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Friday, October 2*. HM
Doubled gymnasts anxious to get started
By PATTY CROWE
Hrt and Black Staff Writer
Suranne Yoculan is ready for the competition. The Lady
Dogs women s gymnastics head coach has doubled her team
and her coaching staff in an effort to make >984 85 a winning
>eason With strong returning athletes, talented recruits and
versatile coaches, Yoeulan's Lady Dogs are well prepared
Yoculan recruited seven new girls this year, and she is
pleased with the results
“I was able to sign and recruit all the girls that I went
after,’ she said, “Last year our first, second and third place
scores were 9 5, 9.4, and 9 3 with a big drop to 8.8 after that.
We shouldn't have that this year Our fourth and fifth place
girls should be scoring 9 2 and 9 1 "
Contributing to the expected high scores will be the top two
recruits, Gina Banales and Julie Klick.
“Gina is a very consistent gymnast," Yoculan said. "She
never blows a meet Her morale always stays up, which
makes her a leader for the team Her qualities are No 1, and
she's excellent on the balance beam
Julie Klick is a little powerhouse from Florida Yoculan
ranks her No. 1 on floor exercise, where her dynamic
choreography and powerful tumbling shine She is strong in
all the events
“She’s doing a double back off the beam, which has never
been dene before, ’ Yoculan said.
Michelle Sessions was recruited as the best tumbler She
will be a boost to vaulting and floor exercise scores. She is
now sidelined with an ankle injury, but she should be healthy
when the season begins
Sydney McAllister and Morgan Lewis are both strong on
balance beam, while Sherri Stryker will red-shirt this year
The big surprise for Yoculan is Susie Origer In the team’s
first intersquad competition. Origer was the "come-from-
lieind girl", according to Yoculan
"She’s not flashy," Yoculan said “She sort of creeps up on
you All of a sudden, you think. She might win the meet’
Overall, I’d rank her No 1 in the intersquad ”
Yoculan has a very strong returning team also All of the
1983-84 squad returned this year with the exception of Kathy
McMinn, who graduated, so not only does Yoeulan’s team
have talent, but it has experience
Terri Eckert is Yoeulan’s top returner Eckert, who com
peted in Nationals last year, is strong in all four events, par
ticularly the uneven parallel bars
"Terri is doing a major release move," Y’oculan said, with
emphasis on the major "It’s performed on men’s high liar,
and no woman has ever done it in collegiate athletics ’ ’
In her release move. Eckert throws herself up and over the
high bar, moving backwards, regrasping the bar on the way
along with Eckert," Yoculan said
Strong in all four events, Thompson will be one of the six
gymnasts that will be switching in the all-around competi
tion. Petite Laurie Reiff is also strong, and will help the team
on beam and bars.
On the returners’ injured list are Stacy Cook and Jackie
Hastey Cook has a sprained ankle, while Hastey has a knee
injury. Cook’s ankle has been slow to heal, and Yoculan said
it doesn't look good.
"We were counting on her for floor, beam, and vaulting,"
Yoculan said. With her two top vaulters injured, Yoculan
said that the vault was definitely going to be their weakest
event.
Yoculan has not only doubled her team; she has also doubl
ed her coaching staff Joining her and assistant coach Carl
Leland are Kathy McMinn and Hubert Etchison, both ex-
Bulldogs
“Very few coaching staffs can boast coaches that are so
versatile," Yoculan said "Usually, the female coaches do
the choreography and beam, while the men do vaulting and
tumbling All of our coaches know all the events." The
coaches are also experimenting with spotting, catching or
aiding an athlete in completing a move, and it is very impor
tant in learning new skills.
“Knowing that the girls are able to feel safe is exciting,"
she said.
Still, Yoculan said she feels that she is inexperienced work
ing with collegiate athletes
"Last year I put too much emphasis on early in the
season," she said "The team peaked three weeks prior to
Nationals, which was good, but we lost it in Nationals. We
should've placed sixth or seventh
"Coaching is 10 percent technique and 90 percent relating
psychologically," Yoculan said “Out of the top six athletes
on the team this year, four are freshmen who never knew
each other Fifty percent of the team is new , and they’re in a
totally new situation They don’t know how to work as a
team."
And Yoculan is planning on winning She sees the workout
as very important in winning
"We re planning on making it to Nationals and finishing
where we should — maybe doing better,” she said. “It’S a
matter of timing in workouts The placing of workouts is very
crucial to success at the end of the season.”
Yoculan said she has been pleased with the way workouts
have been going
"Right now we’re where we should be," she said. "The
girls have been responsive to the coaching, and the skill level
has progressed Right now it’s time to kick back, take a
break and evaluate where we stand."
The team will definitely need the rest, facing the type of
competition that they will have this season. Yoculan rates
Georgia's schedule the hardest in the Top 10. Out of six home
meets, four wil involve competition against Top 10 teams —
Alabama, Florida, Arizona State, and Penn State The Lady
Dogs will face Alabama four times, including the Red and
White Invitational, which Georgia won last year
"Alabama has five new freshmen as good as ours," Yoculan
said. "They’re strong, and I hate to say it, but it's gonna
come down to injuries."
Still, Suzanne thinks that a win-loss record does not show
how good or bad a team is.
"Last year our team average was 181.9,” she said. “This
year we could average 183.0 and still have a losing season ”
Georgia will also be hosting Regionals this year, something
Yoculan is very excited about
“It’s the first time in three years that it’s been out of
Florida," she said. "I'm glad we got the bid. Hopefully we'll
have the crowd to back it up."
There is also time for fun outside of competition. The men's
and women s gymnastics teams will be hosting the second
annual jamboree on Nov. 30 at the Coliseum.
“The jamboree is our chance to promote the teams,"
Yoculan said. "It will be performance and showmanship, and
we ll be highlighting the top young gymnasts in the state.”
"It's a meet-the-team night," Yoculan said. "People can
start getting involved. The jamboree is going to be spec
tacular. People shouldn't miss it."
Yoculan is using “spotting" technique with
Good friends won’t leave you flat.
down.
Besides battling with opposing teams for the top score,
Eckert will find herself competing against teammates
Banales and Klick
"There won't be any clear-cut first, second and third-place
finishers this year." Yoculan said "Tern, Gina, and Julie's
ranking will be changing constantly
Sophomore Janna Jackson will contribute the most on
beam Another strong contributor to beam will be Laurie
Jones Jones had to miss Nationals last year because of a
knee injury, but Y’oculan said that she has returned healthy
and strong this year
"Jodie Thompson is our strongest returning gymnast.
WILLIAMS
From Page 7
He tried to keep the basketball dream alive at Georgia,
'hough, playing in some J V games under coach l.arry Gay.
tut he decided he'd made the right decision playing one
Sport.
I didn't realize how much time two sports would have
taken." he said "It's a year-round thing You have to work
fxtra hard ”
According to Goff. Williams has been a hard worker
anyway, providing experience on a youth-filled offense
Scottie’s not a big talker." Goff said "He’s just shown his
leadership through action on the field "
Team player would best describe Scottie Williams, and
he'll probably just keep doing his best to help the team,
carrying out the traditional role of Georgia receivers
TENNIS
From Pag. 7
jV'orth Carolina is llene
Fowland who is ranked in
(he Top 15 in the nation
: On Sunday, two other
Rationally ranked women
ihay give the Lady Dogs
some trouble at Duke Senior
$ue Taylor, Duke's No 1
singles player, is competing
m the All-American tour
nament which began
Thursday, but Donigan said
8 is likely that she will
Compete Sunday against
Georgia.
Freshman Lee Shelbourne
ytll lie one of the key players
dr Duke this weekend
Shelbourne was sick two
keeks ago for the South
Jarolina tournament and
jeln t play against Georgia
Hi "It's hard for a team to do
Fri.26
JOE “KIM"
CARRASCO AND
THE CROWNS
CONTRABAND
Mon 29
MANTRA FACTORY
FINAL FRONTIER
well when a strong player is
missing," Donigan said.
"The addition of Shelbourne
will add depth to the Duke
team "
Donigan said she would be
pelased if the Lady Dogs
returned to Georgia on
Sunday night with two
victories against two Top 20
teams
“It would be excellent
wins for us. especially since
they are both ranked The
first polls of the season come
out the first part of
November ”
The moon was up, the stars
were out and-pfftt!-your rear
tire was down. Good thing there
was a phone nearby. And a few
good friends who were willing
to drive a dozen miles, on a
Saturday night, to give you a
lift. When you get back, you
want to do more than just say
“thanksr So tonight, let it be
Lowenbrau.
Lowenbrau. Here’s to good friends.
114 Mott tot