Stiff competition facing gymmen

By PAIGE A. MUNDY
Collegian Sports Writer

The men's gymnastics team is headed on a road trip of its own in the coming week.

The No. 2 Lions (23-2) will take on No. 9 Temple (16-0) and No. 15 Syracuse (4-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Temple. The following Saturday, March 11, the Lions will compete in the Michigan Invitational at 7 p.m. in Ann Arbor.

"This is a hard time of the season for us," Coach Randy Jepson said. "We're not yet into the final meets, and we've already seen the top competition."

Penn State competed against Temple twice already this season. The teams split victories, each by narrow margins.

"I'm expecting a close match with excellent competition," Owl Coach Fred Turoff said.

But Jepson is not sure the competition will be quite as intense as it was earlier in the season.

"Temple is always geared up for us," Jepson said. "(But) we don't tend to look at it like that."

Lion gymnast Brandy Wood said his team will be successful -- provided the gymnasts remain focused.

"(Temple is) a very good team," the junior said. "But we're a lot better team. As long as we focus on what we're doing, they won't slip by."

Following Sunday's competition, the gymnasts will return to State College, where they will maintain their daily agenda in the gym in preparation for the Michigan Invitational.

"We'll be in the gym twice everyday while everyone else is in Florida," Lee Ricketts said.

But the senior insists he will not mind the additional practice time.

"It's every gymnast's dream," Ricketts said. "On the surface it looks bad, but we get to go to the gym, come back and watch TV, then head back. Our only focus is gymnastics."