If you want to find Jim Delaney between around 2:30 and 6:30 in the afternoon during the week, you can check the White Building. That's where the gymnastics team practices every day. Delaney won't be working on an apparatus or stretching, but he'll be sitting on bench wearing his white ball cap, anxiously watching.

Delaney headed into his sophomore season as an integral part of Coach Karl Schier's men's gymnastics team -- one that will be competing for a national championship this April in Rec Hall. For Delaney and the rest of his teammates it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to go after a national title in front of the home crowd. It is also one that may be lost because of a freak accident.

"The first thing I thought was, I'll miss a couple of weeks," Delaney said. "But then, after I went to the doctors, I thought, there goes NCAAs, there goes a chance of a lifetime."

Delaney was washing dishes in his apartment last semester when he reached into the water to grab for a plate. Instead of a plate, he caught the sharp edge of a knife. The blade cut through the tendons on his middle and index fingers of his right hand and brought an abrupt end to his gymnastics season.

Delaney had surgery on the fingers seven weeks ago and doctors were pleased with the outcome because they were able to repair the tendons on the spot. His next step is to begin a rehabilitation program that will teach him how to bend and use the fingers again. All of this leaves him a remote chance of making it back in time for the championships starting on April 18.

"I always think there's a possibility it could happen but I just have no idea how this will go," Delaney said. "For now I just try to be in the gym to help with problems and little coaching things. It's weird because I know I am supposed to be here at this time and I feel weird if I'm somewhere else."

Schier said Delaney was to be an important part of this year's team competing in the all-around. Last year he competed in every event but the rings at the NCAAs and Schier said that experience is what has been missed most.

"(Delaney's loss) has had a depressing effect," Schier said. "He was a major part of this team with NCAA experience and even though we have gotten good mileage out of the freshmen, Jim is definitely missed."

Delaney said he has had nothing but help from the team, trainers and family in dealing with the injury. At first, he said, everything was a hassle. He missed three weeks because of traveling back and forth to New Jersey to visit doctors. Once he got back into classes, the right-hander had to learn how to write left-handed.

His longterm goal is to have the use of his hand back, something he says is very possible. The whole incident has helped him deal with hardship, something that can pass over to gymnastics.

Now his fingers are free of bandages and gauze -- the only reminants are two splints. The new freedom has allowed him to begin working out and lifting weights. He has also begun working a little with a new vault and if he makes it back, the vault would be his only event.

"I get sweats sitting here. I just want to jump on a piece of equipment because I know I can do this stuff," Delaney said. "The first couple meets were the toughest because competing in Rec Hall and the NCAAs was something I expected to do, and I had that taken away."

Delaney's option to not competing is to be redshirted, thus gaining an extra year of eligibilty. Next year's team loses only two vital members and expectations will be high again. If Delaney compete's in any match this year, he can't be redshirted.

"I know there is a next year, but I like to worry about this year. If I can compete I will," Delaney said. "To make it back for NCAAs would be like a dream come true. That I could come back and at least show my face out there and know I contributed, I would definitely do it."