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Show Gymnastics slated for Friday night The SUSC gymnastic team will open its Western New Mexico rips Southern Utah State College dropped its last football game of the season Saturday to the Western New Mexico Mustangs 40-The Thunderbirds finished the season with a 4 overall record and a 3 record in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. We just made too many mistakes and didnt make any adjustments, Assistant Football Coach Joe Lopour said. In spite of being on RMAC probation, the Mustangs ended one of their best seasons with a record. The Thunderbirds held onto the Mustangs for the most part of the first half. A first quarter WNM field goal was the only scoring until the final seconds of the half. With 20 seconds left the Mustangs scored twice to take an 18-- 0 into the lockerroom. i. The Mustangs drove 67 yards in the final minutes of the half for their first touchdown and then took advantage of a Thunderbird miscue. Attempting to get back in the game the Birds went to the air and Western New Mexico was ready for it. A Mustang defender picked off the pass on the 40 and line. We should have just returned it to the ran the clock out, Lopour said. In spite of the Thunderbird mistakes Lopour had praise for the Western New Mexico gridders. They are a good football team, yes they are, he said about the Mustangs. SUSC found itself punished by the Mustang ground attack. Weve been stopping the run all season but they just ran straight through us, Lopour said. The Thunderbird defensive secondary had one of its best games in the losing effort. Juniors Rick Martin, Darryl Turner and Adrian Diaz each picked off Western New Mexico passes. Martin intercepted a Adam Gragnano pass in the third quarter on the SUSC line, and, instead of going down with the ball, pitched it to Turner who carried it to the Mustang line. SUSCs offense followed the interception and run back with a combination of plays for the only 1984-8- 5 season Friday at 7:30 in War Memorial Fieldhouse with the annual intrasquad meet. This gives our gymnasts an opportunity to perform before an audience and judges, SUSC Gymnastic Coach Kathryn Berg said. According to Berg the gymnasts have been working out since the beginning of school and are anxious to begin the season. Were at the point now where we need the opportunity to perform under pressure, Berg said. Members of this years squad include senior co- - 6-- Were a lot further ahead this year than ive were last year. Over the summer all of the kids worked out and came back with a commitment, Gaach Kathryn Berg said. captains Yolanda Montoya and Karen Smith; juniors, Nancy Barr and Michelle Goodwin; sophomores, Terri Sodja, Jennifer Walke and Karen Keyes; and freshrpan Elizabeth Grindstaff. I think we have an exciting squad this year, Berg said. We' re a lot further ahead this year than we were last year. Over the summer all of the kids worked out and came back with a commitment. Berg said the floor exercise should be the Thunderbirds strongest event, although the team should also do well in the balance beam and uneven bars. Fridays meet will precede a season that begins in y Pomona January when SUSC travels to face in a dual meet. Berg is anticipating a large turnout at Fridays Intersquad Meet. Students with I.D. will be admitted free of charge. The general public will be charged one dollar. Cal-Pol- 5-- T-Bir- ds touchdown. Freshman quarterback Chad Richard took the Birds to the line. Three plays later running back Juan Henderson punched the ball over the goal for the only Thunderbird score of the afternoon. We didnt do anything else on the ground, Lopour explained. The Western New Mexico defense also deserved much credit for the win. When we caught the ball they just stuck their helmet in and held on, the coach added. 25-ya- 44-ya- Coach Don Conrad probably wasnt as enthused with his team during Saturdays game as he shown here but even so the Thunderbirds finished the season with a winning record. Thunderbird basketball teams shaping up for season team new Horns Birds gearingfor tough preseason With the start of a new basketball season just two weeks away, Southern Utah State is preparing for its toughest preseason schedule in years. I think well be a good team this year, said coach Bob Schermerhorn, but I think we could struggle some in the early part of our schedule. Some of our tought games will come in December. The Thunderbirds open the season by hosting Grand Canyon Nov. 24, and kick off the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule against Western New Mexico Nov. 29. Lady The Birds then take to the road, facing the University of Pomona and two tough NCAA Division I teams. Now if we get through that kind of schedule with an impressive record, the rest of the teams on our schedule had darn better watch out, Schermerhorn California-Riversid- Cal-Pol- e, y said. ' As far as talent goes, we have much better players than other teams we will play, Schermerhorn said, We will be a contender, but the other teams in the conference will be improved also. Mesa College, the defending conference champion, will again be the team to beat thio year, but with a strong starting five the Birds could possibly dethrone the Mavericks. Junior Eddie Benson appears to be in line for the point guard spot, while Derrick Johnson, a transfer from will probably be the shooting guard. Russell Otis and Trent Scarlett, both newcomers to Southern Utah this year, should provide inside muscle at the forward spots. John Pierce, who along with Benson is the only returning starter, will play the post. Cal-Irvin- e, T-Bi- cagers to floor rd This years Lady Bird cage squad sports a host of new faces that promise to spice an exciting season. Only four letter winners are back from last years team which finished the season with a 1 record. We are a new, young team this year, but we are coming around pretty good, said Boyd Adams, Southern Utah coach. Were hoping our transfer players will step right in to help us off to a reasonably quick start. I would guess, however, that it will take us some time to get our game together, and that well be stronger later in the season, he added. Adams did say the team is developing very quickly and should finish in the top four of the conference. Generally, we are pleased with the way our front line players are coming along, Adams said. We still need to sort out how well each player performs in various situations, and we still need to work out which combinations work best together. The Lady Birds have better height than theyve had in recent years, but they also have a reasonable amount of quickness. Overall, we are a bigger team than 12-1- , young last year, but we dont have near the experience, Adams said. The depth is fair, adequate, and we are quite a bit quicker overall, especially up front. The Thunderbirds are expected to do as well as last year, but should "have a slow start due to the lack of experience and a tough schedule. Mesa and Ft. Lewis will be tough this year, said Adams, but if we come together as a unit, we will be up toward the top. Southern Utah tips off the season Nov. 23 against Fresno State in War Memorial Fieldhouse. 1 Coach Boyd Adams f X |