Bone graft & a dream
KU gymnast Stan Clyne has 'bounce back' hopes
By JOE CHILDS
Kansan Sports Writer
Sitting in his apartment with plaster of Paris caked over half his body, Stan Clyne talks about being a national champion gymnast.
In the process of a slow recovery from a compound fracture of his right arm—and a bone graft taken from his right leg—the Wichita tumbling ace explains, "It's my abmition to be national champion. In high school I wanted to be the best in the state, now I want to be the best in the nation."
But looking at Clyne, one can't help wonder if some of his ambition might be smothered by the white cast that entirely covers his right arm and leg. Further, when learning of the injury, one realizes that if the determined sophomore does bounce back—what a comeback it would be.
Stan Clyne . . . he'll try harder
Bad break at Ames
Clyne, who leads KU gymnasts in floor exercise and who throughout the season has been a strong performer in the long horse and parallel bars, suffered a compound fracture of his right arm at the Big Eight meet March 19, in Ames, Iowa.
"We got to Ames on Thursday and that night went to the gym to workout and get used to the equipment," he said. "I was having trouble getting used to the floor mats because they were awfully hard. When I began to tumble OK, I had coach (Robert Lockwood) spot me on my doubleback, and I threw it fine.
"Later I tried throwing another without a spotter—that's how I got this," Clyne said holding up his plastered arm. "I had thrown probably 150 doublebacks without a spotter and didn't think a thing about it.
"I went into my handspring too hard and was about six or seven feet in the air when I tried to stop. I broke my fall with my right arm and snapped both bones."
Stunt a nemesis
Immediately after the injury, Clyne was rushed to Mary Greely Hospital in Ames, where one of the best bone specialists in the country took four inches
6 KANSAN Apr.15 1969
of bone from the lower part of his right leg to mend the break.
The doubleback has always been a nemesis to Clyne. As a junior in high school, he tried the stunt competing for Wichita South where Stan was state champion
As Clyne landed on the back of his head, he pushed his chin into his chest so hard that it damaged his chest bone. Then again in his freshman year at KU, he was rushed to the hospital with what was thought to be a broken collar bone.
Perfecting the stunt this year,
Stan was the first man to hit the doubleback in Big Eight competition, the milestone coming on March 1 against Colorado.
This year Clyne was headed for a league championship-KU's first ever—in the floor exercise and possibly in the long horse before he sustained the injury.
Looking toward the next two years and his drive for the national championship, Clyne remains optimistic.
"After the injury I used to have nightmares about throwing another one," he said. "But now I know I'll do it again—and maybe the third time's a charm."
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