Tuesday, October 1, 1985
Daily Nebraskan
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Olympians Johnson, Cahoy to help U.S. in world championships
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By Richard Cooper
Staff Reporter
ST. PAUL, Minn. Nebraska men's gymnas
tics coach Francis Allen had a good reason to be
smiling Friday night at the World Gymnastic
Championships Team Trials two former
Nebraska gymnasts, Scott Johnson and Phil
Cahoy, earned berths on the U.S. team.
For the other three Nebraska gymnasts, Wes
Suter, Mike Epperson and Tom Schlesinger, the
meet proved to be a learning experience.
Johnson finished second in the all-around,
behind his 1984 Olympic teammate Tim Daggett.
Cahoy finished in fourth place behind the cur
rent U.S. champion Brian Babcock. The U.S. team
will have three former Olympians competing.
"It is really gratifying to see people that you
have coached for years to get to this level of
competition," Allen said about Johnson and
Cahoy.
Suter, Epperson and Schlesinger did not have
a good two days of competition, Allen said. Suter
was unable to compete in Friday's optionals
because of a pinched nerve in his neck.
Epperson finished 21st and Schlesinger fin
ished 23rd.
"The one thing I learned from this meet is that
for something this big you have to train really
hard," Epperson said. "I feel that I took this
meet a little too lightly and it showed in my
performances."
Epperson said he felt like he was only at about
70 percent shape for the meet. He said he is
excited about the upcoming college season
because he is a better gymnast than last year.
Epperson said the next time he competes at
the World Championships trials in 1987, the
outcome is going to be different. He said he is
going to take a two week break from training
hard to get rid of all his little body aches.
Allen said that this time of year is not a good
time for college gymmasts because they are not
in peak shape.
That was evident, because only two college
gymnasts, Charles Lakes of Illinois and Dan
Hayden of Arizona State, made the U.S. team.
Hayden finished fifth with a score of 109.75,
and Lakes edged out California-Berkeley graduate
Billy Paul in the last event, the parallel bars, by
scoring a 9.6 to finish with a score of 108.40.
Hayden said the key to his success was that he
didn't compete too much last summer, so he was
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Photo courtesy ot Dave Biack of the United States Gymnastics Federation
Former UCLA gymnast Tim Daggett competes on the still rings during the 1834 season. Daggett, a member of the U.S.
gold-medal winning gymnastics team, won the all-around title at the U.S. trials for the World Gymnastics
Championships.
not as burned out as the other gymnasts. He said
he wished he had more endurance going into the
meet, but that should change as the NCAA gym
nastics season progresses.
Suter said he was not disappointed about not
making the team because now he can take a
break. He said he has been in a lot of competi
tion since the NCAA Championships, and that he
deserves a break so he can defend his NCAA
all-around title in April.
Allen said he hopes that the experience of
competing in a major national meet like the U.S.
trials will help his gymnasts when it comes to
handling pressure.
Allen said the U.S. team that is going to the
World Championships is good, but they have to
improve a lot if they are to challenge seriously for
the World Championship.
Johnson said he agreed with Allen about
improving the team's skills. He said they are
going to have to improve their compulsory scores
and the level of difficulty in their routines if they
are to make a good showing at the Championships.
U.S. team head coach Abie Grossfeld said the
team is great. He said he thinks they are as good
as the three best teams in the world: The Soviet
Union, China and Japan, but because of the order
in which they are scheduled to compete it could
hurt them.
9
Johnson said he was nervous the whole meet
and that it showed in his routines. Johnson fin
ished 1.70 points behind Daggett, a big margin in
gymnastics. He said that if he is to do good at the
Championships he is going to have to gain more
confidence in himself.
Cahoy said he felt psychologically ready, and
that except for his dismounts and pommel horse
routine, he is ready for the World Championships
in November at Montreal.
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Hard work puts Suter out
of trials with sore neck
Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Daily
Former Nebraska avmnast Scott Johnson compe es on , ,nB n y ; "f.'J"!
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World Gymnastics Championships. Johnson
By Chuck Green
Staff Reporter
ST. PAUL, Minn. Hard work is the
name of the game in gymnastics. Ask
Scott Johnson and Phil Cahoy. The two
former Cornhuskers are now members
of the United States team that will
compete in the world championships
at Montreal in November.
But if you ask Wes Suter, you may get
a different story.
The 21-year-old senior Husker from
Reston, Va., who is the defending NCAA
all-around men's champion, was remov
ed from competition in Friday's U.S.
world championship team trials be
cause of a pinched nerve in his neck.
"I've just ruined my body during
training," Suter said. "That's the main
reason for my injury."
Suter injured his neck two weeks
ago while working out in preparation
for the U.S. trials.
"It's a little sore right now," he said,
"but it feels better than it did yester
day (Thursday)."
Suter said if he could do it all over
again, he'd "try not to work out as
hard."
"I definitely wouldn't compete at as
many meets. This year, I took every trip
that was offered to me. That was just
too much. I thought it was fun at the
time, but it doesn't seem so great right
now."
Suter said he is disappointed he
won't be able to compete for the team.
"It's really hard to watch the meet
and know I won't be a part of it," Suter
said. "I think I had a good chance to
make the team. I feel I definitely could
have made the top eight, and possibly
even the top six."
Suter has been a four-year performer
for Nebraska. As a freshman, he com
peted on the high bar and in the floor
exercise despite a broken finger. As a
member of the U.S. junior team, he
scored the highest of any American
(56.4) while finishing second in the
U.S.Japan duel meet in 1982.
Suter said part of the reason he was
injured in the team trials is because he
"didn't train well" in preparation for
the meet.
"I was hurt a couple weeks ago," he
said. "I don't feel like I trained well.
During my time off, I'm going to work
more on my original skills and just try
to be ready the next time around."
Intramural sports
deadlines today
Entry deadline is today for intramu
ral women's volleyball, men's, women's
and co-rec intertube water basketball
and men's and women's badminton .
singles. Entries must be made by 5 p.m.
at the Office of Campus Recreation at
1740 Vine St.
urn Daggett.
