After a three-week span of illnesses and injuries, Penn State junior men's gymnast Duke Van Vleet is ready to get back into the swing of things and be completely healthy again. Van Vleet has fought a sinus infection, food poisoning and various injuries.

"I don't feel in my groove right now. I just need to get right back into it and I'll be OK," Van Vleet said. "The season wears down on you and it's our responsibility to take care of ourselves, and if we don't it shows the next day or week."

Van Vleet is not the only member of the men's gymnastics team to have injuries affect his season. Senior Jose Palacios and freshman Casey McIntyre have both been redshirted for the season because of their injuries.

Palacios was supposed to graduate at the end of the semester, but because of numerous injuries during the pre-season, he will take a semester off so he can use his last year of eligibility next season. He is also waiting to get back into competitions, hoping he does not aggravate the injuries even more because he hopes to compete in the World Championships and Olympic games in 2003 and 2004.

He has had to battle three injuries during the preseason, which included a shoulder, elbow and ankle injury, the latter of the three coming during the team's first competition in early January. The senior has undergone many different types of rehabilitation every day since the injuries including going to the training room at 7 a.m. to regain his strength.

"While the guys are practicing and doing cool stuff like gymnastics, I'm in the lifting weights," Palacios said. "But there's not much you can do."

McIntyre also had an unfortunate accident during the pre-season and was forced to sit out for his first collegiate season.

During an October practice, McIntyre landed wrong on a dismount and shattered the two bones in his leg and ankle. He immediately had surgery and had two plates and nine screws put in his leg to help restructure the leg.

"Casey's injury is real unfortunate. You just hate to see that happen," head coach Randy Jepson said. "On the same token, he is much stronger for it. He's working very hard on his upper body strength and I think that is going to help him in the long run."

According to certified athletic trainer Missy Fraser, many of the injuries that the gymnasts get are chronic injuries because things break down over the years from the daily grind of high impact and high velocity routines.

"It happens in all sports, but unfortunately with this sport, if you hurt anything, it affects all aspects of the sport, so you miss out on things," Fraser said.

Despite having to sit on the sidelines and watch their teammates compete, both gymnasts have continued to be upbeat and positive.

"Casey's attitude is unbelievable after such a devastating injury," junior Kevin Donohue said. "He comes to the gym everyday, even in the morning at 6:45 and has a positive attitude and is cheering everyone on. I think he's doing a great job."