad. He should have no problems with the shoes of one of the graduating seniors.
Also in the picture are two freshmen from Lawrence High, Brad Kay and Sam Carroll. Lockwood said both needed experience that they would be able to help the Jawhvacks.
Sean Williams and Dan Bowerman, who had good freshmen seasons, return in vaulting. Both consistently scored over 9.0 last season, and they are the locks Locks
The Jayhawks' weakest event will be the pommel horse. They are where they need to improve if they are to move closer to the top in the Bix Eight.
wood is counting on vaulting to be one of KU's strongest events. Both have been working on new stunts this summer and are getting ready to be them ready by the time the season starts.
Mark Smith was the leading performer for the Jayhawks in that event last year, but he is now back to more consistent this season if the Jayhawks are to improve in this event. Scott scored in the 8.0 range last season, and Lockwood hopes to see him move up to around 8.5 this season.
This is one event where the loss of Whitehead might hurt the Jayhawks. He played four years, and he helped develop the younger performers. Culbertson and Noel Betow, a Lawrence High recruit who was the top pick in the last year, are slated to replace Whitehead.
Mention the words floor exercise, and a smile slowly spreads across Lockwood's face. It's obvious that this is one area of little concern to him. Williams and Ralph Holt, the two specialists from last season return, along with Terry Ebeling.
"If we can go through the year without any of our key guys getting seriously injured, then we show real improvement and should have far our best scoring team ever," he said.
But despite all his optimism, Lockwood is realistic enough to know that the Jayhawks are still far from being able to compete with the best teams in the Big Eight. The top two teams, Iowa State and Nebraska, compete very strongly on the national level, and Oklahoma has been beaten. The Jayhawks are outside the board, outside Colorado and moving into fourth place, but even the optimistic Lockwood isn't counting on it.
Staff Photo by DON PIERCE Les Kerr
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