PAGE TEN
UNIVERSITY PARK, PENN
GYMNASTICS
CROWN
University Park, Pa. Peren
nial power Penn State will shoot
for its ninth national gymnastics
team title and Bob Emery will
try to bring State its 12th all
around crown when the NCAA
championsships are held at Seat..
tie.
The unbeaten Nittany Lions
won their 14th Eastern team title
this season and rank as cine of
the leading contenders for NCAA
laureLs. Other top entries appear!
to be Michigan, Colorado State,
lowa, Denver, Southern- Illinois,
California, lowa State and host
Washington.
The Lions' last team crown
came in 1965. Should they win
this time they'll take the lead
from Illinois among all schools
in number of team titles. Each
has won eight.
"This is one of my best
teams," says coach Gene Wett
stone, now in his 31st year at
State. "It compares favorably
with our previous title teams and
has good depth and balance.
However, gymnastics competition
around the country is better than
it used to be, so winning a title
will be difficult."
In the all-around competition,
Mauna Nisesinen of the hosting
Huskies looms as the man to
beat. But Emery, who this sea
son brought State its 18th East
ern all-around crown, must be
considered a top contender along
with teammate Dick Swetman.
State's last all r around winner
was Steve Cohen in 1967.
Swetman and co-captain Ern,
ery are two of seven Lions who
qualified , for the nationals. The
others are co-captain John Kind
on on side horse, Paul Vexler
on rings and long horse vault,
Joe Litow on the high bar, Torn
Clark in free exercise and Tom
Dunn on parallel bars.
A Round Of Fun
For P.S.U. Alumni
University Park, Pa. Of the
seven teams battling against
Penn State for the NCAA gym
nastics title this weekend at Seat
tle, three (Southern Minds,
California and Iowa) are coachr
ed by former Penn State gym
nasts.
SlU's Bill Meade and Califor
nia's Hal Frey already have won
national titles while lowa's Mike
Jacobson will be trying for his
first. Jacobson was a national
all-around champion in 1965 when
Penn State won its last team
crown.
"They'll be out to get me,"
laughed Gene Wettstone, whO
has coached Penn State to eight
national titles. "Meade and Frey
already have gotten me in the
past now I suppose Jacobson
feels it's his turn."
You may feel that this is not
sports news from University
Park, Well, you're right. It is
not from U. P., but it is a sport
from Highacres. Join the Colleg
ian Staff and_ find out far your
self!
THE HIGHACRES COLLEGIAN
VATE SPORTS REPORT
GRIDDERS ON BASEBALL SQUAD
University - Park, Pa. Three
members of Penn State's 'unbeat
en 1968 football squad defen
sive backs Mike Smith and Geor
ge Landis and defensive end Ed
Stofko will pass up grid drills
to play baseball this spring.
Smith appears to have won a
starting infield berth, either at
shortstop or second base, while
Stofko is battling for a first base
berth and Landis is a catching
candidate.
Penn State will begin spring
football practice on Saturday,
April 12. Drills will end Satur
day, May 17 with the annual
Blue - White game in Beaver
Stadium. • •
By placing , third in the NCAA.
wrestling chempionshipsi, Penn
State's 145-pounder Clyde Frantz
made the best showing of any
Penn Stater in the nationals since
1964 when Mark Piven placed
third at 130 pounds. Frantz fin
ished hiS first season on the var
sity with a 16-3-1 record.
•—o—•
The October 11 battle with old
rival West Virginia has been de
signated as Penn State's Home
coming game for next fall. Band
Day will be Sept. 27 when Colo
rado is the football opponent.
0-0-0
Next fall's Penn State - North
Carolina State football game at
Raleigh will be televised nation
ally by the American Broadcast
ing Cbmpany. Orginially schedul
ed to be played Nov. 8, the game
has been moved to Nov. 29 and
will be part of a national double
header, with Army - Navy, on at
1:30 followed by Penn State-
North Carolina State.
Rick Wright, a senior from Col
lingdale, is the first Penn Starter
ever to be named to the All-Am
erica fencing team. He gained
that honor by placing fourth in
e we in the NCAA championships)
at Raleigh. In the team race,
Penn State tied Princeton for
19th p'ace (among 43 schools),
the Lions' highest finish ever.
SHORTER
®-0-•
0-0-0
APB_
Football isn't the only other
sport represented on the base
ball squad. Mike Egleston, the
No. 6 man in basketball this past
season, is first baseman, while
Torn Daley, a basketball regular,
also is battling for a baseball
job. 'Daley played tennis last
spring.
Another gridder passing up'
football practice is All-East tac
kle Mike Reid. He's a shot-putter
and discus man in track. "
SPORTS
PUTTING WORDS
INTO ACTIONS
University Park, Pa. Putting
their words into action, members
of the journalism faculty at The
Pennsylvania State University
have pledged one per cent of
their salaries over the next four
years to help underwrite black
students in the field of commun
ications.
`No, we don't expect to whip
the world with our little program,
but it is a start," said H. Eu
gene Goodwin, director of the
School of Journalism, in announc6
ing the special project.
Goodwin also said - he hopes. to
solicit funds from various other
sources to sponsor addition black
students.
"The sources we have already
contacted have , been favorably
impressed by the commitment of
our faculty," he reported. "But
since we want to maintain per
sonal responsibility for the stud
ents, the- program will not ,be
operated on a massive scale. At
this stage we'll be happy if they
faculty can raise, funds to spon
sor just four or five students."
The money will be used to re
cruit students and to finance
their edtication costs. Tutoring
will also be provided if neces
sary.
Final selections in the program.
will be made by a faculty com
mittee.