The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, February 10, 1994, Page 11, Image 11
U gymnast may have lympics in his future 3y Trevor Parks Staff Reporter_ Nebraska junior gymnast Richard Grace almost didn’t become a Ilomhusker. Two years later, he’s glad he did. Grace Grace original ly wanted to go to Nebraska, but a scholarship wasn’t open at the time. So he gave an oral com mitment to receive a scholarship at the University of Okla homa. Then the Ne braska coaches called urace to ten nun a scnoiarsmp had opened up when another recruit :hanged his mind on signing day. “At first, I said no,” Grace said. ‘But after talking to my old coach and ny parents, I said I’ll take it.” Since then, Grace has been one of Nebraska’s most consistent gymnasts. Until last weekend, he had not nissed a meet in his career. Of course, it didn’t help that the neet he missed was the U.S. Winter :Up Challenge in Colorado Springs, Colo., which was a qualifying meet 'or the 1994 Goodwill games in St. 5etersburg, Russia. “It’s a bummer,” Grace said. “But I’d rather skip the meet so I can heal and do good in the NCAAs.” Nebraska men’s gymnastics coach - rancis Allen said Grace’s future suc ;css might not be limited to the NCAA neet. If Grace — who will return to he lineup this weekend when the buskers face Minnesota in Minneap olis—keeps working hard, he’ll have m excellent chance of making the 1996 Olympic team, Allen said. “He needs to improve his impres sion, like looking a little straightcr,” Mien said. “Just all kinds of little things.” Grace agreed that he needed to keep working hard if he wanted to make the Olympic team. “I have the skills; I just need to start defining them,” Grace said. “My pre sentation is kind of sloppy, and I need to focus more on my form.” Grace, who is only 5 feet tall, more than makes up for his size on the mat, Allen said. “Although Rich is a little short, he makes up for that with his aggressive ness and good work habits,” Allen said. Grace said he tried to use his speed to make up for his lack of height. “On the pommel horse, I don’t have the extension, so I try to do everything quicker,” Grace said. “Also, my speed and power on the floor exercise makes it easy.” That helped Grace win last sum mer’s Olympic Festival. “I thought it was going to be a fun meet,” Grace said. “I just hit all my routines and ended up winning the title.” That helped Grace last year at the 1993 National Championships. Grace scored a 9.40 on the floor exercise and won the national championship in that event. He beat out Oklahoma’s Daniel Stover, who received a 9.30 in the routine before Grace. “He was nearly flawless,” Grace said. “I was very surprised that I won.” Last year, Grace helped his team finish second at the national champi onships in Albuquerque, N.M., be hind Stanford for the second straight year. Grace said he would gladly give up any individual honors if the Huskers could win the national championship this year. “I’m sick of finishing second to them,” he said. “The seniors have worked hard for three years, and I want them to win it.” Allen Continued from Page 9 ire going to look at the cuts and get out >efore they go into effect.” Allen said 16 schools, including Nebraska, had agreed to compete in in unsanctioned national meet lfasite :ould be provided. Following the NCAA Convention, Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Byrne lent a letter to the NCAA requesting )ermission to hold a meet in Lincoln umilar to the championships.but not sanctioned by the NCAA. “I asked them if we could host a neet 1 ike the national championships, >aid for by the universities,” Byrne laid. “We offered Lincoln as a semiper manent site. But that wasn’t consid ered. The NCAA didn’t consider it a true national championship unless at least 40 schools were involved.” tS Allen was not satisfied with the NCAA’s response. “That just shows that they don’t want to have anything to do with it,” Allen said. “It all goes back to gender equity. Actually, it’s not really even gender equity — it’s money.” In order to compensate for the dis parity between the total number of men’s and women’s scholarships, the men’s gymnastics program is allowed only 6.1 scholarships. Ten scholar ships are provided for the women’s team. “The women’s program here is great,” Allen said, “but the equality part of the total scholarships available is the problem. Other schools in the country just arc not in the same situa tion as Nebraska. “We would love to keep the pro gram going; it’s just that not very many other schools can afford it.” Part of the problem, Allen said, lies in the voting procedure at the NCAA convention. “The way I understand it, 700 schools have a say in this,” he said. “Well, if only 36 schools have men’s teams, how do you think the vote is going to turn out? ” Husker Red's Poll men * • KougnnecKS 2. A.P.U. 3. ,mmmm 4. Hoosiers hepruary /, 6._Alpha Tau Omega A1 DAI ssinnH |8. Federal Express| 9. Harlem Hoods 10. Pound 2A IIMr ■. 12. Delta Tau Delta A ■■■■■■■■■Mi ■14, Farmhouse B2 16. Smack's Attack 17. Theta Xi B |18. The Orange n Women lamma Delta iyy« mum 1-0 wm 2-0 mm 2-0 wm i-i wm 1-0 wm i-i wm 13-01 Ml 1-0 mm 2-0 mm 2-1 1. T.F.D.s 1-0 o, Prelerreu swcKmmm*-” 2. Alpha Omicron Pi 3-0 7. Twenty Something ■KSwish 3-0 8. Team Mediocre 2-1 4. Sharks 3-0 9. Chi Omega 5. Rceb 3-0 10. 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