Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 2, 1995 TAG: 9503020081
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Martin Huckabee, the founding coach of the program, is back in charge.
Huckabee had turned the programs over to Paul Beckwith - the men's in 1985 and the women's in 1987 - to focus more attention on his role as a health and physical education instructor at RU. But last fall, Beckwith left to become women's gymnastics coach at Cornell.
"I said, 'If you need some help, whatever that might be, let me know,''' said Huckabee, who entered the season with a 95-49 record in dual meets. "I'll do it this year to keep things going. It will take some time to find a good person to continue a fantastic program."
With that offer available, it became obvious who was the right choice for coach at this time for the Highlanders.
"I caught him in a weak moment," said Chuck Taylor, the athletic director who twice has hired Huckabee. "He's got a lot of things going on. But he wanted to see the programs grow and continue."
Coming back to gymnastics has been like returning home for Huckabee. His primary work has been with the women's team which he started in 1978 and coached for 10 seasons.
Huckabee's highlights with that squad include winning the regional title and finishing seventh in the nation in AIAW Division II competition. Then in 1983, when RU moved into NCAA competition, the team went 14-6 in dual meets and was ranked 11th in Division II. Huckabee's teams also won state titles in 1982 and 1985.
"The changes in seven years haven't been that much," Huckabee said. "The student-athletes are the same age as they were 10, 15 years ago. They have the same needs, the same demands on their time as 10, 15 years ago."
The differences, according to Huckabee, are that the physical abilities of the athletes continue to improve and the rules of the sport continue to evolve. The first change means the gymnasts can do more complex routines. The second means those routines need to have different elements than they used to. To help with that, Huckabee has brought in Shirley Tranquill as a consultant.
"I'm the rule queen here," said Tranquill. "Since I'm a judge, they listed to me when I tell them what it is, what it was, and its going to be."
So far this year, the women's team (1-2) won its first dual meet with a season-high 185.75 points against James Madison. And Christie Epperly (38.25) and Wendy Davis (38.175) each have scored more than 38 points in a meet while Michelle Libero (37.2) has been over 37 points.
"We've been off to a good start," said Epperly, a senior from Roanoke who is trying to become the first gymnast in RU history to qualify for the NCAA regional meet three straight seasons. "We've had a lot of young freshmen come in and they are very talented. They've had the adjustment to deal with of college-level pressures."
After coaching the women's team for several years, Huckabee started the men's program. This time around, he has the help of a former gymnast, assistant coach Eric Robichaux.
"It's been different," said Robichaux of the transition from teammate to coach. "But they listen to me. It hasn't been that hard."
The men's team has been hurt by its lack of depth. It is 0-2 in dual matches but did finish second in the Navy Invitational with a season-high 199.8 points. Both Mike McCutcheon (52.8) and Barry Kistler (50.7) have broken the 50-point barrier for the Highlanders.
"It's been rough," said senior Bryan Appleton. "But we're getting in a zone where everyone is hitting their routines. So we're doing a little better."
The search for the future coach for the next replacement for Huckabee will begin in early spring.
THE FUTURE IS SO BRIGHT that the lacrosse publication "Face Off" had good things to say about the Highlanders men's team in its season preview.
"Don't be too worried about the Highlanders record this year - few teams in the country would schedule three ACC games as nonleaguers. But down the road, we're very excited and looking forward to following the progress, growth and maturity of the Radford program."
The reasons for the optimism begin with the determination and recruiting of second-year coach Chris Swanenburg. Another is Swanenburg's first recruiting class - labeled by many observers as one of the best in the nation. The impact will be strongest on offense as five of the six midfielders are freshmen. Finally, six starters return, including the entire defense.
The top returnees include sophomore attacker Zack Karantonis (17 goals, 12 assists) and sophomore goalie Sean Keneally (0.621 save percentage, eighth in NCAA Division I).
INTERNATIONAL WEEKEND happened recently as all three members of the All-World Team in the Big South Conference played at the Dedmon Center in the same weekend.
Kristin Blondal of Keflavik, Iceland, and Charleston Southern visited on Feb. 17. Kjerstin Havnes of Tromson, Norway, and Coastal Carolina came in on Feb. 18. And RU's Nicole Gardiner of New Plymouth, New Zealand, played host both nights.
UPCOMING AT RADFORD is baseball and basketball.
The Highlanders have a five-game homestand over six days beginning Friday. Akron comes in for a three-game series Friday (2 p.m.), Saturday (2 p.m.), and Sunday (1 p.m.). After an off- day Monday, RU hosts Virginia Commonwealth on Tuesday (2:30 p.m.) and William and Mary on Wednesday (2:30 p.m.).
The women's basketball team finishes its regular season at home against Liberty on Saturday night at 7. Then it hosts the Big South Conference tournament March 8-11 at the Dedmon Center. An automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs goes to the winner.
Meanwhile, the men's gymnastics team is at the North Atlantic Championships in Pittsburgh on Saturday. The women's golf team plays at the College of Charleston's Spring Tournament in South Carolina from Saturday through Monday. The men's golf team participates in the Greensboro (N.C.) College Invitational from Sunday through Tuesday.
And the men's basketball team competes in the Big South Conference tournament at Liberty University in Lynchburg from Friday through Sunday.
by CNB