Armed with an arsenal of talented upperclassmen and a host of talent yet untapped in its freshman class, the men's gymnastics team looks toward a promising 1989 season. But like last year, success will come slowly for the Lions.

Last year the Lions (10-5) finished 10th at the NCAA finals despite an inexperienced line-up coupled with injuries throughout the season. This year the team is once again a young one, but Coach Karl Schier hopes that the five newcomers' talent will carry them through the season.

"We're hoping for a quantum leap from the stage age group title that our freshman have had to true university level routines by the end of the season," he said as his team prepared for its Jan. 14 season-opening meet at Syracuse. "There is definitely lots of inexperience here, but lots of potential as well."

The new class consists of three state all-around title winners: Wayne Cowden (N.Y.), Chris Keller (Texas) and Mike Reichenbach (Pa.). Also joining the team are walk-ons Richard Briggs and Doug Wilson.

Cowden, who was previously coached by his father, also claimed the all-around competition in the Empire State Games in 1986 and 1987. Reichenbach has garnered various honors, not just in Pennsylvania. In 1987, he placed 10th in the National Junior Olympic meet and third in the all-around at the National Boys Invitational Championships.

"They've all shown a lot of improvement over the last couple of months," captain Kurt Schier said. "Every one of them has done a good job and has been working really hard.

"I'd like to think that they'll be able to mature quickly over the season."

Unfortunately for the Lions, one of the freshman, Keller, has had an inactive fall season due to mononucleosis.

"It's kept him flat on his back all semester and into Christmas," the elder Schier said. "So, the fall semester has been a wipeout for him, gymnastically. Hopefully, he'll be ready in January. If not, we'll be very thin that quick."

The freshmen will have one advantage that last year's new class did not: their first meet will not be at Rec Hall. Although a home meet is usually an advantage, according to last year's freshman class it could be a decided disadvantage for the young gymnasts.

"Last year we started our first meet at home in Rec Hall and it was tough," sophomore Adam Carton said. "I think it's good to be away because Rec Hall meets are hard to handle because of the huge crowds. It's a lot to (deal with) in your first collegiate meet."

The entire schedule proves to be a challenging one for all of the Lions. Among their opponents are nationally-ranked New Mexico and Houston-Baptist. The Lions fell short to New Mexico, 271.35-279.70 but upended an injury-laden Houston Baptist.

"Overall it's a really well-constructed schedule," sophomore Mark Sohn said. "We start out with some meets that we can pretty much handle so we can see where we stand as a team and what we have to work on."

The Lions will also meet Navy, a perennial foe, twice during the season. Last year, the Midshipmen sunk the Lions by a mere three-hundredths of a point, 275.60-275.30.

"Navy could be the biggest meet of our season," Schier said. "It could be the most critical in the East."

Though it may seem that the freshman will have their work cut out for them, they certainly will not be alone. Along with the new gymnasts are a host of 'veterans.' Returning to the Lions this season are juniors Karl Abraham and Rob Drass, sophomores Jamie Downer, Sohn, and Carton. Schier is the lone senior on the squad this season.

With the exception of Downer, who suffered a knee injury during fall practice, all of the upperclassmen return healthy and ready to compete.

"I think everyone is really excited for the season to start," the younger Schier said. "It's been a long fall and we just want to get out and actually perform like a team.

"During the fall it gets a little boring, very ordinary, to do routines all of the time. It makes for better morale and more fun to get out in front of people and actually compete."

The returning Lions are indeed talented ones. Leading the pack is Sohn -- last year's pommel horse NCAA champion. Sohn shared the spotlight with Houston Baptist's Alfonso Rodriquez, both of whom outdid top-ranked Dominic Minicucci of New Mexico. As a freshman, Sohn finished the season with a 9.64 average on the pommel horse.

Sohn has started this season on the right foot, winning the Farmingdale Invitational last month with a 9.55 score.

When April comes along, Sohn would like to repeat his performance at the NCAA but plans to take each day one at a time.

"I'm not feeling any pressure at all," he said. "My goal this year is to be as consistent as I was last year and then go to nationals and try to hit my sets there. I'd love to win but things happen over seasons; but that's always my ultimate goal."

Carton could also contend for a national championship. Last year Carton ranked among the nation's Top 20 on pommel horse, rings and in the all-around. He also tied for the No. 12 spot in the all-around, (56.95), at the NCAA championships.

During the regular season, Carton won the all-around competition in eight out of 12 of the Lions' meets and averaged a 9.15 or better on every event.

"Adam has excellent talent," the elder Schier said. "A (NCAA) winner is very, very rare but Adam is a threat on every event. He's doing triple backs off of rings every day. He did eight or 10 the other day. Not all of them are stuck (landings) but he does them."

If, or when, Carton does that dismount at Rec Hall it will be the first triple back ever done in competition at Rec Hall.

The younger Schier's goal this year is to be an All-American on the rings, a dream he's had since his freshman year. Last season, he scored a season high 9.6 at the NCAA championships on that apparatus.

As this year's captain and only senior, Schier has added pressure to his position but it is pressure that he takes on readily.

"As far as actually having everybody relate to the experience I have is a hard thing," Schier said. "A lot of things that I do and a lot of methods I use for leadership I'm taking from teams I've been on in the past.

"It's difficult for one person to relay all of the things that I've learned. It would be much easier if there were two or three of us."

His teammates, however, think that Schier is handling the position quite well.

"I think Kurt does a super job being a leader," Sohn said. "Everybody on the team looks up to him, not just the freshmen."

The only other Lion with more than one year experience is Abraham. Abraham has served time in two NCAA meets thus far in his career. Like his teammate, Carton, he too is working on a triple-back dismount, but off of the high bar. Along with that trick the junior has set other preseason goals.

"I want most of all to be consistent with the tricks I've been working," Abraham said. "The triple back is getting there -- slowly. It won't be there in the beginning of the season, but maybe mid-way."

"I really want to place somewhere on some event in the NCAAs; just do as well as I can and hit well."

Drass, a walk-on last year, has earned himself a solid position on the Lion squad this year. Last year, he worked the parallel bars and the horizontal bar sparingly. This season he plans to incorporate the horizontal bar much more in meets. In his two appearances on that event last year, (at the National Independent Championships and NCAA finals) Drass garnered a 8.35 each time.

Schier thinks that Drass could just be the much-needed sixth man on both events for the Lions.

"He's coming on well on both events," Schier said. "But he actually does some other stuff. It's possible that he'll come in on a couple of other events as well."