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The Bed and Black. Thursday February 15. 1979
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SHERATON HISTORY VIllAGE
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5468210
Becky Oppenheimer and Cathy Shotwell
‘Over the hill’ duo lead Georgia’s women gymnasts
By GEKKY ROMANO
Once again they proved
themselves to be outstanding
athletes.
Over and over they drew
gasps and resounding applause
from the stands.
But they still insist that
th* \ 're over the hill" in their
fit d
Top Georgia gymnasts Cathy
Shotwell and Becky Oppen-
h» iner scored 34.25 and 32 0
respectively, at the home meet
against Memphis State last
week, placing first and third
al around.
lop placements, with chal
le gmg opposition, are nothing
new to Shotwell and Oppen
heimer Yet both feel their
performances are on the
decline from the peaks they
reached in high school.
It all depends on when you
start gymnastics, but girls who
have had strict training all
their lives, like 1 have, will
reach their peak at 16 or 17.
Shotwell said. “1 know I
reached mine in eleventh •
grade ”
' All her life" is a pretty
gccurate estimate of Shot well's
training, for she started
tumbling at the age of five.
Three years of tumbling
lesson." followed By the age of
eight. Shot well's instructor told
her he'd taken her as far as he
could, and it was time to move
on to someone else for further
training She transferred to
Bruce Davison in her home
town. Miami, who took her all
the way through the Olympic
trials.
"I was part of the Elite
Program, which took the
country's top 20 female gym
nasts to the Olympic trials in
1976." Shotwell said. ‘‘You go
through various meets to
qualify.
After two years in the
program Shotwell had to pass
the increased qualifications of
a 72 all-around, or 9.0 in each
of eight routines. She did. and
stayed in for another two
years That totalled four years
of intense training—four or
five hours a day. usually seven
days a week
"I decided not to pursue the
Elite Program after that,
though I was really disap
pointed after the Olympic
trials, because I got hurt in
competition doing vaulting.'
Shotwell said. ‘‘I tore a tendon
and ligament in my foot, and
was out of the gym for six
weeks. 1 wasn't sure I wanted
to go through that again—you
have to know when you’ve
reached your peak ”
Shotwell said she has no
regrets about leaving the
program, not following up on
former serious plans to open
up her own gym. and. instead,
going the collegiate route. A
sophomore pursuing a health
degree, she plans to return to
Miami to study physical
therapy.
"I spent my whole life in a
gym and it was my goal to
stay there, until a couple of
years ago." Shotwell said
‘‘Now I'm sitting back and
enjoying gymnastics, and
thinking about a family in the
future, for a change."
The other self-proclaimed
gymnastic has been, junior
Becky Oppenheimer. has been
consistently raking in the
points for the women s team. A
native of Atlanta. Oppenheim
er competed with a club there
from October to March, and
with her high school from
March to May.
"I was introduced to gym
nasties in eighth grade P E ."
she said, “then, in ninth,
started it full force."
She's supplemented that with
dance lessons all her life—bal
let, tap and jazz. A gymnastics
scholarship sent Oppenheimer
to Indiana State University,
but after her freshman year,
she decided to transfer to
Georgia.
"I wasn't happy with the
coaching there." she said,
"and it was a small school and
didn’t have a good major for
me. When I came here. I
tow
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wasn't sure I wanted to go out
for gymnastics; I talked to
Andy <Andy Long, women's
coach) and changed my
mind."
After a year of scholarship
ineligiblity due to transferring.
Long offered Oppenheimer the
award of two quarters of
tuition payment a year.
Oppenheimer would like to
coach some after college.
She'd also like to continue
judging, as she's been doing
for four years, but she’s
preparing for a career in
public relations
The gymnasts' immediate
future goals center around
their team qualifying for tue
regionals and nationals, as
they did last year
‘‘We know we have to be real
team-oriented to get into
those." Shotwell said, "and we
really are."
‘‘I usually don’t ever even
think about my own individual
score until the meet is over,"
Oppenheimer added
There's a considerable
amount ot unwinding to do
when a meet is over. Even
with all their accomplished
years of experience. Shotwell
and Oppenheimer readily ad
mit to still feeling nervous
before each event. They agree
that the balance beam is the
most nerve-wracking of all
"There’s so much pressure
with that; I always feel that
once the beam is over, the
meet is over.” Shotwell said.
"So many meets were won
and lost by the beam," Oppen
heimer added
Shotwell said that gymnasts
will usually watch each other
on all events except the beam,
because it’s common for
performers to fall off, and
that's upsetting to watch if you
haven’t gone yet. It takes a
big psych job for the beam,
she said.
While the beam is considered
the hardest event, it usually
boasts the highest scores for
Shotwell. along with floor
routines
Oppenheimer’s high-scoring
events tend to be the bar and
floor "But I get just about the
same scoring in all events,"
she said. “I’m definitely an
all-around gymnast; I don't do
any one thing outstanding, and
I’m not weak on anything."
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Oppenheimer began gymnastics in eighth grade
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Both rale floor routines as
most enjoyable "It's like
being on stage." Oppenheimer
said "The floor is best,
especially at home meets,
when you have the crowd
behind you and you know they
appreciate what you're doing."
"It really adds something,"
she said. “I’m used to the
distraction from practice,
where bodies are always flying
here and there, the radio's
going and the guys are
screaming."
It’s quite a different setting
from the formally controlled,
sophisticated atmosphere of a
meet Practices are character
ized by cheering and criticism,
trial and error And. according
to Shotwell. those amazing,
calculated twists of the body
usually come out of mistakes
in practice
"But it still bothers me to
see some of the new tricks,"
she said. ‘‘They’re too hard,
and someone's gonna get hurt
soon That's what it’ll take to
slow it down; gymnastics is
going too fast now."
Oppenheimer echoed the
concern about the future of the
sport, saying she feels it’s
"better to have a good, steady
routine than to have super-
duper tricks."
Perfecting routines and then
perfecting them some more.
That’s the plan for two of
Georgia's top women gym
nasts. And it’s believed that
those plans are what nationals
are made of.
TOPIC: A LETTER TO THE
STUDENT BODY
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, ATHENS.
My name is Bryan Finch, a candidate for V P of
the student body When I was President of the
student body at Reinhardt Junior College, many of
the problems here at the University were present on
our campus also. The problems of apathy, and low
voter turnoui were common on our campus While
President I tried to defuse these emotions and
problems through hard work The result was a
partial success and the beginning of a positive step
for the students.
I am not a "politician," I lack a lot of the charm
and charisma most politicians possess, but I do
promise you this, If elected I will work hard for
positive progress and no fancy gimmicks
My running mate Billy Key and I ask only for a
chance to tackle these problems ahead of Student
Government. So please vote today, for the candidate
of your choice and let’s make Student Government
work hard for the students
Sincerely, Bryan Finch V.P Candidate. S.G A
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