THURSDAY. MARCH WETTSTONE Si Lion Gymnastics. prolific style, facts an. collegiate Tournatnen faint note of p "Oh, we'll do a said apparently boo • "but I'm afraid our the National tournam. .t." Dion (Weissead) Gil (Len), and Armando (Vega) are my three top men," he • • %tied, "but Dion and Gil have been in consistent and Arm. do will have a lot of pressure on him because of his reputation. W- re going to need Dion's and Girs best work to win." Wettstone added: "I think the Eastern are going to be very important for us because i of this. The Easterns will act as a pre liminary for the Nationals and that way we can tell who will be weak in what." Wettstone became slightly more optimistic as the conversation continued, especially concerning the EIGA tourney. "Vega, who we think is the East's best, will more than likely take the all-round title, and we should win the rope climb and the parallel bars. We have, shall I say, good outside chances of winning three other events—tumbling, sidehorse, and horizontal bar." The naming of the rope climb as a possible winning event was slightly surprising since Phil Mullen, the Lions' defend ing Eastern and National champion, was defeated two weeks ago by Army's Paul Dean. Mullen's best lime for The year was that night-3.5. Wettstone had an explanation: "Phil's shrewd. He hasn't reached his peak yet and he still may be two weeks away from his best time (about the time of the National tournament) but don't be sur prised if he beats Dean tomorrow night. No one likes to win a championship one year and lose it the next. And Phil is no different." The parallel bars are Vega's strongest event, which undoubtedly will be a winner for the Lions as Wettstone predicted, but he also added a little notation to that event. "Bob Foht," Wettstone said. "is still not at his peak. He got off to a slow start this year and is slowly rounding into top shape, He's important to us and a fine routine by him could aid us on the bars." VEGA'S PERFORMANCES EXPLAINED The 'horizontal bar is set with Leu the top man and Weisse • • and Vega following. Al/ -three•are capable of over 250 scores, which is apparently enough reason to list it as a darkhorse winner for the Lions. But Wettsbnue again strinzed the same point as he did earlier In the conversaticas. — Leu and Weissend are unpredictable and for us to win they will have So show Their best this weekend. Well ston* repeated. Our rambling and sidehorse performers could pull an upset with not too much trouble, Wettstone said. "The tamblers,"-be added, 'did a fine job all year. They want to win and they bave-goixi spirit." The sidehorse he one of .the few events that Wettstone will enter five men. lack Zeisterfeldt is the Lions' most dependable performer here. •but •he should receive plenty of help from Walt Heiler, Vega, Weissend, and Leu. According to Wettstone this is definitely Weissend's weakest events. The rundown of events was complete but Wettstone still con tinued talking. Vega was the subject of his talk. "I guess," Wett stone said, "most of the students feel Vega is slipping. The reason is apparently the fact that he lost.the flying rings event twice (Army and Pitt) and he fell off the horizontal bar once during his routine. We have no intention of making him a good ringman. The reason is simple. The flying rings event is not an Olympic event or is included in the EIGA or National tournaments so why should we have Vega train for it. "His Three bed events. besides the parallel bars, are not even in dual meet competition. He's terrific on the long horse vault, in calisthenics. and on the still rings. Students only see him perform well on the bars. We are trying here to develop Olympic performers that's why we have Vega practice only Olympic events." for all those Parties--Te. We will hand want them. P . 1957 Scanning SPORTS Si TEAM FANUCCL Sports Editor S-UP EIGA TOURNAMENT . ach Gene Wettstone rattled off, in his usual figures concerning tomorrow's Eastern Inter at Syracuse, but in his voice there was a right tomorrow and Saturday," Wettstone past tomorrow's tourney and to the Nationals, ee all-round men are not strong enough for Fresh Cakes for all occasions! Now you can have a Freshly Baked Cake special occasions. Birthdays— .r just for yourself. decorate all cakes the way you one or drop in for yours today. THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA Chuck Medlar—As a Trainer He Rates With Nation's Best By VINCE CABOCCI Meet Charles "Chuck" Medlar, the Univers ity's head athletic trainer and assistant baseball coach. He's not a man who spends most of his time in the Lion spotlight, but he's built up quite a reputation for himself as a trainer— not only in the east, but all over the country. Medlar c.perates chiefly out of the Recreation Hall training room, handling all types of physi cal injuries for any of the Lion varsity players. Although he travels only with the football, basketball and baseball squads, Chuck treats any ailing varsity performer. "The kid out for the other sports is just as important as any other athlete," he said. If it weren't for two injuries. Medlar may never have entered the training bt , cAnocs how ever. The first injury introduced him to the job and the second made it his full-time oc cupation, The first injury came in the football season of his sophomore year. Chuck was out for the squad as a tackle when a ruptured cartilage in his knee called a halt to his playing days. He spent the rest of that season, and also his junior year, working with Jack Hulme, the head trainer at the time. Looking back on those first days, Chuck said: "Jack was a fine trainer. He and Doctor Griess (Dr. Alfred Griess, the Uni versity athletic physician) broke me in as a trainer . . . they gave me my start." The second injury occurred some three or four years later while he was in the Navy. Medlar. an outstanding pitching prospect for the Lion nine, signed a professional contract with Ed Kstalinas, Detroit Tigers' head scout, at the end of his junior year and left school. After spending a year with Beaumont in the Texas League and another with Buffalo in the International League, he entered ' the Navy in 1943. It was while in,Meyers—he said: "Having three the Navy he unknowingly injured; fine assistants such . as these has! his throwing arm, bringing to a made the training room operations close his pitching career. 1 , more effectively per for me cl. l After his discharge in 1946, 'They're a big help to me." Chuck had another tryout with They're a Buffalo, but he couldn't throw If you doubt Medlar's value to with full speed—he had to call , a team, go ask a Lion coach or! it quits. Back he came to the two about him. You'll receive' University in the fall of 1946 :something like this from cage! to complete his study for his icoach John Egli: "He's a tremen-t ; physical education degr e e, dolls value to a team .. . without which he received in Jan., 1948. 'him we'd be lost. I'd rate him as' He started to work with Byline. the best in the east." again. When Hulme suddenly died Or from Joe Bedenk, his base. ! before the 1946 football season,l Chuck retained the trainer's posi tion—he's been there ever since. t During his 10 years--he's work-1 Ling on his 11th— at Penn State.' Medlar's gained the reputation of t , being one of the top trainers in! the nation. But, he does not take full credit for this. "Working under a physician such as Doc Griess has made the job very rewarding," ha I said. "I honestly believe he's one of the finest team physi- Ciarill in the ccruntay:' Turning to his assistants—Ray; llllinski. Ed Sulkowski and Bill -• c'• , I=l Vz.'l7 - Chuck Medlar He keeps them physic-any fit Good Food and Service at The Home Economics Building Laach-11:50 to 12:34—cafeteria (Monday through Friday) ' Dias-5:30 to 6t3o—table sorties (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) DINNER PRICES FROM 80c fo 5T.35 ball chief. you'll bear: "Thar,' no doubt about it—he's a bi help. rd like to have him a the time." That's only two coaches talkin but you can bet the rest of the would answer along the sa lines, Behind the scenes, but i valuable—that's Chuck Medi Bob Higgins. former Penn St football coach, lives in retireme just a stone's throw from t campus at University Park, Pa.
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